IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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Photographic 

Sciences 
Corpordtion 


33  WEST  MAIN  STRUT 

WEBSTER,  NY    14580 

(716)  872-4S03 


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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


D 


D 


D 


D 
D 


n 


D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


j      I    Covers  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommag^e 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurde  et/ou  pellicul^e 


I      I    Cover  title  missing/ 


Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 


I      I    Coloured  maps/ 


Cartes  geographiques  en  couleur 


Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


I      I    Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 


Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
Relid  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

Lareliure  serr^e  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  intdrieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajoutdes 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  dtait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  6t6  filmdes. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  supplAmentaires.- 


L'Institut  a  microfilmd  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6t6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-dtre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  mdthode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiqu6s  ci-dessous. 


D 

D 

n 

D 

0 


D 
0 


Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagdes 

Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaurdes  et^ou  pelliculdes 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  d^colordes,  tachetdes  ou  piqu^es 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  ddtach^es 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 


I      I    Quality  of  print  varies/ 


Quality  indgale  de  I'impresslon 

Includes  s'jpplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  materiel  suppldmentaire 


Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  ref limed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  6t6  film^es  d  nouveau  de  fa9on  A 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


Th 
to 


Th 
po 
of 
fill 


Or 
be 
th 
sic 
ot 
fir 
si( 
or 


Th 
sh 
Til 
wl 

Ml 
dil 
en 
be 

rig 
re( 
m( 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  fllmA  au  taux  de  reduction  indiquA  ci-dessous. 


10X 

14X 

18X 

22X 

2SX 

SOX 

V 

12X 

16X 

20X 

24X 

28X                             32X 

The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

National  Library  of  Canada 


L'exemplaire  filmd  fut  reproduit  grSce  d  la 
g6n6rosit6  de: 

Bibliothdque  nationale  du  Canada 


The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Les  images  suivantes  ont  6t6  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  nettetd  de  l'exemplaire  filmd,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprim6e  sont  film6s  en  commengant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  film^s  en  commengant  par  la 
premidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  — ^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  -^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
filmds  d  des  taux  de  reduction  diffdrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  cliche,  il  est  filmd  d  partir 
de  Tangle  supdrieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mdthode. 


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CYCLOPEDIA  OF  MODERN  TRAVEL: 


A  RBOOBD  or 


ADVENTURE,  EXPLORATION  AND  DISCOVERY, 


FOR  THE  PAST  FIFTY  YEARS 


(        / 


COMPRISINO 


NAEBATIVES  OF  THE  MOST  DI8TINOFI8HBD  TRAVELEES  SINOK  THB 
BEQINNINQ  OF  THIS  CENTURY  J 


PBEPABED  AND  ABBANOKD  BT 

BAYARD   TAYLOR 


ILLUSTRATED  WITH  MAPS  AND  ENGRAVINGS. 


CINCINNATI: 
MOORE,  WILSTACH  &  MOORE, 

143   RACE    STREET, 
18  6  9. 


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Bntered  according  to  Act  of  Oongresi,  in  tlie  year  1866,  by 

MOOBE,  WILSTACH,  KKTS  ft  CO., 

IntbeOlerk'i 

•fflee  of  the  Diftrict  Court  of  the  United  SUtee  for  the  Southern  Diitriet  of  Ohio. 

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ALEXAiVDEK    VOi\   HL^MBOLDT, 

^"K  OU.KST   ,SU  Tin,  MOST  KKXoVVXKJ)  OK  MV.XO  TR.U.aKRS, 
"i-vvi.:r.   ANn   r  x  i-i.oi:  atiun, 

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PllKFACE. 


Tiir;  [in^Honl;  coninry  is  cmiiliMticiilly  an  ap;o  of  oxplorullnii  and 
disciivcrv.  Al.  IK)  pciiud  sIikm;  IIk-  (liiysiil'  (,'uliimliiis  ami  (/ortc/ 
lias  tlic  tliirsi,  I'dp  cxiiIoiIiil;'  ficvv  lamls  ln'cii  iiiun.' activn  and  univer- 
sal (lian  now.  One  liy  dik;  llin  ontpusls  of  barhaiisni  a,i(!  Hlorna/d 
and  canii'd  ;  a,dvanc.<'d  jiarallcls  ai(!  llin»\vn  up,  and  IIk;  licsii'^in;^ 
lines  ol"  knowledge,  wliicli,  wlicii  oni'*;  ostaldislicd,  can  never  ]i::  i<:- 
laken,  ani  ,!.!;radually  clesin;.^  round  the  yel,  iineoni|nered  iiiysleii(js 
ol'tlie  ;i,l()l)o.  I\lod(!in  exploralion  is  inl,elli,!j,cnl,  and  its  resulls  an; 
I Iierelon^  positive  and  peiiiiauenl.  Tlie  traveler  no  lon;:;er  wandeiH 
lieuildered  in  a  cloud  ol'  I'aMes,  pn^parcd  to  ,s(;(i  marvels,  and  Itul.  too 
ready  lo  create  tlieni  :  lie  tests  every  sl('|)  ol"  tlie  \v;iy  ]>y  I  lie  sure 
li^lit  of  scieueo,  and  liis  pione-er  trail  Ijcconns  ii  plain  and  easy  path 
to  those  wlio  follow.  Tlie  peneil,  lUe  conipass,  the  barometer,  and 
the  sextant  accomitany  him  ;  geolo;j,y,  holany,  and  ethnology  are 
his  aids  ;  and  hy  these  helps  and  uj)plianees,  his  sinj^lo  Inain  now 
achieves  results  which  it  Avindd  once  have  reipiired  an  armed  r<jree 
to  win. 

In  nothinp;  is  this  chan^'je  more  manifest  than  in  the  character 
of  the  narratives  of  modern  t  I'avcders,  as  contrasted  with  thos(;  of 
the  j)ast  three  centuries.  The  ohl  travelers  lia.d  all  the  wonder  and 
the  credulitv  of  children,  and  were  scai'ccdy  less  naive  and  imcnihar- 
rassed  in  the  candor  of  their  relitions.  They  made'  their  works  a 
complete  confessional  of  their  cx[)eriences  ;  (lny  withhold  no  secrets 
fVt.im  I hi.-Ir  readers,  and  in  their  ae'ci/uiil  (jf  the  customs  of  strange 
races  they  frequently  descended  io  details  which  the  extreme  deli- 
cacy of  mod(M'n  lasle  wuidd  not  allow.  Their  volumes  .are  singular 
compounds  of  p(M'Sonal  experi(!nces,  historical  episodes,  statistics, 
and  retl(!ctions  on  the  laws,  ndigions,  and  hahits  of  life  of  other 
races  of  men,  interwoven  with  many  wunderl'ul  stori'.'s,  and  with 
the  most  extraordinary  conjectures  and  speculations.     Their  con- 


i 


vm 


PREFACE. 


ficicntionsnops  in  dcscri1»in<i;  all  wliicli  thoy  saw,  and  their  readiness 
in  believing  all  which  they  heard,  have  subjected  most  of  them  to 
the  charge  of  exaggeration,  if  not  of  jiositive  falsehood  ;  yet  many 
of  their  most  extraordinary  statements  have  been  fully  confirmed 
in  our  own  day,  and  there  is  scarcely  a  single  instance  where 
any  old  traveler  of  re})ute  has  been  convicted  of  willful  fab- 
rication. 

The  modern  traveler,  on  the  other  hand,  is  characterized  by 
sceiiticism  rather  tliau  credulity.  He  is  nuich  more  interested  in 
solving  some  jtroblem  of  jihysieal  geograjihy,  or  in  illustrating  some 
favorite  scientific  theory,  tlian  in  tales  of  "gorgons,  hydras,  and 
chinneras  dire."  As  the  ends  of  tlio  earth  have  been  brought  to- 
gether,  through  the  extension  of  ctuumercial  intercourse,  and  that 
magnificent  system  of  colonization  which  is  the  leading  feature  of 
modern  historj',  he  is  no  haiger  obliged  to  mascjuerade  in  the  dis- 
guises of  other  races  tlian  his  own,  but  bears  about  him  the  dis- 
tinguishing stam^)  of  his  nationality.  He  is  thus  less  truly  a  cos- 
mopolite than  his  prototype  of  two  centuries  back,  and  while  his 
delineations  of  Tiature  are  in  most  oases  as  exact  und  faitiifiil  as 
possible,  he  gives  us  loss  of  tliat  intrinsic  human  nature  which  lends 
such  a  charm  to  the  story  of  the  latter.  There  are  some  exceptions, 
it  is  true,  the  most  remarkable  of  whom  is  M.  Hue,  who  exhibits  all 
the  simplicity  and  sincerity  of  the  early  Jesuit  missionaries  ; 
and  the  reader  can  n(jt  help  1)c'ing  im[)rcssed  with  the  conviction 
that  ho  tells  us  nothing  which  he  does  not  himself  honestly 
believe. 

But  in  the  accuracy  of  their  ol)servations  the  travelers  of 
modern  times  arc  pre-eminently  distinguished.  It  is  no  longer  the 
testimony  of  a  pair  of  eyes  which  is  offered  to  ns  ;  it  is  also  the  con- 
firmation of  instruments  as  unerring  as  natural  laws,  which  [)hoto- 
graph  for  us  the  climate,  the  conformation,  the  scenery,  and  the 
inhabitants  of  distant  lands.  Moimtains  have  been  measured  and 
the  enormous  ahysses  of  the  ocean  sounded  ;  maps  are  no  longer 
>tn  unmeaning  pluie  surface,  but  the  central  plateaus  of  eontineuts, 
and  the  terraces  of  mountain  ranges  take  their  proportion.',  to  levels; 
coast-lines,  which  formerly  displayed  Imt  the  im})erfect  resemblance 
of  a  child's  attempt  at  (h-awing,  have  now  the  clear  and  certain 
outline,  the  perfect  ])rofile  of  an  artist's  hand,  and  every  feattuc  in 
the  ])anorama  of  our  globe  is  growing  into  now  and  beautiful  dis- 
tinctness. These  vast  results  are  exclusively  the  ))r(Hiuei  of  uur 
own  day.  Humholdt,  the  founder  of  IMiysical  Geography,  still 
lives  to  rejoice  over  the  discoveries  of  cacli  stiecessive  year  :  Agassiz, 
who  has  arranged  the  geogra])) ileal  distribution  o!'  the  anim a 


i 


vUlg- 


■ 


1 


I 


PREFACE. 


IX 


doms,  and  Maiiry,  who  has  sketched  tlie  inof|nalitics  of  the  beds  of 
oceans,  ascertained  tlieir  currents,  aiul  organized  the  apparent  chaos 
of  tlic  winds,  live  among  ns  ;  while  a  host  of  co-workers,  in  all 
parts  of  the  world,  are  daily  contributing  inaterials  toward  the 
perfection  of  those  grand  systems  which  attest  the  supremacy  of 
Man  over  the  material  imiverse,  and  the  majesty  of  that  Divine 
Wisdom  to  which  the  order  of  creation  moves, 

A  comparison  of  the  ma])s  which  we  now  possess  with  those  of 
fifty  years  ago,  will  hest  illustrate  the  achievements  of  modern 
exploration.  Within  that  time  all  tlie  principal  features  of  tho 
geography  of  our  own  vast  interior  regions  have  been  accurately  de- 
termined ;  the  great  fields  of  Oential  Asia  have  been  traversed  in 
various  directions,  from  Bokliara  and  tlio  Oxus  to  the  Chinese 
Wall  ;  the  half-known  river  systems  of  South  America  have  been 
explored  and  surveyed  ;  the  ic}'  cuiilinent  around  the  Southern 
Pole  has  been  discovered  ;  the  North- Western  Passage,  the  igni.s- 
fatuus  of  nearly  two  centuries,  is  at  last  found  ;  the  Dead  Sea  is 
stripi>ed  of  its  fabulous  terrors  ;  the  course  of  the  Niger  is  no  longer 
a  myth,  and  the  sublime  secret  of  the  Nile  is  almost  wrested  from 
his  keeping.  The  Mountains  of  the  Moon,  sought  for  through  two 
th(»usaud  years,  have  l)een  beheld  by  a  Caucasian  eye  ;  an  English 
steamer  has  ascended  the  Chadda  to  the  frontiers  of  the  great  king- 
dom of  Bornou  ;  Eyre,  Leichhardt,  and  Sturt  have  penetrated  the 
wilderness  of  Australia  ;  the  Russians  have  explored  the  frozen 
shores  of  Northern  Siberia,  and  descended  from  Irkoutsk  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Amoor  ;  the  antiquated  walls  of  Chinese  prejudice 
have  been  cracked,  and  are  fast  tumbling  down  ;  and  the  canvas 
screens  which  surrounded  Japan  have  been  out  by  tho  shari)  edge 
of  American  enterprise.  Such  are  tho  principal  features  in  the 
progress  of  modern  discovery.  What  half-eeiitury,  since  the  f  )rm 
of  the  earth  and  the  boundaries  of  its  land  and  water  were  known, 
can  exhibit  such  a  list  of  achievements  ? 

*ilK  design  of  this  book  is  to  present  a  comi)act,  yet  as  far  as 
possible,  a  com])lete  and  satisfactory,  view  of  these  results.  So  far 
as  I  am  aware,  no  work  of  the  kind  has  yet  been  imdertaken. 
When  it  was  jiroposed  to  me  by  the  jjublishers,  to  whom  the  original 
idea  is  dae,  I  at  once  recognized  its  utility,  and  as  the  preparation 
of  it,  though  involving  a  considerable  amomit  of  labor,  was  con- 
genial to  my  tastes  and  ]an'suits,  1  agreed  to  comjdete  it  previous 
to  settinir  out  on  a  new  series  of  travels.  As  it  was  the  object  of 
the  publishers  to  ]>roduce  a  work  which  should  ])ossess  ])ernianent 
val'ie  as  a  book  ot"  reference,  and  yet  bo  sufHiat'ntly  popular  in  its 
arrangement  to  interest  the  great  mass  of  readers,  who  desire  some- 


I 


PREFACE. 


thing  more  tlian  a  drj^  statement  of  facts,  while  its  cost  sliould  not 
place  it  beyond  their  reach,  I  decided  to  let  each  traveler  tell  his 
own  story,  mainly,  confining  my  own  laljors  to  the  necessary  con- 
densation, and  to  the  selection  and  arrangement  of  the  different 
narratives. 

The  limits  prescribed  to  mo  rendered  it  impossible  to  include 
nnder  the  head  of  "  Travels,"'  the  many  voyages  of  exploration 
which  have  been  made  during  this  centur}-,  and  which  have  con- 
tributed so  richly  to  its  i-ecord  of  discoveries.  Those  of  Ross,  Parry, 
Cecile,  D'  Urville,  Wilkes,  Bcechy,  and  others,  extending  over 
long  ])eriods  of  time,  would  have  reipiired  much  space  in  order  to 
I)resent  a  complete  sununary  of  their  results.  I  determined,  there- 
fore, to  conline  myself  to  the  works  of  travel  and  exphjration  by 
land,  and  even  iu  this  field  the  material  was  so  rich  tiiat  to  have  in- 
cluded every  traveler  who  has  attained  some  distinction  since  the 
beii'inuinLi'  of  this  century  would  have  rendered  neccssarv  a  much 
mitre  barren  and  encychtpa'dical  arrangement  than  I  have  thought 
proper  to  ado})t.  The  reader,  who  is  interested  in  a  traveler's 
achievements,  naturally  desires  to  hear  them  told  iu  his  own  lan- 
guage and  characteristic  manner,  and  I  preferred  selecting  the  most 
prominent  narratives — those  which  are,  in  some  measure,  typical  of 
the  various  fields  of  exploration — and  omitting  those  which  are  (jf 
less  importance,  or  the  disclosures  of  which  have  been  superseded 
by  later  travelers.  For  the  same  reason,  where  the  story  of  a  man's 
travels  is  the  story  of  his  life,  I  have  given  the  article  a  biographical 
character,  as  iu  the  case  of  Burckhardt  and  IMungo  Park.  Alex- 
ander von  lluudjoldt,  from  the  ]iositiou  he  occupies,  ju'.tilies  the 
same  de]»urture  from  the  original  ])lan  of  the  work.  No  com- 
]ilete  and  connected  account  of  his  journeys  has  ever  yet  been 
published. 

j\Iy  [)rincipal  difilculty  has  thus  been  the  very  richness  of  the 
materials  at  my  disposal.  I  have  taken  great  care  to  prevent  the 
Work  of  compilation  from  becoming  mutilation — to  disHngiiish  be- 
tween that  whicli  is  of  limited  or  special  im[tortance,  and  that 
which  possesses  general  iuKMVst  and  value.  I  can  n(»t  su]i|)os(>  that 
I  have  always  succeeil'd.  and  am  ]irepared  to  h(>ar  my  Judgitu'iit 
(luestioned  on  many  ]>oints.  The  general  usefulness  of  the  wiirk, 
however,  and  the  necessity  for  its  ]ireparation,  may  be  conceded. 
It  contains  iifty-five  narratives,  which,  in  their  original  form  of 
publication.  (Mulirace  ninety  volumes.  ^lany  of  the  works,  includ- 
ing soiui'  of  tlie  greatest  interest,  hiive  long  been  out  of  ]irint  ; 
many  have  never  be(>n  r('{)ublished  in  this  country  ;  and  a  few  have 
not  been  translated  into   Kiiiglish.     Very  few  distinguished  names 


L. 


rEEPACE. 


XI 


IC 

lit 
lit 
lit 


have  Ijccn  omitt?'^  Most  of  tlie  ground  tr;iveri?0(l  by  Sir  Aloxundcr 
Bnnics  is  eovfi  '  >y  the  narrativos  of  IMi'vcndnrff  and  Licuti'iiaiit 
Wo(»d  ;  I  was  ■■  Ajventcd  from  describing  the  very  interesting  re- 
searclies  of  Stephens  in  Central  America  and  Yucatan,  by  the  fact 
of  their  being  cojiyright  works  ;  and  of  Schoniburgk's  expensive 
work  on  Guiana,  there  is  not  a  cojiy  in  this  country,  to  my  knowl- 
edge, and  none  to  be  procured  at  present.  With  tliese  exceptions, 
the  list  of  travelers  who  have  made  ini])ortant  contributions  to 
our  knowledge  of  other  c<>untries  and  other  races,  will  bo  found 
complete. 

I  have,  of  course,  been  obliged  to  omit  all  works  which  do  not 
in  some  degree  j)artake  of  the  character  of  exploration,  however 
admirable  in  style  or  interesting  in  substance.  There  are  also 
some  works  of  the  greatest  interest  in  the  course  of  publication, 
but  which  have  not  yet  appeared.  Foremost  among  these  are  the 
travels  of  Dr.  Barth  in  Central  Africa,  which  prol)ably  exceed  in 
importance  any  previous  labors  in  the  same  field.  Dr.  Krapf  has 
not  yet  given  to  the  world  his  account  of  the  great  African  snow 
mountain  of  Kilimandjaro,  which  he  discovered  in  the  year  bS^O. 
Anderson's  visit  to  the  great  lake  Ngaini,  in  Houthern  Africa,  is  on 
the  eve  of  publication,  and  Dr.  Livingston,  the  discoverer  of  this 
lake,  is  now  on  his  return  to  Cape  Town,  from  a  daring  journey  of 
three  years  into  the  unknown  interior.  There  is,  therefore,  the 
greater  necessity  now-,  when  scarcely  a  year  passes  over  without 
some  iuteresting  geographical  discover}',  of  Ininging  together  in  a 
convenient  form  all  that  has  hitherto  been  done,  as  an  introduc- 
ti(ni  to  and  elucidation  of  what  may  Iw  done  hereafter.  Of  the 
essential  interest  of  the  various  narratives  it  is  lumecessary  to 
speak.  Many  of  them  already  constitute  a  portion  of  the  iiousehold 
literature  of  the  worM,  and  are  read  wherever  heroic  endurance  and 
■uuflinehiug  courage  are  held  in  esteem. 

It  was  thought  ])est  to  arrange  the  narratives  in  chronological 
order,  although  this  rule  has  not  bi'cn  adhered  to  in  all  cas(>s. 
AVhere  there  is  a  manifest  connection  between  two  or  nior(>  sejiarate 
exploring  journ(\vs — as  in  the  case  of  Di'uham,  Clapperton,  and 
L'Uide" -such  connection  has  always  be  ai  pr(\>ierved.  In  some  iji- 
stances,  also,  several  disconnected  journeys  over  jtrescribed  routes  or 
in  a  special  Held  of  travel,  have  been  grouped  togeth(M- under  one 
head.  To  hav(>  introduced  geographical  distinctions,  in  addition, 
would  have  complicated  the  arrangement  and  re(|uired  a  greater 
exiiendilure  of  time  than  T  have  Ikmmj  able  to  devote  to  the  work. 
1  have  (Mideavored  to  do  the  best  allowed  by  the  time  atnl  space 
ut    my  disposal,   and    claim    no    further    merit    than    tliat   of  the 


t,. 


xu 


PREFACE. 


mosaic-worker  who  arranges  in  a  symmetrical  form  the  jewels  placed 
before  him. 

In  nearly  all  instances  the  articles  have  been  prepared  from  the 
original  editions  of  the  various  works.  For  reference  to  a  few 
volumes  which  I  was  unable  to  obtain,  I  am  indebted  to  the  Astor 
and  Society  Libraries  of  this  city.  My  friend,  Mr.  Barclay  Pennock, 
afforded  mc  much  assistance  in  translating  from  the  French  and 
Grerman,  and  in  the  abridgement  of  some  of  the  narratives.  The 
cuts  with  which  the  work  is  illustrated  have  been  taken  in  all 
cases,  from  the  original  publications.  The  maps  have  been 
specially  prepared  for  the  purpose,  and  will,  it  is  believed,  add 
materially  to  the  interest  of  the  narratives  to  whicli  they  are 
prefixed. 


BAYAED  TAYLOR. 


New  Yokk,  July,  1856. 


.1 


d  : 

I 

le     i 
w     ; 

^^      J 

tie  I 

ill  , 

en  i 

M  i 

,re  I 


% 


i*, 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Life  and  Travels  op  Alexander  ton  Humboldt 19 

Youth  and  Education, 19 

Voyage  to  America 23 

Travels  on  the  Orinoco, 33 

Voyages  on  tlio  Rio  Negro  and  Cassiquiaro, 50 

Return  to  Cumana, 56 

Visit  to  Cuba, 69 

Travels  among  the  Andes 60 

Visit  to  Mexico  and  return  to  Europe, fl 

Publication  of  liis  Works, f  3 

Journey  tlirotigh  Russia,  Siberia,  and  Tartary, 76 

Humboldt's  Later  Years, 8T 

MtiNOO  Pa  UK's  Travels  in  "Western  Africa, 93 

Second  Journey, 118 

Lewis  and  Clarke's  Journey  to  the  Pacific  Ocean 129 

Voyage  up  the  Missouri, 129 

"Winter  among  the  Mandans 138 

Journey  across  the  Rocky  Ittountains, 142 

Voyage  down  Lewis  and  Columbia  Rivers, 160 

Winter  on  the  Pacific  Coast, 169 

Tho  Return  Journey, 176 

BuRcmiARDT's  Travels  in  Syria,  Africa,  and  Arabu,       ....  197 

Travels  in  Syria, 197 

Discovery  of  Petra, 206 

Travels  in  Nubia  and  Ethiopia, 207 

Journey  to  Mecca  and  Medina 218 

Belzoni's  Explorations  in  Egypt, 228 

Cailliaud's  Journey  to  the  Libyan  Oases,  Ethiopia,  and  Sennaae,.        .  246 

Franklin's  Overland  Journey  to  the  Polar  Sea, 289 

Meyendorff's  Journey  to  Uokiiara, 323 

TiMKOvsKi's  Journey  from  Siheuia  to  Pekin, 349 

Cocurane's  Pedestrian  Journey  throuuu  SiitERTA 383 

Golownin's  Captivity  in  Japan 411 

De  Lascaris's  Secret  Mission  among  the  Bedohns, 439 

Denuam  and  Clapi'eutox's  Expedition  to  Central  Africa,    ....  463 

Reception  in  Bornou, 469 

Denham's  Military  Excursion  to  Mandara, 478 

The  Rainy  Soa-sou  in  Bornou, 487 

Excursions  to  Lo^'gun  and  iirotmd  Lake  Tchad 491 

Clapperton's  Journey  to  Suckatoo, 497 

Return  to  Europe 603 

Clapperton's  Second  Journey  to  Sackatoo, 605 

Return  Journey  of  Richard  Lander, 618 


XIV 


C  0  N  T  E  N  T  rf  , 


RXPLORATIOXS  or  THE  NlOEU, 

Discoveries  of  Richard  and  John  Lander, 

Laird  and  Oldlield'a  Voyages  on  tlio  Niger,  . 

Narrative  of  Dr.  Oldfleld, 

Allen  and  Thompson's  Expedition, 

Moffat's  Life  i.\  Soutiilrn  Afkica, 

Stuut's  Exploration's  in  Australia,       .... 

Journey  to  tlio  River  Darlinp, 

Voyage  down  the  Morruuibidguo  and  Murray  Rivers, 

Back's  Arctic  La.so  Expedition, 

WKLLSTEiys  Travels  in  Oman, 

EXPLORATION'S   OF   THE   WUITE   NlLE 

Wernc's  Voyage, 

Dr.  Knoblccher's  Voyage, 

Major  Harris's  Mission  to  Siioa, 

Pauicyns's  Life  in  Abyssinia, 

Wood's  Jolrney  to  the  Oxus 

Fremont's  Explorations  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  (Jalifokni 

Journey  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  ..... 

Journey  to  Oregon  and  California, 
Hue's  Travels  in  Tautary,  Thidet,  and  China,  . 

Journey  through  Tartary  and  Thibet, 

Re,sidenco  at  Lha-S.sa, 

Journey  from  I.ha-Ssa  to  Canton, 
Fortune's  Journeys  to  the  Tea-Countiues  of  China, 

Journey  to  the  Green  Tea  Districts,   . 

Journey  to  the  Bohea  Mountains,  . 
Recent  Explorations  in  Australia. 

Eyre's  Journey 

MitcheH'a  Journey  to  Tropical  Australia,  . 

Leiehhardt's  Overland  Journey  to  Port  Essington, 
Lyncii's  Exploration  of  the  Dead  Sea,    . 
Layard's  Explora'ions  at  Nineveh  and  Babylon, 

First  Excavations  at  Xiiievch..    .... 

Second  Visit  to  Nineveh, 

Explorations  of  Babylon,    .... 
Travels  of  Ida  Pfeiffer,       .... 

Journey  to  Palestine,  .... 

Journey  to  Iceland,  .... 

First  Joiuiiey  around  the  World, 

Second  Journey  around  the  World, 
Explorations  of  the  Amazon  River, 

Journey  of  Lieutenant  llerudou,     . 

Journey  of  Lieutenant  (iibbon,  . 
Richardson's  Travels  in  the  Sahara,  . 
Richardson  and  Bartu's  Expedition  to  Central 

Dr.  Earth's  Journey  to  Adaniowa, 

Dr.  Overwcg'a  Exploration  of  Lako  Tsad,  . 

Explorations  in   1851  and  1852, 

Explorations  of  Drs.  Barth  and  Vogel, 

Navigation  of  the  River  Beuue, 
Burton's  Pilgrim  \r!E  to  Mecca, 
Exploration  of  Loo-Choo,      .... 

Report  of  Bayard  Taylor,    .... 


Africa 


PAOR 

523 

523 
513 
550 
553 
5G1 
581 
581 
58T 
596 
615 
C'JS 
028 
U42 
049 
605 
083 
097 
097 
700 
727 
727 
750 
754 
703 
703 
707 
773 
773 
776 
780 
795 
809 
809 
816 
822 
827 
827 
834 
838 
844 
851 
851 
860 
871 
885 
895 
897 
900 
903 
905 
909 
910 
916 


'« 


GONTBNTS. 

XV 

LIST    OF 

MAPS, 

PAOB 

SOOTB  AkBRIOA,      . 

IRustrating 

JSumboldi's    Travels, 

18 

WSSTERM  ATBIOA, 

It 

Mungo  Park's    "... 

92 

Btbia,  etc.,     .... 

II 

Burckhardes      "            ... 

196 

NuBU.  AND  Ethiopia, 

11 

Oaiaiaud's         "... 

244 

NOBTHEBN   AUEBICA, 

u 

Franklin's          "            ... 

288 

PABT  or  SiBEBIA  AND  MONOOLIA, 

II 

Timkovski's  and  Oochrane's  Travels, 

348 

Fabt  or  ArBiCA,       .       .       . 

II 

Denham  and  Glapperton's         " 

462 

The  Niqeb,     .... 

11 

Lander's  Explorations,    . 

623 

Eastebm  Austbaua, 

II 

Sturfs               «... 

680 

Tabtabt,  Thibet,  and  China, 

II 

Hwi's  Travels,         .... 

726 

ASSTBIA,           .... 

II 

Layard's  Explorations, 

808 

TH3  Amamn,     .... 

II 

Hemdon  arul  Gibbon's  Exploraitions, 

860 

Central  Afbioa,  . 

II 

Richardson  and  Earth's  Expedition, 

884 

LIST    OF 

ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PORTBAITS  OF  DlSTINQUISHED  TRAVELERS, 

(Frontispiece) 

Falls  op  Tequendaha, 

62 
64 
67 

Thi  Volcano  of  Cotopaxi,     . 
Chimborazo, 

•         •        • 

Sultan  Ali's  Tent  at  Benowh 
Kauaua 

101 
116 

•         ■        • 

BzoAVATEo  Tomb  at  Petra,     . 
Fort  Enterprise, 

227 
293 

Wilbbrforor  Falls, 

298 
470 
473 

Lake  Tchad, 

Bodt-quard  or  the  Sheeq  of  Bornod  . 

Arrital  at  Mora,  in  Mandara 
Lancer  of  the  Scltan  of  Beqi 

480 

484 

SARKI,      . 

African  Forest,  . 

609 

SCENIBT   of  the  LoWER  NiQEB, 

Abocko,       .... 

630 
63T 

«                       •                      • 

Lander's  Orate,             .       . 

652 
664 
666 
66C 

IfOCTH   or  THE  NiOER,  . 

Kino  Obi  and  bis  Wins, 

The  If  odel  Fabh, 

•                      •                      • 

I 


XVI 


CONTENTS. 


Mas 

JUKCTtON  OP  THE  MURRAT  AND  THE   DARLINO, 691 

Anderson's  Falls, 604 

View  Seavard  from  Montreal  Island,       .       '.....  611 

Scenery  of  Oman, 616 

A  Wanderinq  African  True, 654 

Warriors  of  Shoa, 660 

Abyssinian  Warriors, 670 

An  Abyssinian  Lady  of  Fashion,      . 680 

Pekin, 721 

Saudadcuiemba 729 

The  Hemp  Palu, 765 

Chinese  Tea-Carrier, 770 

boitle-tree  of  australia, 779 

Natives  op  Austraua, 783 

The  Mound  op  Nimroud  (Nineteb), 809 

The  Ruins  op  Babylon^j, 822 

Colossal  Winoed  Lion,  prou  Nineveh, 825 

Illiuani,  Highest  Peak  op  the  Andes, 8G3 

Desoendinq  the  Bapids  op  the  Madeira, 868 

Ghadaues, 873 

The  Wells  op  Mislah, 877 

Ghat, 879 

The  Demons'  Palaob .  8&7 


.  1 


,,    ,.      I 


1 1'-\ 


H    ..I  I 


^ 


4 


691 
.  604 

611 
.  616 

664 
.  66» 

670 
.  680 

nt 

.    729 

766 
.  770 

779 
.  783 

809 
.  822 

825 
.  8G3 

868 

.  873 

877 

.  879 


i 


,  i* 


i: 


t 


I 

4 


1 


I 

i 

'■I 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS 


or 


ALEXANDER   VON   HUMBOLDT/ 


SCIENTIFIC  EXPLORATIONS  IN  SOUTH  A^IERTCA,  MEXICO, 
RUSSIA,  SIBERIA,  AND  TARTiUiY, 


YOUTH    AND    EDUCATION. 

Alexandek  Yoisr  IIujnJOi.DT,  the  oklost  and  most  renowned  of 
livinjjf  travelers,  was  born  in  Berlin,  on  the  14tli  of  Soptember,  IVCO. 
Ilis  youth  Avas  spent  in  the  castle  and  park  of  Togel,  about  nine  miles 
north-west  of  that  city — an  estate  which  his  father,  Major  Von  Hum- 
boldt, ])urcliased  at  the  termination  of  the  Seven  Years'  ^^'ar,  aa  hen  he 
was  appointed  chaml)ci'lain  to  Frederic  the  Great.  The  poet  Goethe, 
when  he  accomjianied  the  Duke  of  Saxe-Weimar  to  Berlin,  in  the  year 
1Y78,  vi^uted  Tetfcl,  and  there  saw  tlie  Major's  two  sons,  Williehu  and 
Alexander,  wlio  were  then  eight  and  ten  years  of  age,  but  could  scarcely 
recognize  in  them,  at  that  time,  his  future  friends  and  co-workers  in  the 
fields  of  Hteraturc  and  natural  science. 

*  Humboldt  13  a  traveled  man  of  scionec,  rather  tlian  a  traveler.  His  passion  for 
Beienlilic  investigation  is,  pcrlmps,  even  greater  than  hi:;  individual  enjoyment  of  new 
scenes  and  new  experienec?.  Heneo  I  have  found  it  diflieult  to  obtain  tho  material  for 
a  connected  narrative  of  his  travels  and  explorations.  His  "  Personal  Narrative,"  which 
was  written  to  supply  this  want,  at  tho  request  of  his  friends,  is  a  rich  treasury  of  infor- 
mation, but  contributes  comparatively  littlo  to  tho  end  in  view,  and  does  not  extend 
beyond  his  visit  to  Cuba,  in  tho  year  1801.  Tlio  remaining  portion  I  havo  been  obliged 
to  construct  out  of  fragmentary  descriptions  scattered  through  his  other  works.  Klencko'a 
'•Lifo  of  Humboldt,"  on  which  I  havo  rehed  for  a  concise  statement  of  tho  scientific  re- 
sults of  his  travels,  gives  but  tho  merest  outline.  Tho  following  are  tho  principal  works 
consulted  :  Humboldt's  "  Personal  Narrative ;"  Humboldt's  "  Views  of  Nature  ;"  Hum- 
boldt's "  Vues  des  Cordillcres ;"  Humboldt's  "New  Spain;"  Humboldt's  " Kkinere  Schrif- 
ten ;''  Humboldt's  "  Asie  Cehtrale ;"  Koso's  "  Reise  naeh  dem  Urai"  etc.  (Journey  to  tho 
Ural) ;  Klcncke's  "  Lifo  of  Humboldt." 


-^*-**"«"'  .1  II 


20 


LIFE     AND    TRAVELS    OP    HUMBOLDT. 


Till'  lirollicrs  irmnlioklt  were  remarkably  ("ortuiiiito  in  llic  iiilliitiu'LH 
Avliich  siirroiin(l('(l  llii'iri  in  early  lil'e.  The  <nirsti<)ii  of  iMlucatioiial 
rcforni  was  Ix'^iiiiiiiit;  to  rngai^o  the  attention  of  seholars  and  states- 
men ;  the  iilcas  of  Kousscan,  Avliieh  had  jjonetrated  into  Germany,  liad 
given  rise  to  more  rational  and  liberal  plans  for  the  instruetion  of  yonlli. 
The  jihysieal  develo]tment  (jf  tlu!  scholar  received  its  due  share  of  alleti- 
tion,  anil  the  study  of  natural  scieneo  Avas  eonsiderod  of  no  less  import- 
ance than  that  of  metaj)hysies  and  the  classics.  The  lu'st  tutor  employid 
liy  Major  Von  Humboldt  for  liis  sons  was  C'anipe  (afterwards  distin- 
guished as  a  critic  and  ]»hilologist),  who  had  edited  a(!erman  edition 
of  Kobinson  Crusoe,  and  had  written  several  books  ibr  ehildri'U,  con- 
taining imaginary  narratives  of  travel  and  adventure.  It  is  very  prob- 
able that  these  books,  and  the  conversation  of  their  author,  lirst  ext'itcd 
the  jiassion  for  travel  in  the  mind  of  his  youngest  ](>ipil.  Ily  him,  and 
the  tutors  who  succeeded  him,  the  boys  were  carefully  instructed  ac- 
cording to  tlioir  years,  without  doing  violence  to  the  individual  bent  of 
their  natures.  They  were  allowed  to  pursue  difloreiit  paths  of  study, 
aiding  and  illustrating  each  other's  progress  by  the  mutual  communica- 
tion and  discussion  of  what  they  had  learned.  Alexandei-  soon  began 
to  show  his  inclination  lor  the  study  of  nature.  In  his  eleventh  year  he 
received  ]essi»ns  in  botanv,  and  thenceforth  devoted  himself  with  ardor 
to  that  and  kindred  sciences.  It  was  noticed,  hoAvever,  that  his  mind 
was  slow  to  retahi  what  was  taught  him  ;  his  body  was  weak,  and  not 
until  late  in  boyhood,  after  he  had  become  more  robust  and  vigorous, 
did  he  awake  to  a  full  consciousness  of  his  powers. 

in  the  year  1781),  the  brothers  entered  the  University  of  Frankfort- 
on-lhe-Oder,  Avhere  they  remained  two  years,  and  were  then  transferred 
to  that  of  Gottingen.  Here  Alexander,  now  in  his  nineteenth  year, 
made  the  ac(iuaintancc  of  Blumenbach,  the  celebrated  natural  historian, 
and  of  Cicorge  Forster,  who,  as  naturalist,  had  aceompanied  Cook  in  his 
voyage  around  the  globe.  Through  the  friendship  of  llie  latter,  his 
longing  for  exploration  and  scientilic  discovery  was  coniirmeil  and 
strengthened;  and  he  acquired  that  love  of  civil  liberty,  those  Innnanc 
and  jtrogressive  ideas,  Avhich  have  made  liim,  Aviiile  the  friend  of  mon- 
avchs,  the  most  liberal  of  citizens.  Of  the  admiration  Avhich  he  telt  for 
Forster,  we  have  ample  testimony  in  the  s^ocond  volume  of  "Cosmos," 
\\lK'rc  ho  pays  an  elo(pient  tribute  to  iiis  genius.  "  All  that  can  give 
trulh,  indi\iduality,  and  distinctiveness  to  the  delineation  of  exotic 
nature,  is  nnited  in  his  Avorks." 

The  brothers  completed  their  studies  in  1780.  While  Wilhclm, 
Avhose  talents  lilted  him  for  political  life,  paid  a  visit  to  Paris,  Alexan- 
der, in  company  with  Forster,  made  his  lirst  scientific  jonrney  to  tho 
Rhine,  through  Holland,  and  to  Fngland  in  the  spring  of  1790;  and 
this  lirst  experience  became  the  subject  of  his  lirst  literary  production. 
It  apjicared  in  the  same  year,  under  the  title  of  "  Mineralogical  Obser- 
vations on  some  Basaltic  Formations  of  the  Rhine."     After  studying 


5 

,•0 

lie 


|i- 


lo 
Id 


PLANS    1113    AMKUIOAN    JOUllNKY 


21 


boolv-kcopinpj  in  n  commorcin!    iiistitutt;  in  Tl:iii\l>in'f,',  ho    removed  to 
Freiburg,  rind  bei-auie  !i  sUuli'iil  in  tlio  niiniii<^  aciuk'iny,  Avlicro  ho  re- 
mained until  the  spiini;  of  1702,  when  he  received  tlie  appointmenl  of 
BUjierintendent  of  mines  in  Fraiiconia,  an  oflice  which  lie  held  for  the 
three  ibllowing  years.     I)uring  tiiis  tiiin^  he  zealously  prosecuted   his 
mineralogical  ami  botanical  :'ii(Ues,  aiid  inaih;  various  ex))eriments  on 
the  physical  and  chemical  laws  of  metallurgy.     His  mind,  liowever,  was 
misatistied  with  liis  position  ;  he  was  looking  forward  with  Impatience 
to  the   opi)ortunity   of  ])rosecutiiig  his    investigations  in  broailcr  and 
fresher  lields,  and  the  ))lan  ol"  liis  great  American  journey,  wliii'h  ap- 
pears to  have  been  first  made  during  his  intimacy  with  Forster,  jut;- 
sented  itself  constantly  to  liis  imagination.     In  oider  to  prepare  himself 
for  an  undertaking  of  such  magnlt>i<le,  ln'  made  hcveral  visits  to  Swit- 
zerland and  the  mountains  (jf  Silesia,  besides  an   ollicial  journey  into 
I'russian  Poland.     Thenceforth,  this  vision  of  transatlantic  travel  and 
exploration  became  the  ruling  aim  of  his  life.     Jle  thus  refers  to  it  in 
the  opening  chajiter  of  his  "  Personal  Narrative  :" — "  From  my  earliest 
vouth,  I  lelt  an  ardent  desire  to  travel  into  distant  regions,  seldom 
visited  by  Kuro])eans.     This  desire  is  characteristic  of  a  peri(jd  of  our 
existence  when  life  apjiears  an  unlimited  horizon,  and  when  we  find  an 
irresistible  attraction  in  the  imjieluous  agitation  of  the  mind,  and  the 
image  of  positive  danger.     Though  educated  in  a  country  which  has  no 
direct  communication  Avith  either  the  East  or  the  AVest  Indies,  living 
amid  mountains  remote  from  coasts,  and  celebrated  for  their  numerous 
mines,  I  felt  an  increashig  passion  for  the  sea  and  distant  expeditions. 
Objects  Avith  which  we  are  acquainted  only  l»y  the  animated  narratives 
of  travelers  have  a  ])eculiar  charm  ;  imagination  wanders  with  delight 
over  that  which  is  vague  and  undefined  ;  and  tlse  ])leasures  we  arc  de- 
prived of  seem  to  possess  a  fascinathig  power,  compared  with  which,  all 
wc  daily  feel  in  the  narrow  circle  of  sedentary  life  appears  insij)id." 

Ilesigning  his  office  in  1795,  Humboldt  visited  Vienna,  where  ho 
associated  himself  with  the  celeljrated  Freieslebcn,  and  resumed  the 
study  of  botany.  He  also  occupied  himself  with  galvanism,  then  just 
discovered,  and  plaimed  a  visit  to  tlie  volcanic  districts  of  Naples  and 
Sicily,  which  he  was  unable  to  carry  out,  on  account  of  the  Avar.  The 
death  of  his  mother,  and  the  disposition  of  the  paternal  estates,  noAv 
called  him  aAvay  from  his  studies,  and  it  Avas  not  until  1797  that  he  was 
able  to  make  serious  preparations  for  his  American  journey.  In  order 
to  supply  himself  Avitli  ample  means,  he  sold  the  large  estate  Avhich  he 
had  inherited,  and  set  aside  the  greater  part  of  the  proceeds  for  that 
object.  But  he  Avas  yet  to  encoimter  delays  and  obstacles,  Avhidi  Avould 
have  exhausted  the  patience  of  a  less  enthusiastic  person.  The  brothers 
had  long  talked  of  a  journey  to  Italy  in  company,  and  it  was  decided 
to  carry  out  this  plan  prior  to  Alexander's  departure,  but,  on  reaching 
Vienna,  their  progress  Avas  stopped  by  the  Avar  between  France  and 
Austria.     Alexander  spent  the  Avinter  of  1797-8  in  Salzburg,  where  he 


:|;.1 


22 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF    HUMBOLDT. 


met  with  a  gentleman  who  had  visited  lUyria  and  Greece,  and  who  was 
ardently  desirous  of  making  a  journey  to  Egyi)t.  The  two  enthusiasts 
matured  a  plan  of  ascending  the  Nile  as  far  as  the  Nubian  frontier,  to 
be  followed  by  an  exploration  of  Palestine  and  Syria ;  but  the  jjolitical 
aspects  of  Europe  at  this  time  prevented  them  from  carrying  it  uito 
effect.  In  llie  spring,  Humboldt,  hearing  that  the  French  government 
was  fitting  o;t  an  exploring  expedition,  to  be  dispatched  to  the  southern 
hemisjiliere,  under  the  connnand  of  Captain  Baudin,  hastened  to  Paris, 
Avhither  his  brother  had  proceeded,  after  the  peace  of  Canipo  Formio. 
Here  he  first  met  with  M.  Aimo  Bonplaud,  his  future  companion  in 
South  America,  Avho  had  been  appomted  one  of  the  naturalists  of  the 
exi)cdition.  They  entered  together  on  a  course  of  preparatory  study, 
while  Humboldt,  at  the  sa?-ic  time,  united  with  the  celebrated  Gay- 
Lussac,  in  making  experiments  to  determine  the  composition  of  the  at- 
mosphere. In  addition  to  these  labors,  he  found  time  to  study  the  Arabic 
language.  His  intellectual  activity  ajipears  to  have  been  truly  remark- 
able, and  there  was  scarcely  any  branch  of  knowledge,  which  could  even 
remotely  increase  his  qualifications  for  the  great  task  before  him,  of 
which  he  did  not  make  lihnsclf  master. 

Baudin's  expedition  was  given  up,  on  account  of  the  renewed  prosjicct 
of  war.  But  the  sjtirit  of  travel  was  now  thoroughly  implanted  in  Hum- 
boldt's heart,  and  he  at  once  set  about  forming  new  plans.  Being  offcn-ed 
passage  from  Marseilles  to  Algiers,  in  a  Swedish  frigate,  which  was  dis- 
patched on  a  special  mission  to  the  latter  country,  he  conceived  the  idea 
of  jiassing  through  Barbary  to  Egypt,  and  there  joining  the  French 
scientific  mission,  which  accompanied  the  army  of  Najjoleon.  He  also 
proi)Osed  to  visit  Mecca,  if  possible,  and  to  extend  his  travels  through 
Persia  to  India.  In  these  plans  he  Avas  seconded  by  Bonpland,  'vvho 
joined  company  with  liun,  and  in  the  autumn  of  1T98  they  both  pro- 
ceeded to  Marseilles,  to  await  the  arrival  of  the  Swedish  frigate.  Here, 
again,  they  were  domned  to  disajipointment.  After  waiting  two  months, 
they  learned  that  the  frigate  had  been  injured  in  a  storm  on  the  coast 
of  Portugal,  and  would  not  arrive  until  the  following  spring.  During  a 
visit  to  Toulon,  Iltunboldt  saw  the  frigate  La  JiotulcKSC,  which  had 
been  commanded  by  Bougainville  in  his  voyage  around  the  world.  Ho 
says :  '*  I  can  not  describe  the  impression  made  upon  n)y  mhid  by  tlio 
sight  of  the  vessel  which  had  carried  Commerson  to  the  islands  of  tho 
South  Sea."  Kather  than  remain  inactive  in  Marseilles,  the  two  friends 
resolved  to  pass  the  winter  in  Spain.  They  jiroceedud,  by  Avay  of  Uar- 
ci'lona,  to  jNIadrid,  making  astronomical  observations  and  barometrical 
measurements  on  the  road.  On  arriving  at  the  capital,  they  Ibund  that 
the  aociilent  to  tho  Swedish  frigate  Avas  the  Ix'st  lortune  which  could 
have  beiiilh  n  them.  The  Saxon  embassa<lor  informeil  Humboldt  that 
under  the  administration  of  the  enlightciu'd  minister,  I'ripiijo,  Ik*  might 
obtain  permission  to  travel  in  Spanish  America,  a  permission  wliich, 
tiirough  the  jealousy  of  Spain,  had  hitherto  been  obtained  with  great 


1 

1 


DEPARTURE   FOR   AMERICA. 


23 


difficulty,  and  always  accompanied  with  restrictions,  which  greatly  di- 
minished its  value.  Humboldt  thus  relates  the  result  of  his  application : 
"I  was  presented  at  the  court  ot'Aranjuez  in  March,  1799,  and  the  king 
received  me  graciously.  I  explained  to  him  the  motives  which  led  me 
to  undertake  a  voyage  to  the  New  World,  and  the  Philippine  Islands, 
and  I  presented  a  memoir  on  the  subject  to  the  Secretary  of  State.  Senor 
de  Urquijo  supported  my  demand,  and  overcame  every  obstacle.  I  ob- 
tained two  passports,  one  from  the  first  Secretary  of  State,  the  other  from 
the  Coimcil  of  the  Indies.  Never  had  so  extensive  a  permission  been 
granted  to  any  traveler,  and  never  had  any  foreigner  been  honored  with 
more  confidence  on  the  part  of  the  Spanish  government." 


VOYAGE    TO    AMERICA. 

Orerflowing  with  joy  at  the  unhoped-for  realization  of  desires  which 
he  had  cherished  for  nine  years,  and  full  of  the  anticipation  of  adventure 
and  discovery  in  the  New  World,  Humboldt  left  Madrid  in  May,  1799, 
accompanied  by  Bonpland,  and  proceeded  to  Coruniia,  on  the  north- 
western coast  of  Spain,  where  the  corvette  Pizarro,  bound  for  Havana 
and  Mexico,  Avas  lying.  The  captahi  was  ordered,  not  only  to  receive 
the  travelers  on  board,  and  jirovide  a  safe  place  for  their  astronomical 
histruments,  but  also  to  touch  at  the  port  of  Orotava,  in  the  Canaries, 
and  allow  them  time  to  ascend  the  peak  of  Tenerift'e.  Corunna  was  at 
tliat  time  blockaded  by  an  English  fleet,  owing  to  which  cause  the  sail- 
ing of  the  l*izarro  was  posti)oned  from  day  to  day,  but  in  the  beginning 
of  June  a  violent  storm  obliged  the  three  hostile  vessels  to  make  for  the 
open  sea,  and  on  the  fifth  the  corvette  hoisted  her  anchors,  and  safely 
slipped  away.  The  moment  so  impatiently  looked  forward  to,  througli 
so  many  years,  was  ct)me  at  last :  after  so  much  severe  study,  so  much 
devotion  to  his  object,  such  rich  and  vario\is  preparation,  Humboldl, 
now  thirty  years  of  age,  entered  on  the  magnificent  task,  which  he  con- 
sidered the  great  work  of  his  life,  and  the  foutulation  of  his  fame  as  a 
man  of  science.  No  man  was  ever  better  prepared,  both  by  nature  and 
by  cultivation,  for  such  an  undertaking,  or  l)etter  deserved  success  by 
the  patience  and  enthusiasm  with  which  he  overcame  the  obstacles  in 
the  way  of  its  accoinplishnu'nt.  Hut  the  bc^ginnings  of  success  are  al- 
ways clouded  Avith  d<jul)t  and  uncertainty,  and  when  the  irrevocable  step 
had  been  taken,  he  experienced  (liat  senst>  of  depression  common  to  all 
tra\elers  on  first  setting  out,  and  he  thus  wrote:  "Tiie  moment  of 
leaving  Europe  for  tlie  first  time,  is  attended  with  a  solemn  feeling.  We 
in  vain  sutnmoti  to  our  minds  the  fVeciuency  of  tlii'  <'ouiiiuniication  be- 
tween the  two  worlds;  we  in  vain  nlh'ct  on  the  great  facility  witli 
Avhidi,  from  the  improved  state  of  navigation,  we  traverse  the  Atlantic, 
wliicli,  cunipart'd  to  tlic  Pacific,  is  btit  a  larger  arm  of  the  sea;  the  senti- 
ment we  feel  when  we  first  undertake  so  distant  a  voyage,  is  not  the  lesa 


24 


LIFE  AND  TRAVELS  OP  HUMBOLDT 


accompanied  by  a  deep  emotion,  unlike  any  other  impression  we  have 
hitherto  felt.  Separated  from  the  objects  of  our  dearest  affections,  enter- 
ing in  some  sort  on  a  new  state  of  existence,  wo  are  forced  to  fall  back 
on  our  own  thoughts,  and  we  feel  within  ourselves  a  dreariness  we  have 
never  known  before."  Tlie  light  of  a  fisher's  hut  at  Sisarga,  glimmering 
like  a  star  on  the  horizon,  was  his  last  glimpse  of  Europe.  He  and  Bon- 
pland  leaned  over  the  rail,  watching  it  until  it  disappeared.  "  Oh,"  he 
exclaimed,  years  afterward,  "these  impressions  will  never  be  erased 
from  my  memory !  How  many  recollections  does  not  one  bright  spot, 
shining  unsteadily  over  the  agitated  waves  in  the  darkness  of  night,  and 
pointuig  out  the  shores  of  our  native  earth,  recall  to  the  imagination !" 

At  sunset,  on  the  8lh  of  June,  the  English  fleet  was  seen  from  the 
mast-head,  and  the  course  of  the  Pizarro  was  immediately  altered.  For 
Kome  days  no  hghts  were  allowed  on  board  after  dark,  for  fear  of  de- 
tection, and  the  travelers  were  obliged  to  use  dark  lanterns  in  consulting 
the  thermometer.  Nothing  could  have  surpassed  the  enthusiasm  with 
Avhich  they  prosecuted  their  scientitio  investigations.  In  Humboldt's 
narrative,  the  romance  of  travel  is  wholly  lost  sight  of  in  the  zeal  of  the 
philosopher.  Xo  sooner  had  he  left  the  land  than  he  began  to  speculate 
on  the  currents  of  the  sea,  and  to  measure  their  force  and  direction.  Ho 
fished  up  medusas,  or  sea-nettles,  galvanized  them,  and  tested  their  ca- 
pacity to  emit  light;  ho  was  enchanted  with  the  beauty  of  the  nights, 
but  not  too  much  so  to  make  astronomical  observations ;  he  admired  the 
brilliant  azure  of  the  tropical  sky,  and  measured  its  intensity  of  color 
with  a  cyanometer ;  and  when  the  island  of  Lancerote,  one  of  the  Cana- 
ries, came  in  sight,  he  immediately  took  the  angle  of  altitude  of  its 
highest  peak.  So  far  from  beuig  insensible  to  the  influences  of  nature, 
few  travelers  have  enjoyed  them  Avith  a  keener  zest,  but  his  glance  never 
rests  long  u{)on  a  beautiful  scene  without  going  behind  its  outward 
features,  to  speculate  upon  the  geognostic  laws  Avhich  they  illustrate. 
His  "  Personal  Narrative"  is  therefore  a  record  of  his  scientific  observa- 
tions rather  than  of  his  individual  experience  and  adventure. 

On  ap])roacliing  the  island  of  Teneritto,  the  weather  was  so  hazy 
that  the  peak  was  invisible,  greatly  to  Humboldt's  disappointment.  This 
circumstance,  however,  proved  to  be  very  fortunate ;  for  after  entering 
the  liarbor  of  Santa  Cruz,  early  on  the  morning  of  the  19th  of  June,  the 
mist  cleared  away,  and  the  first  rays  of  the  sun  which  illuminated  tho 
famous  peak,  revealed  also  four  English  vessels  lying  at  anchor.  Thus 
narrowly  diil  tho  travelers  escape  being  carried  back  to  Europe,  at  tho 
outset  of  their  journey !  On  account  of  the  blockade,  the  captain  gavo 
tlieiti  notice  that  he  could  only  remain  four  or  five  days,  and  they  hast- 
ened to  the  town  of  Orotava,  where  they  procured  guidt'S  to  ascend  tho 
peak.  They  first  vi  ited  tie  celebrated  dragon-tree,  tlu;  trunk  of  which 
they  found  to  ho  forty-five  feet  in  circumference,  and  the  great  age  of 
which  they  could  only  conjectun?.  Humboldt  considers  it  to  be  ono  of 
tho  oldest  inhabitants  of  our  globe :  "  Its  aspect,"  he  says,  "  forcibly 


I 


1, 


i 


ASCENT   OF    TENERIFFE. 


25 


exemplifies  that  eternal  youth  of  nature,  which  is  an  inexhaustible  source 
of  motion  and  of  life."  Leav.ng  Orotava,  Ilumhoklt  and  his  companion 
took  a  stony  road  through  a  forest  of  chestnut-trees,  continued  their 
ascent  to  an  elevated  plateau,  called  the  Plain  of  lletama  (a  flowering 
shrub),  and  before  night  succeeded  hi  reaching  a  kind  of  cavern,  called 
the  English  Halt,  nearly  ten  thousand  feet  above  the  sea.  Though  in 
the  midst  of  summer,  and  under  an  African  sky,  they  sufiered  much 
from  cold,  the  thermometer  falling  to  41°.  Humboldt  thus  describes 
their  lodging-place.  "  Our  guides  made  a  large  lire  with  the  dry  branches 
of  retama.  Having  neither  tents  nor  cloaks,  we  lay  down  on  some  masses 
of  rock,  and  were  singularly  incommoded  by  the  flame  and  smoke  which 
the  wind  drove  toward  us.  We  had  attempted  to  form  a  kind  of  screen 
with  cloths  tied  together,  but  our  inclosure  took  fire,  which  we  did  not 
perceive  till  the  greater  part  had  been  consumed  by  the  flames.  Wq 
had  never  passed  a  night  on  a  point  so  elevated,  and  we  then  little  im- 
agined that  we  should,  one  day,  on  the  ridge  of  the  Cordilleras,  inhabit 
towns  higher  than  the  summit  of  the  volcano  we  were  to  scale  on  the 
morrow.  A  strong  northerly  wind  chased  the  clouds ;  the  moon,  at 
intervals,  shooting  through  the  vapors,  exposed  its  disc,  on  a  firmament 
of  the  darkest  blue  ;  and  the  view  of  the  volcano  threw  a  majestic  char- 
acter over  the  nocturnal  scenery.  Sometimes  the  peak  was  entirely  hid- 
den from  our  eyes  by  the  fog,  at  other  times  it  broke  ujton  us  in  terrific 
proximity  ;  and,  like  an  enormous  pyramid,  threw  its  shadow  over  the 
clouds  rolling  beneath  our  feet."  At  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  they 
lighted  fir-torches,  and  started  on  their  journey  to  the  sumniit.  They 
reached  the  Malpays — a  stony  plain  out  of  which  rises  the  volcanic  cone 
— in  time  to  witness  the  rising  of  the  sun.  IJy  means  of  a  telescope  and 
chronometer,  Humboldt  ascertahied  that  the  time  which  the  disc  occujned 
in  mounting  above  the  horizon,  was  eight  minutes  and  one  second.  Ho 
was  half  an  hour  in  scaling  the  cone,  the  height  of  which  above  the  j)lain 
is  only  five  hundred  and  seventy  feet,  but  finally  reached  the  sinnmit, 
one  thousand  nine  hundred  and  four  toises — twelve  thousand  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy-four  feet — above  the  sea,  at  eight  o'clock.  Here,  seated 
on  a  block  of  lava,  he  overlooked  a  portion  of  the  earth's  surface,  equal 
m  dimensions  to  one  fourth  of  the  kingdom  of  Spain.  In  the  transpa- 
rency of  the  air  he  could  distinguish  not  only  the  liouses,  the  sails  of 
vessels,  and  the  trunks  of  trees,  far  below,  but  even  the  ditrerences  of 
color  in  the  vegetation.  "The  volcano  seemeil  to  overwhelm  with  its 
mass  the  island  which  serves  as  its  base,  as  it  shot  up  from  the  bos(mi  of 
the  waters  to  a  height  three  times  lotlier  than  tlie  region  where  the 
clouds  float  in  summer.  If  its  crater,  half-extinguished  for  ages  ]iast, 
shot  forth  ilakes  of  fire  like  that  of  Stromboli  in  the  yEi>lian  Ishmds,  tlie 
I'eak  of  Teuerifl'e,  like  a  light-house,  would  serve  to  guide  the  mariner 
in  a  circuit  of  more  than  two  Inmdred  and  sixty  leagues." 

Afier  having  Ixtttled  some  air  for  ;inalysis,  and  collected  some  orj'sfalM 
of  sulphur,  bedewed  with  sulphuric  acid,  which  destroyed  part  of  Ilum- 


! 


26 


LIFE   AND    TRAVELS   OF   HUMBOLDT. 


boldt's  rainci'alogical  journal,  the  travelers  began  their  descent.  The 
cold  and  violent  wind  often  obliged  them  to  seek  shelter  under  the  rocks. 
Their  hands  and  faces  were  nearly  frozen,  while  their  boots  were  burned 
by  the  hot  ashes.  The  guides  threw  away  their  sj^ecimens,  drank  their 
wine,  and  broke  their  water-jars.  They  met  with  no  further  accident, 
however,  and  before  night  reached  Orotava.  This  ascent  of  the  Peak 
of  Teneriffe,  although  it  occupied  but  two  days,  was  most  important  in 
its  results.  The  observations  made  by  Humboldt  gave  him  the  first  idea 
of  those  researches  into  the  geographical  distribution  of  jilants  and  an- 
imals, Avhich  entitle  him  to  rank  as  the  founder  of  this  branch  of  cos- 
mography. He  perceived  that  the  inorganic  forms  of  nature,  such  as 
mountains  and  rocks,  resemble  each  other  in  the  most  distant  parts  of 
the  world,  while  the  organic  fonns — plants  and  animals — vary  according 
to  climate,  character  of  the  soil,  altitude  above  the  sea,  and  other  local 
influences.  From  observing  the  circles  of  vegetation  on  Teneriffe — 
rising  from  the  cocoa-palm  on  the  sea-shore,  through  the  regions  of 
chestnut,  heath,  and  fir,  to  the  fragrant  retama  at  the  base  of  the  crater 
— he  was  led  to  renew  his  investigations  on  the  slopes  of  the  Andes. 

On  the  25th  of  June  they  sailed  from  Santa  Cruz,  and  some  days  after- 
ward passed  through  the  Sargasso  Sea — a  part  of  the  ocean  covered  with 
immense  beds  of  sea-weed,  among  which  stems  have  been  found  eight 
hundred  feet  in  length,  and  which,  floating  on  the  surface,  give  the  sea 
the  appearance  of  a  vast  inundated  meadow.  The  appearance  of  the 
nocturnal  heavens,  as  the  ship  proceeded  southward,  excited  anew  the 
enthusiasm  of  the  travelers.  " Nothing,"  writes  Humboldt,  "awakens 
in  the  traveler  a  livelier  remembrance  of  the  immense  distance  by  which 
he  is  separated  from  his  country,  than  the  aspect  of  an  imknown  firma- 
ment. A  traveler  needs  not  to  be  a  botanist,  to  recognize  the  torrid 
zone  by  the  mere  aspect  of  its  vegetation.  Without  having  acquired 
any  notions  of  astronomy,  he  feels  he  is  not  in  Europe,  when  he  sees  the 
immense  constellation  of  the  Ship,  or  the  phosphorescent  Clouds  of 
^Magellan,  arise  on  the  horizon.  The  heavens  and  the  earth — every 
thing  in  the  equinoctial  regions — present  an  exotic  character.  We  saw 
distinctly  for  the  first  time  the  Southern  Cross  only  on  the  night  of 
tlie  4th  of  July,  in  the  sixteenth  degree  of  latitude.  It  was  strongly 
iiu'liiie<l,  and  appeared  from  time  to  time  between  the  clouds,  the  center 
of  which,  fin*rowed  by  uncondensed  lightnings,  reflected  a  silvery  light. 
If  a  traveler  may  be  permitted  to  speak  of  his  personal  emotions,  I  shall 
add,  that  on  th.at  night  I  experienced  the  realization  of  one  of  the  dreams 
of  my  early  youth. 

"Tlie  1  wo  great  stars  which  mark  the  summit  .and  the  foot  of  the 
Cross,  h;iviiig  nearly  the  same  right  ascension,  it  fi)l]ows  that  the  con- 
stellation is  almost  jjerpi'ndicular  at  the  moment  Avhen  it  passes  the  me- 
ridian. Tiiis  circumslance  is  known  to  the  juMtple  of  every  nation 
situated  beyond  the  tropics,  or  in  the  southern  hemisphere.  It  lias  been 
observed  at  what  hour  of  the  night,  in  diflerent  seasons,  the  Cross  is 


I, 


.     ^1 


DEATH    ON    BOARD. 


27 


•iiia- 

)rrid 

(ired 

the 

of 
•cry 
I  saw 

of 

iter 
cht. 
nail 
ims 

It  ho 
|nii- 
Ine- 

|ion 
pon 
is 


erect  or  inclined.  It  is  a  timepiece  -which  advances  very  regularly  nearly 
four  minutes  a-day,  and  no  other  group  of  stars  affords  to  the  naked  eye 
an  observation  of  time  so  easily  made.  How  often  have  we  heard  our 
guides  exclaim  in  the  savannahs  of  Venezuela,  or  in  the  desert  extending 
from  Lrnia  to  Truxillo,  "  Midnigtit  is  past,  the  Cross  begins  to  bend !" 
How  often  those  words  reminded  us  of  that  affecting  scene,  where  Paul 
and  Virginia,  seated  near  the  source  of  the  river  of  Lataniers,  conversed 
together  for  the  last  time,  and  where  the  old  man,  at  the  sight  of  the 
Southern  Cross,  warns  them  that  it  is  time  to  separate." 

The  latter  part  of  the  voyage  was  not  so  fortunate  as  the  first.  A 
malignant  fever  broke  out,  which  grew  more  serious  the  nearer  the  ship 
approached  the  Antilles.  On  the  12th  of  July,  Humboldt,  who  had 
taken  observations  of  the  latitude  and  longitude  every  day  duruig  the 
voyage,  predicted  that  land  would  be  seen  the  next  day  before  sunrise. 
The  pilots,  who  depended  mostly  on  the  log  for  their  reckoning,  laughed 
at  this,  asserting  that  they  would  not  make  land  for  two  or  three  days ; 
l)ut  at  six  o'clock  next  moniing,  the  welcome  cry  was  given  by  a  sailor 
at  the  mast-head.  The  land  proved  to  be  the  island  of  Tobago.  The 
next  day  a  young  Asturian,  nineteen  years  of  age,  foil  a  victim  to  the 
fever,  and  his  death  seems  to  have  produced  a  pahiful  impression  upon 
the  mind  of  Humboldt,  who  thus  describes  the  occurrence;  '*  We  were 
assembled  on  the  deck,  absorbed  in  melancholy  reflections.  It  was  no 
longer  doubtful,  that  the  fever  which  raged  on  board,  had  assumed  with- 
in the  last  few  days  a  fatal  aspect.  Our  eyes  were  fixed  on  a  hilly  and 
desert  coast,  on  which  the  moon,  from  time  to  time,  shed  her  light 
athwart  the  clouds.  The  sea,  gently  agitated,  emitted  a  feeble  phosphoric 
light.  Nothing  was  heard  but  the  monotonous  cry  of  a  few  large  sea- 
birds,  flying  toward  the  shore.  A  profound  calm  reigned  over  these 
solitary  regions,  but  this  calm  of  nature  was  in  discordance  with  the 
painful  feelings  by  which  we  were  oppressed.  About  eight  o'clock,  the 
dead  man's  knell  was  slowly  tolled.  At  this  lugubrious  sound,  the  sail- 
ors suspended  their  labors,  and  threw  themselves  on  their  knees  to  offer 
a  momentary  prayer :  an  afl'eeting  ceremony,  which  brought  to  our  re- 
memltrance  those  times,  when  the  primitive  ChristiaTis  all  considered 
themselves  as  members  of  the  same  family.  All  were  united  in  one  com- 
mon sorrow  for  a  misfortuiu?  which  Avas  felt  to  bo  conmion  to  all." 
]\Iany  of  the  passengers,  becoming  alarmed,  induced  the  captain  to  run 
into  Cumana,  a  port  on  the  north-eastern  shore  of  Venezuela,  and  there 
land  them,  rather  than  continue  their  voyage  in  the  I'izarro  to  Havana. 
Among  them  were  Humboldt  and  IJonpland,  who  decich'd  to  visit  Vene- 
zuela before  itroceeduig  to  Mexico,  and  thus  the  ej)idemic  Avhieh  they 
at  first  regarded  as  a  misfortune,  bc-ame  the  accidont.al  cause  of  their 
discoveries  in  the  regions  of  the  Orinoco.  To  the  same  circumstance 
they  were  also  indcbteil  Inr  the  preservation  of  their  health,  for  the  ycl- 
low-iever  w.as  ihou  prevailing  in  Havana,  niid  many  nf  tlu'  passengers 
who  remained  on  board  of  the  Pizarro,  fell  victims  to  it  utler  tlieir  arrival. 


i-i 


28 


LIFE  AND  TRAVELS  OF  HUMBOLDT. 


"On  the  16th  of  July,  1799,  fit  break  of  day,"  says  Iliimboklt,  "we 
beliokl  a  verdant  coast,  of  picturesque  aspect.  The  moiuitaius  of  New 
Andahisia,  lialf  vailed  by  mists,  bounded  the  horizon  to  the  south.  The 
city  of  Cumana  and  its  castle  appeared  between  groups  of  cocoa-trees. 
We  anchored  ui  the  port  about  nine  hi  the  mornhig,  forty-one  days  atler 
our  departure  from  Corunna ;  the  sick  dragged  themselves  on  deck  to 
enjoy  the  sight  of  a  land  which  was  to  put  an  end  to  their  sufferings. 
Our  eyes  were  fixed  on  the  groups  of  cocoa-trees  which  border  the 
river ;  their  trunks,  more  than  sixty  feet  high,  towered  over  every  ob- 
ject in  the  landscape.  The  plain  was  covered  with  the  tufts  of  cassia, 
caper,  and  those  arborescent  mimosas,  Avhich,  like  the  pine  of  Italy, 
spread  their  branches  in  the  form  of  an  umbrella.  The  pinnated  leaves 
of  the  palms  were  conspicuous  on  the  azure  sky,  the  clearness  of  which 
was  unsullied  by  any  trace  of  vapor.  The  sun  Avas  ascending  rapidly 
toward  the  zenith.  A  dazzling  light  was  spread  through  the  air,  along 
the  whitish  hills  strewed  with  cylindric  cactuses,  and  over  a  sea  ever 
calm,  the  shores  of  which  were  peopled  with  pelicans,  herons,  and  fla- 
mingoes. The  si)lendor  of  the  day,  the  vivid  coloring  of  the  vegetable 
world,  the  forms  of  the  plants,  the  varied  plumage  of  the  birds,  all  were 
stamped  with  the  grand  character  of  luiture  iu  the  equinoctial  regions." 

The  captain  of  the  Pizarro  conducted  the  travelers  to  the  Governor 
of  the  province,  Senor  Emparan,  who  received  them  with  great  kind- 
ness, and  by  the  public  consideration  which  he  showed  them,  secured 
them  a  favorable  reception  in  all  parts  of  Venezuela.  To  their  great 
astonishment,  he  asked  them  questions  which  denoted  some  scientitic 
knowledge,  and  Humboldt  declares,  in  his  delight  at  this  circumstance, 
''The  name  of  his  native  country,  pronounced  on  a  distant  shore,  would 
uot  have  been  more  agreeable  to  the  ear  of  a  traveler,  than  those  words 
azoti\  oxi/d  of  i7'o>i,  and  hi/gromctcr,  were  to  ours."  The  travelers  hired 
a  spacious  house,  in  a  situation  favorable  for  astronomical  observa- 
tions, and  commenced  their  labors  at  once.  "  Overpowered  at  once  by 
a  great  number  of  objects,  we  Averc  somewhat  embarrassed  how  to  lay 
down  a  regular  plan  of  study  and  observation.  While  every  surround- 
ing object  was  fitted  to  inspire  in  us  the  most  lively  interest,  our  phys- 
ical and  astronomical  instruments  in  their  turns  excited  strongly  the 
curiosity  of  the  inhabitants.  We  had  numerous  visitors ;  and  hi  our 
desire  to  satisfy  persons  who  appeared  so  happy  to  see  the  spots  of  the 
moon  through  DoUond's  telescope,  the  absorption  of  two  gases  in  a  eu- 
diomotrical  tube,  or  the  effects  of  galvanism  on  the  motions  of  a  frog, 
we  were  obliged  to  answer  questions  ollen  obscure,  and  to  repeat  Ibr 
whole  hours  the  same  experiments." 

Humboldt  foiuid  relaxation  from  these  annoyances  in  botanizing,  and 
in  studying  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  inliabitants.  lie  av;is  j)ar- 
ticularly  interested  in  the  gigantic  varieties  of  cactus,  which,  planted 
around  the  Spanish  fortresses,  formed  an  almost  impenetrable  (^hevaux- 
Ue-frise,  while  the  moais,  for  further  defense,  were  filled  with  swarms  of 


EXCURSIONS    AROUND    CUMANA. 


29 


i 


alligators,  Anionj::^  tlio  customs  of  the  inhabitants  of  Cumana,  lio  de- 
scribes the  following :  "  The  children  pass  a  considerable  jiart  of  their 
lives  in  the  water ;  all  the  inhabitants,  even  the  women  of  the  most 
opulent  fiimilies,  know  how  to  swim  ;  and  in  a  country  where  man  is  so 
near  the  state  of  nature,  one  of  the  first  questions  asked  on  meeting  in 
the  morning  is,  whether  the  water  is  cooler  than  it  was  on  the  preced- 
ing evening.  One  of  the  modes  of  bathing  is  curious.  We  every  evening 
visited  a  family,  in  the  suburb  of  the  Guayquorias.  In  a  fine  moonlight 
niglit,  chairs  Avere  placed  in  the  water  ;  the  men  and  women  were  lightly 
clothed,  as  in  some  baths  of  the  north  of  Europe  ;  and  the  family  and 
strangers,  assembled  in  the  river,  passed  some  liours  in  smoking  cigars, 
and  in  talking,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  country,  of  the  extreme 
dryness  of  the  season,  of  the  abundant  rains  in  the  neighboring  districts, 
and  particularly  of  the  extravagances  of  Avhich  the  ladies  of  Cumana 
accuse  those  of  the  Caracas  and  the  llavanna.  The  company  were 
wider  no  apprehensions  from  the  bavas,  or  small  crocodiles,  which  arc 
MOW  extremely  scarce,  and  which  approach  men  without  attacking  them." 
Humboldt  also  directed  liis  attention  to  the  volcanic  soil  on  Avhich  he 
was  living,  and  collected  facts  in  relation  to  the  earthquakes  Avith  which 
C'umana  was  frequently  visited,  in  order  to  ascertain  whether  the  di- 
lei'tion  and  extent  of  the  shocks  was  not  regulated  by  some  yet  un- 
discovered law. 

On  the  19th  of  August,  the  travelers  embarked  in  a  boat,  on  an  ex- 
cursion to  the  ])eninsula  of  Araya,  and  those  districts  formerly  celebrated 
for  the  slave-trade  and  tlin  pearl-fishery.  They  had  noAV  Ijecn  two 
months  in  the  tropics,  and  found  the  nights  so  cold  as  to  prevent  them 
from  sleejiing,  although  the  thermometer  did  not  fall  below  70''.  After 
visiting  the  castle  of  Araya,  they  were  l)enighted  on  their  way  to  an 
Indian  village.  They  were  in  a  narrow  path,  with  the  sea  on  one  side, 
and  a  perpendicular  precipice  on  the  other ;  the  tide  Avas  rising  rapidly, 
but  they  insisted  on  slo|)ping  to  observe  the  setthig  of  Venus,  in  spite 
of  the  terror  of  their  guide.  Al'ter  wading  for  nearly  an  hour  through 
the  Avater,  they  finally  reached  a  hut  Avhere  they  Avere  hospitably  enter- 
tained. 

In  the  Indian  village  they  found  a  Spanish  shoemaker,  Avho  practiced 
medicuie  among  the  natives,  and  Avho,  after  delivering  a  long  discourse 
on  the  vanity  of  human  greatness,  presented  them  Avith  some  small 
]K'arls,  Avifh  the  request  that  they  Avould  note  the  circumstance  on  their 
tablets.  The  next  excMirsion  made  by  Ilumboldt  and  I>()n])land  Avas  to 
the  mission  in  the  mountains  inhabited  by  the  Chaynias  Indians,  a  dis- 
trict filled  Avith  a  Avonderfiil  animal  and  vegetable  Avorld,  and  a  people 
living  in  the  most  primitive  condition.  IT(,'re  they  first  belield  the  sphtn- 
dors  of  tropical  vegetation.  Walking  for  hours  under  a  roof  of  foliage, 
through  Avhich  the  sky  apjieared  of  a  deep  indigo-blue,  they  saw  the 
hanging  nests  of  the  oriole,  and  heard  the  screaming  of  parrots  and 
macaws.     "When  a  traveler  first  penetrates  into  the  forests  of  South 


m 


J 


I  V__4 

i 


yO  1,  IKK     AND    TKAVi:i,.S    OK    II  U  M  IM>  1,  I)  T . 

Aim 'ica,"  savs  I  liuuboltlt,  "lif  lu-liolds  iialmc  iiiidcr  an  iiii('\|i('c|i>(l 
nspiH't.  Ill'  fn'Is  at,  ovt'iy  sh'|)  lliiil.  lie  'h  imt  mi  tiu>  ('(niliiuN,  Imt  in 
tilt'  (U'uti'i  of  tlio  tonitl  y.oiii'  ;  not.  in  our  of  the  Wi'st  India  Islaiids, 
lull  on  a  v:ist.  continent.  \vlii'rt>  evi'iy  tiling  is  jii^antic — niounlainH, 
rivers,  and  tlie  mass  of  ve!j;et:Uion.  If  he  feci  sli-on«;ly  tlw  htanty  of 
j)ii'tnri'S(|UO  si'i'niTv  he  «':ui  scareeiy  delint^  llu>  varions  emotions  \vliieli 
erond  npon  liis  mind;  lie  e;m  seari'ely  distiinjnisii  wlial.  most,  excites  Iiis 
iidmiration — llie  ileep  siK'nct>  of  those  soMtndes,  tlie  indi\idiial  heanly 
nnd  contrast  of  forms,  or  that,  vigor  and  fri'shness  of  veujetaltle  life  wliich 
characteri/.e  the  cHinate  of  the  tropics.  It,  mijfht,  he  said  that,  the  earth, 
ovi'i'loaded  with  ]ilants,  does  not,  allow  th(>m  space  i'uoiiixli  to  mifold 
tliiMnselves.  The  tnmUs  of  tlu>  tvin's  are  eservwhere  com  cah 
di 


d  mid 


er  a 


ihii'k  carpet  of  verdnre ;  and  if  we  carefully  (ransplanti'd  tlu'  orchidea', 
pep|iers,  and  tlu'  piilhoses,  no\M'ished  hy  a  single  Ameri<'an  (IjjJ-tree,  we 
should  iMver  a  vast  extent  of  ground.  I!y  this  singular  .•isseinhlage,  tlu; 
lorots,  as  well  as  the  llanks  iM'the  rocks  and  mountains,  enlarge  the  do- 
mains of  organic  nature.  'I'lie  same  parasitic  ^  iiics  whidi  creep  on  the 
ground,  reach  the  lops  of  tin'  trees,  and  pass  from  one  to  the  other  at, 
the  height,  of  more  than  a  hundred  feet.''  The  travelers  were  kindly 
received  at  the  mi<sitni,  allhough  llu'old  monk  smiled  sari'astically  on 
seeing  their  hooks  and  instruments,  and  ohserxed  th.'it.  there  was  no  sal- 
islaction  in  life  cipial  to  that  of  eating  good  biif.  In  the  \illage  of 
Arenas,  they  noticed  a  curious  jihysiological  |ihenomenoii,  in  the  person 
of  a  Spani'h  la1)orcr,  named  Lo/.ano,  who  had  suckled  a  child  with  his 
own  milk.  The  mother  having  t'allen  sick,  the  liitlu'r,  to<|uict,  the  inlimt, 
took  it  inti>  his  ht-d,  and  pressed  it.  to  his  jiosom.  l,o/,ano,  then  tliirty- 
two  yi'ars  of  age,  had  ne\i'r  before  rcm.n-ked  that  he  had  milk  ;  hnt  tln^ 
irritation  oi'  tlie  nipple,  sucked  hy  tlie  chiM,  caused  the  accumulation  of 
thai  liipiid.  Till'  milk  was  thick  ami  very  sweet.  The  tlither,  astonished 
at  the  increased  size  ot"  his  breast,  suckled  his  child  two  or  three  times  a 
day  during  live  months.  The  travelers  saw  the  certitlcate,  which  had 
been  drawn  nj)  on  the  s])ot,  to  attest  this  remarkable  lacl.  They  were 
assured  that,  dm-ing  this  suckling,  the  clilld  had  no  other  nourishment 
than  the  milk  of  his  father. 

llmnboldt  and  his  friend  continued  their  journey  to  the  ravine  of 
(^ichivano.  by  a  path  iiilested  with  Jaguars.  J<'rom  the  caverns  in  this 
nwine  smoke  and  llames  are  sometimes  emitted.  The  inhabitants  of 
this  district  ]irophesied  ati  increase  of  earthi|iiakos  nnd  other  disturb- 
ar.ces.  iVom  the  appearance  of  these  ilanies — prophecies  wliieh  were 
tully  verified  in  the  course  of  a  tew  years.  On  the  1-tli  of  Septem- 
ber. at\.'r  climbing  the  hills,  they  reached  the  ])rii)ci])!il  mission  of 
Carijie.  v,  lure  they  spctit  sever;il  calm  and  beaut  ifiil  nights.  "  Nothing,"' 
says  Humboldt, '■  can  be  compared  to  the  majestic  tiaiKpiillity  which 
the  as]ieet  of  the  firmamcJit  presents  in  this  solitary  region.  AViieii 
tracing  with  tlie  eye,  at  night-fall,  tlie  nicadow.s  which  bnniuled  the  hor- 
izon, the  plain  covered  with  verdure  !ind  goiitly  undulated,  wo  thought 


« 


•i 


I 


TlIK    (iUAClfAUO      CJAVEUN. 


"1 


AV(!  l»('Ii('l(l  IVorii  uliir,  :is  in  tlio  dcHcrts  of  tin;  Oriiiocro,  tlic  .siirliici?  of  llio 
occim  sii|)|)oiliii<j;  (he  ^tiiny  viiiilt,  of  I.e.'iviii.  Tlu!  tn^j  umlcr  wliich  wo 
woro  HC'iiU'd,  tho  luminous  iiiHcots  llyin.i;  in  tlu;  air,  IIk;  conHtt-liutio' 
v.Iiicli  nIioiu!  in  tli((  south  ;  ovcry  oltjtct,  HcciMcd  to  U'll  us  liow  fiir  wi. 
wen;  from  our  mitivi?  liuid.  If  amiil  this  exotic-  nature!  \v(;  luard  from 
the  depth  of  the  vaHey  the  tinidin^  of  a  hell,  or  th(!  lowiu"^  of  herds,  the 
rememhranco  of  our  country  was  iiwakeiied  suihh-idy.  'i'h(!  soiuids  weic; 
like  distant  voices  resoundiruj;  from  heyond  the  ocean,  and  uilh  inaL;;i(;d 
power  Iraiisportin;^  us  i'rom  one  hemisphere  to  the  other.  Strange 
mohilily  of  tht;  ima<j;inatioii  of  man,  etitrnal  Hource  of  our  enjoyments 
and  our  pains!"  lii  the  valh'y  of  Caripe,  tlie  travelers  visited  tlie. 
celehrateil  (iuacharo  Cavern,  wiiich  had  luiver  been  Iieard  of  in  Miirope, 
The  enlranct!  is  an  arcli  ei^^lity  ii'ct  wi(h(  and  seventy-two  feet  hij4li,  out 
of  which  Hows  a  small  Rtream.  'Vhv.  palms  and  arums  on  its  haidvs  were 
louud  j^rowin;^  a  lumdred  feet  within  th(!  cave.  When  the  li,Ldit  )>e<,'an 
to  liiil,  they  heard  the  hoarse  cri<'S  of  tlie  ;/ii(ir/uirt>,  a  nocturnal  hird, 
which  they  fiMmd  to  helonij  to  a  j^eiuis  previously  unknown.  The  plutn- 
a<^e  is  of  a  <lark  liluisii-jfray,  spotted  with  ]»lack,  and  the  uin;.fs,  wlu'ti 
si)read,  measure  three  feet  and  a  liaif.  Their  |()od  consists  of  imts  and 
hiird  fruits,  which  they  prociu'e  hy  niL^lit,  retirin|r  into  tin;  cave  on  tlie 
approach  of  day.  "It  would  he  dillicult  to  li^rm  an  idea  of  the  horrihle 
noise  occasioned  by  thousands  of  these;  birds  in  the  dark  part  of  the  cav- 
ern. Their  shrill  and  pii'rcini^  cries  strike;  upon  the;  vaults  of  the  rocks, 
and  are  repeated  ])y  the  suljtcrranean  echoes.  The;  Indians  showe<l  us 
the  nests  of  the  t^uacharos  by  iixing  a  torch  to  the  eml  of  a  lon^  pole. 
The  nests  were  iii'ty  or  sixty  feet  above  our  heads,  in  holes  in  the  shape 
of  funnels,  with  which  the  roof  of  the  j^rotto  is  pierced  like  a  sieve.  'I'he 
noise  increased  as  we  advanced,  an<l  as  the  birds  wetre  scared  by  the 
lit;jht  of  tho  torches  of  copal.  When  this  noise  ceascid  a  few  minutes 
around  ns,  we  heard  at  a  distance  the  plaintive  cries  of  the  birds  roost- 
ing in  other  ramillcntions  of  the;  cavern."' 

They  only  succeeded  in  penetrating  to  the  distance  of  tlfteten  liundrcd 
feet,  as  the  Indians,  who  were  timid  and  RU[)erstitious,  refused  to  pro- 
coed  fin-ther.  Humboldt  estimates  the  entire  length  of  tho  cavern  at 
two  thousand  eight  hundred  feet,  or  a  little  nion;  than  half  a  mile.  On 
the  'J2d  of  Scjitember,  having  colleet(;d  their  specimens,  they  set  out  on 
their  return,  crossing  the  mountain  of  Santa  Maria,  by  a  dangerous  jiath 
along  the  edges  of  |)recipices  and  through  dense  forests,  Avhero  they 
observed  many  vavieti(  ;  of  monkeys.  Humboldt  remarked  that  tliese 
iiuinials  seem  the  more  dejiressed  aiul  melancholy  the  nearer  they  re- 
semble mnii — that  in  proportion  to  the  increase  of  their  apparent  reason- 
ing liicultic'!,  their  impetuous  sj>rightlincss  dinunishes.  The  travelers 
iinally  arrived  nt,  tlie  ])f)i't  of  Cariaeo,  where  a  contagious  fever  had 
broken  out,  and  tlu-y,  thercfon^,  embarked  speedily  for  Cumana,  twelve 
leagues  distant.  While  studying  the  character  of  tho  Chaymas,  and 
other  Indian  tribes,  on  this  journey,  Humboldt  noticed  their  habit  of  as- 


ilii 


II 


mi 


32 


LIFE  AND  TRAVELS  OF  HUMBOLDT. 


seiiting  to  whatever  is  said  to  them — a  habit  wliich  taught  Iiim  to  be 
cautious,  thenceforth,  in  accepting  statements  made  by  the  natives.  To 
put  an  Indian  alcalde  to  the  proof,  he  asked  him  one  day,  Avhether  ho 
did  not  think  tlie  little  river  of  Caripe,  which  issues  from  the  cavern  of 
the  Cuacharo,  returned  into  it  on  the  opposite  side  by  some  unknown 
entrance,  after  having  ascended  the  slope  of  the  mountahi.  The  Indian 
seemed  gravely  to  reflect  on  the  subject,  and  then  answered,  by  way  of 
suf)porting  Humboldt's  hypothesis:  "  How  else,  if  it  were  not  so,  would 
there  always  be  water  in  the  bed  of  the  river  at  the  mouth  of  the 
cavern  ?" 

The  travelers  decided  to  remain  another  month  at  Cumana,  to  pre- 
pare for  their  intended  journey  to  the  Orinoco  and  the  Kio  Negro,  and 
to  observe  an  eclipse  of  the  sun,  on  the  27th  of  October.  On  the  even- 
ing 2)rcceding  that  day,  liowever,  they  met  with  an  adventure  which 
came  near  terminating  their  travels.  They  were  strolling  along  tho 
beach  in  the  evening,  Avhen  Humboldt,  hearing  some  one  walking  be- 
hind him,  turned  and  saw  a  tall  Zambo  (mongrel  negro  and  Indian), 
M'lio  hold  over  his  head  a  great  club  of  palm-tree  wood.  lie  thus  de- 
scribes what  followed :  "  I  avoided  the  stroke  by  Iea))ing  toward  the 
left ;  l»ut  M.  ]K)n})land,  who  Avalked  on  my  rij^ht,  was  less  fortunate.  He 
did  not  see  the  Zambo  so  soon  as  I  did,  and  received  a  stroke  above 
the  temple,  which  leveled  him  with  the  ground.  We  were  alone,  with- 
out arms,  half  a  league  from  any  habitation,  on  a  vast  plain  bounded  by 
the  sea.  The  Zambo,  instead  of  attacking  me,  moved  off  slowly  to  pick 
up  ]M.  Boni)land's  hat,  which,  having  somewhat  deadened  the  violence 
of  the  blow,  had  fallen  oft'  and  lay  at  some  distiiuce.  Alarmed  at  seeing 
my  comi)anion  on  the  ground,  and  for  some  moments  senseless,  I  thought 
of  him  only.  I  helped  him  to  raise  himself,  and  pain  and  ange  '  'doubled 
liis  strength.  We  ran  toward  the  Zambo,  who,  cither  from  cowardice, 
common  enough  in  people  of  this  caste,  or  because  he  perceived  at  a  dis- 
tance some  men  on  the  beach,  did  not  wait  for  us,  but  ran  oft'  in  the  direc- 
tion of  a  little  thicket  of  cactus.  He  chanced  to  fall  in  running ;  and  M. 
IJonpland,  who  reached  him  lirst,  seized  him  round  the  body.  Tlic 
Zambo  dre\v  a  long  knife ;  and  in  this  unequal  struggle  we  should  in- 
fiilliljly  have  been  wounded,  if  some  Biscayan  merchants  had  not  come 
to  our  assistance.  The  Zambo  again  ran  away  and  we  pursued  him 
ihroMgh  the  thorny  cactuses.  At  length,  tired  out,  he  took  shelter  in  a 
cow-house,  whence  he  suftered  himself  to  be  quietly  led  to  prison.  M. 
Bonpland  was  seized  with  fever  during  the  night ;  but  endowed  with 
great  energy  and  fortitude,  he  continued  his  labors  tho  next  day.  Tho 
jstnjko  of  the  club  had  extended  to  the  top  of  his  head,  and  he  felt  its 
effect  for  the  space  of  two  or  three  months  during  the  stay  we  made  at 
Caracas." 

After  having  observed  the  eclipse,  Humboldt's  attention  was  directed 
to  a  reddish  mist,  Avhich  covered  the  sky  for  some  minutes  every  even- 
ing,   (Jther  remarkable  phenomena  soon  followed:  the  mist  grew  denser, 


to  be 
3.  To 
her  ho 
em  of 


come 
td  hira 
jr  in  a 
11.  M. 
ll  Avith 
The 
Ifelt  its 
lade  at 

irected 
eveii- 
lenscr, 


EARTHQUAKE— JOURNEY    TO    THE    ORINOCO. 


33 


the  hot  night  aii'  was  inodorous,  the  soa-brcczcs  fliilcd  to  l)low,  aiid  th<> 
sky  was  colored  like  firo.  On  the  4th  of  Novemljcr,  in  the  afternoon, 
two  violent  shocks  of  an  earthquake  occurred.  The  travelers  avcm-o 
greatly  impressed  by  this  ncn*  experience,  but  immediately  arrani^c^d 
their  electrical  apparatus,  and  commenced  their  experiments.  Kuiu- 
boldt's  remarks  upon  the  sensations  produced  by  an  earthquake  arc 
strikingly  true,  as  every  person  who  has  felt  the  shook  of  one  can  testiiy. 
He  says  :  "From  our  infancy,  the  idea  of  certain  contrasts  becomes  llxid 
in  our  minds:  water  appears  to  us  an  element  that  '^loves;  earth,  a 
motionless  and  inert  mass.  These  impressions  are  the  result  of  daily 
exj)erience  ;  they  are  connected  with  every  thing  that  is  transmitted  to 
us  by  the  senses.  When  the  shock  of  an  earthquake  is  felt,  when  the 
earth  which  we  had  deemed  so  stable  is  shaken  on  its  old  foundations, 
one  instant  suffices  to  destroy  long-fixed  illusions.  It  is  like  awakening 
from  a  dream;  but  a  painful  awakening.  We  feel  that  wo  have  bee?i 
deceived  by  the  apparent  stability  of  nature ;  we  become  ob-scrvaut  of 
the  least  noise  ;  we  mistrust  for  the  first  time  the  soil  we  have  so  long 
trod  Avith  confidence.  But  if  the  shocks  be  repeated,  if  they  becouK; 
frequent  during  several  successive  days,  the  uncertainty  quickly  disap- 
pears. Confidence  easily  springs  up  in  the  human  breast :  on  the  coasts 
of  Peru  we  become  accustomed  to  the  undulations  of  the  ground,  as  tho 
sailo!"  becomes  accustomed  to  the  tossing  of  the  ship,  caused  by  the 
motion  of  the  waves." 

TRAVELS    ON    THE    ORINOCO, 

On  the  18th  of  November,  the  travelers  left  Cumana  on  a  coasting 
trip  to  Laguayra,  intending  to  remain  in  Caracas  until  the  end  of  the 
rainy  season.  They  tlien  proposed  crossing  the  great  plains,  or  Ikmos, 
to  the  missions  of  the  Orinoco;  to  ascend  that  river,  south  of  its  cata- 
racts, and  ascertain  its  reported  connection  with  the  Rio  Xegro — the 
main  northern  tributary  of  the  Amazon — by  means  of  the  Rio  Cassiqui- 
aro ;  and  afterward  to  descend  the  Orinoco  to  the  toAvn  of  Angostura, 
and  recross  the  plains  to  Cumana.  This  wag  a  journey  of  nearly  twenty- 
five  hundred  miles,  two  tliirds  of  which  they  Avould  be  obliged  to  make 
in  boats,  through  a  country  almost  entirely  unknown.  The  monks  Avero 
the  real  masters  of  the  Orinoco  country,  and  no  intercourse  existed  be- 
tween their  missions  and  the  cities  on  the  coast.  The  colonists  painted  in 
threatening  colors  the  dangers  they  AA'ould  encounter,  but  nothing  could 
daunt  the  zeal  and  intrejiidity  of  Humboldt  and  Bonpland.  They  received 
every  assistance  from  Senor  Emparan,  the  goA'ernor,  and  deriA-ed  much 
\aluable  information  from  Fray  Juan  Gonzalez,  a  monk  Avho  had  spent 
sevei'al  yeai-s  at  Esmeralda,  on  the  upper  Orinoco.  On  departing  for  Car- 
acas thoy  first  realized  hoAV  ])OAverful  an  influence  their  first  four  months' 
exnerience  of  tropical  lifi>  and  scenery  had  ])roduced  upon  their  minds. 
"  We  quitted  the  shore  of  Cumana,"  says  llumboldt,  "as  if  it  had  long 

3 


i. 

I 


Si 


LIJ'K    AND    T  i:  A\^K  I-S    OF    II  U  M  1!  ()  J.  D  T. 


been  our  Ihumc  'I'liis  wasllir  lirst  Iiiiid  wcIi.kI  truildcii  in  ;i  zoiu' tdwunl 
•wliii'li  my  llmiiLilits  liad  liccii  (lircrlcd  iVoiii  caiTn'st,  yoiitli.  Tlicrc  is  a 
puwi'ifiil  iliiinii  ill  tiic  im|in'ssi()ii  itroduoi'il  by  (hi'  scciu'ry  ;md  (Tniiiito 
oftiii'si'  rt'giiiiis ;  ami  alh'r  an  aliodt:  ol'a  i'vw  montlis  wo  si'i'iucd  to  liavo 
lived  tluTo  diiriiiuc  a  Ioml;;  siu'ccssiou  of  years.  In  |iro|ioitioii  as  iiiiprcs- 
sioiis  are  ]M»\verl"iil  and  now,  llioy  woakou  antoccdont  ininressions,  and 
llu'ir  loroo  imparts  lo  tlicm  the  cliaraotor  of  duration.  I  appeal  to  tlioso 
Avlio,  more  sensible  to  thi'  beauties  of  nature  llian  to  tlu!  cliarins  of  soci- 
ety, havi' loni;  resided  in  tlio  torrid  zone.  Ilo\\-  dear,  liow  menioralilo 
duriiiLC  life,  is  tlie  land  on  wliieii  tliey  lirst  disembarked  !  A  vaicue  desiri? 
to  revisit  (hat  spot  n'Uiains  rooted  in  their  minds  (o  (he  most  advanced 
ajjje.  (.'umana,  and  its  dusty  soil,  are  still  more  fre(|uently  present  to  my 
iinauinaliou  tiian  all  (he  wonders  of  (ho  C'ordilleras.  I'lenealh  the  briijht 
sky  of  the  south,  (he  liyht,  and  the  magic  of  the  aerial  hues,  embellish  a 
laiul  n!.ost  destitute  of  vegetation.  The  sua  does  not  merely  enligliten, 
it  colors  (he  oliji'cts,  and  wraps  tlu'm  in  !i  thin  vapor,  which,  without 
ehangiiig  the  transparency  of  the  air,  renders  its  lints  inori'  harmonious, 
soft lais  the  eilects  of  tho  light,  and  dilfuses  over  luituro  a  placid  calm, 
which  is  rellected  in  our  souls." 

Heaching  Liiguayra  on  tho  '21st,  Humboldt  l'oun<l  tlu'  yellow  fcviT 
raging  violently,  and  without  halting  in  the  town,  asceiidt'd  to  Ca- 
racas, by  the  nu>untain  road,  which  lie  compares  to  tlu'  passage  of  the 
."^t.  (Jothard,  in  Switzerland.  In  the  latter  city,  :it  an  elevation  of  2,500 
feet  above  the  sea,  bo  found  a  climate  of  perpetual  spring.  Ib^  took  a 
house  in  a  (piarter  of  tho  eit},  which,  during  the  great  i'arlh(piake  of 
1812,  was  as  coniplotely  destroyed  as  if  a  mine  liad  been  sprung  beneath. 
Here  the  travelers  remained  two  months,  charmed  with  the  society  of 
the  place,  altluuigh  tho  weather  was  nnfavorable  for  their  astronomical 
obsi'rvations.  Tlu;  nights  were  generally  cloudy,  and  Humboldt  resorted 
to  the  theatre,  where,  as  there  was  no  roof  over  tho  i)it,  he  could  watch, 
as  ho  sat  in  his  box,  for  the  ap2)earanco  of  Jupiter,  The  only  excursicm 
made  during  this  residence  was  to  tho  summit  of  tho  Silla  (.s'(/(A//(')  of 
Caracas,  which  riono  of  the  inhabitants  had  ever  ascended.  Sixteen 
persons  olfered  to  accompany  tho  expedition,  for  tho  sake  of  novelty, 
and  the  party  started  on  tho  22d  of  January,  1800,  on  a  day  when,  on 
account  of  tho  low  clouds,  they  could  calculate  on  a  clear  atmosphere. 
Leaving  tho  foot  of  tho  Silla  in  tho  morning,  they  f()und  (he  path  very 
steep  and  tatiguing.  Tho  ground  was  covered  with  .short  grass,  which 
allbrued  no  lirm  footing,  while  thin  va])ors  arosi'  from  the  i'urest,  and 
amiouucod  an  ajiproaching  mist.  Huniboldt's  com])anions  lost  courage 
and  showed  some  signs  of  beating  a  ri'treat,  and  tho  garrulity  of  tho 
accompanying  negroes  contrasted  strongly  Avidi  tho  taciturnity  of 
tho  Indians,  who  had  been  his  guides  among  the  Chaymas  mountains. 
They  mocked  the  discouraged  guides,  and  made  thomsch  es  especially 
merry  at  a  young  Capiicliiu  friar,  who  was,  at  the  saine  time,  professor 
of  mathematics.  When  tho  company  .started,  he  imagined  that  ho  would 


ASCKXT    OF    THE    S  N.  L  A     KM    CARACAS. 


35 


surpass  :ill  t lie  ri'sl  in  lioldncss  fiiiil  cniliiraiicc  ;  iic  had  even  f.-ikcii  hits 
ol'wiiilc  ijapcr  with  liim,  tliat  lie,  as  the  fori'iimsl  dCtlic  cliiiilKTS,  iiii<4lit 
throw  tliciii  down  to  sliow  tiu'  way  to  the  others.  He  ha<i  ;ilso  jn'oniiscd 
the  monks  ot'his  oivh'r  to  Wve  some  rockets  tVoin  tlie  t'lp  ol"  th(^  iiioiiiit- 
aiii,  ill  orih-r  to  amiotiiico  his  success  to  tlic  iiihaliitaiits  ol'  Cariicas. 
I'liit  this  hoaster,  eiieiiinhered  in  tlie  ascent  l»y  his  loiii^  <xo\vn,  soon  h»st 
hoth  iiis  sf  rent^'th  aiel  eoiirae;e,  ami  stopped  at  a  phiiit;itioii,  whence  Ik; 
watched  Jluiii'ioldt  and  the  others  tIiron!j;h  a  telescope.  'I'lie  jiarty 
moved  on  toward  the  eastern  part  of  tlu^  Silla,  which  terminates  in  two 
rounded  peaks.  Their  journey  now  hecanie  very  dillicult  on  ai-connt  of 
the  t(%  and  the  necessity  ol"  iisin;^'  lioth  hands  and  li-et  in  climhint^  the 
stoop  and  slippery  accent.  At  the  heitiliL  of  five  tlmnsand  five  hundred 
feet,  they  were  surprised  l>y  the  si^dit  of  a  palm  forest,  within  whi<'h 
llinnholdt  liuiiid  a  <;reatcr  variety  of  plants  in  .a  small  space,  tlian  in  any 
other  ))art  of  tlus  worM.  After  further  dimhinir^  during;  which  the  mer- 
cury sank  to  51°,  and  they  suffored  from  the  cold,  they  reached  the  liol- 
low  hot  ween  the  two  peaks,  calle<l  tli((  "Saddle."  Tlu'  luxuriant  ve<.reta- 
tion  here  made  it  oxtromely  difliciilt  to  find  a  j)ath,  which  had  to  Ix; 
liewn  with  knives  and  axes.  A  donso  mist  olunt^  around  thein,  and  at 
ovory  step  the  daiiijor  was  incurred  of  cominj^  suddenly  upon  the  brink 
of  the  tremendous  precipice,  and  falliiK^  six  thousand  feet  into  the  sea. 
They  made  a  halt,  to  await  the  arrival  of  some  negroes  with  jirovi- 
sions,  hut  the  meal  was  very  spariiisj,  as  tlicy  had  only  olives  and  a  little 
bread.  Even  the  fj^uides  had  lost  all  coiiraj^o,  and  were  Avith  great  diffi- 
culty prevented  from  returnincf.  It  was  now  two  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon, and  Tluniholdt  determined  to  voiicli  the  summit  of  tlie  eastern 
peak  hofore  sunset,  and  pass  the  night  in  the  liollow  l)elow.  The  ne- 
groes wore  sent  hack,  with  orders  to  meet  him  on  tlie  fi)llowiiig  day, 
with  more  satisfiu'tory  ]>rovendor  than  olives.  Scarcely  had  these  ])re- 
parations  l)een  made,  when  the  oast  wind  arose,  dispersing  the  clouds 
in  less  than  two  minutes.  The  two  peaks  of  the  Silla,  covered  only  with 
grass  and  low  hushes,  seemed  a-^tonishingly  jioar.  In  order  to  roach 
the  highest  i)eak,  they  were  ohligod  to  a))jtr()ach  the  steo])  precipice 
hanging  over  the  sea,  hut  the  ohstaelos  from  A-egetation  decreascid  as 
they  ascended.  In  three  quarters  of  an  hour  they  stood  upon  the  eastern 
summit,  eight  thoiisaiid  six  hundred  and  thirty-two  feet  .ahove  the  sea, 
which  ex})anded  hi'fore  their  eyes  Avitli  a  radius  of  a  Imndred  miles. 
The  Avestern  peak  hid  from  their  view  the  city  of  Caracas,  hut  the  vast 
extent  of  tropical  f()rests,  villages,  coffee  plantations,  and  the  sih'cr 
Avindings  of  the  Ouayra  Kiver,  filled  tliem  Avith  rapture.  Tt  lias  heen 
stated  that  in  looking  from  the  Silla  over  the  Carrihe.an  Sea,  Tlumholdt 
obserA'ed  that  rare  and  romarkahle  sight,  the  visil)l(>  convexity  of  the 
earth,  hilt  this  circumstance  is  not  mentioned  in  his  "Personal  Nar- 
rative," Avhere  he  thus  descrihos  the  vioAV  :  "FolloAving  AA'ith  the  eye  the 
surface  of  tlie  sea,  Avhich  Avas  smooth  as  glass,  avo  Avere  struck  AA'ith  the 
progressive  dhninution  of  the  reflected  light.     Where  the  visual  ray 


'#V". 


m 


il;  :i 


Ill 


36 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF    HUMBOLDT. 


touclied  tlio  lust  limit  of  that  surface,  llio  water  Avas  lost  anionfj  tho 
superposed  strata  of  air.  This  appearance  has  soinetliiiig  in  it  very 
extraordinary.  AVe  expect  to  see  the  horizon  level  Avitli  the  eye ;  but 
instead  of  disthiguishing  at  this  height  a  marked  limit  between  the  two 
elements,  the  more  distant  strata  of  water  seem  to  be  transformed  into 
vapor,  and  mingled  with  the  aerial  ocean.  I  rtbserved  the  same  aj^pear- 
ance,  not  in  one  spot  of  the  horizon  alone,  but  on  an  extent  of  moretliau 
a  hundred  and  sixty  degrees,  along  the  Pacific,  when  I  found  myself  for 
the  lirst  thne  on  the  j)0uited  rock  that  commands  the  crater  of  Pichin- 
cha;  a  volcano,  tho  elevation  of  which  exceeds  that  of  Mont  Diane."  At 
half  jtast  four  o'clock,  having  finished  their  scientilic  observations,  the 
travelers  descended  to  tho  palm  forest.  They  were  botanizing  when  tho 
night  overtook  them ;  the  guides  who  carried  the  instruments  went 
away,  one  by  one,  to  seek  a  sleej)ing  \)hMv,  among  the  rocks,  and  it  was 
not  until  nearly  midnight  that  lIund)oldt  and  IJonpland,  overcome  with 
hunger  and  latigue,  reached  the  lower  valley.  After  a  descent  of  six 
hours,  they  again  arriveil  at  the  plantation  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain. 
The  inhabitants  of  Caracas  had  witnessed  their  success  tln-ough  telescopes. 
On  the  7th  of  February,  they  commenced  tlieir  journey  into  the 
interior.  Instead  of  proceeding  diri'ctly  across  the  steppes,  (jr  lldnot^^  to 
the  Orinoco  liiver,  they  selected  a  longer  route  l)y  way  of  the  valley  of 
Aragua,  and  the  liot  springs  of  ]\[ariara,  to  the  Lake  of  Valencia;  thence 
across  the  llanos  to  San  Fernando,  on  the  Apure  liiver,  and  down  that 
river  to  the  Orinoco.  On  their  way  to  the  Lake  of  Valencia,  they 
visited  a  tree  calleil  ;.>///<"////,  a  variety  of  the  mimosa,  the  boughs  of 
which  tbrmed  a  hemisphere  live  himdred  and  seventy-six  feet  in  circum- 
ference, and  so  regular  that  on  measuiiiig  several  diameters,  Humboldt 
founil  them  to  vary  only  from  one  hundred  and  eighty-siv  to  duc  hundreil 
and  ninety-two  feet.  lie  considered  this  tree  as  old  as  tluMlragon-tree 
of  Teneriile.  It  is  held  in  such  high  regard  that  a  nuui,  who  cut  oil'  a 
branch,  was  tried  and  condenmed  for  the  ait.  In  th*'  colonies  ol"(.'ura, 
the  travelers  ])assed  several  days  after  tlii'  manner  of  the  natives,  taking 
two  baths,  three  meals,  and  three  sleeps  every  twenty-l<)ur  liours.  After 
visiting  the  liot  sprhigs  of  3Iarlara,  they  journeyed  six  days  to  the  town 
of  New  Valencia,  traveling  only  by  night,  on  account  of  the  great  heat. 
At  the  hot  s])rings  (if  Trinchera,  they  were  surprised  to  iliid  arums  and 
fig-trees  growing  in  water  which  had  a  temjierature  of  175^.  From 
A'alencia  they  descended  to  Porto  C'abello,  on  the  coast,  where  they 
rcmaiiu'd  imtil  tho  Jst  of  ^larch,  and  then  connnenccd  their  jouiney  to 
the  plains  of  the  Orinoco.  In  the  valley  of  Aragua,  lIund»oldt  first  saw 
the  celebrated  "  cow-tree."  the  existenci"  of  which  he  had  jtreviously 
doubted,  and  of  which  lie  gives  th(>  followiu';'  beautiful  description: 
"When  incisions  are  maili'  in  the  trunk  of  ihi-  tree,  it  yields  abumlance 
of  a  glutinous  milk,  tolerably  thick,  devoid  of  all  acridity,  and  of  an 
agreeable  and  balmy  snu'll.  It  was  ulTered  to  us  in  the  shell  of  a  cala- 
bash.    >Ve  drank  considerable  (piantlties  of  it  in  the  evening  before  wo 


I 


DESCRIPTION    OP    THE    COW-TllEE. 


37 


LM'UT 


I 

I 
I 


wont  to  bod,  and  very  early  in  tlio  morning,  ■without  fooling  tho  least 
injurious  olfoct.  Tho  glutinous  character  of  tliis  milk  alone  renders  it  a 
little  disagreeahle.  The  negroes  and  the  free  people  who  work  in  the 
]ilantutions  drink  it,  dipping  into  it  their  bread  of  maize  or  cassava.  The 
overseer  of  the  farm  told  us  that  the  negroes  grow  sensibly  fitter 
during  the  season  when  Xhti  jmIo  de  r'aca  furnislios  them  with  most  nulk. 
This  juice,  exposed  to  the  air,  presents  at  its  surf  ice  UKMiibranes  of  a 
strongly  animalized  substance,  yellowish,  stringy,  and  resembling  cheese. 

"Amidst  the  great  mnnber  of  curious  phenomena  which  T  have  ob- 
BOi'vod  in  the  course  of  my  travels,  I  confess  there  are  ihw  tliat  have 
made  so  powerful  an  impression  on  me  a;?  the  aspect  of  th(>  cow-tree. 
Whatever  relates  to  milk  or  to  corn,  inspires  an  interest  which  is  not 
merely  that  of  the  physical  knowledge  of  things,  but  is  coiun'ctod  with 
another  order  of  ideas  and  sentiments.  We  can  scarcely  conceive  how 
the  human  race  could  exist  without  farinaceous  substances,  and  w  ithout 
that  nourishing  juice  which  the  l)reast  of  the  mother  contains,  and  which 
is  appro])riated  to  tho  long  feel)lenoss  of  the  intiuit.  The  amylaceoiis 
matter  of  corn,  the  object  of  religious  veneration  among  so  many  nations, 
ancient  and  modern,  is  diffused  in  the  seeds,  and  deposited  in  the  roots 
of  vegetable-- ;  milk,  which  sorv(>s  as  an  aliment,  ajipears  to  us  exclusively 
tho  produce  of  animal  organization.  Such  are  the  impressions  \\\^  have 
received  in  our  earliest  infmcy :  such  is  also  the  source  of  that  astonish- 
ment created  by  the  aspect  of  the  tree  just  described.  It  is  not  here  the 
soleuni  shades  of  forests,  tho  majosti<^  course  of  rivers,  the  mountains 
Avrappe(l  in  i  t.'rnnl  snow,  that  excite  our  emotion.  A  few  drops  of  vege- 
table juice  recall  to  our  minds  all  the  powerfulnoss  and  the  fecmidity  of 
nature.  On  the  barren  flank  of  a  rock  grows  a  tree  with  coriaceous  and 
dry  loaves.  Its  largo  woody  roots  can  scarcely  ])onetrate  into  the  stone. 
For  several  months  of  the  year  not  a  single  shower  moistens  its  foliage. 
Its  branches  apjjoar  dead  and  dried  ;  but  when  tho  trunk  is  pierced  there 
flow-^  from  it  a  sweet  and  iu)urishiug  milk.  It  is  at  tho  rising  of  the  sim 
that  this  vegetable  fountain  is  mo<t  abundant.  The  negroes  and  natives 
are  then  seen  hastening  from  all  (piarters,  furnished  with  largo  bowls  to 
receive  the  milk,  which  grows  yellow,  and  thickens  at  its  surfiieo.  Some 
empty  their  bowls  under  the  tree  itself,  others  carry  the  juice  home  to 
their  children." 

In  crossing  the  mountain-range  between  tho  vallev  of  Ara<»ua  and  the 
llanos,  tho  travelers  passed  a  night  in  tho  village!  of  (luigue,  Avhoro  they 
JodL'od  with  an  old  sergeant,  a  native^  of  Murcia,  a  man  of;i  very  ori'jfinal 
character.  To  prove  to  them  that  ho  had  studied  among  the  Jo^Jiiits,  he 
recited  tlie  history  of  tin-  creation  of  tho  worM  in  Latin.  lie  know  th(! 
names  of  Augustus,  Tiberias,  and  Diocletian;  and  while  ojiiovini;  th«> 
agreeable  eoolnes'^  of  the  nights  in  an  enclosure  planted  with  bananas,  ho 
employed  hiuiself  in  reading  all  that  related  to  the  courts  of  the  IJoman 
emperors.  He  ini|uirod  of  Hinnboldt  with  earnestness  f(.r  a  remedy  for 
the  gout,  from  which  he  sulforcd  severt-ly.     "  I  know,"  said  ho,  •'  a  Zam- 


m 


if  I 


:'    I 


\t'l. 


m 


L. 


38 


LIVE    AX  J)    TUAVKLS    OF    llUMliOLDT. 


1)0  of  V;ilt'ii(i:i,  wlio  (.'oulil  cuih'  iiu' ;  Imt  tlic  Znmlio  would  cxpi'ct  to  bo 
Ircntcd  with  atlciitioiis  which  I  can  iio(;  i)ay  to  a  man  ol"  liis  color,  and  I 
prclcT  ruiiiaiiiiiig  as  I  am.''  On  tin;  Utli  ot'iMaix^h  thry  comiiu'iiccd  thoir 
jouriK'y  on  tho  j^'rcat  j)lains.  '•'I'hc  sim  was  almost  at  its  zenith;  tho 
earth,  wherever  it  aj)|)eared  sterile  and  <lestitute  of  vegetation,  was  at 
the  tenijierature  <;f  TJO  .  Not  a  breath  of  air  was  felt  at  llie  height  at 
Avhieh  we  weri'  on  onr  nuiles;  yet,  in  the  midst  of  this  ajjparent  ealm, 
whirls  of  dust  incessantly  arose,  driven  on  l)y  those  small  eiwrents  of  air 
Mhieh  glide  only  over  the  surtiu-e  of  the  ground,  and  are  oeeasioni'd  by 
the  ditferi'uee  of  temperature  between  the  naked  sand  and  the  spots  cov- 
ered with  grass.  All  arcinid  ns  the  plains  seemed  to  ascend  to  tiie  sky, 
and  the  va.st  and  profound  solilU(h'  ap[)eared  like  an  occ'an  coven  il  with 
sea-weed.  On  the  horizon  the  earth  was  confountled  with  the  sky. 
Through  tile  dry  mist  and  strata  of  vapor  the  trunks  of  palm-trees  wero 
seen  from  afar,  stripped  of  their  foliagi!  and  their  verdant  summits,  and 
hulking  like  tlu'  masts  of  a  ship  descried  uijon  the  horizon.  There  is 
something  aw  ful,  as  well  as  sad  and  gloomy,  in  the  imilorm  aspect  of 
tiiese  stej)pes.  Kvery  tiihig  seems  motionless;  scarcely  does  ii  small 
elouil,  jiassing  across  the  zenith,  and  denoting  the  approach  of  the  rainy 
sea'^on,  cast  its  shallow  on  the  <  ar;!).  I  knew  not  whethi'r  the  lirst  as- 
pect of  the  llanos  e.\.cites  les>  a^>ltJni>hment  than  that  of  the  chahi  of  tho 
.Vndes. 

"  When,  beneath  tlie  vertical  rays  of  the  bright  and  cloudless  sim  of 
the  tropics,  the  parched  sward  crumbles  into  dust,  then  tlu'  indurated 
!<oi!  cracks  ami  bursts  as  if  rent,  asunder  by  some  mighty  lartlKpiake. 
^\nd  if,  at  such  a  lime,  two  op|iosite  currents  of  air,  by  conflict  moving 
in  rapid  gyrations,  come  in  contact  with  the  eai'th,  a  singular  s|iectaclo 
presents  itself  Like  funnel-siiaped  I'louds,  their  apexes  touching  tin) 
earth,  the  sands  rise  in  vapory  liirm  through  the  rarelied  air  in  tlu^  elec- 
trically-charged center  of  the  whirling  curri'ut,  sweeping  on  like  tho 
lushing  water-spout,  which  strikes  such  terror  into  the  heart  of  the  mar- 
iner. A  dim  and  sallow  light  gleams  from  the  lowering  sky  over  tlio 
dreary  plain.  The  horizon  suddenly  t'oiitracts,  ami  the  lieart  of  tho 
traveler  sinks  with  dismay  as  the  wide  steppe  seems  to  close  upon  him 
on  all  sides.  The  hot  and  dusty  earth  forms  ;i  cloudy  vail  which  shrouds 
the  heavens  from  \  lew,  and  iiu'reases  the  stilling  oppression  of  the  atmos- 
phere, while  tho  east  wind,  when  it  blows  over  the  long-heateil  soil, 
instead  uf  cooling,  adds  to  the  burning  glow.  (Jradually,  too,  the  jioojs 
()f  water,  which  had  been  protcctetl  from  evaporation  by  the  now  seared 
Ibliagi'  of  the  fan-palm,  disappear.  As  in  the  icy  north  animals  become 
titrpid  from  coM,  so  lure  the  crocoilile  and  the  bo;i-constrictor  lie  wrapt 
in  unbroken  sleep,  deeply  I)urie<l  in  llu'  dried  soil.  Kvery  wliere  th(> 
drought  annoiinci's  death,  yi't  every  where  the  thirsting  waiulerer  is 
deluded  by  the  phantom  of  a  moving,  undulating,  watery  surface,  cro- 
atoil  by  tho  deceptive  phiy  of  the  mirage.  A  narrow  stratum  separates 
tho  ground  from  the  distant  paliutreos,  which  seem  to  hover  alolt,  owing 


ASPECTS    OF    THE    LLANOS. 


39 


sun  of 

iliiratc'd 

liijiiiiko. 

liiiov'mt^ 

icctiU'lo 

111^  tlio 

w  v\vc,- 

like  tlio 

H'  iii.ir- 

II-  tho 

of  tho 

111  liiiii 

uoiids 

aliiios- 

4  soil, 

•  pools 

si'.'ircd 

I'COIMO 

wnipt 

Ire  tho 

rcr  is 

|r,  cro- 

luates 


to  tlio  oontaot  of  cunviits  of  air  liavincj  (liftcToiit  dcijjrccs  of  lioat  and 
tlicrefore  of  dcjisity.  t>hrou<k'd  in  dark  clouds  of  dust,  and  tortured  by 
hunp^er  and  hurnint;  thirst,  oxon  and  liorsos  scour  the  plain,  the  one  bel- 
lowiuij:  dismally,  the  other  Avith  out-stretched  iiecks  snufliiiuc  the  wind, 
iu  the  endeavor  to  detect,  by  tho  moisture  of  the  air,  the  vicinity  of  some 
pool  of  water  not  yet  wholly  evaporated, 

"The  mule,  nion;  cautious  and  cunnincr,  adopts  another  method  of 
allayiiiii;  his  thirst.  There  is  a  i^Iobular  and  articulated  plant,  the  ■t^rh)- 
cndiis,  Avliich  encloses  under  its  prickly  intcLriunent  an  a(pieous  jiulp. 
After  carefully  striking  away  the  prickles  with  liis  forefeet,  the  nuilo 
cautiously  ventures  to  apply  his  lips  to  inil)ibe  the  cooling  thisth;  juice. 
])iit  the  draught  from  this  living  vegetable  spring  is  iu)t  always  un- 
attended liy  danger,  and  these  animals  are  often  observed  to  have  been 
lamed  by  the  puncture  of  the  cactus  thorn.  Even  if  the  ])urning  heat 
of  day  l)e  succeeded  by  the  cool  freshness  of  the  night,  liere  always  of 
equal  length,  the  wearie(l  o.v  and  horsci  enjoy  no  repose.  Huge  bats 
now  attack  the  animals  during  sleep,  and  vani]iyre-lik','  suck  their  blood; 
or,  fastening  on  their  backs,  raise  festering  wounds,  iu  which  mos([uitocs, 
liipl)(>1iosces,  and  a  host  of  other  stinging  insects,  burrow  and  nestle. 

'*  When,  after  a  long  drought,  tlu;  genial  season  of  rain  arrives,  tins 
scene  suddenly  changes.  The  (kn'p  azure  of  the  hitherto  c!ou<lless  sky 
assinu"s  a  lighter  hue.  Scarcely  can  tiie  dark  space  in  the  constellation 
of  the  Southern  Cross  be  distinguished  at  night.  The  mil<l  jihosphor- 
esceuco  of  the  Magellanic  clouds  tildes  away.  Like  sonu'  distant  luount- 
ain,  a  single  cloud  is  seen  rising  pi'rpendicularly  on  the  southern  horizon. 
Misty  vapors  collect  and  grailually  overspread  the  heavens,  while  distant 
thunder  proclaims  the  approach  of  the  vi\ifying  rain.  Scarcely  is  tho 
.surtiice  of  the  earth  moistened  Ijcfore  the  teeming  stei)])e  becouu'S 
covered  witli  a  variety  of  grasses.  Excited  by  the  i)ower  of  light,  tlui 
herbaceous  mimosi  mifolds  its  dormant,  drooi)ing  leaves,  hailing,  as  it 
were,  the  rising  sun  in  choi'us  with  the  matin  song  of  the  birds  ami  this 
opening  Howers  of  a(|uatic  jilants.  Horses  and  oxen,  ))uoyaut  with  life 
and  enjoyment,  roam  over  and  crop  the  plains.  The  luxuriant  gra<s 
liides  the  beautitully  spotted  jaguar,  Avho,  lurking  iu  safe  concealment, 
and  carefully  measuring  the  extent  of  the  leap,  darts,  like  the  .Viatic 
tig<'r,  with  a  cat-like  Ixtund  <>n  his  p;i-^sing  prey.  At  times,  according  to 
tho  account  of  the  iiati\(s,  the  hiunid  clay  on  the  banks  of  the  morasses 
i.s  seen  to  rise  slowly  iu  broad  tlakes.  Accompanied  by  a  violetit  noise, 
as  on  the  eruption  of  a  small  mudvolcami,  the  upheaved  earth  is  hurled 
high  into  the  an-.  Those  who  .are  iimiiliar  with  the  phenomenon  tly 
fi-otn  it  ;  lor  a  coIoss;i|  w.-iter-snake,  or  n  mailed  and  Hcaly  crocodile, 
awakened  from  its  trance  by  tho  Hrst  iidl  of  rain,  is  about  to  burst  from 
his  tomb. 

"When  the  rivers  bouiKling  the  jilain  to  the  south,  as  the  Arauca, 
tho  Ap\n-e,  .ami  the  ray:n-a,  gradually  overflow  their  bmiks,  n.ature  cojn- 
\wU  those  creatures  to  live  as  iuuphibious  animals,  which,  during  thelirst 


"^il!  ' 


1 


40 


LIFE  AND  TRAVELS  OF  HUMBOLDT. 


half  of  the  year,  were  perLshing  with  thirst  on  the  Avaterlcss  and  dusty 
jihiin.  A  i)art  of  the  stoi)po  now  presents  tlie  ai)pearance  of  a  vast  in- 
land sea.  The  mares  retreat  Avith  their  foals  to  tlie  higher  hanlcs,  which 
I)roject,  like  islands,  above  the  spreading  waters.  Day  by  day  the  dry 
surliice  diminishes  in  extent.  The  cattle,  crowded  together,  and  de- 
prived of  pasturage,  swim  for  hours  about  the  inundated  plain,  seeking  a 
seanty  nourishment  from  the  flowering  panicles  of  the  grasses  Avhich  rise 
above  tiie  hiriil  and  bubbling  waters.  Many  foals  aix'  drowned,  many 
are  seized  by  crocodiles,  crushed  by  their  serrated  tails,  and  devoured. 
Horses  and  oxen  may  not  nnfrequently  be  seen  which  have  escajjed  from 
tlie  fury  of  this  blood-thirsty  and  gigantic  Uzard,  bearing  on  their  legs 
the  marks  of  its  pointed  teeth." 

In  traxersing  these  vast  plains,  which  v.ere  then  parched  with  the 
intensest  heat,  the  tra\elers  journeyed  mostly  by  night,  haltuig  occa- 
sionally at  the  huts  of  the  herdsmen.  Mho  tended  the  horses  and  cattle 
roaming  over  the  A\aste.  After  four  or  iive  days,  they  reached  the 
town  of  Calabozo,  a  i)lace  containing  about  five  thousand  inhabitants, 
where  they  a\  ere  hospitably  entertahied  by  the  superintendent  of  the 
royal  phuitatiuiis.  In  this  remote  spot  they  were  greatly  surprised  to 
iiuil  a  luk'iable  electrical  apparatus  made  by  a  native  Spaniard,  Avho  had 
never  seen  anything  of  the  kind  hi  his  lite.  lie  liad  constructed  it 
entu-ely  from  the  description  given  hi  Franklin's  treatise,  and  was  beside 
himself  with  joy  at  seeing  the  strangers  arrive  with  the  same  machines, 
and  others,  of  which  he  had  never  even  heard.  During  a  st;iy  of  a  few 
days  in  Calabo/.o,  Humboldt,  after  much  difficulty,  succeeded  in  obtahi- 
ing  some  specimens  of  the  (/i/in/totua,  or  electrical  eel.  The  Indians  con- 
ducted him  to  a  large  reservoir  of  slimy  water,  near  a  neighboring  vil- 
lage; but  it  was  not  found  possi])le  to  catch  the  eels  with  lishing-nets, 
as  they  bury  themselves  witli  great  agility  in  the  slime.  lie  did  not 
wish  to  I'niploy  the  barhnsco  root,  whit-h  stupelies  them  when  thrown 
into  the  water.  The  Indians  then  declared  that  they  Mould  be  obliged 
to  "  li>h  with  horses,"'  thirty  of  which  they  collected  in  a  short  time. 
Ilumbolilt,  who  liad  never  heard  of  this  extraordinary  manner  of  fishing, 
anxiously  awaitetl  the  result,  M'liich  he  thus  describes :  "The  noise  oc- 
casional by  the  stamping  of  the  horses  drives  the  eels  out  of  the  slime 
aii<l  irritates  them;  they  rise  to  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  crowd 
under  the  In  Hies  ol'  the  horses  and  mules.  A  contest  between  animals 
of  so  dillV'reut  an  organization  jiresents  a  very  striking  spectacle.  The 
Indians,  proviiUd  with  Jiarpoons  and  long  slender  reeds,  siu'round  the 
jKKil  closely  ;  and  some  climb  up  tlie  trees,  the  branches  of  which  extend 
liorizontally  over  the  surliico  of  the  water.  iJy  their  Mild  cries,  and  tho 
length  of  their  reeds,  thi'y  prevent  the  horses  from  rniming  away  and 
reaching  tlu'  bank  of  the  jiool.  The  eels,  stunneil  by  the  noise,  defend 
themselves  by  the  repi-ated  disdiarge  of  tlieir  electric  batteries.  For  a 
long  interval  they  seem  likely  to  prove  victorious.  Several  horses  shik 
beneath  the  \  iuleuin;  of  the  invisible  strokes  M'hich  they  receive  fiom  all 


(Pi-  a 
■111  uU 


FISHING    FOR    ELECTRICAL    EELS. 


41 


sides,  m  organs  the  most  essential  to  life  ;  and  stunned  by  the  force  and 
fixHiiioncy  of  the  shocks,  they  disappear  under  the  water.  Others,  ))ant- 
ing,  with  mane  ereci,  and  haggard  eyes  expressing  nnguisli  and  dismay, 
raise  themselves,  and  endeavor  to  flee  from  the  storm  l)y  which  they  are 
overtaken.  They  are  driven  back  by  the  Indians  into  the  middle  of  the 
water ;  but  a  small  number  succeed  in  eluding  the  active  vigilance  of 
the  lishermcn.  These  regain  the  shore,  stumbhng  at  every  step,  and 
stretch  themselves  on  the  sand,  exhausted  with  fatigue,  and  with  limbs 
benumbed  by  the  electric  shocks  of  the  gymnoti. 

"  In  less  than  live  minutes  two  of  our  liorses  were  drowned.  The  eel 
being  live  feet  long,  and  pressing  itself  against  the  belly  of  the  horses, 
makes  a  disciiarge  along  the  whole  extent  of  its  electric  organ.  It  at- 
tacks  at  once  the  heart,  the  intestines,  and  the  Cicliac  fold  of  the  abdom- 
inal nerves.  It  is  natural  that  the  effect  felt  by  the  horses  sliould  be 
more  powerful  than  that  produced  uijon  man  by  the  touch  of  the  same 
lish  at  only  one  of  his  extremities.  The  horses  are  probably  not  killed, 
but  only  stumicd.  They  are  drowned  from  the  impossibility  of  rishig 
amiil  the  ]>rolongod  struggle  between  tlie  other  horses  and  the  eels. 

"  We  hi'd  little  doubt  tliat  the  lishing  would  terminate  by  killing  suc- 
cessively all  the  animals  engaged  ;  but  by  degrees  the  impetuosity  of  this 
unecjual  ctjmbat  diminished,  and  the  wearied  gynmoti  disj)ersed.  They 
rcquii'e  a  long  rest,  and  abundant  nourishment,  to  repair  the  galvanic 
force  whieli  they  liave  lost  by  the  I'epeated  discharges.  The  liorses  and 
mules  recovered  from  their  terror ;  their  manes  no  longer  bristled,  and 
their  eyes  ceased  to  glare  with  fear.  The  Indians  asserted  that  if  the 
hor.ses  were  driven  to  the  same  water  on  two  consecutive  days,  none 
would  die  the  second  day.  Tiio  eels  now  thnidly  aiiproached  the  shore, 
where  they  were  caught  with  little  harpoons  attached  to  long  cords.  If 
the  cords  were  perfectly  dry,  no  shock  was  felt  while  hauling  out  the 
lish,  but  it  was  communicated  through  the  wet  cords.  In  a  few  minutes 
five  large  eels  were  caught,  which  were  only  sUghtly  wounded,  and  sev- 
eral others  were  obtahietl  the  same  evening.  Such  is  the  remarkable 
contest  between  horses  and  fish.  Tiiat  which  constitutes  the  invisible 
but  living  weapon  of  these  inhabitants  of  the  water — that,  which  awak- 
ened by  the  contact  of  moist  and  dissunilar  particles,  circulates  through 
all  the  organs  of  animals  and  plants — that  which  flushing  amid  the  roar 
of  thunder  illuminates  the  wide  canopy  of  heaven — Mhieh  Itinds  iron  to 
iron,  and  directs  the  silent  recurrhig  course  of  the  magnetic;  needle — all, 
like  the  varied  hues  of  the  refracted  ray  of  light,  flow  liom  one  eonnuon 
source,  and  all  blend  together  into  one  eternal  all-jtervading  jtower. 

"The  gynmotus  is  neither  a  charged  conductor,  nor  a  battery,  nor  an 
electromotive  a|»paratus,  the  shock  of  which  is  received  every  time  they 
are  touched  with  one  liand,  or  when  both  liands  are  employed  to  form  a 
conducting  circle  between  the  opposite  poles.  The  electric  action  of  tlio 
lish  dejjends  entirely  on  its  will  ;  because  it  does  not  kei'p  its  electric 
organs  always  charged,  or  whether  by  the  secretion  of  some  fluid,  or  by 


mm 


l;ir 


i 


m 


mSES 


42 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF    HUMBOLDT. 


any  other  monns  alike  mysterious  to  ns,  it  bo  capnblo  of  directing  the 
action  of  its  organs  to  an  external  object.  Wo  often  trieil,  both  insulated 
and  otherwise,  to  touch  the  fish,  without  feeling  the  least  shock.  When 
M.  Bonpland  held  it  by  the  head,  or  by  the  inichlle  of  the  body,  while  I 
lield  it  by  the  tail,  and,  standing  on  the  moist  ground,  did  not  take  each 
other's  liand,  one  of  us  received  shocks  whicli  the  other  did  not  feel.  It 
depends  upon  the  gymnotus  to  direct  its  action  toward  the  point  where 
it  finds  itself  most  strongly  irritated.  The  discharge  is  then  made  at  one 
point  only,  and  not  at  the  neighborhig  points.  If  two  persons  touch  the 
belly  of  the  fish  with  their  fingers,  at  an  inch  distance,  and  press  it 
simultaneously,  sometimes  one,  sometimes  the  other,  Avill  receive  the 
shock.  It  would  be  temerity  to  exj)ose  ourselves  to  the  first  shocks  of 
a  very  large  and  strongly  irritated  gymnotus.  If  by  chance  a  stroke  be 
received  before  the  fish  is  wounded  or  wearied  by  long  pursuit,  the  pain 
and  numbness  are  so  violent  that  it  is  impossible  to  describe  the  nature 
of  the  feeling  they  excite.  I  do  not  remember  having  ever  received 
from  tlie  discharge  of  a  large  Leyden  jar,  a  more  dreadful  shock  than 
that  which  I  experienced  by  imprudently  placing  both  my  feet  on  a 
gymnotus  just  taken  out  of  the  water.  I  was  atfected  during  the  rest 
of  the  day  M'ith  a  violent  pain  in  the  knees,  and  in  almost  every  joint." 

The  travelers  left  Calabozo  on  the  24th  of  3Iarch,  and  continued 
their  journey  over  the  desolate  llanos.  On  the  Avay  they  found  an  In- 
dian girl  lying  in  the  road,  almost  lifeless,  and  with  her  mouth  and  nos- 
trils filled  Avith  sand.  They  restored  her  to  consciousness  and  gave  her 
some  wine  and  water,  iMit  she  refused  to  accompany  them,  and  wandered 
oft' alone.  In  three  davs  thev  reached  the  ^Mission  of  San  Fernando,  on 
the  Apiu'e  river,  one  of  the  principal  tributaries  of  the  Orinoco.  Here 
"was  the  commencement  of  their  canoe  voyages  on  the  Apure,  the  Orin- 
oco, the  (/assifjuiare,  and  the  Kio  Xegro,  Avhich  lasted  for  three  months. 
During  this  journey  they  were  accompanied  by  Don  Nicholas  Soto, 
brother-in-law  of  the  governor  of  the  j)roviuce.  They  hired  a  largo 
canoe,  called  a  hoicha.  by  the  natives.  It  had  a  cabin,  covered  with 
palm-leaves,  in  the  stern,  and  was  manage'l  by  a  pilot  and  four  Indians. 
Provision  for  a  month — consisting  of  fi)wls,  plaintains,  and  cassava  bread, 
to  which  the  Capucluns  added  some  Xeres  Avuie — Mas  placed  on  board, 
and  a  sujiply  of  fishing-tackle,  annnunitioii,  and  some  brandy  for  the 
Indians,  laid  in.  Humboldt  made  notes  of  every  thing  which  occurred 
on  the  \  oyage,  either  during  the  day,  or  after  the  canoe  had  Iialted  for 
the  night.  Owing  to  this  habit,  liis  narrative  has  an  unnnstakable  stamp 
of  trutli  and  reality.  They  passed  the  last  jilantation  on  the  second  day, 
and  then  entered  a  territory  iidiabited  entirely  by  jaguars,  crocodiles, 
manati,  or  river-cows,  and  pecarries.  The  Apure,  Avhich  grew  })roader  as 
they  th'scended,  was  bordered  l)y  dense  fi)rests,  the  trees  of  which  Avere 
full  of  monkeys  and  birds.  The  river  abounded  with  fish  and  tortoises, 
while  huge  crocodiles,  often  twenty  feet  in  length,  basked  on  the  sand. 
Notwithstanding  the  numbers  of  these  latter  animals,  the  rauiy  season 


I 


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)IltllS'. 

with 
liaiiH. 
rc.'id, 
oard, 
•  tho 
rred 
I  for 
uinp 

ilcs, 

ras4 

Ivoru 

lisos, 

Iniul. 


NIGHT    IN    THE    TROPICAL    FORESTS. 


43 


had  not  yet  commonocd,  and  tliousands  of  tlioniwcro  still  lying  dormant 
in  tho  nmd  of  the  ])lains.  In  those  wildernos>!.'s,  whore  man  lives  in  con- 
stant strife  with  nature,  the  eonversation  turns  mut'h  upon  tho  means  by 
which  one  can  escape  tho  j)ursuit  of  a  tiger,  or  a  crocodile ;  all  prei)are 
themselves  to  encounter  the  danger.  The  crocodile  loosens  its  hold 
if  the  person  seized  thrusts  his  linger  into  its  eyes,  and  the  travelers 
heard  of  several  instances  of  escape  in  this  manner. 

Humboldt  gives  the  following  pictnrescpie  description  of  the  noc- 
turnal noises  of  animals  in  the  forests  of  the  Apure  :  "liolow  the  mission 
of  Santa  Ixirbara  de  Arichuna  Ave  passed  the  night  as  usual  in  the  oi)vn 
air,  on  a  sandy  flat,  on  the  bank  of  tlie  Apure,  skirted  by  the  impene- 
trable forest.  We  had  some  difficulty  in  fmduig  dry  wood  to  kindle  the 
tires  with  which  it  is  here  tustonuiry  to  surround  the  bivouac,  as  a  safe- 
guard against  the  attacks  of  tho  jaguar.  Tho  air  was  bland  and  sort, 
and  tho  moon  shone  briglitly.  Several  crocodiles  approached  the  bank ; 
and  I  have  observed  that  lire  attracts  those  creatures  as  it  does  our 
crabs  and  many  other  a(piatic  animals.  The  oars  of  our  boats  were  ilxed 
upright  in  tho  ground,  to  sujiport  our  hannnocks.  Deep  stilhiess  pre- 
vailed, only  broken  at  intervals  by  the  blowing  of  the  fresh-water  (hjl- 
phins,  wliich  ari'  peculiar  to  the  river  not-work  of  the  Orinoco.  After 
eleven  o'clock,  such  a  noise  began  in  tho  contiguous  forest,  that  for  the 
remainder  of  the  night  all  sleep  was  impossible.  The  wild  cries  of  ani- 
mals rung  through  the  woods.  Among  the  many  voices  which  resound- 
ed together,  tho  Indians  could  only  recognize  those  which,  after  short 
pauses,  were  heard  singly.  There  was  the  monotonous,  plaintive  cry 
of  the  howling  monkeys,  tlie  whining,  ttute-like  notes  of  tho  small  sapa- 
jous,  the  grunting  niurnuir  of  the  striped  nocturnal  ape,  the  fitful  roar 
of  the  great  tiger,  the  cougar,  or  maneless  .\merican  lion,  the  peccary, 
tiie  sloth,  and  a  host  of  parrots,  j)arraquas,  and  other  pheasant-like  birds. 
Whonover  the  tigers  ai)proached  the  edge  of  the  forest,  our  dog,  who 
before  had  barked  incessantly,  came  liowling  to  seek  protection  under 
the  hannnocks.  Sometimes  tlie  cry  of  the  tiger  resounded  from  tho 
brandies  of  a  tree,  and  Avas  then  ahvays  accompanied  by  the  plaintive 
piping  tones  of  the  apes,  who  Avere  endeavoruig  to  escape  from  the  un- 
Avonted  pursuit. 

"If  one  asks  the  Iiitliaiis  why  such  a  continuous  noise  is  heard  on 
certain  niglits,  they  answer,  Avith  a  smile,  that  '  the  animals  are  rejoicing 
hi  the  l)eautiful  moonlight,  and  celebrating  the  return  of  the  full  moon.' 
To  mo  tho  scone  appt'arod  rathoi-  to  be  owing  to  an  accidental,  long 
continued,  and  g.adually  increasing  conflict  among  the  animals.  Thus, 
for  instance,  the  jaguar  Avill  i)ursue  the  peccaries  and  the  tapirs,  which, 
densely  crowdoil  together,  bmst  through  the  barrier  of  tree-like  shrubs 
Avhich  opposes  their  flight.     Torritiod  at  the  confusion,  the  monkeys  ou 


tl 


10  tops  of  the  trees  join  their  cries  with  those  of  the  larger  animals. 
This  arouses  the  tribes  of  birds  who  Imild  thoir  nests  in  communities,  and 
suddenly  tho  wliolo  animal  world  is  in  a  state  of  commotion.     Further 


;:' 


i 


H  :■; 


>--. 


II!    f 


HiiaH 


I 

!   I 


44 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF    HUMBOLDT. 


cxperlonoo  liiiipjlit  us,  tliiit  it  Avas  by  no  moans  always  tlio  festival  of 
nu)()nli<;'lit  that  distiirlx'd  the  slilliicss  of  tlio  forest;  for  wo  observed 
tliat  the  voices  wore  loudest  during?  violent  storms  of  rain,  or  Avhon  the 
tluuider  echoed,  and  the  lijijlitnintjj  flashed  throuu;h  the  do))tlis  of  tho 
•Woods.  The  jj;t)od-natured  Franciscan  monk  who  acconipanii'd  us  through 
the  cataracts  of  Atures  and  Maypures  to  San  Carlos,  on  the  Ilio  Negro, 
and  to  the  l^ra/.ilian  frontier,  used  to  say,  mIiou  a])prehensive  of  a  storm 
at  niuht,  '  JMay  iuavon  grant  a  quiet  night  both  to  us  and  to  the  wihl 
beasts  of  the  forest  I'" 

The  next  day,  Humboldt  was  flivored  Avith  another  and  even  more 
\uiwelcomc  exi)erience.  "  AVhile  my  eom])anioiis  were  prej)aring  din- 
ner," he  says,  "I  waiked  along  the  beach  to  get  a  near  view  of  a  group 
of  erocodii'  sleejiing  in  the  siui.  Some  little  herons,  white  as  snow, 
Avalked  along  their  backs,  and  even  upon  their  heads,  as  if  ])assing  over 
trunks  of  trees.  The  crocodiles  were  of  a  greenish  gray,  half  covered 
with  dried  mud;  from  their  color  and  innnobility  they  might  have  been 
taken  for  statues  of  bronze.  This  excursion  had  nearly  proved  fatal  to 
me.  I  had  kept  my  eyes  constantly  turned  toward  the  river;  but, 
whiU"  lacking  up  some  s})angles  of  mica  in  the  sand,  I  discovered  the 
recent  footsteps  of  a  tiger,  easily  distinguishable  from  their  form  and 
size.  The  animal  had  gone  toward  the  forest,  and  turning  my  eyes  on 
that  si(l(\  I  ibund  myself  within  eighty  jtaces  of  a  Jaguar  that  was  lying 
muler  the  thick  foliage  of  a  ceiba.  No  tiger  had  ever  aj)peared  to  me 
so  large.  There  are  aci'idents  in  life  against  which  we  may  seek  in  vain 
to  fortify  our  reason.  I  M'as  extremely  alarmed,  yet  sufliciently  master 
of  myself  and  of  my  motions  to  enable  me  to  follow  the  advice  which 
the  Indians  had  so  <iften  given  us  as  to  how  we  ought  to  act  in  such 
cast's.  I  contiinu'd  to  walk  on  without  ruiuiing,  avoided  moving  my 
arms,  .and  I  thought  I  observed  that  the  jaguar's  attention  Avas  fixed  on 
a  herd  of  capybaras  Avhioh  was  crossing  the  river.  I  then  began  to 
return,  making  a  large  circuit  toward  the  edge  of  the  water.  As  tho 
distance  increased,  I  thought  I  might  accelerate  my  pace.  I  low  oflen 
was  I  tempted  to  k)ok  back,  in  order  to  assure  myself  that  I  Avas  not 
pursued  !  Happily  I  yielded  very  tardily  to  this  desire.  Tho  jaguar 
had  remained  motionless.  I  arrived  at  the  boat  out  of  breath,  and  re- 
lated my  adventure  to  the  Indians." 

On  tho  aflornoon  of  the  4th  of  April,  after  a  voyage  of  six  days  on 
tho  Apure,  they  entired  tho  Orinoco.  An  inuncnse  plain  of  Avator 
stretched  beli)re  them  like  a  sea.  "\Vhito-to]>ped  Avaves,  caused  by  a, 
Avind  blowing  against  the  current,  rose  to  tho  height  of  several  feet.  The 
distant  horizon  was  bounded  by  a  zone  of  level  forests.  Humboldt  found 
tho  Apure,  at  the  junction,  to  be  one  thousand  two  hundred  feet  in 
breadth,  and  tho  Orinoco  twelve  thousand  one  hundred  and  eighty ; 
during  the  rainy  season  the  latter  river  attains  a  breadth  of  thirty-fivo 
thousand  foot,  or  nearly  seven  miles.  Sailing  up  the  Orinoco,  they 
touched  at  the  port  of  Encaramada,  Avhore  they  first  suav  some  sj^^ciinens 


'3 


PISHING    FOR    TURTLE'S    KC.GS. 


45 


of  the  naked  Caril)s.     They  wcro  bound  lor  a  sandy  island  in  th(<  rivir, 
coleln-atcd  for  its  fislicrics  of  turllf's  ("^•^<.     Humboldt  and  JJonpland 
reached  this  island  next  day,  ami  fouml  tiieru  the  missionary  of  I'l-uana, 
who  was  tfroatly  astonished  at  seein<>;  tliein.    Atler  having  admired  tlirir 
instruments,  he    uavti  them  an  exaggerated  ])ieture  of  the  snlferintfs  to 
■which  they  would   Ije   necessarily   e\      • 'd  in   ascending    the   Orinoco 
beyond  the  cataracts.     The   object  of  their  journey  appeared   to  hliu 
very  mysterious.     "  IIow  is  it  ])ossib1o  to  believe,"  saiil  he,  "that    yui 
have  left  your  country,  to  conu!  and  be  devoured  by  moscjuitoes  on  tliis 
river,  and  to  measure  lands  that  an;  not  your  own  V"     While  haltini;  at 
the   island,  they  Avitnessed   the  nu-thod  of  collecting  turtle's  etru^s,  and 
extracting.;  the  oil.     The  tmll((  always  la\s  its  eurj^'s  at  the  time  of  tin; 
lowest  water,  begimnng  at  ni.<,dit,  innnediatcly  after  sunset.     It  (Vyj;-*  a 
pit  two  feet  deep,  and  then  commences  the  work,  whidi  fre(iuently  lasts 
all  ni<rht.     Thent  are  sneli  num])ers  that  if  one  tm-th;  funis  a  hole,  which 
lias  not  been  tilled  \ip,  from  the  haste  of  its  owner  on  beint,'  surprisdl  by 
the  sunrise,  he  deposits  a  second  layer  of  ogtrs  over  the  top  of  the  lirst. 
The  e^ii-gatherers  investigate  the  situation  and  extent  of  these  dep(.sits 
with  a  long  pole,  which,  when  pressed  ])eri»endicularly  into  the  soil,  re- 
veals the  looser  sand  below,  on  which  the  eggs  lie.     The  harvest  is  tlu.'n 
gathered  in  with  methodical  regularity.  According  totlie  number  of  In- 
dian tribes,  the  soil  is  divided  into  certain  districts,  for  the  dejjosits  of  eggs 
are  found  three  feet  deep,  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  from  the  shore. 
When  they  have  sounded  with  the  poles,  the  Indians  dig  up  the  soil 
with  their  hands,  and  break  the  eggs  into  wooden  troughs  iilleil  with 
water,  after  which   they  expose  them  to  the  rays  of  the  sun  until  the 
yellow,  ujjper,  oily   jiart   thickens.     This  oil  is  then   skimmed  oif  and 
boiled,  and  if  none  of  the  eggs  contain  embryo  tortoises,  it  is  V(!ry  ])ure 
and  of  an  agreeable  ilavor.   A  space  on  the  shore,  one  hundred  and  t  w(>nty 
feet   long,  and  thirty  feet   broad,  gives  one  hundred  jars  of  oil,  and  live 
thousand  eggs  are  recpiired  to  till  a  single  jar.     It  is  estimated  that  the 
quantity  of  (>ggs  taken  from  the  ishmd,  amoimts  to  thirty-three  millions! 
In  the  afternoon  the  travelers  had  a  narrow  escape  from  shii)wreck. 
The  boat,  struck  by  a  violent  gust  of  wind,  was  thrown  on  her  beam 
ends,  and  was  only  righted  by  the  breaking  of  some  cordage,  and  the 
"change  of  the  wind.     All  their  plants  and  books  were  submerg(Ml,  and 
Humboldt  saved  his  journal  with  diftlculty.      When  at    nightfi!!    he 
bivouacked   on  a  sterile  island   in  the  stream,  eating  liis  evening  meal  in 
the  mooidight,  seated  on  tortoise  shells,  he  realized  the  great  danger  ho 
had  eseajied.     lie  had  only  been  on  the  Orinoco'  three  days,  aiid  a 
voyage  of  three  months,  involving  far  greater  risks,  was  bet<)re  him. 
"There  are  monu'uts  in  lil(>,"  he  wrote,  "in  which,  without  absolutely 
despairing,  the  fntiu'e  seems  very  uncertain;  one  is  more  apt  to  indulge 
in  serious  reflection,  when,  after  having  escaped  a  danger,  he  has  need 
of  a  strong  emotion."     AVhile  he  meditated  thus,  lying  upon  a  skin 


It^l 


I 

I 


,1.-^1 


p 


46 


LIFK    AND    TllAYlilLS    OF    HUMBOLDT. 


Spread  on  tlic  gTound,  tlio  jaguars  swam  across  tlic  stream,  and  prowled 
around  him. 

The  next  day  they  passed  the  inoulli  of  tlio  Ar.auca  river  and  the 
Mission  of  Uruana,  a  village  of  live  lumdred  inh.ahitants,  most  of  whom 
belonged  to  the  clay-eathig  Otomac  tril)e.     Beyond  this  point  tlu;  river 
became  narrower  and  the  current  stronger.     They  continued  to  ascend 
under  sail,  but  the  liigh  and  woody  grounds  deprived  them  of  Mind.    In 
the  strait  of  l?nraguan,  as  it  is  called,  where  the  river  is  but  a  mile  in 
breadth,  they  found  almost  perpendicular  masses  of  granite,  seven  hun- 
dred feet  high.     On  the  9th  of  April  they  reached  an  Indian  settlement:, 
called  Paranmia,  Avhere  the  jiilot,  "who  had  conducted  them  from  San 
Fernando,  and  Avho  Avas  nnac(piainted  with  tlie  passage  of  the  rapids  of 
the  Orinoco,  refused  to  go  further.     Fortunately,  they  succeeded  in 
bringing  an  excellent  canoe,  to  replace  the  lanchd,  and  Father  Bernardo 
Zea,  missionary  of  .Vtures,  near  the  cataract,  oftered  to  accompany  them 
to  the  frontiers  of  Brazil.     Humboldt  gives  the  following  description  of 
tlu'ir  outfit  and  manner  of  voyaging:  "The  new  canoe,  intended  for  us 
Mas,  like  all  Indian  boats,  a  trunk  of  a  tree  hollowed  out  partly  by  the 
hatchet  and  partly  by  lire.     It  was  forty  feet  long,  and  three  broad. 
Throe  persons  could  not  sit  in  it  side  by  side.     Tiiese  canoes  are  so 
crank,  and  they  require,  from  their  instability,  a  cargo  so  ecpiaJly  dis- 
tributed, that  wlien  you  Avant  to  rise  for  an  instant,  you  must  Avarn  the 
roMcrs  to  lean  to  the  opposite  side.     Without  this  i»recaution  the  Avater 
Avould  necessarily  ent(!r  the  side  pressed  doAA'n.     It  is  difficult  to  form  an 
idea  of  the  inconveniences  that  are  suffered  in  such  Avretched  A'cssels. 
To  gain  something  in  breadth,  a  sort  of  lattice-AVork  had  been  constructed 
on  the  stern  Avith  l)ranches  of  trees,  tliat  extended  on  each  side  beyond 
the  guuAvale.     Unfortunately,  the  (oldo,  or  roof  of  leaves,  that  covered 
this  lattice-Avork,  Avas  so  low  that  aa'g  were  obliged  to  lie  down,  Avithout 
seeing  any  thing,  or,  if  seated,  to  sit  nearly  double.     The  necessity  of 
carrying  the  canoe  across  the  rapids,  and  even  from  one  river  to  another ; 
and  the  I'l'ar  of  giving  too  much  hold  to  the  Avind,  by  making  the  toldo 
higher,  render  this  construction  necessary  for  vessels  that  go  up  toward 
the  liio  Xegro.    The  foldo  Avas  intended  to  cover  four  persons,  lying  on 
ihe  deck  or  lattice-AVork  of  brush-wood  ;  but  our  legs  reached  far  beyond 
it,  and  Avhen  it  rained  half  our  bodies  Avere  AAa>t.     Our  couches  consisted 
of  ox-hides  or  tiger-skins  spread  upon  branches  of  trees,  A\diich  Avere 
j.ainfully  felt  through  so  thin  a  co\'cring.     The  fore  i)art  of  the  boat  Avas 
tilled  with  Indian  roAA'crs,  furnisheil  Avith  paddles,  tliree  feet  long,  in  the 
form  of  si)0ons.     They  Avere  all  naked,  seated  two  by  tAvo,  and  they 
ke|)t  time  in  I'owing  Avith  a  surprising  uniformity,  singing  songs  of  a  sad 
and  monotonous  character.     The  small  cages  containing  our  birds  and 
our  monkcAS — tin-  mnnber  of  Avliich  augmented  as  we  advanced — Avero 
hung  some  to  the  toldo  and  others  to  the  bow  of  the  boat.     This  Avas 
our  traveling  menagerie.     Every  night,  Avhen  aac  established  our  Avatcli, 
our  collection  of  animals  and  our  instruments  occupied  the  center ;  around 


i 


i 


TOYAGl::    UP    THE    ORINOCO. 


47 


rn  !in 

sols, 
uctc'd 
ond 
cred 

)OUt 

y  f'f 
t'hor ; 

oldo 
ward 

2j  on 
ond 
^tcd 

woro 
■was 
the 

thoy 
sad 
and 

vore 
was 

Itcli, 

lund 


tlioso  were  i)laood  first  our  lianunocks,  then  tlie  luiinniocks  of  the  Indians ; 
and  on  the  outside  were  the  lires,  wliioh  are  thought  indispensable  against 
the  attacks  of  the  jaguar.  About  suin-isc  the  monkeys  in  our  eaijcs  an- 
Bweri'd  the  cries  of  the;  monkeys  of  the  forest. 

'■In  a  oan(je  not  three  feil  wide,  and  so  iueundjered,  tiiere  remained 
no  other  place  for  the  dried  plants,  trunks,  sextant,  a  dip|)ing-needle,  and 
the  meteorological  uistruments,  than  the  space  below  the  lattice-work 
of  branches,  on  -which  we  were  com)>elled  to  remain  stretched  the  greater 
jiavt  of  the  day.  If  we  wished  to  take  the  least  object  out  of  a  trunk, 
or  to  use  an  instrument,  it  was  necessary  to  row  ashore  and  land.  To 
these  inconveniences  were  joined  the  torment  of  the  mosciuitoes  which 
swarmed  under  the  tohio,  and  the  heat  radiated  from  the  leaves  of  the 
palm-trees,  the  upper  surface  of  which  was  conthiually  exposed  to  the 
solar  rays.  AVe  attempted  every  instant,  but  always  Avilhout  success,  to 
amend  our  situation.  While  one  of  us  hid  himself  under  a  shciet  to  ward 
oil"  the  insects,  the  other  insisted  on  liaving  green  wood  lighted  bineath 
the  tuldo^  in  the  hope  of  drivhig  away  the  mosquitoes  by  the  smoke.  The 
pr.inful  sensations  of  the  eyes,  and  the  increase  of  heat,  alreatly  stilling, 
rendered  l)oth  these  contrivances  alike  impracticable.  With  some  gayety 
of  temper,  with  feelings  of  mutual  good-will,  and  with  a  vivid  taste  for 
the  majestic  grandeur  of  these  vast  valleys  of  rivers,  travelers  easily  sup- 
port evils  that  become  habitual," 

On  the  10th  of  Ajail  they  commenced  their  voyage  in  this  narrow 
craft,  slowly  ascending  the  Orinoco.  They  were  hospitably  received  at 
the  Mission  of  L'arichana,  and  on  the  second  day  passed  the  mouth  of 
the  3Ieta,  one  of  the  largest  tributaries  of  the  Orinoco,  with  a  volume  of 
water  e(}ual  to  that  of  the  Danube.  It  is  navigable  as  liir  as  the  foot  of 
the  Andes  of  New  Grenada,  within  twenty  leagues  of  Bogota,  the  cap- 
ital. Tlie  Orhioco  now  began  to  rise,  much  to  the  surprise  of  the  Indians, 
as  the  rainy  season  had  not  yet  fairly  set  in.  On  the  i:3tli,  after  passing 
the  rapids  of  Tabaje,  they  reached  the  3Iission  of  8,m  IJorja,  where  they 
found  a  munber  of  converted  Guahibo  Indians.  The  interest  with  wliich 
they  examined  these  creatures,  ocasioned,  singularly  enough,  the  desertion 
of  the  nussion.  The  Guahibos  of  the  forest  persuaded  their  brethren  that 
the  whites,  on  their  return,  would  carry  them  oil' as  slaves,  and  they  all  fled 
into  the  woods.  They  had  much  ditliculty  in  convi'rsing  with  the  dilUr- 
cnt  tribes  which  they  met  with  on  the  river,  and  were  sometimes  obliged 
to  employ  several  interi)reters  at  the  same  time.  They  were,  lunvever, 
in  no  danger  from  hostile  attacks,  the  Jesuits  ha\  ing  suhjugate-l  the 
natives  by  force  of  arms,  before  they  administered  their  si)iritual  cniiso- 
lations.  One  of  these  i)riests  said  to  Humboldt,  with  great  candor,  '"The 
voice  of  the  Gosj)el  is  heard  only  where  the  Indians  have  also  heard  the 
sound  of  fire-arms.  JJy  chastising  the  natives,  we  facilitate  their  con- 
version." 

The  river  Orinoco,  in  its  coin-se  from  soiuh  to  north,  is  crossed  by  a 
chain  of  granite  mountains.     Twico  confuiLd  in  its  course,  it  turbulently 


f  f  1  i 


48 


J,  I  I'  M    A  N  D    'I'  II  A  V  K  L  S    OK    FIIJ  M  H  0  L  P  T . 


breaks  oil  tlic  rocks,  uliich  liiriii  st(>|)|)('S  and  Iraiisvcrsi'  dykes.  "  Neitlier 
tlie  liill  i>r  'reniieiidaiiia,"  says  lliitiil»i)ldt,  "nor  the  iiiatinilicciit  sceries 
»)l'(lie  Cordilleras,  could  weaken  tlie  iiM|)ressioM  |irodiiccd  upon  tny  mind 
by  the  tlr.-t  view  of  the  rapids  of  Atari's  and  of  Maypnres.  When  the 
spectator  is  so  stationed  that  the  eye  can  at  once  lake  in  the  Ion'_j  sneces- 
sion  of  cataracts,  and  the  immense  slieet  of  l()am  and  vapor  illmniried  by 
(he  rays  of  the  setting::  sun,  (he  whole  river  seems,  as  it  were,  suspended 
over  its  bed.''  'They  reaelu'd  the  Mission  of  Atnres,  at  the  foot  of  (he  (irst 
cataract,  on  I  lie  e\  cniniij  of  ^Vpril  IT).  J)min<f  this  (hvy's  voyage  th<'y  wero 
struck  \\\\\\  the  supernatural  silence  of  th«' tropical  noonday  :  "Not  n 
breath  of  air  moved  the  (bistdike  sand.  The  sun  stood  in  the  zeiihli; 
and  tlie  I'tfuhjiciice  of  lit^ht  poured  npon  (lu^  river  i.fave  additional  dis- 
tiucliu'ss  to  thi!  red  haze  wliicli  vailed  (ho  distance.  All  the  rocky 
mounds  and  naked  boulders  were  covered  with  iar<ifO,  (liick-scaled  iirua- 
nas,  i;ccko-li/,ards,  and  spotted  salamaniU'rs.  3Iotioidess,  with  uplitled 
heads  and  widely-extended  mouths,  (hey  seemed  to  iniiale  (lie  heated  air 
with  ecstasy.  The  lar<:!;ei"  animals  at  such  times  take  refuse  in  the  deej) 
n  icsscs  of  (he  forest,  the  birds  nestle  beneath  the  foliage  of  the  trees,  or 
in  tlu'  clefts  of  (he  rocks;  but  if  in  this  apparent  stillness  of  nature  we 
lisli  u  closely  lor  (lie  I'aiiUest  tones,  ^vc  detect  a  dull,  nndlled  sound,  a 
bii/./.iiii:;  and  huminiiiL:;  of  insei'ts  eloso  to  the  oar(h,  in  the  lower  strata 
ot"  tile  atmosphere.  Every  thintjj  proclaims  a  world  of  activi>  or^.anie 
forces.  In  every  shrub,  in  (he  cracked  bark  of  (rees,  in  the  perforate(l 
•jjrouud  inhabited  by  hymenopterous  insects,  life  is  everywhere  audibly 
manifest.  It  is  one  of  the  many  voices  of  nature  revealed  (o  (he  ])ious 
and  susceptible  spirit  of  man.''  They  found  (he  cataract  of  Atures  to  bo 
a  suc(  iv-sion  t>f  rapids,  ex(endin<jf  over  a  distance  of  four  or  live  miles,  in 
which  the  entire  liill  of  tlu^  river  was  about  thirty-two  feet,  presentin<^  a 
t>(rikinL:  resembkmce  (o  (he  cataracts  of  tho  >«'ile,  while  tho  method  of  as- 
cendiuLT  (hem  in  canoes  is  almost  precisely  similar  to  that  employed  by  the 
Ksjiyptiaus.  AVhen  the  dikes,  or  natural  dams,  arc  only  two  or  three  feet 
liii^h,  (he  Indians  vendnv  to  descend  (hem  in  boats.  In  going  up  (he  river, 
(liey  swim  on  before,  ami  if,  after  many  vain  olForts,  thoy  suoceed  in  fix- 
ing a  rope  (o  one  of  (ho  points  of  rock  that  crown  the  dike,  (hey  (hen, 
by  means  of  that  ropo,  draw  (he  bark  to  the  top  of  tho  rapid.  Tho  bark, 
iluriug  tliis  arduous  task,  often  fills  with  water;  at  otlior  times  i(  is  stove 
against  (he  rocks,  and  tho  Indians,  (heir  bodies  bruised  and  bleeding, 
extricate  (hemselves  with  ditlicnlty  from  tho  whirlpools,  and  reach,  by 
swimming,  the  nearest  island.  When  (he  s(ep])es  or  rocky  barriers  aro 
very  hiu'h,  and  endrely  bar  tho  river,  light  boats  aro  carried  on  shore,  and 
willi  llie  help  of  branches  of  trees  placed  under  (hem  to  serve  as  rollers, 
tlu  y  are  drawn  as  tin-  as  the  place  wh(>ro  tho  river  again  bocomcs  nav- 
igable.    This  operation  is  seldom  necessary  when  tho  water  is  high. 

At'ter  two  days  spent  at  Atin-es.  Humboldt  and  IJonpland  continued 
their  v(>yage,  still  aci'iMiipauied  1)y  l")on  Nicholas  Soto  and  Father  Ber- 
nardo Zea.     They  U'lw  began  to  ^'lltVer  indescribable  torments  from  the 


♦•« 


S  U  F  ]•'  Mill  N  C,  a    F  II  0 11    : 1  O  H  Q  U  I T  0  K  S . 


49 


1 


!ni)S(iuitocs  ;uii|  vcnomoiH  flics  Ity  diiy,  ;iiul  {\u'.  zmicudoa  (:i  spocics  of 
l;irif('  Ljimts)  by  iiit^Iit.  'I'licsc  |M!stM  would  Mtf  lhroii<^li  thick  f^anin'iits 
und  could  nut.  l)c  driven  ;i\v;iy  liy  smoke.  Tliey  ciune  in  .siicli  clouds 
thai  the  months,  ears,  and  noses  of  tin;  travelers  Wiire  filled  with  them. 
Their  hands  w(M'i!  swollen  and  covered  witli  hard,  painl'nl  blotches,  and 
thev  were  at  last  al)l(!  to  tell  the  time  of  day  l)y  th(*  res^nlarity  with 
wlii<'h  the  diiVcreiit  varieties  of"  stinginjjf  insects  made  their  visitations. 
On  the  upper  Orinocio,  the  principal  topic  of  coiivcTsation,  both  anionic 
tlu!  n;itives  and  {\w  missionaries,  is  mosipiitoes.  The?  usual  salutations 
are:  "  How  diil  you  find  tlu;  f^nats  durini^  the  niifht?"  "How  are  you 
of]"  for  inosipiitoes  to-day?"  which  reminded  Ilumholdt  of  an  ancient 
Chinese  manner  of  f^reetin;^:  "Have  you  lieen  incommoded  in  tlu;  niirht 
bv  serpents':"'  "The  lower  strat.i  of  .air,"  he  writes,  "  from  the  surliice 
of  the  L:;round  to  the  height  of  fifteen  or  twenty  f"ect,  are  absolutely  filled 
with  veiuiiaous  insects.  If  in  an  ol>scure  spot,  for  ins1;ince  in  the  grottos 
of  the  cataracts  fornu'd  by  superincumbent  blocks  of  granite,  you  direct 
your  eyi'S  toward  tlu;  opening  eiilightciieil  l)y  the  sun,  you  see  clouds  of 
3iuis'|uitoes  more  or  less  tliick.  I  doufjt Mhether  there  l)e  :i  country  ujion 
earlh,  wlu-ro  nian  is  exposed  to  more  cruel  torments  in  tlu;  rainy  season. 
Having  passed  the  fifth  degree  of  latitude,  you  are  sonu-what  less  stung; 
but  on  the  n]ipi;r  Orinoco  tlu;  stings  are  iru)r(;  p;iinful,  because  the  heat 
and  tlu;  al)So!ute  w.ant  of  Avind  render  tlu^  air  nu)r(;  burning  aiul  nu)rc 
irritating  in  its  contact  with  the  skin.  'How  comfortablo  must  i)e()plu 
be  in  the  moon!'  said  a  Salivc  Iiulian  to  Father  (iumilla  ;  '  tiho  looks  so 
be;uitif"nl  aiul  so  clear,  that  she  must  bo  free  from  mostpiitoes.'  These 
W(Mds,  which  denote  the  infaiu-y  of  a  people,  arc  very  remarkable.  The 
satellite  of"  the  earth  ajijjcars  to  all  savage  n.ations  the  abcKle  of  the  bless- 
ed, the  country  of  abumlance.  The  Escpiimaux,  who  counts  among  his 
riches  a  i)lank  or  trunk  of  :i  tree,  thrown  by  the  currents  on  a  coast 
destitute  of  vegetation,  sees  in  the  moon  plains  covered  with  forests ; 
the  Iiulian  of  the  forests  of  Orinoco  there  beholds  open  savannahs,  "where 
the  inhabitants  are  never  stung  liy  mosquitoes." 

Two  nu)re  days  brought  them  to  the  great  cataract,  or  rapid  oflNIay- 
pures,  which  they  reached  afler  night,  in  the  midst  of  a  violent  rain. 
Father  Zea  lighted  torches  of  coj)al,  and  conducted  them  to  the  mission, 
where  they  remained  while  the  Indians  dragged  the  canoe  up  the  rapids. 
At  the  northern  end  of  the  principal  cataract,  which  has  a  fall  of  nine 
feet  perpendicular,  there  is  a  lofty  rock  called  Keri,  so  named  from  a 
luminous  white  spot,  in  which  the  Indians  perceive  a  remarkable  similar- 
ity to  the  moon.  Humboldt  was  not  able  to  climb  the  rock,  but  sup- 
posed the  white  spot  to  be  an  immense  piece  of  quartz  in  the  dark 
granite.  On  an  ojjposite  rock,  the  Indians  showed  a  similar  disc,  which 
they  called  Camosi,  and  woi\shiped  as  an  image  of  the  sun.  The  best 
view  of  the  cataract,  is  from  the  rock  of  Manimi,  a  granite  ridge  near 
the  mission  of  Mayj)urc3.  "  We  often  visited  this  mountain,"  says  Hum- 
boldt, "  for  we  were  never  weary  of  gazing  on  the  astonishing  spectacle. 


i't  ■    '  ' 

1;   i  ) 


:    i 


1 


50 


LIFE  AND  TRAVELS  OF  HUMBOLDT. 


From  the  summit  of  tlierock  is  descried  a  sheet  of  foam,  extending  the 
length  of  a  whole  mile.  Enormous  masses  of  stone,  black  as  iron,  issue 
from  its  bosom.  Some  are  grouped  in  pairs,  like  basaltic  hills ;  others 
resemble  towers,  fortified  castles,  and  ruined  buildings.  Their  gloomy- 
tint  contrasts  wath  the  silvery  splendor  of  the  foam.  Every  rock,  every 
islet  is  covered  -with  vigorous  trees,  collected  in  clusters.  As  far  as  the 
eye  can  reach,  a  thick  vapor  is  suspended  over  the  river,  and  through 
tliis  Avhitish  fog  the  tops  of  the  lofty  palm-trues  shoot  up.  Such  is  the 
ciiaracter  of  the  landscape  discovered  from  the  top  of  the  mountain  of 
Manimi,  which  no  traveler  has  yet  described.  The  calm  of  the  atmos- 
phere, and  the  tumultuous  movement  of  the  waters,  i)roduce  a  contrast 
jjcculiar  to  this  zone.  Here  no  breath  of  wind  ever  agitates  the  ibliage, 
no  cloud  vrils  the  splendor  of  the  azure  vault  of  heaven  ;  a  great  mass 
of  light  is  diifused  in  the  air,  on  the  earth  strewn  with  j)lants  with  glossy 
leaves,  and  on  the  bed  of  the  river,  which  extends  as  tar  as  the  eye  can 
reach.  When  the  rays  of  the  glowing  evening  sun  are  refracted  in  the 
humid  atmosphere,  an  exquisite  optical  illusion  is  ])roduced.  Colored 
bows  appear,  vanish,  and  re-appear,  while  the  ethereal  ]»icture  dances, 
like  an  ignis  fatuus,  with  every  motion  of  the  sportive  breeze.  In  the 
blue  distance  tlie  eve  rests  on  the  mountain  ciiain  of  Cunavami,  a  fir- 
stretching  range  of  hills  which  terminates  abruptly  in  a  sliarply  truncated 
cone.  Wo  saw  this  conical  hill,  called  by  the  Indians  Calitamini,  glow- 
ing at  sunset  .as  if  in  crimson  Hames.  This  appearance  daily  returns.  No 
one  has  ever  been  in  the  inunediate  neighborhood  of  this  mountain. 
I'ossibly  its  dazzling  brightness  is  produced  by  the  reliectuig  surface  of 
decomposing  talc,  or  mica  schist." 


VOYAGES    ON    TUE    RIO    NEGRO    AND    OASSIQUIARE. 

On  the  2l8t  of  Ajtril,  they  re-einbarked  in  their  narrow  canoes, 
whiih  liad  sulVored  considerable  damage  by  striking  against  the  rocks. 
Tlie  rainy  season  had  now  fairly  set  in ;  there  were  heavy  sliowers  al- 
most daily,  and  as  the  wind  never  blo'vs  in  these  regions,  tliey  sufUred 
terribly  from  mosquitoes.  They  made  good  progress,  however,  and  on 
the  niglit  of  the  24tli  entered  the  Guaviare,  the  largest  tributary  of  the 
Orinoco,  then  the  Atabapo,  which  flows  into  it  from  the  south,  near  its 
junction  with  ihi^  I'oruu'r  river,  and  reached  the  mission  of  San  Fer- 
nando. IIunil)ol<ll  now  found  liimself  on  the  spot  where  be  could  be 
enabled  to  verity  the  celebrated  bifurcation  of  the  ( )riiioco,  which  had 
been  j)revi()usly  doubted  by  geographers.  The  upper  Orinoco,  near 
the  missi(»n  ol"  Esmeralda,  divides  itself  into  two  parts,  one  of  which, 
flowing  westward,  receives  the  (iuaviare  and  other  tributaries,  and  con- 
tinues its  way  to  tiie  l'aril»bi'an  Sea;  the  (»ther,  turning  southward, 
forms  a  braiu-h  of  the  Kio  Negro,  and  mingles  its  waters  with  thoHO  of 
the  Anuizon.    This  extraordinary  geographlcjj  feature,  the  only  instance 


k.A 


J 


"i 


PLAN  OF  FURTHER  EXPLORATION. 


51 


th 


rc.l 
(in 

U' 

its 

iT- 
1)0 

ild 

ich, 
on- 
ard, 
(.f 
uice 


of  tlie  kind  on  a  large  scale,  was  first  satisfactorily  cstal)lislicd  by  Hum- 
boldt's explorations.  The  mission  of  San  Fernando  de  Atabapo  was  the 
threshold  of  the  comparatively  unknown  region  which  he  was  to  pene- 
trate. "  During  the  night,"  lie  says,  "  we  had  left,  almost  unperceived, 
the  waters  of  the  Orinoco;  and  at  sunrise  found  ourselves  as  if  trans- 
l^orted  to  a  new  country,  on  the  banks  of  a  river,  the  name  of  which  we 
liad  scarcely  ever  heard  pronounced,  and  which  was  to  conduct  us,  by 
the  portage  of  Pimichin,  to  the  Rio  Negro,  on  the  frontiers  of  Brazil. 
'  You  will  go  up,'  said  the  president  of  the  missions,  who  resides  at  San 
Fernando,  'first  the  Atabapo,  then  the  Temi,  and  finally,  the  Tuamini. 
AVhcn  the  force  of  the  current  of  "black  waters"  hinders  you  from  ad- 
vancing, you  will  be  conducted  out  of  the  bed  of  the  river  through 
f()rests,  which  you  will  find  inundated.  Two  monks  only  are  settled  in 
those  desert  ]ilaces,  between  the  Orinoco  and  the  Rio  Negro;  but  at 
Javita  you  will  be  furnished  with  the  means  of  having  your  canoe  drawn 
over  land  in  the  course  of  fotir  days  to  the  rivulet  of  Phnichiii.  If  it  bo 
not  broken  to  pieces  you  will  descend  the  Rio  Negro  without  any  ob- 
stacle as  far  as  the  little  fort  of  San  Carlos;  you  will  go  up  the  Cassi- 
f(uiare  (from  south  to  north),  and  then  return  to  San  Fernan(h>  in  a 
month,  descending  the  upper  Orinoco  from  east  to  west.'  Such  w.as 
the  plan  traced  for  our  passage,  and  we  carried  it  into  effect  Avitluiut 
danger,  though  not  without  some  suiferhig,  in  the  space  of  thirty-three 
days." 

After  resting  a  day  at  the  mission,  they  commenced  their  voyage  uj) 
the  Atabapo,  the  water  of  which  was  of  a  much  darker  hue  and  jturer 
(piality  than  that  of  the  Orinoco.  The  banks  were  entirely  concealed 
by  the  dense  growth  of  palms  and  other  trees.  In  order  to  shorten  the 
journey,  the  Indians  le^'t  the  main  bed  of  the  river  aiul  took  narrow 
chaimels  (occa.'^ioiu'd  by  the  rains),  which  led  directly  through  the 
forests.  The  foliage  was  so  dense  that  no  ray  of  sunlight  couhl  peno- 
trato  it,  and  they  were  olh'u  obliged  to  hew  with  knives  a  ]>assage  for 
the  canoe.  On  the  noth  of  May,  they  left  the  Atabajto,  and  entered  a 
branch  called  the  Temi.  Near  the  junction  of  the  two  rivers  stands  a 
granite  mound,  called  the  "  Motlu'r's  Rock,"  on  account  of  a  touching 
history  which  it  conuneinorates.  Three  years  previous,  the  missionary 
at  S;i!i  Ferti.'uido  had  undertaken  a  hostile  expcilition  among  the  Indians 
for  the  jmrpose  of  cajtturing  souls.  Among  other  ])risoners  taken  was  a 
woman  Avho  was  siirprised  alone  in  a  hut,  Iter  liusbniul  having  gone  olf 
on  a  huutiug  expedition,  accompanied  by  (he  children.  Afh'r  being 
carried  to  San  Fernando,  the  <]esii'e  to  see  her  children  induced  her  to 
attempt  an  escape.  She  tied  r.'peatedly,  but  was  as  ot>en  caught  and 
brought  1)a(k,  .and  >iolentIy  flogged,  withoiit  effect.  It  was  then  deter- 
miued  to  send  her  to  the  distant  missions  on  the  Rio  Negro,  wh(>Jice  it 
woiiM  be  impossilile  for  her  to  return.  While  the  canoe  was  jias^ng  up 
the  Atabapo,  she  tlung  herself  into  the  stream  and  was  thrown  ashore  jit 
the  foot  (tf  the  rock.     Again  Hho  escaped  into  tlie  woods,  but  M'as  again 


>! 


1^ 


■'  f 


52 


LIFE  AND  TRAVELS  OF  HUMBOLDT. 


'  .1 


!  ti 


caught,  bi'oiiglit  back  to  tlie  rock,  and  most  cruelly  beatoii.  She  was 
then  taken  to  the  mi^ision  of  Javita  and  closely  contlned,  but  in  spite  of 
her  wounds  she  took  advantage  of  a  dark  and  stormy  night  to  unfasten 
with  her  teeth  the  cords  which  bound  her  and  again  lied  in  search  of  her 
children.  For  four  days  and  nights  she  wandered  througli  a  trackless 
forest,  then  iiumdated  and  swarming  with  venomous  reptiles.  She  swam 
the  swollen  rivers;  her  flesh  was  torn  with  thorns  and  spiky  leaves;  her 
oidy  food  was  the  large  black  ants  which  she  caught ;  but  after  this 
i'.uiedible  labor  she  reached  her  children,  oidy  to  be  torn  away  from 
them  shortly  afterward,  for  the  last  time.  The  missionaries  threw  her 
into  a  cell,  where  she  refused  all  nourishment  in  her  despair,  and  thus 
died.  Humboldt  exclaims,  after  relating  this  story:  "If  man  scarcely 
leaves  a  trace  of  his  existence  in  this  wilderness,  the  name  of  this  rock, 
an  imperishable  monument  of  nature,  will  remain  as  a  memorial  of  the 
moral  perversity  of  our  age,  of  the  contrast  between  the  virtue  of  the 
savage  and  the  barbarism  of  civilized  man!" 

On  the  1st  of  May  tliey  left  the  river  Teiui,  ;uid  advanced  a  short 
disUmee  uj)  one  of  its  branches,  the  Tuamini,  to  the  mission  of  Javitii, 
the  connnencement  of  the  portage  of  live  miles  through  the  forests  to 
the  rivulet  of  Piinichin,  which  flows  into  tlu'  Uio  Xegro.  They  were 
detained  Ave  days  l>y  the  transportation  of  the  canoe.  Twenty-three 
Indians  were  employed  in  dragging  it,  using  the  branches  of  trees  as 
rollers.  The  travelers  employcMl  the  tune  in  botanizing,  and  in  coUectuig 
infitrmation  concerning  the  Indian  tribes.  When  the  portage  was  per- 
formed— happily  without  injury  to  the  canoe — they  ])roceeded  on  foot  to 
the  Pimichin,  through  a  forest  swarming  with  venomous  vipers.  On  the 
0th  of  May  they  embarked  on  the  Pimichin,  and  in  Ave  hours  afterward 
entered  the  liio  Xegro.  Their  perseverance  was  at  last  rewarded. 
"We  had  now  been  contiued  thirty-six  days  hi  a  narrow  boat,  so  un- 
Htea<ly  that  it  would  have  been  overturned  by  any  ])erson  rising  impru- 
dently from  his  seat,  without  warning  the  rowers.  We  had  suffered 
si'veri'ly  from  the  sting  of  insects,  but  we  had  sti)od  the  insalubrity  of 
the  climate  ;  we  had  passed  without  accident  the  great  number  of  water- 
Hills  and  bars,  which  impede  the  navigation  of  the  rivers,  and  often  ren- 
der it  more  dangerous  than  long  voyages  by  sea.  After  iUl  we  had 
endurt'd,  it  may  be  conceived  that  we  felt  no  little  satisfaction  in  having 
reached  the  tributary  streams  of  the  Amazon,  having  passed  the  isthnuis 
that  separates  two  great  systems  of  rivers,  and  in  being  sure  of  having 
fiiUiih'il  the  most  important  object  of  our  journey,  namely,  to  determine 
astronomically  the  course  of  that  arm  of  the  Orinoco  which  falls  into  the 
Uio  Xegro,  and  of  whitih  the  existence  has  been  alternately  proved  and 
dt-nied  during  half  a  century.  In  proportion  as  we  draw  near  to  an 
object  we  have  long  had  in  view,  its  interest  seems  to  augment.  The 
uninhabited  baiik^  of  the  Cassicjuiare,  covered  with  forests,  without  nu'- 
nutrials  of  timei*  past,  then  occupied  my  imagination,  as  do  now  the 
banks  of  the  Euphrates,  or  the  Oxus,  celebrated  in  the  annals  of  civil- 


3 
y 

1  ■ 


'«*._,  ^   j-t 


;1     i 


VOYAGE    ON    THE    CASSIQUIARE. 


63 


ihort 

ivita, 

ts  to 

wore 

tluTO 

OS  as 

Luting 

per- 

ot  to 

1  the 

.vard 

dvA. 

un- 

|)1U- 

ert'J 
of 
itor- 
rt'ii- 
'lud 
'">? 

IUU8 

,ing 
lino 
tho 
and 
au 
Plio 

IllC- 

tlu« 
vil- 


to 

3 


izcd  nations.  In  that  interior  part  of  the  New  Continent  one  may  ahnost 
accustom  one's  self  to  regard  men  as  not  being  essential  to  the  order  of 
nature.  The  earth  is  loaded  with  plants,  and  notliing  impedes  their  free 
development.  An  immense  layer  of  mold  manifests  the  uninterrupted 
action  of  organic  powers.  Crocodiles  and  boas  are  masters  of  the  river  ; 
the  jaguar,  the  peccary,  the  dante,  and  the  monkeys  traverse  the  forest 
without  fear  and  without  danger ;  there  they  dwell  as  in  an  ancient  inher- 
itance. This  aspect  of  animated  nature,  in  which  man  is  nothing,  has 
something  in  it  strange  and  sad.  Here,  in  a  fertile  country,  adorned 
with  eternal  verdure,  we  seek  in  vain  the  traces  of  the  power  of  man  ; 
we  seem  to  be  transported  into  a  world  different  from  that  which  gave 
us  birth.  These  impressions  are  the  more  powerful  in  proportion  as  they 
are  of  long  duration." 

After  a  voyage  of  only  two  days  down  the  rapid  current  of  the  Rio 
Negro,  passing  the  Missions  of  Maroa  and  Davipe,  the  travelers  reached 
San  Carlos,  the  last  Spanish  station,  and  the  termination  of  their  travels 
southward.  Here  there  was  a  small  military  post,  and  the  command- 
ant received  them  with  great  hospitality.  From  San  Carlos  the  mouth 
of  the  Amazon  could  have  been  reached  in  the  same  time  as  that  of  the 
Orinoco,  and  Hiunboldt  was  for  a  moment  tempted  to  continue  his  jour- 
ney. It  was  very  fortunate  that  he  did  not  carry  this  idea  into  effect. 
The  govern." -nt  cf  Brazil  had  heard  of  his  travels,  and  through  a  spirit 
of  jealous  .  ii>!  '-i..  had  given  orders  to  its  agents  to  seize  the  travelers, 
with  their  ir  ..  n.  nts,  journals,  etc.,  in  case  they  crossed  the  frontier, 
and  forward  .;.>.i.i  to  Lisbon.  On  the  10th,  Humboldt  and  lionpland 
started  on  their  return.  Soto  and  Father  Zea  would  have  preferred  re- 
turning by  the  same  route  they  had  come,  but  the  former,  anxious  to 
exi»lore  tho  Cassicpiiare — the  Orinoco  branch  of  the  Kio  Negro — per- 
suaded them  to  acquiesce  in  their  plan.  They  found  the  two  rivers,  at 
their  junction,  nearly  equal  in  breadth  ;  the  current  of  the  Cassicpiiare, 
however,  was  very  strong — sometimes  eight  miles  an  hour — and  their 
progress  was  slow.  At  one  of  the  missions  on  its  T)anks  he  obtained 
positive  information  of  the  cannibal  habits  of  the  native  tribes.  The 
priest  informed  him  that  one  of  the  native  chiefs,  a  few  years  1)efore,  had 
carefully  fattened  and  then  eaten  one  of  his  own  Anves.  Iiifimficide  is 
also  very  connnon,  and  when  an  Indian  woman  bears  twins  one  of  them 
is  instantly  killed,  because  they  consider  it  a  vile  thing  ior  a  human  being 
to  bring  forth  more  than  one,  like  an  opossum  or  peccary.  The  travel- 
ers spent  ten  nights  on  the  Cassicpiiare,  tormented  with  gnats,  mosquitoes, 
and  anis.  The  passage  became  more  troublesome  in  pro])orfion  as  they 
approached  the  Orinoco.  "The  luxuriance  of  the  vegetation  increases 
in  a  manner  of  which  it  is  difficult  even  for  those  ac<piainted  with  the 
aspect  of  the  forests  between  tlio  tropics,  to  form  !Ui  idea.  There  is  no 
longer  ab.ank  :  a  palisaile  of  tulled  trees  lorms  the  margin  of  ihe  river. 
You  Hce  a  canal  twelve  lnm<ln'd  feet  broad,  bordered  by  two  enormous 
walls,  clothed  with  parasitic  vines  and  foliage.     We  ot\en  tried  to  land, 


K'-  V 


i 
■ 


■n 


i%l  :^i 


J 


54 


LIFE    AND    TllAYELS    OF    HUMBOLDT. 


but  without  success.  Toward  sunset  we  woukl  sail  along  lor  an  hour 
seukiiiii  to  discover,  not  an  opening  (since  none  exists),  but  a  spot  less 
wooded,  where  our  Indians  by  means  of  the  hatchet  and  manual  labor, 
could  clear  space  enough  for  a  resting-place  for  twelve  or  thirteen  per- 
sons. It  was  impossible  to  pass  the  night  in  the  canoe ;  the  mosijuitoes, 
which  tormented  us  durhig  the  day,  accumulated  toward  evening  beneath 
liie  toldo  covered  with  j)alm-leaves,  which  served  to  shelter  us  from  the 
rain.  Our  hands  and  iiices  had  never  before  been  so  much  swelled. 
Father  Zea,  who  had  till  then  boasted  of  having  in  his  missions  of  the 
cataracts  the  largest  and  iiercest  mostpiitoes,  at  length  gradually  acknowl- 
eilged  that  the  sting  of  the  insects  of  the  Cassiipiiare  was  the  most  pain- 
ful he  had  ever  ielt.  We  experienced  great  difficulty,  amid  a  thick 
forest,  in  linding  wood  to  make  a  tire,  tiie  branches  of  the  trees  being 
so  full  of  sap  that  they  would  scarcely  burn.  The  view  of  the  river,  and 
the  hum  of  the  insects,  were  a  little  monotonous;  but  some  remains  of 
our  natural  cheerfulness  enabled  us  to  iind  sources  of  relief  during  our 
wearisome  passage.  We  discovered,  that  by  eating  small  portions  of 
dry  cacao  ground  with  sugar,  and  drinking  a  large  quantity  of  the  river 
water,  we  succeeded  in  appeasing  our  appetite  lor  several  hours.  The 
ants  and  tiie  mos(juitoes  troubled  us  more  than  the  humidity  and  the 
want  of  food.  Nothwithstanding  the  privations  to  which  we  were  ex- 
posed during  our  excursions  in  the  Cordilleras,  the  navigation  on  the 
Cassicpiiare  has  always  appeared  to  us  the  must  painful  part  of  our  trav- 
els in  America." 


RETURN    TO    CUM  AN  A, 


They  reached  the  Orinoco  on  the  21st  of  May,  and  proceeded  three 
miles  up  the  stream,  to  the  missionary  station  of  Esineialda.  At  the 
bifurcation  of  the  river  rises  the  granite  mountain  of  Duida,  eight  thou- 
sand feet  high,  which  forms  a  splendid  feature  in  the  landscape.  During 
a  stay  of  two  days  at  Esmeralda,  Humboldt  had  an  opj)ortunity  of  wit- 
nessing the  preparation  of  the  celebrated  curare  poison,  which  is  ob- 
tained from  the  juice  and  bark  of  a  j)articular  plant,  highly  concentrated 
l»y  boihiig  and  liltration.  When  it  comes  in  contact  with  the  blood  it 
is  iunnediately  fatal,  and  no  remedy  for  it  has  yet  been  discovered ;  but 
it  may  be  swallowed  not  only  with  safety,  but  with  great  advantage,  in 
cases  of  gastric  derangement.  It  is  })rei)ared  by  a  skillful  Indian,  who 
has  the  title  of  "  poison-master."  Wiiile  Humboldt  was  Avitnesshig  the 
l)roces9,  the  master,  who  had  a  womided  finger,  incautiously  allowed 
some  of  the  j)oison  to  touch  it.  lie  instantly  fell  to  the  ground,  as  if 
Btunncd,  but  the  poison  was  fortunately  in  a  diluted  state,  and  the  man's 
life  was  saved  by  the  application  of  muruite  of  soda.  Ilmnboldt  him- 
Bilf  had  also  a  narrow  escape  from  a  similar  fate.  The  jxjison  ran  out  of 
u  bottle  which  was  badly  stojjped,  and  saturated  his  stockings.     He  per- 


J 


THE    CAVERN    OF    ATARUIPE. 


55 


m 


hree 
tlio 

1011- 

iiig 

wit- 
ob- 
ted 
1  it 
but 
in 

who 
the 

wed 
1  if 
lira 
lim- 

t  of 
l)fi- 


ccived  the  ghitinous  tVt'liiii^  ns  lie  was  about  t^  put  them  on,  find  as  liis 
foot  were  covered  with  sores  from  tlie  bites  of  insects,  sneh  an  act  would 
have  been  certain  death.  "When  the  travelers  letl  Esmeralda,  they  were 
in  a  very  weak  and  languid  condition,  caused  by  the  torments  of  insects, 
bad  food,  and  confinement  in  the  narrow  and  damp  canoe.  After  spend- 
ing another  night  at  the  junction  (or  rather  disjunction),  of  tlie  Cassi- 
quiare,  they  tloated  with  the  current,  the  river  being  free  from  shoals, 
and  in  thirty-iive  hours  reached  the  mission  of  Santa  IJarbara,  a  distance 
of  nearly  a  lumdred  and  filly  miles.  On  the  27th,  they  arrived  at  the 
mission  of  San  Fernando  do  Atabapo,  which  they  liad  left  more  than  a 
month  before.  They  remained  but  a  day  to  rest,  and  then  floated,  in 
seventeen  hours,  to  the  cataract  of  Maypures,  where  they  were  obliged 
to  wait  two  days  for  the  passage  of  their  canoe.  Another  day  brought 
them  to  the  cataract  of  Atures.  Here  they  landed  before  sunset,  on 
the  eastern  bank  of  the  Orinoco,  in  order  to  visit  the  cavern  of  Ata- 
ruipe,  which  is  the  jilace  of  sepulture  of  an  extinct  nation. 

Humboldt  thus  describes  his  visit  to  this  remarkable  cave:  "The 
surrounding  scenery  has  a  grand  ami  solemn  character,  which  seems  to 
mark  it  as  a  national  burial-place.  With  difficulty,  and  not  without 
danger  of  being  precipitated  into  the  deptlis  below,  we  clambered  a  steep 
and  perfectly  bare  granite  rock,  on  whose  smooth  surface  it  would  be 
hardly  possible  to  keep  one's  footing  "were  it  not  for  large  crystals  of 
feldspar,  which,  defying  the  action  of  weather,  project  an  inch  or  more 
from  the  mass.  On  gaining  the  simmiit,  a  wide  ])rospect  of  the  sur- 
rounding  country  astonishes  the  beholder.  From  the  foaming  bod  of 
the  river  rise  liills  richly  crowned  with  woods,  while  beyond  its  western 
bank  the  eye  rests  on  the  boimdless  savannah  of  the  Meta.  On  the  hor- 
izon loom  like  threatening  clouds  the  mountains  of  Uniama.  Such  is 
the  distant  view ;  but  immediately  around  all  is  desolate  and  contracted. 
In  the  deep  ravines  of  the  valley  moves  no  living  thing  save  where  the 
vulture  and  the  whirring  goat-sucker  wing  tlieir  lonely  way,  their  heavy 
shadows  gloaming  fitfully  ])ast  the  barren  rock.  The  caldron-shaped 
valley  is  enconipasscd  by  mountains,  whose  rounded  summits  bear  huge 
granite  boulders,  measuring  from  forty  to  more  than  fitly  feet  in  diam- 
eter. They  appear  poised  on  only  a  single  point  of  the  surface,  as  if 
the  sliirhtest  shock  of  the  earth  would  h\irl  th(Mn  down.  The  further 
side  of  this  rocky  valley  is  thickly  Avooded,  It  is  in  this  shady  spot  that 
the  cave  of  the  Ataruipe  is  situated;  jiroperly  speaking,  however,  it  is 
not  a  cave,  l)ut  a  vault  formed  by  a  far  i)rojecting  and  overhanging  cliff, 
— a  kind  of  bay  hollowed  out  Ity  the  waters  when  formerly  at  this  high 
level.  This  sjmt  is  the  grave  of  an  extinct  tribe.  We  counted  al)out 
six  hundred  well-preserved  skeletons,  placed  in  as  many  baskets,  formed 
of  the  stalks  of  i>alm-Ieaves.  These  baskets,  called  by  tlie  Indians  ma- 
pircs,  are  a  kind  of  scpian*  sack  varying  in  size  according  to  the  age  of 
the  deceased.  Even  new-born  children  h.ave  each  their  own  mapire. 
These  skel(>ton'i  are  so  iierfoct,  that  not  a  rib  or  a  finger  is  wanting. 


ir 


fff,  f  tr 


^ 


if 


66 


LIFE  AND    TRAVELS    OF    HUMBOLDT. 


"The  Indians  assured  nie  that  the  corjise  was  Imrknl  during  several 
n.-  nths  in  a  moist  earth,  which  gradually  destroyed  the  llcsh  ;  and  that 
afte  •  being  disinterred,  any  particles  of  flesh  still  udhering  tu  the  bones 
were  scraped  off  Avith  sharp  stones.  This  practice  is  still  continued 
among  many  tribes  of  Guiana,  Besides  these  baskets,  or  majiires,  we 
saw  many  urns  of  half-burned  clay,  which  appear  to  contain  the  bones  of 
Avhole  famihes.  The  largest  of  these  urns  are  upward  of  tln-ee  feet  in 
height,  and  nearly  si.v:  feet  in  length,  of  an  elegant  oval  Ibrm,  and  green- 
ish color;  with  handles  shaped  like  crocodiles  and  serpents,  and  the  rims 
bordered  with  flowing  scrolls  and  labyrinthine  figures.  These  ornaments 
are  precisely  sunilar  to  those  which  cover  the  Avails  of  the  Mexican 
palace  at  Mitla.  They  are  found  in  every  clime  and  every  stage  of 
human  culture — among  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  no  less  than  on  the 
shields  of  Otaheitans,  and  other  South  Sea  islanders — in  all  regions 
Avhere  a  rhythmical  repetition  of  regular  forms  delights  the  eye.  The 
causes  of  th^  e  resemblances,  as  I  have  explained  elsewhere,  are  rather 
to  be  referred  to  jsychical  conditions,  and  to  the  inner  nature  of  our 
mental  qualiticatioi..-.^  than  as  affording  evidence  in  favor  of  a  common 
origin  and  the  ancient  intercourse  of  nations. 

"Our  interpreters  could  give  us  no  certaui  information  regarding  the 
age  of  these  vessels;  but  that  of  the  skeletons  did  not  in  general  appear 
to  exceed  a  hundred  years.  There  is  a  legend  among  the  Guareke 
Indians,  that  the  brave  Atures,  when  closely  pursued  by  the  cannibal 
C'aribs,  took  refuge  on  the  rocks  of  the  cataracts — a  mournful  ])lace  of 
abode — in  which  this  oppressed  race  perished,  together  with  its  language  ! 
In  the  most  inaccessible  portion  of  the  rapid,  other  graves  of  the  same 
character  are  met  Avith ;  indeed  it  is  probable  that  the  last  descendants 
of  the  Atures  did  not  become  extinct  until  a  much  more  recent  period. 
There  still  lives,  and  it  is  a  singular  fact,  an  old  {)arrot  in  Mayj)ures  which 
can  not  be  understood,  because,  as  the  natives  assert,  it  speaks  the  lan- 
guage of  the  Atures ! 

"  Wo  left  the  caA  e  at  nightfall,  after  having  collected,  to  the  extreme 
aimoyancc  of  our  Indian  guides,  several  skidls  and  the  jterfect  skeleton 
of  an  aged  man.  One  of  these  skulls  lias  been  delineated  by  Blumen- 
bach  in  his  admirable  craniological  Avork ;  but  the  skeleton,  together 
Avith  a  large  portion  of  our  natural  history  collections,  especially  the 
entomological,  Avas  lost  by  .shipwreck  off  the  coast  of  Africa  on  the  same 
occasion  Avlien  our  friend  and  former  traveluig  companion,  the  young 
l''rain'iscan  moidv,  Juan  (ionzalez,  lost  his  life.  As  if  Avith  a  presentiment 
of  this  paiiif(d  loss,  Ave  turned  from  the  grave  of  a  de|)arted  race  Avith 
feelings  of  deep  emotion.  It  was  one  of  those  clear  and  delicious  cool 
nights  so  freijuent  beneath  the  tropics.  Tlu^  moon  stood  high  in  the 
zenith,  encircled  liy  a  halo  of  colored  rings,  her  rays  gilding  the  margins 
of  the  mist,  which  in  Avell  defined  outline  liovered  like  cloiuls  above  the 
foaming  flood.  Innumerable  insects  poured  their  red  phospliorescent 
light  over  the  herb-covered  surface,  Avhich  glowed  with  living  fire,  as 


'i 

1 


THE    OTOMAC    INDIANS. 


67 


though  the  starry  cauoj))'  of  hc;n  en  had  sunk  Ti]>on  the  grassy  phihi. 
Chnibmg  bignonia,  fragrant  vanilhxs,  and  goklen-Uowercd  banistcrias, 
adorned  the  entrance  of  the  cave,  while  the  rustUng  pahn-loavos  waved 
over  the  restu)g-place  of  tlie  dead.  Thus  pass  away  the  generations  of 
men  ! — thus  perish  the  records  of  the  glory  of  nations  !  Yet  when  every 
emanation  of  the  human  mind  has  foded — when  in  the  storms  of  time 
the  monuments  of  man's  creative  art  are  scattered  to  the  dust — an  ever 
new  Ufe  springs  from  the  bosom  of  the  earth.  Unceasingly  prolific  na- 
ture unfolds  her  germs,  regardless  though  sinful  man,  ever  at  war  with 
himself,  tramples  beneath  his  foot  the  ripening  fruit !" 

After  taking  leave  of  the  good  monk,  Father  Zea,  who  was  ill  and 
remained  at  the  mission,  Humboldt  .'""1  Bonpland  ventured  to  pass  the 
last  half  of  the  cataract  of  ;u-  -  the  laden  boat.  T  ,  "".nded 
several  times  on  the  rocks  wuich  co.  ot  the  single  islands  uy  abrupt 
dikes ;  sometimes  the  waves  dashed  over  these  dikes,  and  sometimes 
found  an  outlet  through  subterranean  channels.  The  travelers  crept 
into  one  of  the  caverns  under  the  rocks ;  its  damp  walls  were  covered 
with  confervas,  which  they  gathered,  while  overhead  the  torrent  fell  with 
a  fearful  noise.  As  the  Indians  had  left  them  in  the  middle  of  the  rapid 
to  circumnavigate  a  small  island  in  the  canoe,  they  were  obliged  to  spend 
some  time  on  the  rock  in  a  violent  storm.  Tlie  night  had  already  set  in, 
and  their  situation  without  shelter  was  dismal  hi  the  extreme.  The  lit- 
tle monkeys,  which  they  had  carried  with  them  for  months  in  wicker 
baskets,  attracted  the  crocodiles  by  their  cries,  thus  refuting  the  assertion 
of  the  Indians  that  these  animals  are  never  seen  in  the  rapids.  After  a 
long  time  the  canoe  arrived  at  the  foot  of  the  island,  having  safely  accom- 
plished the  passage ;  they  re-shipped  their  instruments  and  collections, 
and  were  soon  afloat  on  the  broad  waters  of  the  lower  Orinoco.  On  the 
7th  of  June  they  reached  the  Mission  of  Uruana,  inhabited  by  the  Oto- 
macs — a  tribe  of  Indians  who  are  noted  for  their  liabit  of  eating  dirt. 
They  select  an  unctuous  kind  of  clay,  which  they  make  into  cakes  and 
bake  in  the  fire.  They  are  very  fond  of  this  diet,  which,  during  the 
height  of  the  r.ainy  season,  constitutes  their  ])rincipal  food.  Notwith- 
standing it  contains  little  or  no  nutritive  (piality,  these  Indians  are  robust 
and  iiealthy.  It  is  supposed  that  they  use  the  oil  of  turtles'  eggs,  and 
the  fat  of  the  crocotlile,  in  connection  with  it.  They  are  a  turbulent 
anil  passionate;  ])eople,  and  strongly  addicted  to  the  use  of  i)alm-wine  and 
other  intoxicating  drinks.  They  also  throw  themselves  into  a  peculiar 
state  of  intoxication  by  the  use  of  a  ])OAvder  called  niopo^  made  from  the 
seeds  of  a  species  of  acacia,  and  inhaled  through  the  forked  bone  of  a 
bird,  the  extremities  of  which  are  applied  to  the  nostrils.  The  powder  is 
so  stiinul.'iting  that  the  smallest  jtortion  of  it  occasions  violent  sneezhig  in 
those  unaccustomed  to  its  use. 

A  further  voyage  of  nine  d.ays,  without  jtarticular  incident,  brought 
the  travelers  to  Angostura,  the  capital  of  Spanish  Guiana,  where  they 
arrived  on  the   lOtli  of  June.      Humboldt   thus  describes  his  feelings, 


!l!l 


.1  >'! 


!    li 


iiHHtirr- 


i|!i    'ij'   !i 


if 


58 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF    HUMBOLDT. 


oil  this  return  to  civilization:  "It  would  be  difficult  for  nio  to  express 
the  satistiiction  we  felt  on  landing  at  Angostura.  The  inconveniences 
endured  at  sea  in  small  vessels  are  trivial  in  comparison  with  those  that 
are  suffered  under  a  burning  sky,  surrounded  by  swarms  of  mosquitoes, 
and  lymg  stretched  in  a  canoe,  without  the  possibility  of  taking  the 
least  bodily  exercise.  In  seventy-tive  days  wo  had  performed  a  passage 
of  five  hundred  leagues — twenty  to  a  degree — on  the  five  great  rivers, 
Apure,  Orinoco,  Atabapo,  Rio  Negro,  and  Cassiquiare  ;  and  in  this  vast 
extent  we  had  found  but  a  very  small  number  of  inhabited  places.  Com- 
ing from  an  almost  desert  country,  we  were  struck  with  the  bustle  of 
the  town,  though  it  contained  only  six  thousand  inhabitants.  We 
admired  the  conveniences  which  industry  and  commerce  furnish  to  civil- 
ized man.  Humble  dwellings  appeared  to  us  magnificent ;  and  every 
person  with  whom  we  conversed,  seemed  to  be  endowed  with  superior 
mtclligeuce.  Long  privations  give  a  value  to  the  smallest  enjoyments; 
and  I  can  not  express  the  pleasure  we  felt,  when  we  saw  for  the  first  time 
wheaten  bread  on  the  governor's  table." 

Soon  at\er  their  arrival,  they  were  both  attacked  with  fever  on  the 
same  day,  and  Bonpland's  condition  became  so  serious  that  his  recovery 
was  almost  despaired  of.  This  mistbrtuno  detained  them  at  Angostura 
until  the  10th  of  July,  when  they  crossed  the  Orinoco  for  the  last  time 
and  commenced  their  journey  across  the  llanos  to  New  Barcelona.  Their 
collections  of  plants  and  geological  specimens  greatly  augmented  their 
baggage,  owing  to  which  circumstance  they  were  obliged  to  travel  very 
slowly.  The  heat  was  excessive,  and  as  there  was  no  wind,  they  found 
the  journey  very  toilsome.  At  the  end  of  the  third  day  they  reached 
the  jMission  of  Carl,  the  inhabitants  of  Avliich  belonged  to  the  ancient 
Carib  tribe  which  Columbus  found  on  this  coast.  They  are  a  very  tall 
race,  many  of  them  being  six  feet  in  height.  Their  features  are  more 
regular,  with  a  more  intelligent  expression,  than  those  of  the  other  Indian 
tribes.  The  men  are  more  clothed  than  the  women,  who  are  almost 
naked,  the  want  of  clothing  being  much  less  important  than  the  absence 
of  red  i)aint  on  their  bodies.  They  asked  Humboldt  for  pins,  which  they 
immediately  stuck  into  their  lower  lips.  Leaving  the  mission,  six  more 
days  brought  the  travelers  in  sight  of  the  mountain-chain  of  Cumaiia 
— which  divides  the  llanos  from  the  Caribbean  Sea — rishig  like  a  cloud 
in  the  distance.  On  the  23d  of  July  they  reached  New  Barcelona,  ex- 
hausted by  the  hot  sand-winds  of  the  plains.  Bonpland  soon  regained 
his  health  and  activity,  but  Humboldt  experienced  an  attack  of  ty- 
))hus  fever,  which  was  then  prevalent,  and  was  unable  to  travel  for  a 
monlli. 

^\.nxious  to  reach  Cumana,  in  order  to  avail  themselves  of  the  first 
opportunity  that  might  offer  for  a  passage  to  Vera  Cruz,  they  hired  an 
open  boat,  which  was  employed  in  the  contraband  trade  with  Trinidad, 
and  for  that  reason  imagined  they  had  nothing  to  fear  from  the  English 
cruisers.     They  shipped  their  uiscruments,  plants,  and  monkeys,  and  set 


'1'; 

)i 


^ >-..■ 


cl 

id 


,.1, 

.sh 
set 


LAST    VISIT    TO    CUMANA. 


59 


sail;  but  had  not  gone  fivr  before  tlioy  came  In  Niidit  of  an  anncd  boat, 
•which  luiiled  them,  and  lired  at  them  simultaneously.  It  bi'hmged  to  a 
Halifax  privateer,  and  among  the  passengers  Avas  a  Prussian  nailor,  from 
whom  Humboldt  Iieai'd  his  native  language,  for  the  tirst  time  since  his 
departuri'.  lie  protested  against  the  seizure,  but  without  eti'ect ;  they 
were  carried  on  board  the  privateer,  and  the  captain  declared  their  boat 
to  be  a  lawful  prize.  At  this  juncture,  an  English  sloop-of-war,  the 
Hawk,  which  Avas  cruising  in  those  seas,  hove  in  sight  and  ordered  the 
privateer  to  lay  to.  A  midshipman  was  sent  on  board,  who,  on  leanung 
the  difficulty,  took  Humboldt  with  him  on  board  the  sloop.  The  cai> 
tain  of  the  latter,  Gamier,  who  liad  voyaged  with  Vancouver,  and  was  a 
man  of  considerable  intelligence,  had  heard  of  Humboldt's  expedition 
through  the  English  newsi)apers.  He  introduced  him  to  his  officers, 
some  of  whom  had  accomi)anied  Lord  SLicartney  to  China,  gaveliim  liis 
own  state-room  for  the  night,  ordered  the  boat  to  l)o  given  up,  and  sent 
the  travelers  on  their  way  in  the  morning.  Before  noon  they  saw  the 
fortress  of  Cumana,  strikingly  relieved,  from  its  whiteness,  agauist  the 
dark  curtain  of  the  inland  mountains.  "  Wo  gazed  with  interest  on  the 
shore,"  says  Humboldt,  "  where  we  first  gathered  plants  in  America,  and 
wliere,  some  months  later,  M.  Bonpland  had  been  in  such  danger. 
Among  the  cactuses,  that  rise  in  columns  twenty  feet  high,  appear  the 
Indian  huts  of  the  Guaykerias.  Every  part  of  the  landscape  was  familiar 
to  us ;  the  forest  of  cactus,  the  scattered  huts,  and  that  enormous  ceiba, 
beneath  which  we  loved  to  bathe  at  the  approach  of  night.  Our  frieads 
at  Cumana  came  out  to  meet  us:  men  of  all  castes,  whom  our  frequent 
herborizations  had  brought  into  contact  with  us,  expressed  the  greater 
joy  at  sight  of  us,  as  a  report  that  we  had  perished  on  the  bauka  of  the 
Orinoco  had  been  current  for  several  months." 


VISIT    TO    CUBA. 

They  waited  at  Cumana  for  the  arrival  of  the  packet  from  Conmna 
to  Vera  Cruz ;  but  the  strictness  of  the  English  blockade  was  such  that 
they  were  detained  two  months  and  a  half.  As  no  packet  arrived,  and 
an  American  vessel  was  about  to  leave  New  Barcelona  for  Cuba,  they 
determined  to  take  passage  in  her,  and  on  the  16th  of  November,  after 
a  stay  of  sixteen  months  in  Venezuela,  bade  a  final  adieu  to  their  friends 
at  Cumana.  They  beheld  with  emotion  the  silver  disc  of  the  full  moon 
illuminating  the  cocoa-trees  on  the  ])anks  of  the  Manzanares,  for  the  last 
time,  but  the  breeze  was  strong,  and  in  six  hours  they  had  reached  New 
Barcelona.  The  American  vessel  sailed  on  the  evening  of  November 
2  ith,  and  after  a  very  tempestuous  passage  of  twenty-five  days,  reached 
Havana  on  the  19th  of  December.  Humboldt  made  astro  lomical  observ- 
ations during  the  ])assage,  whenever  it  was  possible  .d  tested  the  ac- 
curacy of  the  position  of  the  reefs  and  islands  which  they  passed.     His 


'  :' 

;   '  n 

1 

■ 

'      ■  ■! 

i  Jii"^'' 


I'll 


1 


60 


LIFE  AND  TRAVELS  OF  HUMBOLDT. 


approach  to  tlio  shores  of  CuhaAvas  announced  hy  the  delicious  aromatic 
odors  whicli  blow  from  otT  the  laud  *  The  travelers  were  the  guests  of 
Count  O'Kiilly  and  Sefior  Cuesta  during  their  8tay  at  Havana,  which 
was  about  three  months.  They  employed  their  time,  until  the  end  of 
February,  in  making  observations  in  and  around  the  city,  and  in  the 
neighboring  plains  of  Guincs.  About  the  end  of  February,  having  com- 
pleted the  observations  they  proj)osed  making  at  the  northern  extremity 
of  the  torrid  zone,  they  were  on  the  point  of  embarking  for  Vera  Cruz, 
intending  to  cross  Mexico,  sail  to  the  Philippine  Islands,  and  return  to 
Europe  by  Avay  of  India  and  Persia,  when  a  rumor  (which  afterward 
proved  false)  concerning  the  French  expedition  of  Captain  Baudm,  in- 
duced them  to  change  their  plans.  It  was  stated  that  this  expedition 
had  departed  from  France,  bound  for  the  oast  of  Chili  and  Peru,  whence 
it  would  sail  for  Australia. 


TRAVELS    AMONG   THE    ANDES. 


The  projects  which  Humboldt  had  formed  before  leaving  Paris  were 
mstantly  revived.  He  determuiod  to  sail  to  Carthagena,  cross  the  isth- 
mus to  the  Pacific,  and  await  Baudin's  arrival  in  TJma  or  Val])araiso. 
But  it  was  first  necessary  to  forward  to  Europe  his  large  collection  of 
objects  of  natural  history.  "  Bonpland  and  I,"  he  says,  "  resolved  in- 
stantly to  divide  our  herbals  into  three  portions,  to  avoid  exposing  to 
the  risks  of  a  long  voyage  the  objects  we  had  ol)tained  Avith  so  much 
difficulty  on  the  banks  of  the  Orinoco,  the  Atabapo,  and  the  Rio  Negro. 
"\Vc  sent  one  collection  by  Avay  of  England  to  Germany,  another  by  way 
of  Cadiz  to  France,  and  a  third  remained  at  Havana.  AVe  had  reason 
to  congratulate  ourselves  on  this  foresight :  each  collection  contained 
nearly  the  same  species,  and  no  jjrecautions  Avere  neglected  to  have  the 
cases,  if  taken  by  Enghsh  or  French  vessels,  remitted  to  Sir  Joseph 
Banks,  or  to  the  jjrofessors  of  natural  history  at  the  Museum  at  Paris. 
It  ha})i)ened  fortunately  that  the  manuscripts  which  I  at  first  intended  to 
send  with  the  collection  to  Cadiz  were  not  intrusted  to  our  much 
esteemed  friend  and  fellow-traveler,  Fray  Juan  Gonzalez,  who  had  fol- 
lowed us  to  Havana  with  the  view  of  returning  to  Spain.  He  left  the 
island  of  Cuba  soon  after  us,  hut  the  vessel  in  Avhich  he  sailed  foundered 
on  the  coast  of  Africa,  and  the  cargo  and  crew  were  all  lost.  By  this 
event  we  lost  some  of  the  duj)licates  of  our  herbals,  and  what  was  more 
important,  all  the  insects  which  M.  Bonpland  had,  with  great  difficulty, 
collected  during  our  voyage  to  the  Orinoco  and  the  Rio  Negro.  By  a 
singular  fatality  we  remained  two  years  in  the  Spanish  colonies  without 
receiving  a  single  letter  from  Europe ;  and  those  which  arrived  in  the 
three  following  years  made  no  mention  of  what  we  )ivl  transmitted. 

*  In  approacliing  Cuba  from  the  north  in  July,  1849,  wo  were  rnct  several  miles  from 
Bhore  by  the  samo  fragrant  land  wind,  freighted  with  the  balms  of  the  tropics. — B.  T. 


1 


i 


VOYAGE    TO    CABTIIAGENA. 


61 


li'i'i 


i 


Tho  ro!uler  may  imagine  my  uneasiness  for  the  fate  of  a  journal  -wliich 
contained  astronomical  observations,  and  barometrical  measurements,  of 
which  I  had  not  made  any  copy.  After  having  visited  New  Grenada, 
Peru,  and  Mexico,  and  just  Avhen  I  was  preparing  to  leave  the  New  Con- 
tinent, I  happened,  at  a  public  library  of  Philadelphia,  to  cast  my  eyes 
on  a  scientific  publication,  in  which  I  found  these  words  :  '  Arrival  of  ^l. 
de  Humboldt's  manuscripts  at  his  brother's  house  in  Paris,  by  way  of 
Spain  I'     I  could  scarcely  suppress  an  exclamation  of  joy." 

They  experienced  some  difficulty  in  obtaining  passage  to  Carthagena, 
but  finally  chartered  a  Spanish  slooj)  lyhig  at  Batabano,  on  the  southern 
shore  of  the  island,  and  set  sail  on  the  9th  of  March,  1801.     The  cal)in 
was  merely  a  hold  for  provisions,  and  they  were  obliged  to  live  on  deck, 
where  the  thermometer  stood  at  90°  in  the  shade.     "  Luckily  these  in- 
conveniences lasted  oidy  twenty  days,"  says  ILuuboldt,  with  the  resigiia- 
tion  of  a  genuine  traveler.     Coasthig  along  the  southern  shore,  in  five 
days  they  reached  Trinidad  dc  Cuba,  where  they  were  treated  with  nuu-h 
distinction  by  the  Governor.    A  grand  party  was  assembled  to  entertain 
them  in  the  evening,  and  an  ecclesiastic,  habited  in  velvet,  notwithstand- 
ing the  heat,  declaimed  a  sonnet,  celebrating  their  voyage  on  the  Ori- 
noco.    They  set  sail  the  next  day,  aiid  after  a  rough  passage  of  sixteen 
days,  again  reached  the  South  American  continent,  at  the  mouth  of  tho 
river  Sinn,  which  the  captain  entered  to  shelti.T  his  frail  vessel  from  the 
storms.     This  was  at  that  time  an  almost  unvisited  region,  and  the  bo- 
tanical zeal  of  the  travelers  led  them  into  a  situation  of  great  danger. 
Having  rowed  ashore  to  collect  plants  by  moonlight  they  would  have 
fallen  into  an  ambuscade  of  naked  men,  armed  and  laden  with  chains — 
— probably  escaped  criminals — if  they  hud  not  retreated  cautiously  to 
the  vessel.     On  the  30th  of  March  they  reached  Carthagena,  where, 
after  consultation  with  the  authorities,  they  were  persuaded  to  give  up 
their  intention  of  crossing  the  isthmus  to  Panama,  and  to  choose  instead 
the  route  to  Guayaquil,  by  way  of  Bogota  and  Quito.     This  change  of 
direction  gave  Humboldt  occasion  to  trace  the  map  of  the  Uio  ^lagda- 
lena,  to  deternune  astronomically  the  position  of  eighty  points  situated 
in  the  inlaml  country  between  Carthagena,  Popayan,  and  the  upper  val- 
ley of  the  Amazon  and  Lima,  to  discovci"  the  error  in  the  longitude  of 
Quito,  to  collect  several  thousand  new  plants,  and  to  observe,  on  a  vast 
scale,  the  relation  between  the  rocks  of  syenitic  porphyry  and  trachyte 
and  the  active  fire  of  volcanoes. 

The  travelers  remained  six  days  at  Carthagena,  making  preparations 
for  their  journey.  During  this  time,  Humboldt  visited  the  remarkable 
air-volcanoes  of  Turbaco,  lying  in  the  midst  of  palm-groves,  near  the 
Indian  village  of  the  same  name.  These  volcanoes  consist  of  eighteen 
or  twenty  cones  of  gray  mud,  a  few  yards  in  height,  with  miniature 
craters  filled  with  water  at  the  top.  PZvery  Cvw  minutes  a  strong  jet  or 
exhalation  of  sizotic  gas  takes  place,  accompanied  with  a  loud,  snorting 
sound.    In  ascending  the  Magdalena,  Boni)land  explored  the  rich  botan- 


'  ill 


i;il 


liH  'T  « 


1 


62 


LIFI']    AND    TRAVELS    OF    HUMBOLDT. 


ical  treasures  of  tlio  shore,  while  liumboKlt  drew  a  ( hurt  of  the  river 
distriet,  in  spite  of  the  oj)i)ressive  eliniate,  ami  the  tortures  of  the  mos- 
quitoes. At  the  town  of  Honda,  they  left  the  river,  and  jiroceeded  on 
mules  to  Bogota,  Jiaving  been  thirty-iive  days  on  the  journey.  In  the 
latter  place  the  travelers  remained  until  September,  oeeupying  them- 
selves with  botanical  and  geograpliical  researches,  and  with  excursions 
to  the  many  interesting  spots  in  th((  vicinity.  The  most  striking  of 
these  was  the  cascade  of  Tequendama,  whidi  Humboldt  considers  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  in  the  world.  "  The  scenery  comprises  every  thing 
Avhich  can  render  a  view  eminently  picturesque:  the  cascade  is  not  the 
highest  in  the  world,  but  there  is  no  other  which  combines  so  great  a 


iSs3^=^ 


I! 


m 


'•^'^R-, 


■^5,4,. 


FALLS     OF     T  E  Q  V  E  K  D  A  M  A  . 

height  with  such  a  mass  of  water.  The  river  is  half  tlie  lireadth  of  the 
Seine,  at  Paris,  and  precijntates  itself^  in  two  bounds,  a  depth  of  live 
hundred  and  seventy  feet.  In  approaching  the  cascade,  one  sees  around 
him  oaks  and  other  trees  which  recall  the  vegetation  of  Europe  ;  then 
all  at  once  he  beholds,  as  from  a  tower,  the  palm,  the  banana,  and  the 
sugar-cane  at  his  feet.  Owing  to  this  circumstance,  the  inhabitants  of 
Bogota  say  that  the  river  of  Teipiendama  leaps  at  one  bound  from  a  cold 
to  a  hot  climate.  The  appearance  of  the  tropical  vegetation  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  ravine  is  the  more  interesting  to  them,  as  they  live  on  a  table- 
land where  the  thermometer  often  descends  to  the  freezing-] »oint.  Tlie 
solitude  of  the  ])lace,  the  richness  of  the  vegetation,  and  the  frightful 
roar  of  the  waters,  make  the  foot  of  the  cascade  of  Tequendama  one  of 
the  wildest  and  most  savage  scenes  among  the  Cordilleras. 


iiti 


THE    PASS    OF    QUINDIU. 


63     i 


Leaving  Bogota  toward  the  end  of  Si'|p(oiiil>(>r,  Humboldt  ntid  limi- 
pland  started  on  their  journey  to  (^uitd,  liy  way  of  ]*()])ayau.  They 
erossed  the  central  chain  of  the  Andes,  by  the  remarkable  pass  of  (juin- 
diu,  the  liighest  point  of  which  is  elevi'U  thousand  three  hundred 
feet  above  the  sea.  Tiie  mountain  of  C^uimliu  is  covered  with  uninhab- 
ited forests,  and  can  not  be  i)assed  hi  less  than  twelve  days.  Travellers 
are  obliged  to  carry  provisions  for  a  month,  because  it  otlen  liappens 
that  a  sudden  swelling  of  the  mountain  torrents  j)revents  them  fidin 
either  going  backward  or  forward.  Tlie  path  in  many  places  is  a  ravine, 
or  envassc,  so  narrow  as  barely  to  allow  the  ]»assage  of  the  oxen  \\hich 
carry  the  baggage.  The  light  of  day  can  scarcely  penetrate  to  the  bot- 
tom, and  the  obscurity  is  increased  by  the  thick  vegetation  overhead. 
If  the  traveler  meets  with  any  of  these  laden  animals  in  such  a  place,  he 
must  either  retrace  his  steps,  or  seize  hold  of  a  stout  root  and  draw  him- 
self up  out  of  their  reach.  The  rich  inhabitants  are  transjjorted  on  the 
backs  of  men,  who  are  called  cargueros,  and  follow  this  bu  iness  for  a 
livelihood.  Like  horses,  they  are  selected  according  to  their  strength, 
their  sureness  of  foot,  and  their  easy  gait.  They  carry  a  sort  of  cliair, 
strapped  to  the  shoulders,  in  which  the  traveler  sits,  looking  backward, 
and  easily  accomplish  a  journey  of  eight  or  nine  hours  a  day.  Like 
horses,  also,  their  backs  often  become  sore  under  the  saddle,  and  they 
run  the  same  risk  of  being  abandoned  on  the  road  if  they  fall  sick;  but 
they  are,  nevertheless,  cheerful  and  attached  to  their  business,  which  i  i 
xuA  looked  upon  as  degrading.  Humboldt  and  Bon))land  wouhl  rot 
consent  to  use  this  method  of  transportation,  but  traveled  on  foot,  bare- 
footed, at  the  head  of  their  caravan  of  twelve  oxen,  who  carried  their 
instruments  and  collections.  The  path  was  in  a  tenacious  clayey  soil, 
which  made  walking  very  fatiguing,  added  to  which  the  oxen  have  the 
habit  of  stepping  always  in  the  same  tracks,  so  that  they  gradually  ibrm 
a  succession  of  deep  holes,  wliich  are  soon  tilled  up  with  soft  mud,  in 
which  the  traveler  sinks  to  his  knees.  It  was  in  the  rainy  season,  and 
they  Ibund  the  journey  exceedingly  laborious  and  fatiguing.  The  In- 
dians carried  with  them  packages  of  the  leaves  of  a  species  of  banana, 
covered  with  a  resinous  varnish,  which  is  impervious  to  moisture.  With 
these  and  some  poles  cut  in  the  woods  they  constructed  a  tent  everv 
night,  so  that  the  travelers  were  always  certain  of  a  dry  ■i'':ciiig-place. 
They  finally  reached  tlie  valley  of  the  Cauca,  which  they  ascende<l  to 
Popayan,  visited  the  snowy  volcanoes  of  Purace  and  Sotara,  and  con- 
tinued their  journey,  by  way  of  the  town  of  Pasto,  to  Quito,  where  they 
arrived  on  the  6th  of  January,  1802,  nearly  four  months  after  leaving 
Bogota. 

Humboldt  soon  recovered  from  the  hardships  of  the  journey,  in  the 
bracing  and  equable  chmate  of  Quito,  and  rimained  for  nearly  nine 
months,  emi)loyed  in  his  geological  and  liotanical  studies ;  his  sense  for 
natural  beauty  and  sublime  landscajies  finding  abundant  food  for  grati- 
fication in  the  splendid  landscapes  of  the  plain  of  (Juito,  with  its  views 


■■»'  ■:'.« 


r'l     ';'    in 


1 


Gl 


I,  I  V  !•:     A  N  I)    T  1{  A  V  K  L  S    O  F    HUM  liO  L  1>  T. 


ul'tlic  snowy  I'cms  ol'tlio  Andes.  Those  pnind  conical  ju'Jiks,  llicn  sMp- 
posctl  to  1)0  tlic  Iiiglicsl  in  llic  world,  ti'niptcd  him  to  :itt('nij)t  t,h(!  ;isccMt 
ol'thoir  :ilnu)sl  in;u'Ct.'.s.sible  Hides,     lie  climbed  to  the  saow-liue  ol'  Cota- 


,/*,. 


|i:i\i.  (Ill'  liiLrlio^t  viilc;ino  in  llic  world,  which,  in  the  yenr  1  T-T^^,  llirew  up 
:i  pilhir  of  tlMine  :i  mile  in  IieiLdil,  :nid  m:ide  its  Inllow  int;s  heard  at  the 
di-t:iiice  ot'live  hnndnd  miles.  Findint;  it  impossihle  to  reaeh  tlw  snm- 
mit,  he  next  trieil  the  volcano  of  ricliineha,  lyim;  nearer  (Jnito,  and  .'il'ter 
two  unsuccessful  attempts  reacheil  the  crater  on  the 'JOtli  of  May.  lit; 
did  not  tind  it  tilled  uitli  snow,  ;is  Condamiiu'  and  HouLCer  had  done 
nearly  siventy  years  before,  but  inthuned  and  preparint;  for  an  eruption, 
a  I'ircmn-tiuui'  which,  on  his  return  to  Cjuito,  liiii-d  the  inhabitants  with 
alarm.  While  on  the  sinumit  of  this  volcano,  Ilundioldt  came  near 
losiuix  liis  lite.  While  attiinptinuf  to  cross  i\  tleep  chasm,  the  fraitile 
bridixe  i>\'  siunv  ejave  way  under  him,  ami  he  was  oely  saved  by  tho 
presence  of  mind  of  an  Indian,  who  held  him  on  the  briidv,  at  the  im- 
minent vi-k  of  lo^im;  his  own  lialance. 

.\lter  havinpc  surmounted  richimha,  which  is  :diout  titlecn  thousand 
ti'ur  hiiiidred  teet  above  the  sea,  ajul  obtaineil  an  equal  elevation  on  tho 
>ide  of  I'otopaxi.  Humboldt  determined  to  m.'ke  an  attempt  to  scale 
C'himbora/.o,  whiih  was  then  believed  to  bi-  the  liii^hest  jicak  of  the 
AntU»j.*     Aci'ompanicd  by  Boiipland  and  a  younj;  Spanisli   naturalist, 

*  It  l.iis  I'pfii  siiuv  anoortiii  lod  tliiit  Sorata  ami  lllimniii,  in  nolivi.i,  iiiul  tin-  pi>:ik  of 
Ac'tiPiviKv  in  riiili,  iiiv  lii^lii-r  tlinii  C'liiiiiborii/.e,  M  I'l"  tlniii  li;i\iinj  an  ..Uituilc  of  over 
twi'iity-tlinc  lliousund  fccL 


c 


a 

I 


lit 


o- 


ni> 


liii- 


lie 

">, 
III 


lii- 


ASOKXT    OF    Til  M    C  II  I  M  I!()  11  A /O. 


6[ 


Doll  ("iirlo-i  (Ic  Miiiitiiliir,  lie  iirocccdcd  lo  tlic  lalilc  huid  of  T;i|ii;i,  iiiiio 
llioiisaml  four  liwiiilicil  ami  lliiily-liiiir  i'cct  aliovc  llic  level  ofllic  I'acilic, 
Ocean,  and  on  llie  -Jtl  ol"  .liiiie  coiiiiiU'IicimI  tiie  e.\|ie<lili()n  to  ( 'Iiinilior- 
azo.  'Tliey  lidloweil  (he  plain,  slowly  ascendinir,  <<»  tli(!  Indian  villa'_M! 
of  ("alpi,  at  tile  iiiol  of  llie  mountain,  ulieri'  lliey  halted  I'oi  the  niulil. 
The  next  nioniiM;:;  they  slarteil  early,  an<l  hi-i^an  the  ascent.  'I'liey  de- 
termined to  crnnh  the  nionntain  from  llu'  sonth-south-easterii  side,  and 
the  Indians  who  acteil  as  unides — althoimh  lew  of  them  had  ever  rca(  in  d 
the  limit  of  the  eternal  snow — also  trave  this  route  (he  |iref(rence.  'I'lie 
base  <if  (.'hind)ora/o  consists  <>t'  i^real  plains,  risinL?  like  teiiaees  ine 
uliove  the  other.  They  lirst  crossed  the  llano  of  laiisa,  iind  then,  alter 
a  ijradual  ascent  of  ahont  a  mile,  reached  that  of  SisLjim,  twelve  thousand 


tour  hundreil  and  thirl  v  l<  et  ahove  tl 


ilere,  on  the  |e\el  (loor  of 


the  plain,  llmnholdt  wi-hed  to  make  a  tri'^oiiometrical  measurement,  in 


order  to  ascertain  the  height  of  the  sunnnit,  liir  which  purpose  In 


had 


hrought  aloiiii  his  sextants  and  other  inst  runn  iits ;  hul  the  p>  ak  was 
shroiidi'd  in  ilense  clouds.  Thi'y  then  continued  ascendiiiL?  to  the  liltle 
lake  of  N'anaCorha,  which  is  a  circnlai'  lia>in  of  not  moic  than  one  hundred 
and  thirty  iii'l  in  diameter.  The  sky  hecanie  niori'  and  more  oliscincd, 
but  they  Iiad  occasional  glimpses  of  th(!  lieail  of  Chiinborazo  through  tins 
o)icnings  of  the  clouds.  .Much  snow  had  filhn  during  the  previous  night, 
and  they  were  obliged  to  lea\  e  their  imiles  at  this  point,  whieli  is  eoii- 


siderablv  Ix'low  tiie  line  of  iiernet  iial 


-now, 


Tiie  baroinetei'  showed  that 


they  had  attained  a  height  of  fuurteeti  thousand  three  hundred  and  lifty 
feet.  .\  short  distance  above  Vana-Coclia,  the  grass  l»egan  to  disappear, 
and  they  reacheil  a  region  of  naked  augite  rocks,  which 


rose  ni  columns 


to  the  height  of  fii\y  or  sixty  feet,  and  at  a  di^tMnce  resembled  trees  .ir 
masts.  Following  tliesc  I'ocky  pillars  through  the  fields  of  snow,  they 
finally  readied  a  narrow  ridge,  or  comb,  rumiing  directly  toward  tho 
sunnnit,  by  which  alone  it  was  jxissiblc  to  advance  ;  liir  thu  snow  Mas  su 
sol't  and  yielding  that  they  dii|  not,  dari'  to  walk  upon  it. 

The  path  became  more  .and  more  steep  and  narrow.  The  guides  all 
lefl  them,  except  one,  at  the  height  of  sixteen  thousand  live  hundreil 
and  twenty-live  feet:  neither  threats  nor  jiersuasions  would  induce  tluni 
to  go  further.  They  then  remained  .alone — llumbojdi,  nonjiland,  Cailos 
de  Monluliu',  .ami  a  )ii' "li.-jt  from  the  neighboring  village  of  San  Juan. 
Witli  great  lahoi-  .and  perseverance  they  contimieil  to  ascend,  though 
(hey  wt're  enveloped  in  tliick  mist.  'i"he  rocky  comb,  which  the  natives 
appropri.'itfly  called  a  'knife-blade,"  was  in  many  places  not  more  than 
I'iglit  or  ten  inches  broail.  On  tiu'  letl  was  a  di  ■  li\ity  of  snow,  covered 
with  a  glassy  coaling  of  ice,  while  on  the  right  tiny  looked  into  a  cha<m 
a  thousand  feet  deep,  with  immense  masses  ot" naked  rock  at  tin-  bottom. 
Ncvcrthi'Ii'ss,  they  wen-  oltligcd  to  incline  their  bodies  to  (his  siile,  for 
the  "-nowy  pile  h  (»n  the  left  seemed  even  tnore  diingt^ronH,  bccanse  (hero 
was  III)  pos>ibility  ol' either  arre-ting  their  dtseent,or  of  prexcnting  them 
tVuid  sinking  deeji  in  the  loose  snows.     Tiie  dilliciilly  of  asci iiding  was 


m 


I  '  } 


i 


id 


'"1  sn 


r, 


GQ 


LIFH    AND    TRAVELS    OF    IIUMBOLI>T. 


now  iiiorensol  by  tlic  brittle,  (lisiiitcgratcd  cliurac-lcr  of  tlic  roi-l<.  In 
soiiu'  jilacc'S  tlioy  wore  obligcnl  to  crawl  paiiilully  on  their  liands  ami  feet, 
wliicli,  wonnded  by  the  sliarp  edges,  marked  their  jiath  with  their  own 
blood.  They  niarcheil  in  single  lile,  carefully  testing  the  stability  of  the 
rock  as  they  ])roceede(l — a  very  necessary  operation,  as  many  of  the 
masses  were  lying  loose  on  the  brhik.  Their  2>rcvious  experiince  in 
climbing  Pichincha,  ('otopaxi,  and  Antisana  here  proved  to  be  of  great 
st'rvice,  besides  teaching  them  how  l)est  to  hnsband  their  fast  diminish- 
ing strength.  As  the  snnnnit  was  almost  constantly  hidden  from  view, 
they  became  very  desirous  of  knowing  how  much  remained  to  be  as- 
cended, and  Humboldt  opened  the  barometer  at  a  point  -where  the  comb 
was  broad  I'nough  to  allow  two  ])ersons  to  sit  side  by  side.  The  mercury 
iiidicaled  a  height  of  eighteen  thousand  three  hundred  and  eighty  feet, 
or  .about  two  hundred  leet  higher  than  they  had  ascended,  three  months 
jirex  iously,  on  the  cone  of  Antisana,  by  climbing  a  very  .similar  leilge. 
They  were  a  little  disappiiinted  at  linding  themselves  still  so  lar  from  the 
point  of  their  ambition.  The  temperature  of  the  air  was  ;.iT°,  ami  that 
of  tlie  earth  i'2^. 

Atler  another  hour  of  cautions  clindting,  the  rocky  comb  becami'  less 
steep,  but  tlu-  mist  was  thicker  than  ever.  They  now  began,  one  after 
auutln'r,  to  sullrr  from  the  extreme  lart'i'action  of  the  aii'.  The  (endeiicy 
to  \<iinil,  combined  with  vertigo,  was  mncli  more  disagreeabU'  than  the 
dilllculty  of  breathing.  Their  lips  and  gnnis  l)Ieil  profusely,  and  their 
eyiTiils  and  eyeljalls  were  injected  with  blood.  Thi'  mestizo  sullered 
more  than  the  (tthers.  They  were  by  no  means  alarnu'(l  at  these  symp- 
toms, which  they  lia<l  experienced  <luring  (Itrnu'r  ascents,  llinnboldt, 
in  liict,  had  once  fdlen  senseless  near  the  simimit  of  J'ichimh.'i,  ami  re- 
maitu'd  in  that  condition  for  some  time,  nntil  fouml  by  liis  guide.  The 
bells  of  cloud  finally  parted,  .although  the  air  was  ([uite  still,  and  they 
sudiieiiiy  saw,  .apparently  ipiite  ni'ar  at  hand,  the  gnat  donu'  ofChindto- 
ra/.o.  It  \vas  a  gnnul  ami  soleiim  specta<le.  'I'lu'  hope  ot'soon  standing 
upon  its  topmost  pimi.acle  invigorated  their  strength  anew.  'J'lie  le<lge 
becanu'  a  little  broa<ler,  and  tlii'y  went  forward  with  nn>re  security  for 
a  i'rw  miiuites,  when  .all  at  once  a  cha^^m,  f  )ur  hundied  feet  deep  and  sixty 
feet  broail,  yawne(l  across  their  path.  They  distinctly  saw  beyond  tiu) 
chasm,  the  s.aine  ledge  going  forw.ird  in  the  same  direction,  but  the  gidf 
\v.;s  not  (obe  passed.  They  were  stopped  by  an  insurmountable  obstacle, 
ill  fill  \iew  of  tlu'ir  goal.  Tt  was  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  they 
Were  beuund)ed  with  cold,  although  the  temperature  was  no  lowi'r  than 
-0^.  The  barometer  lutlicated  a  iu'lgh*  of  nineteen  thousand  two  hun- 
dred and  thirty  il'ct  abov(!  (lie  Nca,  and,  ac<'oriling  to  Humboldt's  calcu- 
lation, thirteen  hundreil  below  the  simnnit.  This  was  the  highest  point  to 
which  any  Imm.an  being  had  ever  ascemleil  on  tlie  sides  of  the  mount- 
ains. It  has  only  lu'cn  stu'passed  a  single  time  since  theii^when  IJoussin- 
gault  and  Colonel  Hall,  in  December,  isni,  reached  an  elevation  of 


1- 

I" 


DKSCKXT    OF    C  II  F  Ml!  0  U  A  7,  0. 


G7 


iiIh.iU  uiiirti'i'ii  tlioiis;iii<l  si.v  Immlrca  fret  on  tin-  si.lc  of  Cliiiulx.ra/.o.  by 
taking  auulhcr  palli  tliuii  tlial  wliich  lluiiibiddt  luul  (.'lioscii. 


W 


rti" 


.^ 


:/r 


J" 


.'/ 


/ 


cm  iinoRAZo. 


As  tlic  Avcallicr  liocaino  more  ami  more  llTu'lc  ainl  niifavoralilc,  llioy 
commonccil  ntiniiiiiL;  liy  jut'aiis  of  tin*  same  narrow  r'ulgo  Avliicli  liail 
t'lialilrd  them  to  asccii<l.  TIu'V  only  lialtod  loni;  cnouu'h  to  collect  <|icci- 
niciis  of  the  rock,  foreseeiiiLC  lliat  they  wouM  afterward  in  Imm-o|>c  fre- 
(jeutlybe  a>ke(l  for  "a  small  piece  of  C'hiinltora/.o."'  A  violent  storm  of 
hail  overtook  thcmjail  fortniiatelv  clian'j;e<l  into  snow  as  tliev  descended  | 
into  a  li-wer  atmo<|ihere.  The  stonii  liecame  so  dense  tliat  before  ihey  ' 
reached  the  spot  where  their  ninUs  had  been  Ki't,  the  rocks  were  covered 
to  the  diplh  nf  several  inches.  The  Indian  nuidc-;  were  in  -^reat  anxiety 
on  their  accoMnt,bnt  bef  )re  (hirk  they  reached  the  Indian  vHliiLre  of  Calpi, 
and  were  liospitably  eiitertaine(l  l»y  the  priest.  I'^or  several  days  after- 
ward Chimborazo  stood  ch'ar  auMinst  tin-  sky,  imolxciired  by  a  s]ieck  of 
vapor,  but  the  cha-m  which  barred  their  ]uth  se.nied  impassable,  and  no 
second  attempt  was  made. 

l)in'inL,f  his  residence  in  (Jiiito,  llamboldt  rect  i\eil  intellitrence  that  the 
cxi»e(lition  tinder  Captain  15a>idin  had  sailed  to  New  Zealand,  intending 
to  pass  hontewanl  around  the  Capeof  (Jood  Hope,  and  would,  therefore, 
not  touch  Chili  or  rem.  His  jilan  of  vi^itin'^the  riiilipiiine  I>-lands  and 
India  win  frnstrated  by  thi-;  news,  but  lie  inmiediatdy  formed  a  new 
plan  of  travel.     Leaving  (Juito  lie  followed  the  chain  of  the  Andes,  by 


.;  !*;; 


68 


LIFE  AND  TRAVELS  OF  HUMBOLDT. 


I! 


way  of  Assnay,  Cuenoa  and  Loxa,  to  the  uppor  valley  of  tlie  Amazon. 
This  Jomnoy,  which  was  very  fatiguing  and  hazardous,  was  made  still 
more  .litlifiilt  by  the  scieiitilie  instnunents  and  the  collections  of  jdants 
and  minerals  which  the  travelers  carried  with  them.  On  the  road  to 
Assuay,  llumholdt  found  iu  the  plain  of  Cafiar,  nearly  sixteen  thousand  feet 
above  the  sea,  the  remains  of  the  ancient  road  of  the  Incas,  wliieh  is  sup- 
jiosi'd  to  have  led  from  Quito  to  Cuzco.  It  is  paved  witli  blocks  of  por- 
jihyry,  and  appeared  to  be  fully  equal  to  any  of  the  ancient  Roman  high- 
ways.  In  Assuay  and  Canar  he  found  many  other  very  interesting  relics 
of  the  native  Peruvian  dynasty,  but  none  which  gave  such  an  impression 
of  its  jiower  and  civilization  as  these  roads.  Xear  Loxa  Humboldt  visited 
the  ci/if/iojia  Avoods,  which  yield  the  "  Peruvian  bark,"  or  quinine.  "  At 
that  lime,"  he  says,  "none  of  this  valuable  product  found  its  way  into 
conuncrce  ;  all  that  was  obtained  was  shii)ped  at  Payta,  a  port  of  the 
Pacilic,  and  convi'yed  round  Cape  Horn  to  Cadiz,  for  the  use  of  the 
Sjiaiiish  court.  To  procure  the  small  supply  of  eleven  thousand  .Spanish 
jiounds,  no  less  than  eight  hundred  or  nine  hundred  cinchona-trees  were 
cut  down  every  year.  The  older  and  thicker  stems  are  becoming  more 
and  more  scarce  ;  but,  such  is  the  luxuriance  of  growth  that  the  younger 
trees,  which  now  supply  the  demand,  though  measuring  only  six  inches  in 
diameter,  frecjuently  attain  the  height  of  from  tifty-three  to  sixty-four 
feet.  This  bi'autifid  tree,  which  is  adorned  with  leaves  five  inches  long 
aud  two  broail,  seems,  when  growing  in  the  thick  woods,  as  if  striving 
to  rise  above  its  neighbors.  The  npj)er  branches  spread  out,  and  when 
agitati'd  by  the  wind  the  leaves  have  a  peculiar  reddish  color  and  glist- 
eniii;4  appearance  wliieh  is  distinguishable  at  a  great  distance." 

In  descending  to  the  valley  of  the  Amazon,  in  the  province  of  Jaen  de 
Bracamoros,  the  travelers  were  obliged  to  ford  the  Kiode(iuancabamba 
no  less  than  twenty-seven  times.  The  current  was  so  strong  that  the 
hea\  ily-ladeii  nniles,  eighteen  or  twenty  hi  number,  were  in  contiuual 
danger  of  being  carriid  away;  and  ILnnboldt  and  IJonpland  sutlered 
the  greatest  suspense  and  anxiety  until  the  dangerous  road  was  passed. 
In  tlu'  Inwcr  part  of  the  same  river,  they  noticed  a  novel  post  for  tho 
conveyauce  of  letters.  The  oflicial  communications  from  the  Pacific 
coast  to  the  valley  r)f  the  Amazon  are  dispatched  by  a  swinnniiig  courier, 
usually  a  yotmg  Indian,  who  is  at  home  in  the  w.ater.  The  ^vw  letters  of 
which  he  is  the  bearer  he  carefully  wra])s  in  a  large  cotton  handkerchief, 
whii-h  he  mils  around  his  hea'l  in  the  liirm  of  a  tin-ban.  On  arriving  at 
thnsc  parts  of  the  rivers  in  Avhich  there  are  falls  or  rapids,  he  lands  and 
goes  by  a  circuitous  route  thro\igh  the  woods.  When  wearied  by  long- 
continued  swinnning,  he  rests  by  throwing  one  arm  on  a  plank  of  light 
wooil.  Snmetiuies  he  takes  a  friend  along  to  l>e;n' him  eom]iauy.  Many 
of  the  wil<l  luiliau  tribes  who  dwell  on  the  shores  of  the  uppiM'  Amazon, 
perform  their  journeys  in  a  similar  maimer.  On  one  occasion  Hinnlinldt 
saw  the  lieails  of  thirtv  or  fortv  individuals,  men,  women  and  children, 
asthey  11":>ted  down  the  liver.     On  approaching  the  ba^iii  of  lh»^  Amazon 


.-.til 


— I 


DESCENDANTS    OF    TUE    IXCAS. 


69 


I 


ho  V  is  tloliijlitod  ■with  tlic  beauty  of  the  scenory  and  tlie  hixmiancc  of 
the  veerotation.  The  orani^e-trees  crrewto  the  lieiy-ht  of  si.vlv  or  seventy 
feet. 

The  travelers  descended  the  River  Chamaya  on  rafts,  to  its  conthience 
•with  the  Amazon,  at  the  narrows  of  Kentania.  They  found  the  latter 
river  to  he  fourteen  hundred  feet  in  breadth,  at  this  jwint.  After  .seven- 
teen days  spent  in  the  hot  valley  of  the  Amazon,  they  ascended  the  Andes 
to  tlie  table-land  of  Caxamarca,  stopping  on  the  way  to  visit  the  i;nnous 
silver  mines  of  (lualgoyoc.  They  took  up  their  temporary  abode  in  the 
viiinity  of  the  mines  in  the  little  mountahi  town  of  Mieuipamjia,  situated 
at  an  elevation  of  twelve  thousand  feet  aboTo  the  sea,  and  where,  thoULjh 
only  O'^  4;]'  from  the  equator,  water  freezes  within  doors,  at  niyht,  diu'ing 
a  gieat  part  of  the  year.  This  wilderness,  almost  devoid  of  ve<j;etatioii, 
is  inhabited  by  three  or  four  thousand  persons,  who  arc  supplied  with 
articles  of  food  from  the  warm  valleys,  as  they  themselves  can  grow 
nothhig  but  some  kinds  of  cabbage  and  salad.  Here,  as  in  all  the  mining 
towns  of  Peru,  tnnul  drives  the  richer  inhabitants,  who,  however,  are 
not  the  best  informed  class,  to  the  dangerous  diversions  of  cards  and 
dice.  Tiie  eonseipieuce  is,  that  the  wealth  thus  (piickly  won  is  still  more 
quickly  spent.  Here  one  is  continually  renunded  of  the  iuucdnte  re- 
lated of  one  of  the  soldiers  of  Pizarro's  army,  who  eiMuiilained  that  he 
had  lost,  in  one  night's  Jilay,  "  a  large  piece  of  the  sun,"  meaning  a  plate 
of  g(jld  wliich  he  had  obtained  at  the  plunder  of  the  temple  of  Cuzio. 

Passing  over  a  succession  of  paramus,  or  mouiitaia  deserts,  where 
they  were  severely  bruised  by  liail-stoi'uis,  the  tra\elcrs  at  last  saw  be- 
neath them  the  ilrtile  valley  of  Caxamarca,  its  extent  of  one  hundred 
scjuare  miles  watered  by  the  windings  of  a  beautiful  little  river.  In  the 
aiu'ient  town,  the  capital  of  the  unfortunate  luca  Atahualljia,  there  are 
many  intei-esling  n'Uiains  of  its  former  rulers.  Some  Aestigcs  of  the 
luca's  palace  and  iortress  are  still  to  be  seen,  althouuh  nuist  of  the  ori-r- 
inal  Peruvian  l)uildings  Jiave  been  torn  down  to  furnish  material  for  the 
dwellings  of  their  con(jUerors.  In  the  town  jail,  which  is  erected  on  the 
ruins  of  Atahuallpa's  jiaiace,  the  room  is  still  shown  in  which  he  was  con- 
iincd  until  the  day  of  his  execution  (August  -^'J,  15.'J:J),  and  tlui  natives 
even  point  out  a  mark  on  the  wall,  as  indicating  the  lieight  which  jiis 
goltlen  ransom  reached.  "  Descenthuits  of  the  Inca,"  pays  Humboldt, 
"still  dwcM  in  Caxamarca,  amiil  the  dreary  architectural  ruins  of  de- 
parted splendor.  'I'licse  descendants  arc  the  family  of  the  Indian  C'a- 
citpie,  or,  as  he  is  called  in  the  Quichua  language,  the  Curaca  Astorpilca. 
They  live  in  great  poveily,  but  ni'vertheless  contented,  and  roigneil  to 
tlieii'  hard  and  u>--.ierited  fate.  Tlieir  descent  from  Atahuallpa,  through 
the  female  line,  has  never  been  a  doubtfid  question  in  Caxamarca;  but 
traces  of  beard  would  seem  to  indicate  sonw  admixture  of  Spanish  l>]ood. 
The  son  I  if  till'  Caci(|ue  A>torpiIca,  an  amiable  and  intiTesting  youth  of 
seventeen,  conducted  us  over  the  ruins  oi"  the  ancient  jialac  •.  Though 
living  in  the  utmost  poverty,  his  imagination  was  lilletl  with  visions  of 


J 


ii 


liir 


»i 


1  il 


(1 

1 1 


70 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF    HUMBOLDT. 


llio  subtorrancan  splendor  fiiul  tlie  golden  treasures  wliicli,  lio  assured  us, 
lay  liiddcn  beneath  the  heajis  of  rubbisli  over  whicli  we  were  treading. 
lie  told  us  that  one  of  his  ancestors  onee  blhidfolded  the  eyes  of  his  wife, 
and  then,  tlirougli  many  intricate  passages  cut  in  tlie  rock,  led  her  down 
hito  tlie  subterrant'an  gardens  of  the  Inea,  Tiiere  the  lady  beheld,  skill- 
fully imitated  in  the  purest  gold,  trees  laden  ^vitli  leaves  and  fruit,  -with 
bin  Is  perched  on  their  branches.  Among  other  things  she  saw  Atahuall- 
jia's  golilen  sedan-chair,  wiiich  had  been  so  long  searched  for  in  vain,  and 
which  is  alleged  to  have  been  sunk  in  the  basin  at  the  Baths  of  Pulta- 
marca.  The  husband  commanded  his  Avife  not  to  totich  any  of  these  en- 
chanted treasures,  reminding  her  that  the  period  fixed  for  the  restoration 
of  the  empire  of  llie  Incas  had  not  yet  arrived,  and  that  whosoever 
should  touch  any  of  the  treasures  would  jjcrish  the  same  night. 

"Tlie  son  of  Astorpilca  assured  me  that  underground,  a  little  to  the 
riglit  of  the  sjjot  on  which  I  then  stood,  there  was  a  large  datm-a-tree, 
or  guanto,  in  full  tlower,  exipiisitely  made  of  gold  wire  and  plates  of 
gold,  and  that  its  branches  overspread  the  Inca's  chair.  The  morbid 
faith  with  which  the  youth  asserted  his  belief  in  this  fabulous  story, 
made  a  profound  and  melancholy  impression  on  me.  These  illusions  are 
cherish  cl  among  the  peo]>le  here,  as  ailbrding  them  consolation  amid 
grt'at  privation  and  earthly  suffering,  I  said  ti^  the  lad,  '  Since  you  and 
your  pjireiits  so  firmly  believe  in  the  existence!  of  these  gai-dens,  do  you 
not,  in  your  poverty,  sometinu>s  feel  a  wish  1o  dig  for  the  treasures  that 
lie  so  near  you  V  Tlie  young  Peruvian's  answer  was  so  simple  and  so 
expressive  of  the  (juiet  resignation  peculiar  to  the  aboriginal  inhabitants 
of  the  country,  that  I  noted  it  down  in  Sjianish  in  my  journal.  'Such  a 
desire,'  said  he,  '  never  comes  to  us.  My  father  says  that  it  M'ould  be 
sinful.  If  we  had  the  golden  branches,  with  all  their  golden  fruits,  our 
white  neighbors  would  hate  us  and  injure  us.  We  have  a  little  field  and 
good  wheat.'  h\\v  of  my  readers  will,  I  trust,  be  displeased  that  T  have 
recalknl  here  tlie  words  of  young  Astorpilca  and  his  golden  dreams." 

After  a  stay  of  five  or  six  days  in  Caxamarca,  the  travelers  started 
fir  Tnixillo,  on  the  Pacific  coast.  Crossing  the  valley  of  the  Magdalena, 
they  ascended  a  steep  wall  of  rock,  five  thousand  feet  high,  from  the 
summit  of  which  the  guiiles  assured  them,  they  would  behold  the  I'acific 
Ocean.  liut  a  thick  mist  overhung  tlie  plain,  and  obscured  the  distant 
coa>t.  Tliey  beheld  only  variously-shaped  masses  of  rock,  now  rising 
like  islands  al>oV(!  the  waving  sea  of  mist,  and  now  vanishing.  "The 
desire  wliieli  we  feel  to  behold  certain  objt'cts,''  says  Ilumlioldt,  "is  not 
excited  solely  by  tlu-ir  grandeur,  their  beauty,  or  their  im|)ortance.  In 
proportion  as  the  fulfillment  of  a  wish  may  have  ai)i»eare<l  improbable, 
its  realization  atl'ords  the  greater  jileasure.  The  traveU'r  eiijoys,  in 
anticipation,  the  happy  moment  when  he  shall  first  behold  the  constella- 
tion of  the  Cro^-s,  and  the  ^Magellanic  clouds  circling  over  the  south 
pole;  when  he  shall  come  in  sight  of  the  snow  of  the  ("liimborazo,  and 
of  the  coliinm  ofsmokc;  ascending  from  the  volcano  of  (iiiito;  Avheii,  for 


■4f 


1 


'M 


FIRST    SIGHT    OF    THE    PACIFIC. 


71 


tlio  fir.-^t  time,  ho  sliiill  gazo  on  :i  f^rovo  of  trfc-fcriis,  or  on  tlip  wido  ox- 
punso  of  the;  Pacilic  Ocean.  The  days  on  whicli  such  wishes  are  fulfilh'd 
mark  epochs  ui  life,  and  create  indelibk>  impressions;  exciting  feelings 
which  reipiirc  not  to  be  accounted  for  by  any  process  of  reasoning.  The 
longing  wish  I  felt  to  behold  the  Pacific  from  tlu;  lofty  ridges  of  the 
And,>s,  was  mingled  with  recollections  of  the  interest  Avith  which,  as  a 
boy,  I  had  <l\velt  on  the  narrative  of  the  adventurous  expedition  of 
Vasco  Nunc/  do  Balboa.  That  hapjiy  man,  whoso  track  Pizarro  tbl- 
lowed,  was  tiie  iirst  to  behold,  from  the  heights  of  (J\iarequa,  on  the 
isthmus  of  I'anama,  the  eastern  part  of  the  great  "  South  Sea.''  The 
reedy  shores  of  the  Casjtian,  viewed  fr(jm  the  pohit  whence  I  first  be- 
held them,  viz.,  from  the  Delta  formed  by  the  mouths  of  the  Volga, 
cannot  certainly  be  called  j)ictuns(jue,  yet  the  delight  I  felt  on  fiist 
beholding  thom,  was  enhanced  by  the  recollection  that,  ui  my  very 
earliest  childhood,  I  had  been  taught  to  observe,  on  the  map,  the  fn-m 
of  the  Asiatic  iidand  sea.  Tlie  imj)ressions  aroused  within  us  in  early 
childhood,  or  excited  by  the  accidental  circumstances  of  life  frequently, 
hi  after  years,  take  a  graver  direction,  and  become  stimulants  to  scien- 
tiiic  labor,",  and  great  enterprises. 

'•After  ))assing  over  many  undulations  of  ground,  on  t1u>  rugged 
mountain  ridges,  wo  at  length  reaclu'd  the  highest  jiouit  of  the  Alto  de 
Guaugainarca.  Tlu;  sky,  Avhich  had  so  long  boon  obscured,  now  sud- 
denly Ijrightened.  A  sharp  south-west  breeze  dis})ersed  the  vail  of  mist; 
and  the  dark  lihie  canopy  of  heaven  was  seen  between  the  narrow  lines 
of  the  highest  feathery  clouds.  Tlie  whole  western  declivity  of  the 
Cordilleras,  covered  witli  huge  Ijlocks  of  quartz  thirteen  or  fifteen  feet 
long  ;  and  the  plains  of  Chala  ami  Molinos,  as  far  as  the  sea  coast  near 
Truxillo,  lay  extended  before  our  eyes,  with  a  wonderful  eU'ect  of  ap- 
parent proximity.  Wi-  now,  l!)r  the  first  time,  commandeil  a  view  of 
the  Pacilic.  Wo  saw  it  distinctly;  retlecting  along  the  Uno  of  the  coast 
an  iinnieiiso  mass  of  liglit,  and  rising  in  immeasurable  expanse  until 
bounded  by  the  ilearly  dolined  horizon.  The  (blight  which  my  com- 
panions, IJonpl.ind  ;!iid  Carlos  3rontut;ir,  sliarotl  with  me  in  viewing  this 
prospect,  caused  u^  to  forget  to  ojioii  the  barometer  on  the  Alto  do 
Guaugainarca.  According  to  a  calculation  which  wo  made  at  a  i)laco 
somewhat  lower  down,  tlie  j)oint  at  which  we  iirst  gained  a  view  of 
the  ocean  must  have  been  at  no  greatiT  an  elevation  than  between 
nine  thousand  three  hundred  and  eighty  and  nine  thoiisand  six  hun- 
dred feet." 


VISIT    TO    MEXICO,  AND    RETURN    TO    EITROTE. 

After  reaching  Truxillo,  on  the  coast,  the  travelers  proceeded  south- 
ward over  the  barren  sind  sandy  tracts  bordering  the  sea,  ♦o  Lima,  wln-re 
they  remained  for  soiuo  lime,  in  order  to  observe  the  transit  of  Mercury. 


I 


■T  n 


^ 


72 


LIFE  AND  TEAVELS  OF  HUMBOLDT. 


Iliiiuboklt  was  especially  fortunate  in  having  a  clear  day  for  this  pur- 
pose, at  a  time  when  fogs  are  prevalent  in  Lima.  At  the  hegiiming  of 
January,  1803,  they  took  passage  for  Acapulco  in  the  Spanish  frigate 
AtaJiinta.  On  arriving  at  Guayaquil,  they  discovered  that  the  volcano 
of  Cotopaxi  had  suddenly  hurst  into  violent  eruption,  its  explosions, 
resembling  discharges  of  artillery,  beuig  distinctly  heard  at  the  former 
place,  which  was  at  least  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  distant.  The  eruption 
■w  as  first  announced  to  the  inhabitants  of  Quito  by  the  sudden  disap- 
pearance of  the  snow  from  the  crater  of  Cotopaxi,  owing  to  the  increase 
of  internal  heat.  They  inmiediately  made  preparations  to  revisit  the 
volcano,  but  had  not  proceeded  far  before  they  were  recalled  by  the 
news  that  the  frigate  Avas  obliged  to  set  sail  immediately.  After  a 
voyage  of  tliirty  days,  they  arrived  safely  at  Acapulco,  where  they  re- 
mahied  for  some  weeks  before  commencing  their  journey  to  the  capital. 
"\Ve  have  very  few  details  of  Humboldt's  ]>ersonal  experiences  and  ad- 
ventures in  Mexico.  Ilis  work  on  "Xew  Spain"  consists  of  an  account 
of  the  political  condition  of  the  coimtry,  its  statistics,  its  physical  geogra- 
l)hy,  its  natural  history  and  geology.  At  the  time  of  its  publication  it 
was  by  far  the  most  complete  and  accurate  descrij)tion  of  Mexico  which 
had  ever  appeared,  and  in  some  resi)ects  has  not  been  superseded  by 
Liter  Avorks.  On  reaching  Acapulco,  IIumboMt  hail  intended  to  remain 
but  a  few  months  in  Mexico,  and  then  return  to  Europe,  because  his 
instruments  a2)i)eared  to  have  sutfered,  and  he  found  it  impossible  to 
correct  them.  But  he  Avas  so  much  pleased  with  the  climate  and  scenery, 
and  so  fascinated  by  the  ncAV  fields  of  investigation  opened  to  hun,  that 
it  was  a  year  befn-e  lie  Avas  AvLlling  to  depart. 

Toward  the  close  of  Avinter,  the  travelers  left  Acapulco,  and  proceed- 
ed, by  Avay  of  Chilpanzingo  and  Cuernavaea  to  the  capital,  Avhcre  they 
occupied  themselves  for  some  time  in  studying  the  interesting  antiquities 
of  the  Aztecs.  Humboldt  Avas  one  of  the  first  scholars  Avho  called  atten- 
tion to  these  remarkable  relics,  and  a  great  ]iortion  of  his  "  Vucs  dis  Cor- 
diUlrcti"'  is  taken  iqj  AAith  dissertations  in  regard  to  them.  In  ]Mexico  ho 
succeeded  in  borrowing  astronomii-al  instruments,  Avilh  Avhich  he  ascer- 
tained the  exact  longitude  of  the  jdace,  Avhich  had  been  incorrectly  given, 
lie  also  visited  the  fimums  mines  of  Moraii  and  IJeal  del  ^fonte,  examined 
the  Dcsagua,  an  immense  artificial  drain  of  the  valley  of  Mexico,  the 
jiyramids  of  Teotihuaean,  and  other  interesting  objects  in  the  vicinity. 
In  July  he  })roceeded  nortliAvard,  still  accomj)anied  l)y  Fionpland,  to  the 
celebrated  mining  tOAvn  of  (Guanajuato,  Avhere  he  devoted  two  months 
to  geognostic  studies,  especially  to  the  detection  of  ores,  and  then  trav- 
eled southward  through  the  valli'y  of  the  Kio  Santiago,  to  Yaliadolid 
(now  3Iorelia)  the  cajntal  of  the  province  of  Michoacan.  He  Avas  greatly 
charmed  Avith  the  little  lake  of  Pascuaro,  and  the  scenery  in  its  vicinity, 
which,  he  declared,  Avould  alone  repay  the  traveler  for  his  voyage  across 
the  ocean.  His  interest  in  the  phenomena  of  volcanoes  led  him  to  the 
plains  of  Jorullo,  near  the  I'acilic  Ocean,  Avhere,  in  the  year  1 V59,  a  volca- 


f 


: 


VISIT    TO   THE    UNITED    STATES. 


73 


i 


nic  oono,  sixteen  hundred  feet  liip^h,  was  fonned  in  .1  sliiccle  nltilit,  on  .1  spot 
whieli  had  previously  been  pcrlcctly  level.  The  plain  s\u  r(>nndin<jj  this 
voleano  is  covered  with  several  thousand  diiuinutivt^  basaltic,  cones,  Avhich 
exhale  a  thick  vapor  through  their  vent-holes  and  communicate  an  insup- 
])ortable  heat  to  the  surrounduig  air.  Owing  to  this  causi',  the  neighbor- 
hood is  very  unhealthy,  but  the  travelers  were  not  deterred  from  threading 
the  Tartarean  labyrinth,  and  ascending  the  volcano,  l)y  climbing  over  the 
jagged  surfaces  of  the  streams  of  lava.  They  even  descendnl  a  distance 
of  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  into  the  cone,  which  is  constantly  burning. 
In  January,  1804,  Humboldt  ami  IJonpland  took  a  fmal  leave  of  the 
city  of  3Ie.\ico,  and  started  on  a  tour  among  the  Cordilleras,  along  the 
eastern  border  of  the  table-land.  The  former  ascertained,  by  trigono- 
nu'trical  measurement,  the  height  of  the  snowy  peaks  of  Popocatapetl 
and  Iztacclhuatl,  and  examined  the  i)yramid  of  Cholula,  He  made  a 
barometrical  survey  of  the  road  from  Mexico  to  Vera  Cruz,  which,  in  the 
district  between  Perote  and  J.alapa — then  an  almost  impenetrable  forest 
of  oak  and  fir-trees — was  thrice  repeated,  enabling  him  to  locate  the 
route  for  the  fine  post-road  which  has  sint-e  been  constructed.  The 
travelers  also  ascended  the  peak  of  Cofro  de  Perote,  and  measured,  by 
trigonometry,  the  height  of  Orizaba.*  Peaching  Vera  Cruz,  they  were 
fortunate  enough  to  escape  the  yelloAV-fever,  which  was  then  raging 
there,  and  to  obtain  a  passage  lor  Havana  in  a  Spanish  frigate.  At  the 
latter  place  they  took  j)ossession  of  the  important  collections  Avhich  had 
been  left  there  three  years  previously,  and  after  a  stay  of  nearly  two 
months,  took  passage  for  Philadelphia  in  an  American  vessel,  Tliey  had 
a  violent  stoim,  which  lasted  seven  days,  in  the  Bahama  Channel,  but 
reached  their  destination  safely  after  a  voyage  of  thirty-two  days.  As 
Humboldt  remained  but  six  or  seven  weeks  in  the  T'"nited  States,  devot- 
ing his  time  jiriiieipally  to  the  study  of  their  political  condition,  he  has 
jiublished  no  account  of  his  visit.  He  traveled  to  Washington,  which 
was  then  a  mere  village,  but  which,  nevertheless,  he  thought,  would 
grow  into  a  more  imposing  city  than  Mexico.  He  associated  with  the 
scieiitiiie  society  of  J'liiladel]iliia,  which  was  at  that  time  deservedly 
celebrated;  he  visitt'd  Xew  York,  and  finally,  in  July,  1804,  sailed  for 
Bordeaux,  whei'c  he  arrived  in  the  following  month,  having  been  absent 
from  Europe  more  than  five  years. 

PUBLICATION    OF    HIS  TVORKS. 

This  journey,  planned  with  so  nuich  zeal  and  courage,  prosecuted 
with  so  much  perseverance  and  industry,  and  carried  on  to  so  triumph- 

"  This  iwumtaiii  wns  asponded  Hir  tlip  (irst  tinio  by  a  part)'  of  American  officers  dur- 
infr  the  lato  war.  They  found,  by  liaromelrioal  measurement,  that  its  liei^ht  had  been 
slightly  under-ustii.  ■  ,1  l)y  iiunibdMt,  and  that  it  wan,  in  realitv,  between  two  and  throe 
liundred  feet  liitrlier  than  I'oixjoatapctl,  liitliurto  considered  tho  highest  luountuiti  ou  the 
North  American  t'ontini'nt. 


r" 


74 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF    IIUMBOLDT. 


ant  ;i  r(iiii]iU'ti(iii,  jirixliiccd  ;i  tiTcal  siiisatum  in  llic  sci(  titilic  world.  In 
llio  words  of  I'roti'ssor  KK'iicki',  "It  was  not,  only  uiicxaiiiiik'd  as  the 
c'XtH'Utiuii  (il'tlic  iin»t,  iiia^iiilii'C'iil,  iindfrtakiiii;'  of  a  (uriiiaii  citizen;  it 
was  not  oiilv  iH'rli'ctlv  disinterested,  and  a  saeriliee  luaile  sulelv  to  tliu 
inteii'sls  of  science;  jieople  adniired  not  alone  the  conrai;'eoiis  delennin- 
ation,  tlie  jierseverinLt  I'orce,  tlie  industry,  the  intellectnal  ta|iacities  and 
inijniiin^  talent  of  Ihnnboldt's  jiersonality,  bnt  tlu;  tfradiially  ri'vt'aled 
n\snlls  of  his  journey  to  the  e(|ninoctiaI  reijions  of  the  new  conlinenl 
liecanie  of  such  universal  imiKU'tance  in  all  luanclies  of  human  scienco 
anil  connnerce,  in  its  iniluence  on  a  new  system  of  science  even — nay, 
also  on  the  jiolitical  ini|irovements  of  the  country  traversed — tliat 
Ilnmboldt  was  haile<l  in  iMirojn'  as  a  second  Columbus."  AVilhelm  von 
Ilinnboldt  a*  as  at  the  time  residing  in  IJome,  but  Iiis  Avife  was  in  Paris 
Mith  Jier  children.  \  rcjiort  liad  rt'achi'd  JMirope  that  the  traviders  liad 
fallen  victims  to  the  yi'llow-fever  previous  to  their  dejiarture  from  Havana, 
an<l  this  re|iort  was  very  generally  believed.  The  dispatch,  Avhich  brought 
the  intelligence  of  thiir  arrival  at  Bordeaux  to  the  National  Institute  of 
Trance,  was  iuunediati'ly  forwarded  l)y  the  secretary  to  ^Madam  von 
l[und)ol(Il,  wIkjso  siwpriso.  and  joy  on  meeting  with  her  brother-in-law 
Avas  cvjual  to  his  own  on  seeing  lier  so  nnicli  sooner  than  ho  liad  anticijiated. 
On  reaching  Paris,  Humboldt  innnediately  set  about  arranging  his  col- 
lections, and  jireparing  the  materials  lie  had  gatlu'red  lor  the  publication 
of  a  grand  scienliiic  Avork.  lie  was  still  assisted  by  his  friend  IJonpland, 
:ind  by  the  sympathy  and  encoin-agement  of  all  the  .w/v</<s  of  the  capital, 
anutng  whom  were  Cuvier,  Gay-Lussac,  Arago,  and  Lajjlace. 

In  the  sjiring  of  1805  he  accoini)anit'<l  his  sister-in  law  to  Konu,  and 
sjiiiit  part  of  the  ensuing  sunnncr  at  Albano,  Avith  his  brother  Wilhelm. 
Their  vsociety  was  at  that  time  still  further  enriched  by  the  j)resenco  of 
]Madame  de  Stael,  Schlegcl,  and  Sismondi.  An  anticijiated  erujition  of 
\"esuvius  led  him  to  Naples,  in  company  Avith  (Jay.J^ussac,  and  he  Avas 
fortuiiale  in  being  able  to  Avitiii'ss  the  grand  outbreak  of  the  iL'th  of  ^\u- 
gust.  Alter  completing  liis  observ:itions  he  ])roceedod  to  Berlin,  and 
did  not  return  to  Paris  milil  1807,  Avhen  he  e>tat)lislieil  himself  there  per- 
manently, to  superintend  the  j)ublication  of  his  Avorks.  .l>ul  the  fruit.s 
of  his  joui'm-y  were  so  considerable,  so  varied,  and  entering  into  so  many 
spheres  of  science,  his  studies  and  collections  were  so  exciting  ll)r  further 
research  and  comparison,  that  he  Avas  obliged  to  luiite  Avith  other  schol- 
ars, and  allow  them  to  complete,  in  a  more  especial  manner,  the  various 
branches  of  his  undertaking.  "  The  most  eminent  men  of  the  age,"  says 
Klencke,  "considered  it  an  honor  to  be  engaged  as  li Ilowdaborers  in 
this  gigantic  Avork ;  tluy  em\dated  each  other  in  the  f-tcrling  value  of 
the  contents,  and  the  most  accurate  adaptation  of  the  material  atlbrded 
them.  Artists  and  artisans  stroA'c  to  make  the  artistic  contributions — 
the  atlas,  the  landscapes,  the  typographical  cxecntion — as  jtertect  and 
brilliant  as  jjossiblo."  The  work  Avas  originally  Avritten  in  Freni'h,  and 
portions  of  it  have  not  yet  been  translated  uitu  the  author's  native  lan- 


^1 


I 


1 


-•i  i 


ADVENTUUKS    OK    HOXI'LAND. 


75 


^uairo.  If  i.s  ratlicr  :i  scries  of  (Ictiiclicd  -works,  troiUiiij^  of  pppcial 
braiK'liC's  of  srioiicc,  than  a  siii!j;lc  (•oiim'('li<I  work,  an«l  sonic  idea  of  IIk; 
inaLinitiiilc  of  the  muliTtakini^  may  Itc  ohtaiiicil  from  tlic  tiict  that  at  thi; 
011(1  of  forty  years  from  tlie  idibhcatioii  of  thi!  first  jiortioii,  it  was  not 
coinph'tc.  TikIcoiI,  it  may  still  be  oonsidered  as  iiicoiiiiilctc,  ahhoivifh 
iiicoiiiliaralily  the  grandest  work  of  tlie  kind  \vlii<'h  has  ever  a|i|)eared. 
In  isi  :,  the  eost  of  a  single  copy  of  the  folio  edition  was  ahont  ^'.'idOD, 
and  t.>"  ]:rintinu:,  jiaper,  and  eojiper-plates  alone  liad  occasioneil  an  e.\- 
])enditiire  of  ^lt}0,()00,  iniieli  of  which  was  contributed  by  Humboldt  from 
his  own  private  resources. 

In  the  vcar  IHIO  lie  visited  \iemia,  Mhero  his  l)rotlier  Wilhelm  was 
residiic'  as  Prussian  embas>:idor.  Althoiii,di  but  four  or  live  volumes  of 
his  \\(M  k  were  published,  he  had  already  conceived  the  id(  of  making  a 
second  great  joMrney  to  Central  Asia,  and  Thibet.  The  Knssian  minister, 
llonian/DW,  had  pro])oscd  to  him  to  accompany  a  mission  which  was  to 
))roceerl  through  Independent  Tartary  to  Cashgar,  on  the  westeni  fron- 
tier of  Thibet,  and  he  at  once  accepted  the  otler.  This  ])Ian,  which  was 
to  be  put  in  execution  in  the  year  1  HI 'J,  met  with  an  unexpected  obstaclo 
in  the  war  between  Uussia  and  France.  Although  his  ]iroposed  journey 
was  iVu-trated  for  the  time,  he  did  not  rcliiwiuish  the  liopo  of  carrying  it 
out  at  some  future  day;  and  with  this  view,  uflor  liis  return  to  Paris, 
occujiied  himself  for  ^oiiie  years  with  the  stuily  of  tlu^  Persian  language, 
so  that  Ik-  ini^lit,  at  his  own  ex])cnse,  proceed  to  India  by  way  of  Tehe- 
ran ami  Herat.  lie  g;iiiied  so  accurate  a  knowledge  of  the  structure  of 
the  ,.\sia(ic  mountain  chains  from  literary  sources  that  lie  was  able  to  give 
critical  judgments  on  the  exi)lorers  who  had  traveled  to  the  Himalaya 
mountains.  The  French  government  had,  in  the  interests  of  science, 
j)rofTered  its  assistance  to  tlu^  execution  of  this  j)lan,  and  even  the  King 
of  Prus-ia,  when  lu;  was  at  Aix-la Chapelle  in  1S18,  granteil  Humboldt 
an  annual  sum  of  l'J,000  -ihalers  (^s,rjuO)  and  the  expense  of  preparing 
the  ex])edilion  for  the;  journey  to  Asia;  but,  for  some  reason  or  other, 
Avhicli  has  not  been  explained,  the  jilan  was  never  carried  out. 

In  the  year  1HT8.  Humboldt  ami  llonpland,  after  sharing  (>aeh  other's 
fortunes  ibr  twenty  years,  separated  forever.  The  latter,  who  had  been 
a]tpointed  sujierintendent  of  the  gardens  at  INIalmaison  by  Najioleon,  bo- 
came  weary  of  France  after  the  downflill  of  the  emilre,  and  accepted  an 
appointment  as  Professor  of  Natural  History  at  ibienos  Avros.  After 
his  departure  from  Furope  nothing  was  iieard  of  him  for  n  long  time,  but 
the  news  came  at  last  that  lu^  had  been  seized  liy  the  orders  of  Francia, 
the  Dictator  of  Paraguay,  while  visiting  an  Indian  colony  on  the  shores 
of  the  river  Parana.  Francia  was  inci'useil  at  P>oiipland  tor  his  eflbrts  to 
establish  the  tea  culture  within  the  Brazilian  territories,  for  th(>  tea-plant 
is  peculiar  to  P:iraguay,  and  forms  one  of  the  staph.'  ])rodnctions  of  the 
country.  Pxinpland  was  imt  deprivecl  of  his  personal  liljerty,  and  was 
alloweil  til  ]iiactice  as  a  jihysician.  When  the  news  of  this  outrage 
reached  Humboldt,  he  was  unremitting  in  his  endeavors  tu  enlist  the  in- 


! ;  111 


m 


1     !» 


76 


LFFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF    HUMBOLDT. 


lluoiu'L'  of  the  goviTiiments  of  Franco  arid  Spiiiii  in  UonplaiKl's  favor; 
btitl'aragiiiiy  was  entirely  beyond  their  reach.  After  a  detention  of  mnc 
years,  Jjon|iland  was  released  and  returned  to  IJuenos  Ayres,* 

Allerhis  \  isit  to  Krinland  in  IbJH,  and  his  eonsultaticjns  willi  thv  Kint; 
of  Prussia  at  Aix-la-C"lia]ielle,  in  October  ami  Xovend)er  of  llie  same 
year,  Ilunibohll  returned  to  I'uris,  wlu're  lie  remained  until  1822,  when 
he  again  joini'd  the  king  at  Verona,  and  accompanied  him  on  his  journey 
to  ^'eni(•e,  Home,  and  Xai)les.  They  also  returned  together  to  Herlin, 
where  lIum1»oldt  s|)ent  some  months  with  his  brother.  lie  <lid  not, 
however,  take  up  his  jiernianent  residence  in  Herlin  until  iMay,  ISiiT,  con- 
tenting himself  with  an  annual  visit  to  T'aris,  to  superintend  the  progress 
of  his  yreat  Work.  In  the  autnnnioflhe  same  vear,  at  the  sujjfgestiun  of 
his  brother,  Schiegel,  and  m  liict,  of  all  the  scholars  and  naturalists  of 
IJerliii,  he  consented  to  give  a  course  of  public  lectures  on  physical  cos- 
mography. Tlie  chai'acter  of  these  lectures  and  the  sensation  they  pro- 
duced, is  tlni>;  desciibed  by  Professor  Klencke  : — "As  he  had  betbre  done 
in  I'aris,  in  the  French  language,  Humboldt  now,  in  his  native  tongue, 
gave  the  rich  fiuils  (if  his  researches  to  the  public,  in  a  course  of  lectures 
delivert'd  bi'fore  a  select  but  numerous  assend)lage,  lie  enchanted  his 
hearers  by  the  jieculiar  force  of  his  iuteiiectual  clea"ness,  by  his  elo([uencc, 
the  geimineness  anil  warmth  of  his  ilelings,  and  the  inexhaustible  novelty 
of  his  subject.  He  stood  before  them  as  a  convhicing,  inspiring  teacher, 
Avho,  like  ail  artist,  disjilaycd  the  wonderful  jiictures  of  a  newly-explored 
world  to  liieir  view.  This  course  of  sixty-one  lectures,  conunenced  on 
the  ;)d  of  Xt)\end)er,  and  ccjucluded  on  the  2Gth  of  April,  1828,  was,  as 
it  were,  the  iirst  sketch  of  the  "  Kosmos,"  ])ublished  subsetpiently  as  the 
com])act  result  of  his  life  and  studies.  Wlu'U  sonu-  of  the  first  lectures 
had  been  delivered,  the  jiress  of  people  from  ail  ranks  was  so  great  that 
Humboldt  was  literally  tbrced  to  give  a  repetition  of  the  first  course, 
adapted  liir  a  more  general  jiublic,  nearly  coteinporary  with  the  others, 
hi  the  large  hall  of  the  ^lusical  Academy.  These  jujpular  lectures  were 
eagerly  visited  by  the  highest  and  most  learned  persons  in  the  capital. 
The  king,  the  royal  family,  the  court,  the  highest  lords  and  ladies,  at- 
tended regularly  and  li.sti'iied  with  the  people,  who  showed  their  j'riJo 
in  the  celebrated  man  by  their  eiithiisiastic  admiration." 


JOUP.XEY    TIIROUGir    RUSSIA,    SIBERIA,    AXD    TARTARY. 

Humboldt  was  urged  to  publish  these  lectures,  and  prepared  to  com- 
ply, but  his  plans  were  tmexpectedly  changed.  The  illness  and  death  of 
his  sister-ui-law  drew  him  away  from  his  studies  for  a  time,  but  the  sub- 

*  Bnnpl.mil  iiiipciirs  to  h;ivo  voluntarily  retumod  to  Parapimy  soon  aftorwanl,  and 
to  liavc  di'Viitpd  liiins<irto  ostahlisliin,:?  iiliintationf.  He  never  relinquished  the  idea  of 
rctiirnin'^'  to  Europi',  Imt  lingered  year  after  year,  uud  tiually  died  there,  quite  recently, 
at  a  very  advaueea  age. 


1 


!  n 


I  I' 


VISIT    TO    THK    UUAL    MOUNTAIN'S.  77 

I'cot  which  soon  (loniainled  all  of  liis  attention  \v;is  tlic  rcnpwal  of  tho 
former  iilan  of  a  graml  scicntitic  exploration  of  Central  Asi;i.  The 
original  jilan,  Mliich  was  warmly  cncourajieil  by  the  uoverntnenis  of 
France  and  Prussia,  had  heen  entirely  given  nj),  aUer  lluniholilt  had 
cherished  it  for  years.  Hut  in  December,  1827,  the  Emperor  Nicholas 
invited  him  to  make  an  extended  exjiloration  (if  the  minintr  districts  of 
the  Ural  moimtains,  the  territories  bordering  on  China  ami  Tartary,  and 
the  shores  of  the  Caspi.an  Sea,  at  the  e  cpense  of  the  I «ussi;m  govern- 
ment. Humboldt  accepted  the  otfer  -wit.i  joy,  but  a-^ked  leave  to  ])ost- 
pone  the  preparation  ''r  the  journey  initil  he  liad  completed  the  jmbiic 
lectures  on  which  he  was  :it  that  time  engaged.  The  emperor  granted 
his  reijuest,  and  left  him  at  liberty  to  choose  the  localities  he  was  to  ex- 
plore, and  to  prosecute  the  join-ney  in  such  a  manner  as  would  best 
advance  the  interests  of  science,  always  considering  the  advantages 
which  the  llussian  government  might  draw  from  a  develo]iinent  of  tlie 
mining  capabilhics  of  the  country,  as  merely  of  secondary  imjiortance. 

In  the  year  1828,  the  preparations  f)r  the  journey  were  made,  jilai.  , 
were  laid,  and  arrangements  entered  into  with  other  naturalists,  whom 
he  was  allowed  to  select  as  his  comijanions.  lie  communicated  w  ith 
Gustav  R(jse  and  G.  Ehrenberg,  two  naturalists  living  in  Berlin,  who 
consented  to  accompany  hhn  on  his  jirojected  expedition.  Each  of  the 
thi'ee  travelers  had  a  special  branch  of  activity  allotted  to  him.  Iliun- 
boldt  undertook  the  observations  on  magnetism,  the  results  of  geograph- 
ical astronomy,  and  the  general  preparation  of  the  geognostio  anil 
]/hysical  plan  of  north-western  Asia.  G.  Kofe  was  to  make  the  chemical 
analyses  of  minerals,  and  keep  the  traveling  diary,  while  the  botanical 
and  zoological  labors  fell  to  Ehrenberg's  iiliare. 

On  the  12th  of  April,  1820,  the  three  travelers  left  Berlin  for  St. 
Petersburg,  Avhere  thev  arrived  on  the  1st  of  I\Iav.  The  IJnssian  Min- 
ister  of  Finance,  Count  Cancrin,  ha<l  made  ample  arrangements  for  their 
comfort  and  security,  .and  f<>r  facilitating  their  expedition.  Carriages 
were  prepared,  a  courier  was  selected,  horses  were  eng.aged  to  bo  held 
in  readiness  at  the  stations  .along  the  route,  houses  were  everywhere  to 
be  jilaced  at  their  dispos.al,  .and  military  escorts  provided,  where  prox- 
imity to  the  frontiers  made  their  jn-otection  necessary.  A  Russian 
mining  officer,  JMenschenin,  afterward  Inspector  of  Muies,  was  a])))ointed 
as  Humboldt's  constant  companion,  to  give  him  every  information  in 
regard  to  ways  and  localities,  and  to  levy  the  necessary  assistance  froni 
the  Kussi.an  .authorities. 

Thus  prei)arod,  anil  furnished  with  .ill  the  comfort  ■.  of  Russian  hos- 
]>itality,  they  left  St.  Petersburg  on  tlie  20th  of  ^fay,  and  ])roceeded 
rajiidly  over  the  broad  highway  to  Moscow.  Atter  a  few  days  sjicnt 
here  in  making  barometrical  observ.ations,  .and  in  examining  the  geolog- 
ical productions  of  the  country,  they  continued  their  journey  toward 
the  Ural,  advancing  more  slowly  over  the  inditferent  roads  of  the  m.arshy 
lauds  that  occupy  a  portion  of  that  level  region.     They  arrived  at  Nish- 


1  I 


111 
I  ,i 


• 


i 


..  \ 


V   I 


(f 


78 


LWK    AND    TRAVELS    OF    HTMBOLDT. 


Ill  (Lower)  X()\  icon  p'l,  on  tlio  V(>1li;;i,  by  tlu  last  of  M;iy.  Hire  (hey 
met  with  Coiml  I'tdiiT,  llu.'  jiroprk'tor  ol"  some  luiuiiiL,'  i'>tal('s  in  (1k' 
I'ral,  wlio  was  traveliiiL;  lliitlur  witli  a  few  scientific  ncntlenieii,  and 
wlio  acconlinyly  aveonijianied  them  iiit  >  that  ri'i;ion.  Tiuy  tinbarked 
on  the  N'olgii  and  reached  Kasan  on  the  -tth  of  June.  Kasan  Mas  for 
three  centuries  the  seat  of  an  independent  Tartar  Khanate,  wliich  was 
overtnrneil  in  ]')')2.  The  suburbs  of  the  town  were  still  inhabited  by 
'I'artars,  \vh<»se  MhIsi'IikIs  or  tempU'S  were  visited  by  the  travelers.  On 
enteriiiix  the  pacred  ediliccs  the  guides  tool-'  olF  their  slippers,  altlu)u_<,di 
they  ptM-niitted  the  \  isitors  to  wear  their  lioots.  From  Kasan  they 
made  an  excur>ii)n  (b»wn  the  Vol^iv  ti)  the  intiMi'stiiiL;'  ruins  of  HulLT.'ir, 
till'  capital  of  the  ancient  IJul^aria,  which  tlourislu'd  Uunx  the  seventh  to 
the  thirtienth  ccntuiy.  .\s  they  approached  the  modern  villajfe,  the 
w  liiilc  population  came  forth  to  meit  them  in  grou])s  of  men,  women, 
niid  ciii'.lre!),  and  tlie  oldest  inhabitants,  wlio  led  the  j^roiips,  oiferi'il 
bread  and  salt  to  lluinboldt,  in  token  of  revereiici',  accordini;  to  the 
llussian  eiistom.  The  walls  of  a  Ww  eilificcs.  two  towers,  and  several 
tonibstoiu-s  beariiiLC  monumental  inscriptions  in  Turkish,  Arabic,  and 
Armenian,  which  mostly  dated  from  the  year  (J'J:!  of  the  Iledjira,  or, 
A.  1'.  I'JJi),  were  the  principal  remains  •vliich  the  travelers  found  of  the 
ancient  cajiital.  .Many  silver  and  copper  e<iins,  copper  riiiLfs,  and  tiink- 
ets.  Were  sli'I  found  anmuL'"  the  rnbliisji.  The  tombs  of  Tartar  sainti", 
were  still  objects  (jf  pilyrimauji'S  ilir  the  tiiithfiil.  \  Tartar  .MoIIah  was 
lierforminu;  his  devotions  anioiit^  the  ruins,  by  repeatinuj  a  form  of  prayer 
and  l're(pieiitly  bowin;^  his  liody,  without  aliowini^  the  presence  of  the 
travelers  to  disturb  him.  ^Vs  the  ruins  wi'ii'  some  di>tance  apart,  he 
availed  himself  of  a  seat  in  their  carriage,  and  rode  with  thcin  to  all  the 
ruins,  always  arianginu;  it  so  that  Im  had  iicrformed  liis  ilcNoiional  exer- 
cises bi'fore  tluy  »',i.re  Mirough  with  their  examinations.  At  Kasan  tliey 
wi;  nosed  a  rural  ti'stiva!  of  the  Tartars,  called  the  Sfififin,  which  i-  cele- 
brated annually  after  seed-time.  The  sports  consisted  in  wrestling,  run- 
ning, and  horse-racing. 

Leaving  Kasan  on  the  Otli,  they  iias-cd  through  a  district  inhabited 
by  the  I  To //,//•>•,  a  branch  of  the  {•'inni--h  tiimily,  who  had  embraced  tlu' 
Christian  n  liuion,  and  adopted  the  llussian  language,  while  they  still 
retaineil  tluir  i'"!miti\e  costumes.  The  women  woie  lilu,h  cajis,  made 
of  l»irch-bark  covered  with  blue  cloth,  and  hung  with  silver  coins  and 
red  iViimi's.  They  spent  the  li'th  at  Werchne  (Lpper)  Mulinsk,  on 
Count  I'olier's  estate,  wlicnr  he  entertained  tli.iii  ho-pitably,  al\er  which 
he  acionipanicd  them  on  their  expedition  beyond  dt'katharinenbiirg. 
When  they  came  to  the  valli'ys  in  the  outskirts  of  the  rial,  on  the  1  Ith 
of  June,  they  were  tlelighted  with  the  suddt'U  appearance  of  sjiring. 
Three  weeks  betore,  they  had  lell  the  Neva  in  ice,  and  now  all  tho 
plants  were  in  ful!  bloom,  covering  the  ground  with  a  profusion  of  rare 
and  beautiful  llowers.  On  the  ir.th,  they  arrivc<l  at  Jekathariiienburg, 
Hituafed  among  the  mountains  on  the  Asiatic  side  of  the  I'ral   ridge,  in 


1i 
ii 


ti 


WISSOKAJA    GORA. 


r9 


Olio  of  tlio  riclu"<t  inii'iTal  itli'ioiis  of  tlio  contiiu'iit,  Tlu'v  visiti'd  Sclia- 
browski,  Inrt'sowsk,  and  other  goM  mines  in  tlic  viriiiily,  the  rich  eopix-r 
iiiiues  of  Guiiiesehewskoi,  and  then  extended  their  exenrsions  northward 
as  lar  us  Xishni  "^I'a^ilsk,  into  a  district  aboniiding  in  ifold,  i>latina,  cop- 
per, iron,  anil  precious  stones.  Nishni  Tagilsk,  with  a  .siirroiinding 
tract  of  eight  tlionsaml  sipiare  versts,  is  a  possession  of  the  l)enii(h)lf 
family,  and  is  si'arcely  surpassed  by  any  i)lace  in  the  world  in  the  rich- 
ness and  variety  of  mineral  iirodnctioiis  in  its  immediate  viciiiitv.  Near 
the  town  is  the  celebrated  moniuaiii  of  magnetic  iron,  called  Wissokaja 
Gora,  whose  excellent  ores  supply  mmierons  furnaces,  while  coj)per  of  a 
supeiinr  <piality  is  found  in  large  <piaiitities,  and  rich  iields  of  goM  and 
jilatina  abound,  the  latter  liir  surpassing  in  richness  all  others  in  the 
Ural  mountains.  Near  the  impeiial  iron  works  of  Kuschwinsk,  they 
visited  .'iiiotlur  remarkable  monntaiii  of  magnetic  iron,  called  (lora  lila- 
goilat  (the  Blessed  3Iuuntain),  whirh  was  discovered  to  the  early  Rus- 
sian sel'lers  by  a  Wni/iif  named  Tschnnipkin.  Tor  this  act  he  was 
burned  alive  u[ic)n  tlu'  mountain  by  his  co  ..trymen,  the  primitive  inhab- 
itants. A  monument  stands  on  the  summit,  ere  cted  to  his  memorv  bv 
the  Kus-ians. 

numbdldt's  attention  liad  already  betai  called  to  the  remarkable 
analogy  in  the  grouping  of  minerals  in  \aiions  parts  of  the  world,  aiul 
now  he  was  struck  with  the  ri'semblance  of  tliis  region  to  the  gold  and 
jilalina  districts  of  ib-azil,  which  also  produce  diamonds.  This  idea  of 
the  a->s(iciation  of  miiurals  awakened  in  him  the  strongest  hope  of  dis- 
covering diamonds  in  llie  I'ral  mountains,  and  on  every  occasion  of 
gold  and  plalina  w.isliing,  the  sand  was  mieroseopit-ally  examineil  in  this 
liopc.  In  this  manner  they  foiuul  many  minerals  herelolbre  unknown 
in  the  I'ral  moimtaiiis,  among  tlu'in  crystals  which  in  I!ra/.il  are  fouml 
Avith  diamonds,  ;ilthough  they  were  not  siicci'ssful  in  the  main  obji'ct  of 
their  siarcli.  Humboldt's  theory  was  conlirmed,  however,  (bu'ing  liis 
sojourn  in  this  iH'gioti,  for  diamonds  were  found  by  Count  I'olier,  in 
the  vicinity  of  Ibltersk,  a,  fi'w  days  after  he  parted  from  him,  and  in 
a  lilth'  while  others  were  discovered  in  variiMis  places  in  the  northern 
Ural. 

On  the  1st  of  duly  they  lefl  Kuschwinsk,  aii'l  proceeded  by  the  iron 
works  ot"  Nizhni  Turinsk  to  the  copper  mines  of  Mogo-Iow,  k.  Here  the 
nionnlains  were  higher,  and  the  side-branches,  extending  at  right  angles 
lioiii  the  main  iid<',e,  spread  n\cra  \\ider»\tuit  offcrritory.  'I'lie  |i«rests 
Were  d>'iise,  and  the  iniliH''rent  roaijs,  which  render  this  region  compara- 
tively inai ssiblc.  greatly  hindered  them  in  their  investigations.     Tlie 

country  was  rich  in  plants  ami  (lowers,  ;is  well  as  in  mini  rals,  and  the 
luxuiiasit  growth  of  juicy  vcixelation  proibieed  myriads  of  stinging  gnats 
and  imwiiuilocs,  which  greatly  am;oycd  tlie  travelers.  The  inhabilantH 
protect  themsclvc"!  from  these  pests  by  a  m-t  sprinkleil  willi  binh  bark 
tea,  or  by  the  smoke  of  tiecayed  wood, or  fungi,  which  they  carry  ignited 
in  Hinall  iiirthen  vessels  upon  their  backs. 


Ir 


J 


80 


LIFE    AXD    TIIAVKL8    OF    JIUMIJOLPT. 


The  scenery  aniiiinl  1  lo<»o.slo\vsk  was  mannilict'iit.  Over  (lii'  luinul 
plain,  lying  eastward,  the  view  was  almost  nnboinuk'd  ;  wliik'  on  the  west 
and  north  the  mountains  rose  in  majestic  grandeur.  The  iirincijial  ranije 
was  lorty  or  tit'ty  mik's  distant,  and  its  snou-i-ovcri'd  peaks  >tood  out  ia 
bold  vt'lief  above  tlie  J.ark  tbreslsorjiinr  and  lir  which  tovt'rcd  the  inter- 
venint;  hcitrhts.  They  visited  tin-  mines  ot'co|i|)er,  iron,  ami  "xold  in  this 
district,  and  relmnetl  liy  .Mur.sin>k,  rich  in  precious  stones,  to.lekathar- 
inenberg,  where  they  arriveil  on  the  11th,  alter  an  absence  of  sixteen 
days.  In  a  week  they  hail  jirejtared  and  arranyeil  the  mass  oi'mati'rials 
thty  had  collected,  when  they  set  out  lor  Tobolsk,  and  reached  that  city 
on  the  '.'1st. 

Tobolsk  liad  been  the  eastern  limit  of  the  expedition  in  irnmboldt'.s 
orijfinal  plan;  bnt  the  ease  and  promptness  with  which  they  hml  accom- 
pli>hed  the  journey  in  the  northern  Tral,  induced  liim  t()  extend  the 
journey  to  the  Altai,  that  he  nii^jht  become  acipiiiinteil  with  these  im- 
portant mountains  by  personal  observation.  The  plan  beiiiLT  approved  by 
the  authorities,  they  completed  their  arran<^emcnts,  ;uid  in  two  days 
weie  an'ain  njion  the  r<iail.  The  interxcnini;'  rcLjion  consists  mostly  ot' 
steppes,  which,  aithouuh  trawrsed  liy  a  lew  roads,  upon  wiiicli  villages 
are  lierc  and  tiiere  established  at  the  stations,  are  generally  barren  and 
uncultivated.  They  ascended  tiic  Ir.stysch  toTatmytakaJa,  thcti  crossed 
over  in  a  soutli-easterly  direction  t(»  the  waters  of  the  Om.  and  contin- 
ued their  route  easlwardly,  near  its  limiks,  across  the  ti-arful  steppe  of 
l>arabinski.  This  great  steppe,  which  embraces  the  mIioIc  space  between 
the  rivers  Irstyscli  and  Obi,  is  not  dry  and  arid,  as  tiie  steppes  are  usually 
supposed  to  be,  l)ut  •wi'll  HUppIicil  with  lakes,  marshes,  and  llowing 
streams.  .M;uiy  of  the  lakes  contain  salt  wati'r,  juid  the  eaith  itself  is 
in  some  places  in)pregnated  with  salt.  Here  and  there  a  spot  of  rich 
vegetation  appears,  and  occasionally  a  few  poplars  or  birch-trees  relievo 
the  monotonous  level.  Over  the  marshy  ground  the  road  was  lVe(|Ui'nlIy 
bridged  in  long  courses,  but  as  these  iuiprovemenis  were  in  a  bad  con- 
ditio:), the  traveling  upon  them  was  M'ry  tedious.  Another  amioyancc! 
was  even  kss  cnduralile  than  this;  they  were  attacked  by  swarms  of 
stinging  gnats  and  llies,  which  preyed  upon  them  unceasingly.  This 
vexing  pest,  with  the  jolting  of  the  carriage,  occasioned  a  serious  loss  to 
''.uinboldt  in  tim  breaking  of  a  large  barometer,  tliough  its  jilace  was 
partially  supplied  by  a  lighter  one.  ^\t  Kamsk,  in  the  midille  of  the 
sti'ppe,  they  received  the  alarming  intelligence  that  the  Sibeiian  pesti- 
lence was  raging  in  all  the  villagt's  bi'llire  them  on  the  way  to  Tom>k. 
This  terrible  disease  prevails  at  first  among  tlu-  cattle,  ami  from  them 
extends  to  huTiian  beings,  especially  upon  the  jihiins,  never  among  the 
mountains.  The  travelers  held  a  consnlfalion,  and  as  it  was  iinpractic;i- 
ble  to  ri'aih  the  .Altai  region  by  any  other  route,  if  they  should  ntrace 
their  sf(  |'<.  at  ha'^t  within  the  limits  of  their  plan,  they  resolv<'d,  al  all 
hazards,  to  continue  their  jourm-y,  with  the  precaution — as  the  disease  was 
ri'|)resi'ntcd   to  be  eontagious^to  avoid  all  contact  \n  illi  the  juavants 


I 


m  m 


M 


I  I 


it 


82 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF    HUMBOLDT. 


snow-covored  mountains  awakened  in  Iluniboklt  and  his  conijianions  a 
desire  to  penetrate  further  into  tliat  interesting  region,  but  the  hiteness 
of  the  season  and  the  plahs  ah'eady  laid,  warned  them  to  desist. 

They  were  now  so  near  the  boimdary  of  China,  that  llunibohlt  wished 
to  j)ass  over  to  Bati,  or  Klionimailakhii,  the  nearest  Cliinese-Mongol- 
ian  post,  situated  on  the  Irtyseh,  below  Lake  Saissan.  ]Ie  had  made 
known  his  wishes  at  JJuehtarminsk,  the  upjjer  Russian  j)ost  on  tlie  river, 
and  a  Cossack  had  been  sent  thither  to  aimousice  his  visit.  When  they 
arrived,  tliey  found  two  tents  prepared  for  them,  whieh  they  occupied 
during  their  stay.  Tiiere  Avere  two  stations  at  this  jiost,  one  on  the  leil 
bank  nf  the  river,  occu})ied  liy  Mongolian  troops,  the  other  on  the  right, 
by  Chinese  ;  both  commanded  by  Chinese  officers.  Tliey  lived  in  the 
small  round  tents,  or  Jurtoi,  of  the  Khirgises,  which  Aver"  irregularly 
disposed,  llundjoldt  iirst  visited  the  conunander  of  tiie  Chinese,  who 
came  out  before  his  tent  to  meet  them,  foliowetl  by  two  attendants.  He 
was  a  young  man,  tall  and  thin,  wore  a  blue  silk  coat  which  ri'ached  to 
the  aiddes,  ."nd  carrii'il  several  peacock  feathers  in  his  cap,  denoting  his 
rank.  After  a  cerenu)nious  introduction,  (piestions  anil  answers  were 
exchanged  through  the  interpreters,  by  which  they  learned  that  he  was 
directly  from  I'ekin,  that  he  had  made  thi'  journey  in  four  montlis  on 
horsi'back,  and  that  tlu'  connuanders  were  ch.'inged  every  three  years. 
Alter  a  similar  visit  to  the  commanding  otlicer  of  the  Mongolians,  who 
was  less  coimnunicative,  they  visited  the  temple,  a  small,  scpiare,  wooden 
l)uiiding,  containing  an  altar  opposite  the  door,  and  the  picture  of  an 
idol  of  (lie  Hiiddhistic  worship  hanging  upon  tlu'  wall  .above  the  altar. 
\  Avail  stood  I  jtwecn  the  door  and  the  river,  near  Avhich  was  another 
altar  Avith  burning  coals  ".pon  it.  On  returning  to  their  tents  they  re- 
ceived a  visit  from  the  Iirst  conunander  and  his  attendants,  wiio  took 
o\it  their  pipes  and  ])egan  to  smoke,  alter  inviting  their  hosts  to  do  like- 
Avisc.  (Jifts  were  ceremoniously  exchanged,  when  Ilumlioldt  received 
some  Chinese!  books.  The  olllcer  expressed  great  delight  when  Hum- 
boldt told  him  he  hail  a  brothi-r  avIkj  Avas  interested  in  the  Chinese  lan- 
guage, to  Avhom  he  would  take  them.  These  l)ooks,  Avhich  are  in  the 
royal  library  at  Uerlin,  contain  a  historical  romance  in  l()ur  volumes, 
called  SiiiikiU'ttihl^  the  subji'ct  of  which  is  the  liistory  of  tlie  three  king- 
doms, into  Avhich  China  Avas  divided  after  the  linn  dyn.asty,  and  which 
Avas  tlie  sid)jeit  of  the  literary  dispute;  between  Klaproth  and  I'rofcssor 
Xcumann  of  .Municli.  The  troops  consisted  of  eighty  men.  They  wore 
Ioiil;  coats  of  dilferent  colors,  and  they  were  very  tlirty,  and  very  lean. 
They  greatly  admired  the  corpulency  of  one  of  Jlundtoldfs  compimy. 
A  lew  camels  were  seen  about  the  tents,  a  tlock  of  goats,  and  soini' sheep 
Avilh  enormous  tails. 

The  return  to  I'stkamenogorsk  Av.as  highly  interesting  to  Ihnnboldt 
for  its  geolugical  value,  and  was  suLrgestive  of  new  researclies ;  for  as  ho 
Avas  siiling  down  the  Irtyseh  he  saw  on  the  secluded  shoics  of  these 
Avaters,  over  a  surface  of  more  than  sixteen  thousand  feet,  unuiense  rocks 


I 


SALT    WORKS    OF    ILEZK. 


83 


of  irrfinite  lying  horizontally  and  in  layers,  and  restini;  on  day  slate, 
whose  layers  were  partly  perpemlicular,  partly  at  an  angle  of  eighty-Hvu 
degrees.  This  was  a  highly  important  fact  for  lliuuboldt  ui  his  theory 
of  the  formation  of  granite. 

Their  next  route  was  dov.n  the  Irtysch  and  westward  across  the 
step))c  of  Ischii.i,  to  the  south.'rn  portion  of  the  Ural  chain,  passmg  along 
the  frontiers  of  the  Middle  Horde  of  Khirgises,  a  nomadic,  tribe  inhabit- 
hig  the  steppes  between  the  Irtysch  and  the  Tral  river.  A  line  of 
military  posts,  consisting  of  small  villages  more  or  less  fortilicd,  at  inter- 
vals of  twenty  or  thirty  versts,  and  garrisoned  by  Ct)ssa(ks,  is  esLiblish- 
cd  along  the  whole  boundary,  from  the  Chinese  frontier  to  the  Casoiau 
Sea,  Humboldt  and  his  companions  lefi  I'stkiunenogorsk  under  a  mili- 
tary escort  of  Cossacks,  which  was  relieved  from  j)ost  to  post,  .and  pass- 
hig  through  Semipol.itinsk,  a  place  of  considerable  impnrtance  in  the 
caravan  tnide  with  middle  Asia,  they  followt'd  the  course  of  the  Irtysch 
as  I'ar  as  Omsk,  where  they  arrived  on  the  25th.  After  remaining  here 
two  diiys,  in  which  they  visit(>d  the  Cossack,  military,  and  Asiatic 
schools,  and  made  their  usual  observations,  they  lell  the  river  and  cross- 
ed the  steppe  by  way  of  Petropaulowsk  and  the  trading  towiiof  Troitsk, 
and  cume  to  Miask  on  the  '3d  of  Septendter. 

Miask  is  a  mining  city  of  considerable  importance,  situated  in  the 
m(»t  iiroihu'tive  mineral  district  of  the  southern  Ural  range.  Here  they 
spi'iit  two  weeks,  making  freipient  excursions  to  the  guld  washings  and 
the  miiK'S  of  the  vicinity,  to  the  Ilnieii  mountains,  and  to  the  mines 
around  Slatonst.  Then  irroceeding  southward  to  the  head  waters  of  the 
Uri,  they  c!ind»ed  the  Auschknl  mountain,  and  examined  several  mines 
in  its  n!'ighbnrIioo<l.  On  the  way  thither,  they  jiassed  some  desi'rttMl 
villages  of  (he  IJashkirs,  the  owners  spending  the  sunn  ler  in  a  nomadic, 
life,  ami  returning  to  their  houses  for  tlu^  winter  oidy.  At  Orsk,  on  the 
I'ral  at  the  jimction  of  the  Or,  llnndioldt  stoi)ited  to  examine  (he  ex- 
tensive (juarries  of  green  JasjKr  near  that  place.  On  contiiminLr  his  jour- 
ney li"  was  turnislicd  with  a  guard  of  Cossacks  as  a  defense  against  the 
Khirgises,  tor  tliat  portioii  of  the  line,  between  Orsk  and  Orenburg,  was 
considered  the  most  dangerous  on  the  whole  frontier.  On  the  '-.'1st  they 
came  to  Orenburg,  the  cai)ital  of  the  di^(rict,  the  main  fortress  on  the 
lin«',  and  the  center  of  a  llourishing  caravan  trade  to  various  places  in 
middle  Asia.  What  most  interested  Humboldt  in  the  vicinity  of  Oreii- 
biug,  was  the  great  salt  works  of  Ilezk,  on  the  steppe  between  the  I'ral 
and  the  Ilek,  li)rty-tive  miles  south  of  the  city.  In  the  absence  of  the 
(«overnor-f leiieral,  the  travelers  were  entertained  by  .Major-t Jeneral 
(iens,  whose  knowledge  of  the  geography  and  politcal  condition  of  mid- 
dle Asi;i,  Lrreatlv  interestc!  llundioldt,     He  hail  a  fund  «»f  intbrmation 


ob(aiMed   fror 


n  caravans  an( 


I  i\ 


roni   person 


al   ol 


iser\atior). 


I 


n  ore 


ler  t 


() 


gratify  Humboldt's  desire  (o  see  more  of  (lie  Khirgises,  he  sent  a  mes- 
8age  to  the  nearest  sultan,  retpiesting  him  to  come  with  his  subjects  into 
the  neighborhood,  and  exhibit  their  skill  ui  some  of  their  accustomed 


;-i 


'^*. 


84 


LIFK    AND    TRAVELS    OF    HUMBOLDT. 


.cf.'irao!.  .111(1  sports.  Accordingly  a  largo  nunibcr  .i])j>c.arocl,  and  raised 
tlicir  touts  :i  few  vcrsts  from  tlif  city,  after  wliicth  the  sultan  caun  in  jjcr- 
sou  to  visit  llumboldi  and  (rencral  (.lens. 

As  they  drove  to  tlie  encampment,  they  liad  occasion  to  adm  re  tlic 
skill  of  the  Khirgises,  many  of  ■\v1kmu  roile  around  the  carriage  nt  full 
gall<i|i,  resting  with  their  hands  upon  thi'  horses'  backs  and  their  feet  in 
tile  lir.  Having  arrived  at  the  tents  they  were  first  introduced  o  the 
sultan's  wives,  who  were  seated  in  a  row  in  liis  tent,  and  then  the  t;>nrts 
bigai».  The  first  was  horse-racing.  The  participants  rode  oti'  to  a  placo 
seven  versts  distant,  whenc(!  they  were  to  ritle  back  to  the  tents  as  their 
goal.  3Iean while  other  games  were  introduced.  Two  Khirgises  en- 
tered a  circle,  tl)rnu'd  by  the  spectators,  to  wri'stle.  Casting  off  their 
outer  garments,  each  threw  his  leathern  girdh;  over  the  other,  an<l 
thus  they  struggled  to  throw  each  other  to  the  ground.  The  victor 
remained  in  the  ring  until  thrown  by  a  new  antagonist.  One  distin- 
g\iished  himself  by  throwing  siv  in  pucces.sion,  but  was  vanquished  by 
the  sevent'i.  I'liii  a  large  kettle  was  brought  out,  half  lilK'd  with  boiled 
groats.  Int.'  this  (ieneral  (ie!is<hre\v  a  silver  ruble,  which  the  Ivhirgises 
attempted  '  'ike  out  with  tluir  teeth.  When  several  <-ubles  had  been 
sucet'si\(  ly  I  i  kcd  out  in  this  manuer,  ami  a  still  greater  number  of 
Khi'gi^i  i  had  !udicn)usly  besmeari'<l  their  iieads  ami  shoulders  in  vain, 
the  s'  "I'l  W.MS  ,  ..ange(l,  .and  now  the  musicians  appeari'd.  The  lirst  were 
men.  v.!n>  b<'_-n;i  to  slug  in  long-drawn  tones,  tVightfiilly  distorting  the'r 
liices  tile  w    '■  There  was  no  trace  of  melody  in  ti'.rir  song,  altliougii 

tlu'V  wi-retlu  .1  .Ives  so  enraptured  witii  it.  that  it  v  as  almost  impossible 
to  persuade  them  to  stop.  When  they  had  linished,  a  female,  completely 
vailed,  entered  the  eircl(>,  and  sang  in  tlu'  same  manner  as  the  men. 
Then  two  otiiers  entered  and  sang  a  duet,  standing  witl'  their  laces  close 
t<igetlicr,  and  )-.ising  their  vails  so  that  they  could  see  each  other,  and 
al.v  allow  the  .-ijiectators  to  obtain  a  side  view,  which  they  did  not  seem 
to  take  amiss.  They  were  interrupted  by  the  intelligence  that  the 
horsemen  were  coming,  whereupon  the  spectators  gave  way,  aided  by 
the  whips  of  th<'  overseers.  A  Iioy  won  the  prize,  which  was  a  gold  em- 
broidered cioak,  the  others  receiving  smaller  presents.  Foot-racing  was 
the  ne.vt  performance.  From  the  .starting-point  to  the  tent  was  about 
.1  mile,  which  the  winner  ran  through  in  tlu' short  space  of  three  minutes. 
Here  the  lirst  prize  was  a  silver  rulde,  the  rest  were  pieces  of  cotton 
cloth  and  smaller  presents.  When  the  sports  were  ended  the  travelers 
returned  to  the  city,  and  prepareil  for  tlu ""  di'p.'P'ture  on  the  morrow. 

On  leaving  ( )renburg,  tlu'y  resolved  t"  vss  su  lUiid  to  the  northward 
of  the  great  sandy  steppe  o{'  Kyiipeski,  whch  lies  between  t'  ■  I'ral  and 
tile  \  olgu,  Mud  is  inhaliited  by  wamlerin;;  ibes  of  Cossacks,  ivhiigises 
of  tlie  Ineer  Horde,  and  Calmucks;  but  as  Humboldt  wished  to  see 
I'ralsk,  the  chief  <ily  of  tlu?  irralian  Cossacks,  they  first  descemle(l  the 
I'ral  to  that  place,  'i'liey  arrived  on  the  I'Tth,  :uid  remained  a  day  to 
Boe  the  autumnal  lishinjj,  and  other  industrial  operations  of  tlie  people. 


ARRIVAL    AT    ASTRACHAN. 


85 


I 


Tlio  prospority  of  llio  Ci)ssacka  of  tlio  Uriil  (or  ,J:iik),  is  tiiaiiily  o\\'m<r 
ti.  the  proilurtivo  tislu'rii's  of  the  rr.'il  rivi-r,  wlilrli,  m-xt  to  militjiry 
oi'('\ipiitions,  fiiniisli  tliuir  cliiuf  cMiiployiufiit  ;  p;istiir:vi,'o  ;inil  a<,'riciilturf 
bciii"  but  seooiuLiry.  From  I'ralsk  tlu-  truvL'lors  turned  norlli-east- 
Avanlly  aeross  tlie  inountain  steppe  of  Oh.scli'schei  Syrt,  to  IJiisuluk, 
tlieiiee  westwanlly  to  tlic  Volj,M  at  Saiiiara.  In  this  iCLjion  Humboldt 
louiid  iMunerous  yulphur  .sprhisjjs,  and  waters  inipreicnated  with  aspliahes 
and  witli  salt ;  while  in  many  places  sulphur  is  oljtainod  from  the  eartli 
in  lartrc  quantities.  As  they  descended  tlu;  \'olya,  they  passed  thnjnifh 
a  number  of  (Jerman  eolonies  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  alxne  and  liclow 
Saratoif  From  ])u])owka  they  made  an  exeursion  to  the  large  salt-lake 
of  Klton — calkMl  Altan  iVor,  the  (Jolden  Lake,  by  tlu)  C\)ssaeks — situated 
in  the  steppe,  seventy  tnihs  eastward  of  the  N'olga,  and  eelel>rated  Ibr 
its  i'\ii.;!>-ivi'  manufaetmies  of  salt.  While  I'xaminiug  the  waters  of  tlie 
hike,  they  found  large  (luantitii's  of  insects  of  various  kind.-,  and  even 
biids,  which,  liavhig  tiillen  into  the  lake,  were  well  preserved,  and  iVom 
these  Khrouberg  made  a  good  collection  of  tlie  fauna  of  the  region. 

l-'urthcr  down  the  rivr,  at  Sarepta,  they  tbund  :v  colony  of  .Moravian 
brethren,  establislicd  in  lit)'),  whi>  carried  on  a  considerable  tratlic,  in 
their  own  manufncturc-i,  with  the  Cossacks.  Iii  the  lower  di-^tricts  of  the 
\i)\'j,A  ihey  fretjucntly  passed  the  kiliitbis  of  the  (  alniucks,  an<l  met  the 
]ieople  with  their  herds  of  horses,  slu'cp  and  camels.  They  also  ))asscd 
one  of  the  terijilcs,  in  tlu>  entrance  of  which  a  nunilxu"  of  long  sticks 
stood  njiriglit  with  written  prayers  fastene<l  upon  them.  The  prayers  <d' 
t!ic  Calmucks  are  all  written  in  the 'riiibetan  language,  which  is  always 
iHcd  l)y  the  priests  in  their  religious  rites,  allhougli  it  is  (juite  uninlelli- 
gible  to  the  ]»cople.  They  are  usually  written  on  long  strips  of  cotton 
cloth,  which  are  Ih-tcneil  to  long  stick-  that  they  may  b(>  easily  agitated, 
for  the  jirayers  are  not  read  or  repeated  by  the  prie-ts  in  their  W(U'ship, 
but  Mavcfl  as  llags  by  the  wind,  as  the  C'almui-ks  believe  that  the  mov- 
ing of  the  written  prayers  is  just  as  etfect ual  as  repeating  them.  I!y 
these  lliittei'ing  pr;iy<'rs  and  the  noi-.y  music  thai"  pi'oceeded  from  tlu^ 
tcm|ile,  the  travelers  knew  that  the  (."o.-sacks  wi'rc  at  worship  witliin, 
and,  ha\  ing  a  desire  to  see  them,  they  entered.  I'pon  the  altar  stood 
gilded  figures  of  their  idols,  while  glaring  ]ii(tures  of  idols  Imng 
ii|ion  the  walls.  Several  ba.ins  containing  fruit,  w.iter,  dried  Ih'sh, 
i'heest'  and  other  oU'erimr-^,  were  jslaced  lietl»re  liic  altar.  Uetween  tin- 
door  and  the  altar  ^i^•  |iriests  sat  tiicc  to  liiec  ii|:  i  the  tloor,  the  lunni,  or 
«'liief  priest  being  neare-l  the  altar,  the  i/i //it/n/s  or  iiifei'ior  priests  more 
remote.  They  were  playing  upon  a  variety  of  instruments,  producing 
tlu'  strange  noise  wliicii  was  heard  without.  The  music,  or  ratiu-r  tiie 
Irightful  uproar,  alternated  with  asongol'like  character.  .\t  length  the 
lama  arose,  the  inn<ic  ceased,  and  tiie  jiriests  then  spoki'  to  the  travelers, 
wJKun  ihey  had  not  before  heeded. 

Ilnmlioldl  was  received  with  great  honoi  at  Ast radian.  When  he 
arrived  at  the  ferry  on  the  alleriioon  t)f  C)etober  l'2lh,  a  steumboat,  sent 


.,  -I . 

L      t 


.  ii 


86 


LIFE   AND    TRAVELS    OF    HUMBOLDT. 


by  tlic  Governor-General  Ossipoff,  was  waititig  for  him  and  his  compan- 
ions, and  amid  the  {iring  of  cannon  they  crossed  to  the  city,  where  a 
lars^'c  crowd  was  drawn  together  by  these  unusual  preparations.  They 
were  conveyed  by  four-horse  carriages  to  the  spacious  apartments  allotted 
them,  where,  on  the  morrow,  Humboldt  M'as  waited  upon  by  the  digni- 
(aiii's  of  the  place  and  the  deputies  of  all  the  various  nations  represented 
in  the  motley  population  of  Astrachan.  They  were  presented  by  the 
governor-general  in  the  order  of  rank.  First  came  the  burgomaster, 
\\  ith  the  elders  of  the  mercantile  profession,  who,  according  to  the  Rus- 
sian custom,  brought  the  tokens  of  homage,  but  instead  of  common  bread 
and  salt,  it  was  a  pound-cake,  ornamentcKl  with  the  best  fruits  of  Astrar 
cliau — with  grapes,  large  plums,  pears  and  apples — and  salt.  Next  came 
the  nctbles  and  the  officers  of  the  garrison,  and  then  the  deputies  of  the 
Arnu'uians,  Persians,  Hindoos,  Tartars,  and  others. 

Tlui  travelers  found  much  to  interest  them  in  Astrachan,  in  its  diversi- 
fied jiopulation,  in  the  bazaars  of  the  various  nations  and  their  places  of 
Wf>rship.  In  one  of  the  temples  a,  fakir  sat  crouching  on  the  floor  with  his 
chin  restirig  upon  his  knees,  between  which  the  long  white  beard  reached 
down  to  tlu!  ground.  lie  had  no  clothing  but  a  sheepskin  thrown  loosely 
about  him,  and  had  been  sitting  thus  for  tifteen  years. 

IIunil)oldt  obtained  a  steamboat  and  proceeded  with  his  companions 
to  the  mouths  of  the  Volga  and  the  Casjiian  Sea,  in  order  to  analyze  its 
waters,  to  make  barometrical  measurements,  anil  to  obtain  si)ecimens  of 
the  fish.  When  they  had  thus  seen  the  most  remarkable  objects  of  As- 
trachan, and  completed  their  scientific  labors,  they  proceeded  to  visit  the 
remarkable  Calnuu-k  prince,  Sered  Dschab,  whom  Humboldt  desired  to 
see.  As  he  resided  near  the  Volga,  fifty  miles  above  the  city,  they  made 
all  prej)aratioiis  for  their  journey,  and  set  of!*  from  Astrachan  on  the  21st 
of  October.  The  jirincesent  a  large  cavalcade  and  carriages  to  the  land- 
ing, supjKtslMglhat  Humboldt  tr.aveled  in  greater  state,  and  received  them 
with  great  honor  at  his  residence,  where  he  entertained  them  hospitably. 
He  conductetl  them  to  his  tem[)le  where  religious  services  were  per- 
formed, showed  them  his  horses,  his  orchard  and  gardens,  and  the 
distilk'rics  where  brandy  is  manufactured  from  mare's  milk.  At  his  resi- 
dciue  they  also  met  with  Dschangir,  the  young  Khan  of  the  Inner 
Horde  of  Khirgises.  Leaving  their  Calmuck  host  they  hastened  to  con- 
tinue their  hoinew.ard  journey,  for  the  weather  was  cold  and  winter  Avas 
l;isl  ajtproaching.  On  the  next  day  the  country  was  covered  with 
snow. 

Retracing  their  course  along  the  Volga  as  far  as  Zarizyn,  they  then 
crossed  over  to  the  Don,  where  Hiunboldt  made  his  last  barometrical 
observation,  having  reference  to  the  relative  height  of  the  Caspian  Sea, 
after  which  they  proceeded  by  Woronesch,  Tula  and  Moscow,  to  St.  Pe- 
tersbtn-gh,  where  Humboldt's  obligations  to  the  government  and  court 
detained  him  four  weeks.  The  party  finally  arrived  at  Herlin  on  the 
'JHth  of  l)ecend)er,  18J9.     Iluraboldt  had  been  absent  on  this  expedition 


MISSION    TO    PARIS. 


87 


eight  months  and  a  half,  during  wliich  he  luul  traveled  a  distance  of  be- 
tween eleven  and  twelve  thousand  miles. 

This  journey,  like  the  American  one,  was  of  great  importance  to  the 
science  of  ])hysical  geography.  Its  results  were  puhlished  in  three 
works,  of  which  each  of  the  travelers  undertook  to  compose  one.  Hum- 
boldt's "  Fragments  of  Asiatic  Geology  and  Climatology"  was  the  first 
to  appear.  It  treats  especially  of  the  mountain  ridges  and  volcanoes  of 
Central  Asia,  and  serves  to  establish  Humboldt's  theory,  that  the  vol- 
canic activity  of  the  earth  is  continually  decreasing.  Before  this  jo\irney 
there  existed  many  erroneous  notions  of  the  geograi)hy  of  the  ii.terior 
of  Asi;.,  the  coimection  of  the  mountain  chains,  and  the  character  of  the 
soil  and  climate,  and  Humboldt's  work,  tDgether  with  his  "yl.'.vV'  Ccu- 
tmlc"'  (first  jjublished  in  Paris  in  184;{),  threw  an  entirely  new  light 
iij)on  all  this  region.  Another  very  important  result  followed  this  ex- 
])edition.  In  many  parts  of  Siberia  Humboldt  lefl  carefully  compared 
thcrmon\eters,  in  the  hands  of  competent  and  intelligent  persons,  and 
awakene<l  the  taste  for  these  measurements  and  comparative  experi- 
ments, especially  among  the  Russian  mining  superintendents  of  the  Ural 
mountains.  In  addition  to  this,  at  his  suggestion,  the  Imperial  Academy 
of  St.  Petersburg,  with  the  emperor's  concurrence,  established  at  dif- 
ferent points,  throughout  the  entire  extent  of  the  Russian  emjure,  a 
regular  system  of  observations  on  the  daily  changes  in  the  state  of  the 
barometer,  thermometer,  and  hygrometer,  on  the  temperature  of  the 
soil,  the  direction  of  the  wind,  and  the  moisture  of  the  atmosi)here. 
During  the  twelve  yi'ars  which  elapsed  between  the  publication  of  his 
"Asiatic  Fragments"'  {is:!l),  and  his  "Central  Asia"  (184:i),  Humboldt 
was  in  constant  comnumication  with  Russia,  and  was  regularly  furnished 
with  the  results  of  the  system  of  observation  which  he  had  instituted. 
Notwithstanding  the  varied  and  important  contributions  to  physical 
science  which  he  was  thus  enabled  to  atlbrd,  he  felt  that  he  was  not 
compensated  lor  the  reliiKjuishment  of  his  long-cherished  j)lan  of  visiting 
I'ersia,  Thibet,  and  India.  Now,  in  his  old  age,  he  declares  that  he 
regrets  nothing  so  much  as  that  he  did  not  carry  out  the  project,  when 
it  was  first  made. 


nUMBOI.DT'.^    r.VTKrw    YEARS. 

In  Sej)tembor,  IS.SO,  IIumboMf  was  sent  to  Paris  by  Frederic.  Wil- 
li.am  HI.,  with  the  diplomatic  mission  to  acknowledge  Louis  Pliilippo 
and  the  new  dynasty.  He  was  also  sent  a  second  time  in  February, 
fHni,andon  his  return  the  following  autumn,  appears  to  hav(>  visited 
Weimar,  and  spent  a  k'w  hf)urs  with(Joethe,  w^ho  was  then  in  his  eighty- 
first  year,  and  whose  death  occurred  in  less  than  siv  months  afterward. 
In  the  year  1 8.35  he  was  called  upon  to  mourn  tlio  loss  of  his  brother, 
Avho  died  on  the  8th  of  April,  and  wnose  literary  executor  he  became. 


*HI 


88 


LIFE  AND  TRAVELS  OV   HUMBOLDT. 


n 


Tlu'noofoilh  ho  rosidtd  iiio.itly  in  ]]erlin,  di'Votiiitj;  liiiiiself  entirely  to 
seieine,  and  to  the  ananueini  lit,  revision,  and  pnblieation  of  hi.s  broth- 
er's manuscripts.  His  ^Vsiatiu  works  oeeujjied  tlio  jjriiieipal  jmrt  of  his 
time,  and  occasioned  an  extensive  correspondence  witli  liis  friends  in 
llussia  and  I'aris,  besides  wliich  he  superintended  ihe  labors  of  others 
>vlio  worked  under  his  direction.  In  tlie  year  lyiO,  lie  piibUshed  a  dis- 
sertation on  his  ascent  of  Ciiiuii»orazo,  and  on  the  mean  elevation  of  the 
diiferent  continents,  and  alio  recommenced  the  work,  which  liad  been 
interrupted  in  1828 — his  univers;il  physical  descriptina  of  the  world  un- 
der the  title  of  "  Kosnios."'  which  he  now  continued  on  a  more  extended 
])lan.  Ill  January,  J  842,  liie  Khig,  Frederic  William  IV.,  summoned 
hill)  from  these  lub"i';,  with  the  coniiiinnd  to  ai ''oiiipany  tlie  court  to 
London,  to  attend  tlu  <  hiisteniiii;  of  the  J'linee  of  Wales.  In  luio'laml 
lie  was  treated  with  d  tiiigMished  honor.  After  their  return  to  ilerlin, 
the  kinj^  instituted  a  jteace  class  of  the  Order  of  Merit  (founded  by 
Frederic  the  (ireat  only  as  a  military  order),  f /r  the  puri)0se  of  decorat- 
iiii^  the  orcati  scholars  and  artists,  as  n  symbol  of  royal  favor.  Tho 
number  was  limited  to  thirty,  and  Humboldt,  as  the  greatest  living 
scholar,  was  appointed  (irand  Chancellor  of  the  onh'r. 

.Since  1842,  Iliuiiboldt  has  remained  in  IJerlin,  de\otiiig  all  the  time 
which  he  can  sparj  from  his  atlendanee  at  court  to  the  prej)aratioii  and 
jiublication  of  his  "•  Kosmos,"  which  he  leaves  behind  him  as  his  last  and 
richest  scieiitilic  leiracy  to  the  world.  lie  presents  a  remarkable  j>icturo 
of  liale,  active,  and  productive  old  ;ino.  Possessed  of  that  elastic  tem- 
perament which  resists  tlu;  effects  of  climate  and  physical  hardship,  and 
which  is  totally  independent  of  the  laws  of  stature  or  muscular  strength, 
his  liiculties  seem  scarcely  lesa  vigorous  than  in  the  prime  of  life,  while 
liis  interest  in  the  ])V«)<rress  of  scieiitilu'  iii\  cstigation  and  discovery,  is  as 
lively  as  eve:'.  I'roleSMi  Klencke,  in  his  biogra])hy  of  Humboldt,  writ- 
ten in  the  year  1849,  gives  the  tbllowing  description  of  the  grand  old 
veteran,  as  he  then  ajipeared  : 

"Humboldt,  now  lives  wherover  his  royal  friend  lives.  There  aro 
apart  nii'iits  fir  him  in  iJerlui,  J'otsdam,  In  all  the  royal  jialaccs,  ami  jiot 

'.h\\  j)asses  that  he  does  not  see   iie  king.     In  spite  of  liis  ciglity-ono 
lis,  he  works  unweariedly  in  those  hours  which  are  not  occupied  by 

,1'  court;  lie  is  active  ami  jtumtiial  in  his  immensi'  correspondenco, 
ar.d  answers  every  letter  of  the  huuibiest  scholar  with  the  most  amiable 
airaliility.  The  inhabitants  of  Herliii  and  rotsdam  all  know  him  per- 
sonally, and  show  him  as  much  honor  as  they  show  the  king.  With  a 
slow  but  firm  stt'j),  a  thoughtful  lu'ad,  rather  bent  forward,  wlioso 
features  are  benevolent  with  a  dignitied  expression  of  noble  calmness, 
either  looking  down  or  politely  resuondiiig  to  the  greetings  of  tho 
passers-by  with  kindness  and  without  p''ide  ;  in  a  simple  dress,  frecjuently 
liolding  a  jiamphlet  in  his  hand,  resting  on  his  back,  so  he  wanders 
through  the  streets  of  Berlin,  alone  and  unostentatiously,  a  noble  picture 
of  u  blade  of  wheat  bentUng  beneath  the  weight  of  its  numerous  rich 


li: 


PUESKNT    ro.SITION. 


89 


goMon  ears.  Wlicrovor  lie  ;iji)ic;irs  he  is  ncciM-il  with  tokens  of  uiii- 
vcrsiil  esteem.  Tliose  who  puss,  tunidly  sU]i  ;i>iih'  Itn-  tiiir  ufMistiirbiii'^ 
Iiiiii  ill  his  thDiiLciits  ;  evi'ii  the  workiii!.;  iiiiiii  Kxiks  respct-t fully  .il\(r  him, 
aii'l  s:ivs  lo  his  iieitrhhor  :  'There  irnes  IIiiiiiliDldl  I'  And  wiuiever  has 
h:i'l  the  haiipiiiess  (il'e(iii\(isiii<^  with  him,  never  ror^ets  the  ti)ree  i>l'  liis 
lu(iil.  simple,  natural,  and  niiallected  ((>n\  ersatinn,  tin-  in  cverv  thinLT  lie 
says,  dei)tli  and  learnintj,  elearness  and  unlKnindrd  knowledge,  liw 
reve.'iled  willnmt  any  of  the  pride  of  k'arninJ,^  the  still'  pedantry  and 
jM'eeiscness  of  many  (iernian  men  of  .science,  llmiilioldt  has  evidently 
hem  educated  in  the  hij^hest  society;  his  maimer  is  diLrnilied.  open,  nn- 
aiV.  (ted,  and  frank;  he  lias  lived  witli  all  nations,  and  ailojited  and 
united  in  himself  the  advantaiies  of  all." 

'J'liis  picture  is  true  at  the  present  day,  when  si\  .  ars  have  heeii 
fidded  to  hi>  veiierahle  aLje.  He  is  still  in  corrr'-i-  nlence  with  Kcieii- 
tific  men  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  fre<jueni  ds  ilieir  letters 

aloud  at   th(!  tahic  of  the  kincr.      He    is  eipially  .1  the  political 

aspects  of  the  ditlerciit  nations,  :md  siiiliTS  no  eii.  ..uNtance  of  their 
material  de\ clopnient  to  cm  ajie  his  attention.  'J'iioiiuh  the  friend  and 
ciiual  iil;i  kiiiiT,  he  is  thoroughly  liheral  and  pro^ressix  c  in  his  ideas,  .'in  d 
there  are  i'vw  trrander  iinlances  of  individual  indeju  iidence  on  ri'cord, 
than  the  fact  of  his  votinir  the  liheral  ticket  at  the  ]iolls  in  Iii'rlin,  iii  the 
year  \x'>'t.  l''ew  men  li;i\e  lived  more  liirtimate  liscs  than  he:  i'vw  have 
e\er  left  liehiiid  them  a  tiohler  mommieiit  of  indu-try,  zeal  and  treiiius. 
Ilumholdt  has  heen  es)ieeially  fivored  liy  I'nn  icleiitn',  from  his  very 
cradle.  I'lilike  the  iiiajority  of  distiniruished  men,  he  was  not  ohliu'cd  to 
contend  with  poverty  or  adverse  circumstances;  he  never  knew  tliat 
physical  and  spiritual  prostration  which  sprinufs  from  the  impatience  of 
uiiacknowle(lLrcd  powcr.s.  And  it  is  his  highest  merit  tli.at  with  worldly 
circimi-taiiees  so  fiNorahle,  jio  did  not  uivc  way  to  the  charms  and  iii- 
duliieiices  of  his  aristoeratic  jiosition.  that  he  did  not  fall  into  the  clto- 
tisiii  of  hiLrh  hirth,  nor  the  pride  of  idleiu'.ss,  hut  in  all  periods  of  his  life 


followdl   the   true   iniiiuh 


<n 


lis  nature,  ami  made   iiimsc 


•If  tl 


le    S( 


If- 


sacriiieiiin' servant  of  science,  lor  the  -'ood  of  niaidcind.  Iveieetinir  all 
the  comforts  which  he  inheritt'd,  and  the  distinguished  .society  into 
Avhich  lie  was  thrown,  he  cheerfully  sacriliced  his  property,  and  suh- 
jected  himself  to  the  greatest  danu'ers  and  privations  in  liis  endi'uvors  to 
invcstiLCate  the  iiheiiomena  of  n.atiire,   and    ohlain   a  knowledge  of  the 


laws  which  !.'o\crii  tl 


le  wor 


Id. 


May  the  ejrowing  and  still  brij^htening  orb  of  his  life  be  rounded  t( 
a  century  of  years! 


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MUNGO    PARK'S 


TRAVELS    IN   WESTERN    AFRICA, 


IMuxGO  Park,  one  of  the  first  and  bravest  of  the  many  travelers  who 
have  devoted  themselves  to  the  exploration  of  the  course  of  the  river 
Niger,  was  born  on  the  10th  of  September,  1771,  at  Fowlshiels,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Yarrow,  in  Scotland,  His  father  was  a  fanner,  who  was 
blessed  with  thirteen  other  eliildren,  but  was  fortunately  able  to  give 
young  Mnngo  a  tolerable  education,  and  to  apprentice  him  to  a  surgeon 
at  Selkirk,  in  his  fifteenth  year.  In  1789,  I'ark  entered  the  University 
of  Ediiiburg,  and  ai»]tlied  liiniself  A\ith  great  assiduity  to  the  studicis 
connected  with  his  profession.  His  summer  vacations,  during  one  of 
which  he  made  a  tour  to  the  Highlands,  were  devoted  to  botany. 

After  having  completed  liis  educaticm  he  removed  to  London,  hoping 
to  establish  himself  there  in  business  as  a  surgeon.  Through  his  brother- 
in-law,  jVIr.  Dickson,  he  liad  the  good  fortune  to  become  actjuainted  with 
Sir  Josepli  IJanks,  the  jtatnm  of  so  many  travelers,  and  through  whose 
recommemlation  he  was  apjiointed  tsurgeon  to  the  ship  Worcester,  an 
East  Indiaman.""  In  this  capacity  he  made  a  voyage  to  Bencoolen,  in 
Sumatra,  and  on  his  return  conmiunicated  a  paper  to  the  "  Liniiaan 
Transactions,"  containing  descriptions  of  eight  new  fishes  of  that  island. 
About  this  time  the  African  Association,  of  which  Sir  Joseph  Banks  was 
a  very  active  and  zealous  member,  was  desirous  of  engaging  a  jterson 
to  replace  Major  Houghton,  who,  it  was  feared,  had  fallen  a  sacrifice  to 
the  climate,  or  jierished  in  some  contest  with  the  natives.  Park  at  once 
offered  his  services,  which,  after  sonut  deliberation,  were  accepted,  aii<l 
the  Association  lltteil  hiui  out  in  the  most  liberal  nuitnu-r.  On  the  2'Jd 
of  i\Iay,  1795,  he  sailed  from  Portsmouth  in  the  \n\<r  h)i(/t<ivor.  Ills 
instructions,  he  says,  were  very  plain  and  concise.  He  was  directed,  on 
his  arrival  in  Africa,  "  to  pass  on  to  the  river  Niger,  cither  by  the  way 

•  The  nirgcnii  attaclu'*!  lo  tlic  Poiiinsulnr  nn<l  Oriontal  fonipnny's  stpanripr  Modras,  in 
wliii'li  I  sailiMl  from  S(iiilliaini>t(m  to  (iibraltiir,  in  Xovcmbor,  1852,  was  Dr.  Muiigo  Park, 
a  ncpiiow  of  tlio  iravflor. — 15.  T. 


v 
I' 

Hi 


• 


1.  jkuit 


94 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF    MUNGO    PARK. 


of  Bambonk  or  by  such  other  route  as  should  be  found  most  convenient ; 
that  I  should  ascertain  the  course,  and,  if  possible,  the  rise  and  termina- 
tion of  the  river ;  that  1  should  use  my  utmost  exertions  to  visit  the 
principal  towns  or  cities  in  its  neighborhood,  particularly  Timbuctoo  and 
Houssa ;  and  that  I  should  afterward  be  at  liberty  to  return  to  Europe, 
either  by  the  way  of  the  Gambia,  or  by  such  other  route  as  under  all  the 
then  existing  circumstances  of  my  situation  and  prospects  should  appear 
to  me  to  be  most  advisable." 

On  the  21st  of  June,  after  a  voyage  of  thirty  days,  he  arrived  at  Jil- 
lifica,  a  town  on  the  northern  bank  of  the  Gambia,  in  the  kingdom  of 
Barra.  From  this  place,  after  a  stay  of  two  days,  he  proceeded  up  the 
Gambia,  in  the  waters  of  which  were  found  prodigious  numbers  of  fish 
of  unknown  species,  together  with  alligators  and  hippopotami,  whose 
teeth  furnish  excellent  ivory.  Park,  having  quitted  the  Endeavor  at 
Jonkakonda,  proceeded  thence  by  land,  and  reaching  Pisania,  a  small 
British  factory  in  the  King  of  Yam's  dominions,  on  the  5th  of  July  took 
up  his  residence  at  the  house  of  Dr.  Laidley,  until  he  should  bo  able  to 
prosecute  his  journey  into  the  interior. 

His  first  care  Avas  to  render  himself  master  of  the  Mandingo  language, 
which  in  that  part  of  Africa  is  in  general  use,  and  to  collect  from  every 
source  within  his  power  information  respecting  the  countries  he  was 
about  to  visit.  In  the  language  his  progress  depended  on  his  own  appli- 
cation ;  but  he  soon  found  that  little  or  no  reliance  could  be  placed  on 
the  accounts  of  the  interior  furnished  him  by  the  natives,  who,  on  the 
most  material  points,  were  frequently  in  direct  contradiction  Avith  each 
other.  His  anxiety  to  examine  and  judge  for  himself  was  therefore  in- 
creased. However,  besides  that  the  rainy  season,  which  had  now  com- 
menced, rendered  traveling  impracticable,  another  equally  insuperable 
bar  to  the  speedy  prosecution  of  his  journey  quickly  presented  itself. 
In  observing  on  the  31st  of  July  an  eclipse  of  the  moon,  he  imprudently 
exposed  himself  to  the  night  dew,  and  next  day  he  found  himself  at- 
tacked by  fever  and  delirium,  the  commencement  of  an  illness  that  wuth 
a  very  trifling  intermission  confined  him  during  two  months  'vvithiu 
doors. 

Having  been  disappointed  in  his  expectations  of  proceeding  Avith  a 
slave  caravan  toAvard  Bambarra,  Park  departed  from  Pisania  on  the  2d 
of  December,  1795.  Ho  had  been  provided  Avith  a  negro  servant,  named 
Johnson,  Avho  had  been  many  years  in  Great  Britain,  and  understood 
both  the  English  and  Mandingo  languages ;  and  with  a  negro  boy, 
named  Demba,  the  property  of  Dr.  Laidley,  Avho,  as  the  highest  induce- 
ment of  good  behavior,  promised  him  his  freedom  on  his  return.  Be- 
sides these  Park  was  accompanied  by  four  other  persons,  Avho,  though 
independent  of  his  control,  Avere  mjide  to  understand  that  their  safe  re- 
turn to  the  countries  on  the  Gambia  would  depend  on  our  traveler's 
preservation.  His  equipment  was  by  no  means  magnificent :  a  horse  for 
himseltj  two  asses  for  his  servants,  proA'isions  for  two  days,  a  small  assort- 


M' 


JOURNEY    TO    THE    INTERIOR. 


95 


ment  of  beads,  amber,  and  tobacco,  a  few  changes  of  linen  and  other 
apparel,  an  umbrella,  a  i^ocket  sextant,  a  magnetic  compass,  a  ther- 
mometer, two  fowling-pieces,  two  pan*  of  pistols,  and  some  other  small 
articles.  His  friends  at  Pisania  accompanied  him  during  the  first  two 
days,  and  then,  dismissing  him  on  his  way,  took  their  leave,  secretly 
persuaded  that  they  would  never  see  him  more. 

He  had  scarcely  lost  sight  of  his  European  friends,  and  ridden  oif 
musing  and  somewhat  melancholy  into  the  woods,  when  a  body  of  black 
poople  presented  themselves  in  a  clamorous  manner  before  him,  demand- 
ing custom  dues,  in  default  of  which  they  threatened  to  carry  him  before 
their  king.  To  escape  from  this  honor,  which  might  have  proved  a 
costly  one.  Park  presented  them  ^Wth  a  little  tobacco,  upon  which  they 
were  contented,  and  he  was  allowed  to  proceed.  On  reaching  Medina, 
the  capital  of  WooUi,  he  judged  it  prudent  to  present  himself  at  the 
king's  levee,  when  the  benevolent  old  chief  not  only  granted  him  per- 
mission to  traverse  his  dominions,  but  assured  him  that  he  would  offer 
up  prayers  for  his  safety,  partly  to  secure  which  he  furnished  him  with  a 
trusty  guide. 

Having  safely  reached  the  frontiers  of  the  Woolli  dominions,  Park  dis- 
missed his  guide ;  and  being  about  to  enter  a  country  interspersed  with 
deserts,  in  which  water  is  frequently  not  to  be  procured,  he  hired  three 
negroes,  experienced  elephant-hunters,  who  were  at  once  to  serve  ?.;» 
guides  and  water-bearers.  While  he  was  preparing  to  depart,  however, 
one  of  these  negroes,  who  had  all  received  a  part  of  their  pay  in  advance, 
made  his  escape  ;  and  lest  the  remaining  two  should  be  disposed  to  fol- 
low his  example,  he  immediately  gave  orders  to  fill  their  calabashes  with 
water,  and  struck  off  into  the  wilderness,  just  as  the  sun  A'as  appearing 
above  the  horizon.  After  crossing  the  first  desert,  they  reached  Talika, 
the  frontier  town  of  Bondou  toward  "Woolli,  where  Park  engaged  a 
kind  of  custom-house  oflicer  to  accompany  him  for  a  trifling  present  to 
Fatteconda,  the  residence  of  the  king.  On  his  arrival  at  Fatteconda 
he  was  received  by  the  black  chief  with  much  apparent  kindness,  though 
Major  Houghton,  he  had  heard,  in  his  passage  through  the  country,  had 
been  both  insulted  and  plundered  by  this  same  man.  It  is  true  the  king  was 
so  completely  captivated  by  Park's  best  blue  coat  and  gilt  buttons,  that 
he  could  not  resist  the  temptation  to  beg  it ;  but  he  endeavored  in  some 
measure  to  remiuierate  him  i'or  the  loss  by  a  present  of  five  drachms  of 
gold,  and  by  altogether  abstaining  from  examining  his  baggage,  or  exact- 
ing any  other  present  than  what  was  voluntarily  bestowed. 

The  territories  of  these  petty  African  chiefs,  who  are  complaisantly  de- 
nominated kings,  are  exceedingly  limited  in  extent.  Your  road  con- 
ducts you  to-day  through  one  kingdom,  to-morrow  through  another, 
and  the  next  day  through  a  third  ;  which,  of  all  those  circumstances 
that  obstruct  the  movements  of  the  tiaveler  in  Africa,  is,  perha])s,  the 
most  vexatious  and  the  nu)st  ditficult  to  overcome ;  as  the  raj)acity  of 
the  first  chiefs  who  lie  in  his  way  dt^prives  him  of  the  power  of  satisfying 


if 


i" 


96 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF    MUNGO    PARK. 


the  equal  rapacity  of  the  remaimlor.  Hence,  Park  traveled  in  a  perpet- 
ual state  of  captivity,  lie  was  never,  luiless  when  far  removed  from  hu- 
nian  society  by  woods  or  deserts,  completely  master  of  liis  own  actions,  or 
sufficiently  respected  to  vender  it  possible  for  him  to  contemplate  the 
sui)erior  classes,  even  of  these  savages,  from  a  proper  level. 

Park  left  Fatteconda  on  the  23d  of  December.  "  In  the  afternoon," 
says  he,  "  my  fellow-travelers  informed  me,  that  as  this  was  the  bound- 
ary between  Bondou  and  Kajaaga,  and  dangerous  for  travelers,  it 
would  be  necessary  to  continue  om*  journey  by  night,  until  we  should 
reach  a  more  hospitable  part  of  the  country.  I  agreed  to  the  pro- 
j)osal,  and  hired  two  men  for  guides  through  the  woods,  and  as  soon  as 
the  people  of  the  village  were  gone  to  sleep  (the  moon  sinning  bright) 
we  set  out.  The  stillness  of  the  air,  the  howling  of  the  wiM  beasts,  and 
the  deep  solitude  of  the  forest  made  the  scene  solemn  .and  impressive. 
Not  a  word  was  uttered  by  any  of  us  but  in  a  whisper  ;  all  were  atten- 
tive, and  every  one  anxious  to  show  his  sagacity  by  pointing  out  to  me 
the  wolves  and  hyenas  as  they  glided  like  shadows  from  one  thicket  to 
another.  Toward  morning  we  arrived  at  a  village  called  Kimmoo,  when 
our  guides  awakenetl  one  of  their  acquaintance,  and  we  stopped  to  give 
our  asses  some  corn,  and  roast  a  few  ground-nuts  for  ourselves.  At  day- 
light we  resumed  our  journey,  and  in  the  afternoon  arrived  at  Joag  in 
the  kingdom  of  Kajaaga." 

On  ariiving  at  Joag  Park — who  had  taken  up  his  residence  at  the 
house  of  the  dooty,  or  chief  man  of  the  town,  a  rigid  but  hospitable  3Io- 
hammedan — was  favored  with  an  opportunity  of  observing  the  genuine 
character  of  the  negro.  "  The  same  evening,"  says  he,  "  Madiboo,  the 
bushreen  who  had  accompanied  me  fron\  Pisania,  went  to  pay  a  visit  to 
his  fiither  and  mother,  who  dwelt  at  a  neighboring  town  called  Drama- 
net.  He  was  joined  by  my  other  attendant,  the  blacksmith ;  and  as  soon 
as  it  was  dark,  I  was  invited  to  see  the  sports  of  the  hihabitants,  it  being 
their  custom,  on  the  arrival  of  strangers,  to  welcome  them  by  diversions 
of  different  kinds.  I  found  a  great  crowd  surrounding  a  party  who  were 
dancing  by  the  light  of  some  large  fires  to  the  music  of  four  drums,  which 
were  beat  with  great  exactness  and  uniformity.  The  dances,  however, 
consisted  more  in  wanton  gestures  than  in  muscular  exertion  or  graceful 
attitudes. 

At  Joag,  while  preparing  to  adv.ance  on  liis  journey,  he  was  suddenly 
honored  with  a  visit  from  the  king's  son,  accom]ianied  by  a  troop  of 
horse,  who,  pretending  that  by  entering  his  father's  dominions  lie  had 
forfeited  the  Avhole  of  his  property,  insisted  uponexampiug  his  merchan- 
dise, of  which  he  seized  upon  the  n.oiety.  Of  the  remnant  that  remained, 
particularly  a  little  amber  and  a  few  beads,  which  he  had  succeeded  in 
concealing,  he  was  now  so  fearful  of  producing  any  portion,  even  for  tho 
purchase  of  food,  lest  he  should  once  more  awaken  the  cupidity  of  tho 
authorities,  that  both  he  and  his  attendants  determined  on  combating 
hunger  for  the  day,  "  and  wait  some  oi>portunity  of  purchasing  or  beg- 


I 


I 


i\ 

i 

\i 

AFRICAN    CUSTOMS. 


97 


mnnr  provisions."  Tn  this  cxtrcMuif  y,  wliilc  ho  wns  sittinEj  down  cliowino- 
straws,  a  tl'malo  slave,  wlio  observed  liini  in  i)assiiig  liy,  was  moved  with 
compassion,  and  presented  him  with  a  (piantity  of  ground-nuts,  which 
was  a  very  seasonaI)U^  supply.  Scarcely  had  the  old  woman  left  him,  be- 
fore he  rectived  information  that  the  nephew  of  the  King  c)fKasson,  who 
liad  been  sent  by  his  uncle  on  an  embassy  to  the  King  of  Kajaaga,  and 
was  now  returniiig  to  his  own  country,  was  about  to  pay  him  a  visit. 
lie  came  accordingly,  and  ujmn  Park's  representing  to  him  his  situation 
•and  distresses,  kindly  offered  to  be  his  guide  and  protector  as  far  as  Kas- 
son.  AVith  him,  therefore,  our  traveler  now  continued  his  route  to  the 
banks  of  the  Seneg.al,  upon  crossing  which,  his  royal  guide,  who,  like 
other  guides,  requir(-d  a  present  for  his  services,  informed  him  they  were 
in  his  uncle's  dominions,  and  in  complete  .safety. 

Safe  or  not  safe,  however,  Park  soon  found  that  the  stranger  and  the 
tnavcler  were  nowhere  beyond  the  reach  of  extortion.  Half  of  tlie  little 
property  which  li.'id  escaped  the  fangs  of  the  K.aja.iga  jieople,  was  here 
taken  from  him.  lie  Avas  then  jiermitted  to  depart.  Among  the  honest 
negroes  with  whom  he  had  set  out  from  Pisania,  on  the  Gambia,  there 
Avas  a  l)lacksniith  from  the  interior,  who,  having  amassed  some  little 
moncj'  npon  the  co.ast,  was  now  returning  to  spend  the  remainder  of  his 
days  in  his  native  land.  Shortly  after  (putting  Teesee,  the  l;ist  place 
Avhere  o;ir  traveler  had  submitted  to  legal  robbery,  he  .and  liis  compan- 
ions came  Avithin  sight  of  tlie  blacksmith's  village.  The  news  of  Jiis  re- 
turn, had,  it  seems,  preceded  him.  His  brother,  accompanied  by  a  sing- 
ing-man, came  forth  to  Aveleome  the  AA'anderer  home,  and  brought  along 
Avith  him  a  horse,  that  the  blacksmith  "  might  enter  his  native  town  in  a 
dignilii.'d  manner."  Park  and  his  companions  AA'ere  desired  to  put  a  good 
charge  of  })owder  uito  their  guns.  The  singing-man  ledtlioAvay;  the 
two  brothers  followed;  and  the  cavalcade  AA'as  quickly  joined  by  a  con- 
siderable number  of  the  inhabitants,  Avho,  by  extr-avagant  gestures  and 
songs  of  triumph,  testified  their  joy  .at  the  return  of  their  townsman. 
"  When  Ave  arrived  at  the  blacksmith's  ])lacn  of  ivsidence,  Ave  dismounted, 
and  tired  our  nmskets.  The  meeting  bet'  ■  "i  him  iuul  his  relations  av.'i.s 
very  tender  ;  for  these  rude  children  of  nat;'.  ,';  freed  from  restraint,  dis- 
])lay  their  emotions  in  the  strongest  and  most  expressiA'e  manner.  Amid 
these  transports,  ^he  blacksmith's  aged  mother  was  led  forth,  leaning 
upon  a  stall".  Every  oim  made  Avay  lor  Ium-;  and  she  stretched  out  her 
liand  to  bid  her  son  Avclcome.  Heing  totally  blind,  she  stroked  his 
hands,  and  arms,  and  fice  Aviih  great  care,  and  seemed  highly  delighted 
that  lier  latter  days  were  ])lessed  by  his  return,  and  that  her  ears  once 
more  heard  the  music  of  liis  A'oice.  From  this  interview,  I  AA'as  con- 
vinced, that  Avhatever  ilifferi'iice  there  is  betAvei'u  the  Negro  ami  Euro- 
jiean  in  flu;  conformation  of  the  nose,  and  the  color  of  their  skin,  there  is 
none  in  the  genuine  sympathies  and  char.acteristie  feelings  of  our  com- 
mon nature. 

"During  the  tumult  of  these  congnitulatlons,  I  bad  seated  myself 

7 


iliili 


'I 


i 


98 


LIFE    AND    TRAYELS    OF    MUXfiO    PARK. 


apart,  by  the  side  of  one  of  the  liut.s,  being  unwilling  to  interrupt  the 
flow  of  iilial  and  parental  tenderness;  and  the  attention  of  the  conii)any 
was  so  entirely  taken  up  with  the  blaeksmith,  that  I  believe  none  of  his 
friends  had  observed  nie.  When  all  the  peopli;  present  had  seated  them- 
selves, the  blacksmith  was  desired  by  his  father  to  give  some  aceount  of 
his  adventures  ;  and  silence  behig  conunanded  lie  Ijegan ;  and  after  re- 
peatedly thanking  God  tor  the  success  that  liad  attended  him,  ivlatcd 
every  material  occurrence  that  had  haj)pened  to  him  from  his  leaving 
Kasson  to  his  arrival  at  the  Gambia ;  his  employment  and  success  in 
those  parts ;  and  the  dangers  lie  had  escaped  in  returning  to  his  nati\o 
country.  In  the  latter  part  of  his  narration,  he  liad  frequent  occasion  to 
mention  me ;  and  after  many  strong  expressions  concerning  my  kindness 
to  him,  he  pointed  to  the  plac"  where  I  sat,  and  exclaimed,  AlHUe  ill 
siring  (see  him  sitting  there),  '^n  a  moment  all  eyes  were  turned  upon 
me.  I  api)eared  like  a  being  uropped  from  the  clouds  ;  every  one  Avas 
siu-])rised  that  they  had  not  observed  me  before ;  and  a  few  Avomen  and 
children  expressed  great  uneasiness  at  being  so  near  a  man  of  such  an 
uncommon  appearance.  By  degrees,  however,  their  ai)prelu'nsioiis  sub- 
sided, and  when  the  blacksmith  assured  them  I  was  perfectly  in oiVensive, 
some  of  them  ventured  so  far  as  to  examine  the  texture  of  my  clothes; 
but  many  of  them  were  still  very  suspicious,  and  when  by  accident  I 
happened  to  move  myself,  or  look  at  the  young  childi'cn,  their  mothers 
would  scamper  off  with  them  with  the  greatest  precij)itation.  In  a  few 
hours,  however,  they  all  became  reconciled  to  me." 

"With  those  honest  people  Park  remained  during  the  whole  of  that 
day  and  the  next,  and  then,  accompanied  by  the  worthy  blacksmith,  who 
declared  that  he  Avould  not  quit  him  during  his  stay  in  that  part  of  the 
country,  set  forward  toward  Kooniakary,  On  his  arrival  at  this  i:ity  he 
obtained  an  audience  of  the  king,  a  fine  old  man,  Avho,  for  his  conduct 
both  in  peace  and  war,  was  greatly  beloved  by  his  subjects.  Ilis  beha- 
vior toward  the  stranger  was  not  mconsistent  with  his  character.  He 
informed  him  with  apparent  regret,  that  the  direct  route  to  Bambarra 
was  about  to  be  closed  by  war ;  but,  after  vainly  advising  his  guest  to 
retrace  his  footsteps,  added,  that  there  yet  remauied  some  hopes  of 
peace,  respecting  the  validity  of  Avhich  he  should  be  able  to  ])ronounce 
an  opinion  in  the  course  of  four  or  five  days.  In  the  mean  while  he  in- 
vited Park  to  remain  in  the  neighborhood. 

On  the  1st  of  February,  1V9G,  the  king's  messenger  returned  from 
the  contiguous  kingdom  of  Kaarta,  bringing  intelligence  that  the  Bam- 
barra army  had  not  yet  entered  the  country,  and  that  it  Avas  possible  the 
traveler  might  be  enal)led  to  traverse  it  before  the  invasion  should  take 
I)lace.  Accordingly,  being  provided  Avith  tAA'O  guides  by  the  king.  Park 
took  leave  of  his  friend  the  blacksmith,  and  set  forAvard  on  his  dangerous 
journey.  The  country,  at  all  times  thickly  peopled,  now  swarmed  Avith 
fugitives,  Avhom  the  fear  of  the  Bambarrans  had  terrified  from  their 
homes.     The  scenery  in  many  places  Avas  romantically  Avild,     "  On  com- 


j. 


I 


ADVENTURK    WITH    TWO    NATIVES, 


99 


ing  in  sight  of  tlio  Tuoniitiiins  of  Footado,  we  travt'li'd,"  says  Park,  "  witli 
great  ilitliciilty  down  a  stony  and  abrupt  procipicc,  and  continuod  our 
way  in  the  l»od  of  a  di'icd  rivor-courso,  whei'c  tlu'  trins  nict'tiug  over  our 
heads,  made  the  place  dark  and  cool.  In  a  little  time  we  reached  tint 
bottom  of  this  romantic  glen  ;  and  about  ten  o'clock  emerged  from  b(>- 
twecn  two  rocky  hills,  and  found  ourselves  on  the  level  and  sandy  plains 
of  Kaarta.  At  noon  we  arrived  at  a  korree,  or  Avateriiig-place,  whei-(>, 
for  a  few  strings  of  beads,  T  purchased  as  much  milk  and  corn-meal  a-* 
we  could  eat ;  and  indeed  provisions  are  here  so  cheaj),  and  the  shc])- 
herds  live  in  such  aftluence,  that  they  seldom  ask  any  return  for  what 
refreshment  a  traveler  receives  from  them." 

From  this  place,  having  prevailed  upon  his  landlord,  a  ^Mohammedan 
negro,  to  accompaiiy  him  as  a  guide  to  Kemmoo,  I';irk  set  for\\'ar<I  on 
the  11th  of  February.  lie  observes,  "We  had  no  sooner  got  into  a 
dark  and  lonely  part  of  the  first  "wood,  than  he  made  a  sign  for  us  to 
stoj) ;  and  taking  hold  of  a  hollow  piece  of  bamboo  that  hung  as  an 
amulet  round  his  neck,  whistled  very  loud  three  times.  I  confess  I  was 
somewhat  startled,  thinking  it  was  a  signal  for  some  of  his  companions 
to  come  and  attack  ns;  but  he  assured  me  it  was  done  merely  with  a 
view  to  ascertain  what  success  we  were  likely  to  ineet  with  on  our  pres- 
ent journey.  lie  then  dismounted,  laid  his  spear  across  the  road,  and 
ha\  ing  said  a  number  of  short  prayers,  concluded  with  three  loud  Avhis- 
tles;  after  which  he  listened  for  sometime,  as  if  in  cxi^cctation  of  an 
answer,  and  receiving  none,  told  us  we  might  proceed  without  fear,  fur 
there  was  no  danger." 

.\<lv(ntures  now  appeared  to  crowd  npon  the  party.  The  country 
through  Mhich  tlu'ir  roail  lay  being  thickly  sprinkled  with  wild  fruit-trees, 
they  anuised  themselves,  as  they  rode  slowly  along,  with  picking  and  eat- 
ing the  fruit,  "In  this  pursuit,"  says  Park,  "I  had  wandered  a  little 
from  my  peoj)le,  and  being  imcertain  whether  they  were  before  or  behind 
me,  I  hastened  to  a  rising  ground  to  look  about  mo.  As  I  was  proceed- 
ing toward  this  eminence,  two  negro  horsemen,  armed  with  mui-kets, 
came  gallophig  from  among  the  bushes.  On  seeing  them  I  made  a  full 
stop ;  the  horsemen  did  the  same  ;  and  all  three  of  us  seemed  equally 
surprised  and  confounded  at  this  interview.  As  I  approached  thcTU  their 
fears  increased,  and  one  of  them,  after  casting  on  me  a  look  of  horror, 
rode  olf  at  full  speed ;  the  other,  in  a  panic  of  fear,  put  his  hand  over  his 
eyes,  and  continued  muttering  prayers  until  his  horse,  seemingly  without 
his  rider's  knowledge,  conveyed  him  slowly  after  his  companion.  About 
a  mile  to  the  westward  they  fell  in  Avith  my  attendants,  to  whom  they 
related  a  frightful  story.  It  seems  their  fears  had  dressed  me  in  the 
fiowing  robes  of  a  tremendous  spirit ;  and  one  of  them  affirmed,  that 
when  I  made  my  appearance,  a  cold  l)last  of  wind  came  pouring  down 
upon  him  from  the  sky,  like  so  much  cold  water." 

Shortly  after  this  they  arrived  at  the  capital  of  Kaarta,  where  he  was 
an  object  of  such  extraordinary  curiosity  to  the  jtopulace — the  majority 


■  il 


,■  I  't.i  ■  .  J 


f  ! 


Jh, 


100 


LIFE    AND    TUAYKLS    OF    MUXUO    PARK. 


of  wlioiii  li;i(l  iirvcr  lu'l'ore  si'ca  ii  wliiUi  m:in — liiiil  tiny  Imrst  i;)rcil)ly 
into  Ills  lint,  ci-owd  .'irti'i'  crowd.  Tlioso  wlio  liml  Ivli'ld  tiic-  moiislcr 
gave  May  to  tlioso  wlio  had  not,  mitil,  ii^;  Ik.'  oliscrvos,  llic  lint  was  tilled 
and  I'liiplit'd  tliiilccn  dilVcrciit  times.  Here  lie  I'oinid  tliat  the  war  with 
Jjambarra  had  aetnally  coniineiKx'il ;  that  all  coniinnnication  l)etwcen  t'lo 
countries  had  consequently  ceased;  and  that,  it' it  was  his  delin'iniiiatioii 
to  persevere,  it  would  l)o  necessary  to  take  a  circuitous  route  through 
th.'  ^Moorish  kingdom  ot"  Ludamar.  The  people  ol'Kaarta  were  ]\L»ham- 
medans;  but  instead  of  the  line  sonorous  voice  of  the  muezzin,  Ly  which 
the  faithful  .are  oljiewhere  summoned  to  their  devotions,  the  liour  of 
jirayer  was  here  announced  by  tlu!  beating  of  drums,  and  blowing 
through  large  elephant's  teeth,  hollowed  out  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
rosend)le  bugle-horns.  The  sound  of  tliese  liorns  Park  thought  melodi- 
ous, and  ajiproadiing  nearer  to  the  lunnan  voice  than  any  other  artificial 
sound.  Doing  very  desirous  to  depart  from  the  scat  of  Avar,  lie  jiresentcd 
liis  luu'so-pislols  and  holsters  to  the  king;  and  on  pressing  to  be  dis- 
missed, received  in  retnrn  an  escort  of  eiglit  liorsemen  to  conduct  him  to 
Jarra.  Three  of  the  king's  sons,  with  two  hundred  horsemen,  kindly  un- 
dertook to  accoinj)any  hiiu  a  little  vay  on  his  journey. 

On  his  arrival  at  Jarra,  in  the  kingihuu  of  ]jU(hunar,  lie  dispatched  a 
messenger  to  Ali  who  was  tlien  encamped  near  Benowm,  soliciting  permis- 
sion to  ji.ass  immolested  through  his  territories;  and  having  waited  four- 
teen days  for  his  reply,  a  slave  at  length  arrived  from  the  chief,  aflirmhig 
that  ho  had  been  instructed  to  con<hict  tlie  traveler  in  safety  as  far  as 
Goomba.  His  negro,  Johnson,  here  refused  to  follow  him  any  further, 
and  signilicd  his  intention  of  ])usliing  back  without  delay  to  Gambia; 
njion  wliich  Park,  fearful  of  the  suc(;ess  of  liis  entcriirise,  intrusted  hini 
■with  a  copy  of  his  journal,  reserving  another  for  himself,  directhig  him 
to  deliver  the  pa])ers  to  the  Englisli  on  the  coast.  A  portion  of  his  bag- 
gage and  apparel  lie  committed  to  the  care  of  a  slave-merchant  at  Jarra, 
who  was  known  to  I^r.  Laidley,  IIo  then  lU-parted,  with  his  slave-boy, 
accomi)aiiied  by  the  chiefs  messenger.  On  the  road  he  was  robbed  once 
more  by  the  floors,  who  added  insult  to  violence  ;  and  when  he  was 
nearly  perishing  from  thirst,  beat  away  his  faithful  slave  from  the  wells, 
■without  permitting  liim  to  draw  water. 

However,  after  much  i'atigue  and  extraordinary  jirivations,  they 
an-ived  in  All's  camp  at  Ijcnowm,  where  Park  Avas  immediately  sur- 
rounded by  crov.ds  of  limatical  ]Moors,  attracted  jiartly  from  curiosity, 
))artly  from  a  desire  to  vent  their  fierce  zeal  against  a  Christian.  "  My 
arrival,"'  says  ho,  "  was  no  sooner  observed  than  the  people,  who  drew 
water  at  the  wells,  threw  down  their  buckets ;  those  in  the  tents  mounted 
their  horses,  and  men,  women,  and  children  cami!  running  or  galloping 
toward  mo.  I  soon  fouiul  myself  surrounded  by  such  a  crowd,  that  I 
could  scarcely  move ;  one  pulled  my  clothes,  another  took  oft'myliat; 
a  third  stop])ed  mc  to  examine  my  waistcoat  buttons,  and  a  fourth  called 
out '  La  illak  il,  allah,  Jfohammed  rossool  allah  (there  is  no  God  but 


I, 


tj 


( 


l''\ 


SULTAN    ALT'S    CAMP. 


101 


r»o(l,  fiii'l  JMnhaiiMiii'il  \>]\U  ]>rojiliot),  :ui(l  si'xiiillcil,  in  .1  llircutcnitifj 
iiiiuinor,  tliiU  I  must  repent  those  Avonls.  We  reiielied  !it  leiiLTtli  tlio 
kiiiLf's  tent,  Mliere  we  iijiind  !i  greiit  number  ()f]»e(>])Ie,  men,  wunun,  nnd 
children,  iissenihjed.  Ali  was  sittiiifj  on  a  Mack  leathern  cushion,  clip. 
]>iiiir  a  iew  li.'iirs  from  his  upper  lip — a  I'emnle  attemlaiit  holdini^  np  a 
lookinjf-glass  before  him.  lie  appeared  to  bc^  an  old  man  of  the  Aral) 
caste,  M'itli  a  long  white  beard,  and  he  liad  a  sullen  and  indignant  aspect. 
He  surveyed  me  Avilli  attention,  and  iiKjuired  of  the  Moors  if  I  could 
speak  Arabic ;  and  being  answered  in  the  negative,  lu'  appeared  much 
Burprised,  and  continued  silent.  The  surrounding  attendants,  and  pt'.rticu- 
larly  tlie  ladies,  were  aliundantly  more  inquisitivo  ;  tliey  asked  a  thousand 
questions,  inspected  every  part  of  my  ajiparel,  searched  my  pockets,  and 
obliged  me  to  unbutton  my  waisti'oat  and  disj)lay  the  whiteness  of  my 
skin  ;  tliey  even  counted  my  toes  and  lingers,  as  if  they  doubted  whether 
I  was  in  truth  a  luiman  beuig," 


^11 


J   '"!' 


All  now,  witli  the  bas(!  idea  of  insulting  an  improtected  strntiger, 
ordered  a  wild  boar  to  be  broucjlit  in,  Avhich  he  signified  liis  desire  that 
Park  should  kill  and  eat.  This,  well  knowing  their  religious  projudicos, 
he,  of  course,  refused  to  do  ;  u]iO]i  which  the  boys  who  led  in  the  boar 
Avere  commanded  to  let  it  loosc^  upon  him,  the  Moors  supposing  that 
there  exists  an  inveterate  feud  between  ])igs  and  Christians,  and  that  it 
would  iinmeiliately  run  upon  and  gore  him.  The  l)oar,  however,  was 
more  magnanimous.  Scorning  to  attack  a  defenseless  foreigner,  he  no 
sooner  found  himself  at  liberty  than,  brandishmg  his  tusks  at  the  natives, 
he  rushed  at  them  iniliscriinniately,  and  then,  to  com])lete  their  conster- 
nation, took  shelter  under  the  very  couch  upon  which  the  tyrant  was  sit- 
ting. This1)old  ]iroceeding  of  the  unclean  be.ast  dissolved  the  assembly, 
and  the  traveler  was  led  away  to  the  tent  of  a  slave,  in  front  of  which, 


a|: 


t  '    ■    ,    ! 


I 


102 


LIFE   AND    TRAVELS    OF    MUNGO    PARK. 


not  bciujj;  permitted  to  enter,  he  received  a  little  food.  Here  he  like- 
wise passed  the  night,  lying  upon  the  sand,  surrounded  by  the  curious 
iruiltitude.  Next  day,  a  hut,  constructed  with  corn-stalks,  was  given  to 
him,  but  the  boar,  Avhich  had  been  recaptured,  was  tied  to  a  stake  in 
the  end  of  it,  as  his  fittest  companion. 

By  degrees,  however,  the  Moors  began  to  conceive  that  tlie  Christian 
might,  in  one  Avay  or  another,  be  rendered  useful,  but  could  think  of  no 
better  employment  for  liim  than  that  of  a  barber.  In  this  capacity  he 
nuule  his  first  attempt,  in  the  royal  presence,  on  the  head  of  the  young 
prince  of  Ludamar.  This  dignified  office  he  had  no  great  desire  to  mo- 
noj)olize,  and  his  unskillfulness  in  performing  the  operation,  for  ho  almost 
at  the  outset  nuide  an  incision  in  the  young  prince's  head,  (piickly  re- 
duced him  once  more  to  the  rank  of  a  couiinon  nuirtal.  Ali  seemed  by 
no  means  desirous,  however,  of  dispensing  altogether  with  his  services, 
wishhig,  perhaj)S,  to  preserve  him  from  the  same  motives  which  induce 
us  to  preserve  a  wild  beast;  and,  therefore,  to  render  his  escai)e  the 
more  impracticable,  took  possessionof  the  whole  of  his  baggage,  includ- 
ing his  gold,  andjcr,  watch,  and  one  of  his  pocket  compasses,  the  other 
he  luul  fortunately  buried  in  the  sand  composing  the  floor  of  his  hut. 
The  gold  and  amber  were  highly  gratifying  to  Moorish  .avarice,  but  the 
pocket  comjiass  soon  became  an  object  of  superstitious  curiosity.  "  .\li 
was  very  doirous  to  be  hiformed  why  that  small  piece  of  iron,  the  needle, 
always  pointed  to  the  (Jreat  Desert,  and  I  found  myself  somewhat  puz- 
zled to  answer  the  (piestioii.  To  have  j'leaded  my  ignorance  would  have 
created  a  suspicion  that  I  wished  to  conceal  the  real  truth  from  him  ;  I 
therefore  told  him  that  my  niotlier  resided  far  beyoiul  the  sands  of  S:i- 
hara,  and  that  wliile  she  was  ahve  the  piece  of  iron  would  always  point 
tiiat  way,  and  serve  as  a  guide  to  conduct  me  to  her;  anel  that  if  she  was 
dead  it  would  ])ouit  to  her  grave.  Ali  now  looked  at  the  compass  with 
redoubled  anuizement,  turned  it  round  and  round  repeatedly,  but  ob- 
servuig  that  it  always  pohited  the  same  way,  he  took  it  up  with  great 
caution  aud  relumed  it  to  me,  mauife.sting  that  he  tliouglit  there  was 
something  of  magic  in  it,  and  that  he  was  afraid  of  keejiing  so  danger- 
ous an  instrument  in  his  possession." 

It  now  began  to  lie  <lebated  betweeVi  Ali  and  his  advisers  whnt  sliould 
be  done  with  their  ])risoner.  Their  dec'sions  were  very  dissimilar.  Some 
were  of  opinion  that  he  should  be  put  to  death,  otiiers  that  he  should 
m(  rely  lose  his  right  hand,  while  a  third  party  thought  that  his  eyes 
ought  to  be  j»ut  out.  Ali  himself,  however,  determined  that  matters 
fihould  remain  as  lliey  were  until  liis  (jueen  Fatinia,  then  in  the  north, 
had  seen  liim.  Meanwhile  all  these  reports  were  related  to  our  traveler, 
and  temled  not  a  little  to  distress  and  agitate  his  nund.  Ilis  demand  to 
be  permittt'd  to  depart  was  t()rmally  refused.  Tile  accunuilated  horrors 
of  his  situation,  united  with  the  want  of  food  and  sleep,  at  length  brought 
on  a  fever,  by  w liiili  his  life  was  endangered.  Ibit  his  persecution  from 
the  Moor>  did  nut  iherelbro  cease.     They  plucked  his  iloak  from  liim, 


I 


\ 


MOORISH    TYllANNY. 


108 


they  ovcnvhelmcd  him  with  iiFults,  they  torturod  him  hko  some  fl'vo- 
cious  animal,  tor  thoii*  amusement,  anil  when,  to  escape  from  this  detest- 
able thraUlom,  ho  crawled  away  to  a  short  distance  from  the  camp,  he 
was  forced  back  by  menaces  and  violence. 

iVt  length,  after  more  than  a  month's  detention  at  Benowm,  he  was 
commanded  to  foUon'-  Ali  to  the  northern  encampment  of  Bubaker,  on 
the  skirts  of  the  Great  Desert,  and  on  the  way  endured  the  extremity 
of  hunger,  thirst,  and  fatigue.  Upon  arriving  at  Bubaker,  he  was  shown 
as  a  strange  animal  to  Fatima,  who,  though  tar  from  being  exempt  from 
the  Moorish  prejudices  against  a  Christian,  or  in  any  remarkable  degree 
disposed  to  humanity,  still  treated  hun  with  somewhat  greater  lenity 
than  the  rest  of  the  Moors;  and,  upon  the  departin-e  of  her  husband  for 
Jarra,  not  only  obtained  him  jtermissiou  to  ji)in  the  party,  but  prevailed 
upon  the  tyrant  to  restore  liim  his  horse,  saddle,  and  bridle,  together 
Avith  a  part  of  his  ajiparel.  Ilis  faithful  black  boy,  Demba,  however, 
was  taken  from  him,  notwithstauduig  his  animated  remonsf  niiu-es  to  Ali, 
who,  upon  his  jtressing  the  ])oint  rather  warmly,  only  re])!ie(1,  that  if  he 
did  not  histantly  mount  his  horse  and  depart  ho  should  share  the  liite  of 
his  slave.  "There  is  something  hi  the  frown  of  a  tyrant,"  says  Park, 
"which  rouses  the  most  secret  emotions  ol  the  heart.  I  could  not  sup- 
press my  feelings,  and  for  once  entertained  an  iii<lignaiit  wish  to  rid  the 
Avorld  of  such  a  monster.  Poor  Demba  was  not  less  at!ected  than  my- 
self; he  had  formed  a  strong  attacl.Tnent  toward  me,  and  had  a  cheer- 
fulness of  disposition  which  often  beguiled  the  tedious  hours  of  captivity. 
lie  was  likewise  a  ]>rolicicnt  in  the  Bambarra  tongue,  and  promised,  on 
that  account,  to  l)e  of  great  use  to  mo  in  future.  But  it  w:is  in  vain  to 
exjK'ct  anything  favorablu  to  humanity  from  a  people  who  are  strangers 
to  its  <li(tates.  So,  having  shaken  hands  with  this  unfortunat  boy,  and 
blended  my  tears  with  his,  assuring  him,  however,  I  would  do  my  best 
to  redeem  him,  I  saw  him  led  olf  by  three  of  All's  slaves  toward  the 
cainp  of  Bubaker." 

I'jion  his  arrival  at  Jarra,  where  he  was  shortly  afterward  transferred 
by  Ali  to  tyrants  of  a  lower  grade,  bis  condition,  iiir  from  being  im- 
proved, was  oidy  rendered  the  more  intolerable.  I'he  city  itself,  nu)re- 
over,  was  in  a  state  of  the  utmost  confusion.  IMalconteiils  from  Kaarta 
having  taken  refu!.je  there,  had  recentlv  made  an  incursion  into  their 
native  country,  oarrii'd  i>tf  a  large  quantity  of  jilundi-r,  and  thus  drawn 
tl;;'  vengeance  of  their  king  against  the  city.  ,\11  those  who  had  reason 
to  dread  his  resentment  were  now,  therefore,  preparing  to  ily  into  Bam- 
barra ;  and  I'ark,  whose  route  lay  in  the  sanu'  direction,  became  exceed- 
ingly desirous  of  efl'i'cting  liis  escaiie  from  tlu'  .AIoois,  that  lie  might  seize 
upon  this  fortunate  occasiim  of  fultilling  the  object  of  his  mission. 
"Their  d»'l»aiture,"  says  he,  s|)eaking  of  the  black  fugitives,  "  was  very 
afl'ecting;  the  women  and  children  er\iug,  the  nu'ii  sullen  and  deji'cted, 
and  all  of  tluin  looking  back  willi  regret  on  iheir  native  town  ;  and  on 
the  wells  and  rocks  beyond  wliich  their  and»i(ion  had  never  tempted 


Jl. 

I     'I 
I 

itll 


'  f    5 


104 


LIFE    AXD    TRAVELS   OF    MUNGO    PARK. 


t  i 


them  to  .stray,  aiul  Avhere  they  liad  laid  all  thfir  plans  of  future  liajipiuess, 
all  of  \\iiit'li  thev  were  now  forced  to  abandon,  and  to  seek  .shelter  anionijr 
stranger.s." 

Ilo])in<j;  to  e.seape  in  this  oonfu.scd  throng,  he  mounted  his  horse,  and 
taking  a  bag  of  corn  before  him,  rode  slowly  oil'  along  with  the  towns- 
people. On  their  arrival  at  Queira,  a  village  at  no  great  distance  from 
the  city,  Park  began  to  Hatter  himself  that  he  liad  really  eluded  the 
vigilance  of  his  i)erseeutors,  but  before  the  agreeable  idea  had  got  a  firm 
footing  in  his  mind,  he  saw  All's  chief  slave,  accompanied  by  four  Moors, 
arrive,  and  take  up  their  lodgings  with  the  dooty.  Johnson,  Park's 
inter])reter  (who  had  been  seized  by  Ali's  order  before  lie  could  leave 
Jarra),  suspecting  the  design  of  this  visit,  sent  two  boys  to  overhear 
their  conversation,  by  which  means  he  learned  that  it  was  their  intention 
to  carry  Park  back  to  Bubaker.  Upon  this  he  at  once  came  to  the  des- 
perate resolution  to  eifect  that  very  night  his  deliverance  from  his  pur- 
suers, f)r  to  ])erish  in  the  attempt.  John.son,  who  applauded  this  deter- 
mhiation,  but  wanted  the  courage  to  imitate  it,  was  nevertlu'less  exceed- 
ingly Axell  disjtosed  to  aid  hi  ett'ecting  his  master's  escape.  He  therefore 
midertook  to  keep  watch  upon  the  movements  of  the  enemy,  while  Park 
was  prej taring  for  Hight.  About  midnight  he  got  all  his  apparel  in  readi- 
ness, which  consisted  of  two  shirts,  two  pair  of  trousers,  two  pocket- 
handkerchiets,  an  upper  and  under  waistcoat,  a  liat,  a  jiair  of  Iialf  boots, 
and  a  cloak.  Besides  these  things  lie  had  not  in  his  possession  a  .single 
bead  or  any  other  article  with  which  to  purchase  food  for  himself,  or 
jirovender  for  his  horse.  "About  daybreak,  Johnson,  Avho  had  been 
listening  to  the  Moors  all  night,  came,"  says  he,  "  and  whispered  to  mo 
that  they  wi're  all  asleep.  The  awful  crisis  was  now  arrived  when  I  was 
again  cither  to  taste  the  blessings  of  freedom,  or  langui.sh  out  my  days 
in  eaj)tivity.  A  cold  sweat  moist I'm'd  my  forehead  as  I  thought  of  the 
dreadful  alternative,  and  rellected  that  one  way  or  the  other,  my  lato 
nuist  be  decided  in  the  course  of  the  ensuing  day.  But  to  deliberate 
was  to  lose  the  only  chance  of  escaping.  So  taking  uj)  my  bundle,  I 
sli'])ped  gently  over  the  negroes  who  were  .sleeping  in  the  open  air,  and, 
having  mounted  my  horse,  I  bade  Johnson  farewell,  desiring  him  to  take 
jiaiticular  care  of  my  juipi'rs  I  Lad  intrusted  him  with,  and  inform  my 
friends  in  (lambia  that  he  had  lell  me  in  good  health  on  my  Avay  to  Jjani- 
barra.  I  pr()cee(led  with  great  caution,  surveying  each  bush,  aud  fre- 
(piently  listening  and  looking  behind  me  for  the  Moorish  horsemen,  mitil 
I  was  al)()ut  a  mile  I'mm  the  town,  -whvu  I  was  surprised  to  lind  myself 
in  the  neighl»orhood  of  a  korree,  bi'longing  to  the  Moors.  The  shepherds 
followed  me  for  about  a  mile,  hooting  and  throwing  stones  atler  mo; 
and  when  1  was  out  of  their  reacli,  and  had  begun  to  indulge  (he  pleas- 
ing hope  of  escaping,  I  w;is  again  gi'eally  alarmed  to  hear  someliody 
halloo  bi'liind  me,  and,  looking  back,  1  saw  three  floors  on  horseback 
coming  atU'r  me  at  full  speed,  wlioo])iMg  and  br.uidishing  their  double- 
barrel  guns.     I  know  it  was  ui  vain  to  think  of  escajting,  and  tliereforo 


1 


I 


PROSPECT    OF    DEATU. 


105 


turned  back  .and  met  them,  when  two  of  them  caught  hold  of  myhridle, 
one  on  each  side,  and  the  third,  presenting  his  nuisket,  told  nie  I  must 
g       ~ck  to  Ali." 

'  soon  ajtpeared,  however,  ihat  these  gentlemen  were  mei'ely  private 
loblK-rs,  Avho  were  fearful  that  tlieir  master  had  not  sullieiently  j)illaged 
the  stranger;  for,  after  examining  his  bundle,  and  phuulering  him  of  his 
cloak,  they  bade  him  begone,  and  follow  them  no  further.  Too  liappy 
to  be  rid  of  the  villains  at  any  rate,  he  inunediately  struck  into  the  woods 
and  continued  liis  journey.  His  joy  at  thus  escai)ing  from  the  Moors 
was  (juiekly  damjjcd  by  the  consideration  that  he  must  very  soon  be  in 
want  of  both  food  and  water,  neitlier  of  wliieh  could  he  procure  without 
approaching  villages  or  wells,  Avhere  he  Avould  almost  inevitably  en- 
counter his  old  enemies.  lie  therefore  pushed  on  w'th  all  the  vigor  of 
which  he  Avas  possessed,  in  the  hope  of  reaching  some  town  or  village 
of  the  kingdom  of  Ixunbarra.  But  lie  already  began  to  experience  the 
tortures  of  thirst ;  liis  mouth  Mas  paiched  and  inflamed  ;  a  sudden 
dimness,  accompanied  by  sym]>toms  of  fainting,  Avould  fre(iuently  come 
over  his  eyes;  and  as  his  horse  also  was  exceedingly  fatigued,  he  began 
to  appreheiul  that  he  should  perish  of  thirst.  Some  shrubs,  the  leaves 
of  whit'h  he  chewed  to  relieve  the  burning  jiain  in  his  mouth  and  throat, 
were  all  found  to  be  bitter  and  of  no  service.  "  A  little  before  sunset, 
having  r'-ached  the  top  of  a  gentle  rising,"'  says  Park,  "  I  climbed  a 
higli  tree,  from  the  topmost  branches  of  which  I  cast  a  melaiu'holy  look 
over  the  barren  wilderness,  but  without  discovering  the  im^st  distant 
trace  of  a  human  dwelling.  The  same  dismal  uniformity  of  shrubs  and 
sand  everywhere  jiresented  itself,  and  the  horizon  was  level  and  miinter- 
rupted  as  that  of  the  sea. 

"Descending  frnui  the  tree,  I  l^)und  my  horse  devouring  the  stid)blo 
and  brushwood  Avith  great  avidity;  and  as  I  Avas  now  too  faint  to  :it- 
tempt  Avalking,  anil  my  horse  too  much  tixtigued  to  carry  nie,  T  thought 
it  but  an  act  of  humanity,  and  perhajis  the  last  I  should  ever  have  it  in 
my  power  to  i)erform,  to  take  otV  his  bridle  ami  let  him  shift  tor  lihn- 
self;  in  doing  Avhich,  I  Avas  afl'ected  Avith  sickness  and  giddiness;  and, 
tiiUing  upon  the  saml,  '?1'.  as  if  the  hour  of  deatli  was  fast  aiJjM-oaching. 
Here  then  (tiiought  I),  after  a  short  but  inefl'cctiial  struggle,  terminato 
all  my  hopes  of  behig  useful  in  my  day  and  generation — here  must  the 
sliort  span  of  my  life  come  to  an  end.  I  cast,  as  I  believed,  a  last  look 
on  the  surrounding  scene,  and  while  I  reilected  on  the  awfid  change  that 
Avas  about  to  take  place,  this  Avorld  and  its  enjoyments  seenu'd  to  vanish 
from  my  recollection.  Xature,  however,  at  length  resinned  its  fuius 
tlons;  and  on  recovering  my  senses  I  foimd  myself  stretched  upon  the 
sand,  Avith  the  bridle  still  in  my  hand,  and  the  sun  just  sinking  behind 
the  trees.  T  now  sunnnoned  all  my  resolution,  ami  determined  to  mako 
another  »'tfort  to  iirolong  mv  I'xistence:  and,  as  the  evening  Avas  sonm- 
Avhat  cool,  I  resolved  to  travt'l  as  tar  as  my  lindis  AA'ould  carry  me,  in 
hopes  of  reaching  (my  only  resource)  ii  watering-place.     With  this  view 


'm 


^i'.i 


'':;■!? 


i  ■ 


I'll 


n. 


106 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF    MUNGO    PARK. 


I  put  the  bridle  upon  my  horse,  and  driving  him  before  mo,  Avent  slowly 
along  for  about  an  hour,  when  I  perceived  some  lightning  from  the 
north-east — a  most  delightful  sight,  for  it  promised  rain.  The  darkness 
and  lightning  increased  very  rapidly;  and  in  less  than  an  hour  I  heard 
the  wind  roaring  behind  the  bushes.  I  had  already  opened  my  mouth 
to  receive  the  refreshing  drops  which  I  expected :  but  I  was  instantly 
covered  with  a  cloud  of  sand,  driven  with  such  force  by  the  wind  as  to 
gi\e  a  very  disagreeable  sensation  to  my  face  and  arms;  and  I  was 
obliged  to  mount  my  horse  and  stoj)  under  a  bush  to  prevent  beuig  guf> 
focated.  The  sand  continued  to  fly  for  near  an  hour  in  amazing  quan- 
tities, ailer  which  I  again  set  forward,  and  traveled  with  difficulty  until 
ten  o'clock.  About  this  time  I  was  agreeably  surprised  by  some  very 
vivid  flashes  of  lightning,  followed  by  a  few  heavy  drops  of  rain.  In  a 
httle  time  the  sand  ceased  to  fly,  and  I  alighted  and  s])read  out  all  my 
clean  clothes  to  collect  the  rain,  Avhich  at  length  I  saw  would  certainly 
full.  For  more  than  an  hour  it  rained  plentifully,  and  I  quenched  my 
thirst  by  wringing  and  sucking  my  clothes. 

"There  being  no  moon,  it  was  remarkably  dark;  so  that  I  was 
obliged  to  lead  my  horse,  and  direct  my  way  by  the  compass,  which  the 
hghtning  enabled  me  to  observe.  In  this  manner  I  traveled  with  toler- 
able expedition  until  past  midnight ;  when  the  lightning  became  more 
distant,  and  I  was  under  the  necessity  of  gro])ing  along,  to  the  no  small 
danger  of  my  hands  and  eyes.  About  two  o'clock  my  horse  started  at 
something ;  and,  looking  around,  I  was  not  a  little  surprised  to  see  a  light 
at  a  short  distance  among  the  trees,  and  supposing  it  to  be  a  town,  I 
groped  along  tlie  sand  in  hopes  of  linding  corn-stalks,  cotton,  or  other 
aj)pearances  of  cultivation,  but  foiuid  none.  As  I  approached,  I  per- 
ceived a  number  of  other  lights  in  dillerent  places,  and  began  to  susj)ect 
that  I  had  fallen  njion  a  party  of  ]\Ioors.  However,  in  my  present 
situation,  I  was  resolved  to  sec  who  they  were,  if  I  could  do  it  with 
safety.  I  accordingly  led  my  liorse  cautiously  toward  the  light,  and 
heard  by  the  lowing  of  the  cattle,  and  the  clanutrous  tongues  of  the 
herdsmen,  that  it  was  a  watering-place,  and  most  likely  belonged  to  the 
Moors.  Delightful  as  the  sound  of  the  human  voice  was  to  me,  I  re- 
solved once  more  to  strike  into  the  woods,  and  rather  run  the  risk  of 
perishhig  with  hunger,  than  trust  myself  again  in  their  hands;  but 
being  still  thirsty,  and  dreading  the  a])proach  of  the  burning  day,  I 
thought  it  prudent  to  search  for  the  wells,  which  I  expected  to  find  at 
no  great  distance.  In  this  pursuit  I  inadvertently  approached  so  near 
one  of  the  tents  as  to  be  i)erceived  by  a  wonum,  Avho  innnediately 
screamed  out.  The  people  came  running  to  her  assistance  fi-om  some  of 
the  neighboring  tents,  and  passed  so  very  near  me  that  I  thought  I  was 
disco\  cred,  and  hastened  iigain  into  the  woods. 

"About  a  mile  from  this  jilace  I  heard  a  loud  and  confused  noise, 
Bomewhere  to  the  right  of  my  course,  and  hi  a  short  time  was  happy  to 
find  it  was  the  cruaking  of  fro^     ••hich  was  heavenly  music  to  my  cars, 


I 


APPROACn    TO    THE    NIGER. 


107 


I  fuIlowc'J  tlie  sound,  and  iil  daybreak  anivt-d  at  some  shallow  muddy 
pools,  so  full  of  frogs  that  it  was  dillicult  to  discern  the  water.  The 
noise  they  made  frightened  my  horse,  and  I  was  obliged  to  keep  them 
quiet  by  beating  the  water  with  a  branch  until  he  liad  drunk.  Ilaving 
here  quenched  my  thirst,  I  ascended  a  tree,  and  the  morning  being  clear, 
I  soon  perceived  the  smoke  of  the  wateruig-place  Avhich  I  had  passed  in 
the  night,  and  observed  another  pillar  of  smoke,  ea.^t-south-east,  distant 
twelve  or  fourteen  miles." 

Toward  this  colunm  of  smoke,  Avhich,  as  he  was  informed,  arose  from 
a  Foulah  village,  he  now  directed  his  course ;  but  on  arri\ing  at  the 
j)lace,  was  inhospitably  driven  from  every  door,  except  that  of  an  old 
■woman,  Avho  kindly  received  him  uito  her  dwelling,  and  furnished  him 
with  food  for  himself,  and  with  provender  for  his  horse.  ]Oven  here, 
however,  the  inlluence  of  Ali  pursued  him  like  his  evil  genius.  The 
people  who  had  collected  round  him  while  he  was  eating,  began,  as  he 
clearly  discovered  from  their  expressions,  to  form  the  design  of  carryhig 
him  back  once  more  to  Benowm  or  Bubaker.  He  therefore  hastened 
his  departure,  and  having  wandered  among  the  woods  all  day,  passed 
the  night  under  a  tree.  In  this  Avay  he  conthiued  his  journey,  some- 
times meetuig  with  hospitaUty,  but  more  frecjuently  a\  uiding  the  dwell- 
ings of  man,  and  subsisting  upon  the  wild  produce  of  the  woods,  and  the 
water  of  a  few  pools,  to  Avhich  the  croaking  of  the  frogs  directed  him. 

At  length  he  entered  the  kingdom  of  Bambarra,  where  he  found  the 
people  more  hospitable  in  proportion  as  they  were  more  opulent  than 
tlieir  neighbors.  Cultivation  was  here  carried  on  in  a  spirited  manner, 
and  on  an  extensive  scale,  and  "  hunger,"  as  the  natives  ex])ressed  it, 
''  was  never  known."  The  country  itself  was  beautiful,  inteisected  on 
all  sides  by  rivulets,  which,  after  a  rain-storm,  were  swelled  into  rapitl 
streams.  I'ark's  horse  was  now  so  attenuated  by  flitigue  that  it  ajii)eared 
like  a  mere  skeleton,  which  the  traveler,  fearing  to  mount,  drove  before 
him,  as  if  to  scare  away  the  crows.  The  Bambarrans,  whose  hosi)itable 
disposition  was  accompanied  by  but  little  delicacy,  were  infinitely 
anmsed  at  tlTw  droll  spectacle.  Taking  him  for  a  3Io()r,  they  supposed 
from  his  ajipearance  that  lie  must  be  one  of  those  religious  mendicants 
who,  having  performed  the  pilgrimage  to  the  holy  cities,  thenceforward 
consider  themselves  fully  entitled  to  subsist  upon  the  labors  of  their  in- 
dustrious co-religionists.  ''  'lie  has  been  at  3Iecca,'  said  one ;  'you  may 
see  that  by  his  clothes.'  Another  asked  if  my  horse  Avas  sick  ;  a  third 
wished  to  purchase  it,  itc.  So  that  I  believe  the  very  slaves  were 
ashamed  to  be  seen  hi  my  comjiany." 

However,  in  sjiite  of  all  this  laughter  and  ridicule,  he  iirocecdcd  on 
liis  way,  and  at  length  had  the  satisfaction  to  be  informed  that  on  the 
morrow  he  should  see  v'e  Niger,  denominated  Jullba,  or  the  "  Great 
Water,"  by  the  natives.  Next  morning,  the  2 1st  of  July,  after  passing 
throuiih  several  large  villages,  he  saw  llie  smoke  ;;sceiid  over  Sego,  the 
capital  of  Bambarra,  and  felt  elate  with  j()y  at  the  thought  of  drawuig 


\\    ■!: 


M^. 


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1:  ji 


\ 

fl 


,  It 
14- 


108 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF    MUNGO    PARK. 


"  I 


near  so  important  an  object  of  his  mission.  "  As  we  approached  the 
town,-'  says  Park,  "I  was  fortunate  enough  to  ovcrtalvc  the  fugitive 
Kaartans,  to  whose  kindness  I  liad  been  so  much  indebted  in  my 
journey  through  Bambarra.  They  readily  agreed  to  introduce  me  to 
tlie  king,  and  Ave  rode  togetlier  tlu'ough  some  marshy  ground,  where, 
as  I  anxiously  looked  around  for  the  river,  one  of  them  called  out  Geo 
affilll  (see  the  water) ;  and,  looking  forAvard,  I  saw  with  iniinite  pleas- 
ure tlie  great  object  of  my  mission — the  long  sought-for,  majestic  Niger, 
glittering  in  the  morning  sun,  as  broad  as  the  Thames  at  Westminster, 
and  flowing  slowly  to  the  eastward.  I  hastened  to  the  brink,  and, 
having  (b'lmk  of  the  water,  lifted  up  my  fervent  thanks  in  jirayer  to 
the  Great  liuler  of  all  things  fur  having  thus  liir  crowned  my  endeavors 
with  success." 

Sego,  the  capital  of  Bambarra,  consisted  of  four  distinct  towns,  two 
on  the  northern,  and  two  on  the  southern  bank  of  the  Niger.  The  king 
at  this  period  resided  on  the  southcfu  baid<,  while  Park  had  arrived  on 
the  opi)ositc  side.  The  connnuniciition  between  the  ditterent  quarters 
of  the  city  was  kept  up  by  means  of  large  canoes,  which  were  con- 
stantly passing  and  repassing;  notwithstanding  which,  so  great  was  the 
pressure  of  jjassengers,  that  Park  Avas  compelled  to  Avait  U2)ward  of  tAvo 
hours  before  he  could  obtain  even  a  chance  of  being  ferried  OA'cr. 
Meanwhile,  the  ])i'ospect  before  him  Avas  novel  and  striking  in  the 
highest  degree.  "The  view  of  this  extensive  city,"  he  observes,  " the 
numerous  canoes  on  the  river,  the  croAvded  population,  and  the  cul- 
tivated state  of  the  surrouiuliiig  country  formed  altogether  a  prospect 
of  civilization  and  niMgniticence  AA-hicli  I  little  expected  to  find  in  the 
bosoTU  of  Africa." 

"While  he  Avas  thus  Avaiting  for  a  passage,  the  ncAvs  AA'as  conveyed  to 
Mansong  that  a  AA'hite  man  Av:is  on  the  banks  of  the  river  coming  to  see 
him.  The  king,  Avho  seems  to  haAC  been  alarmed  at  this  intelligence, 
inunediately  dispatched  a  messenger,  Avho  Avas  directed  to  inform  the 
stranger  that  he  Avould  not  be  admitted  into  the  royal  presence  until 
tlu!  purport  of  his  mission  Avas  made  knoAvn ;  and  that  in  the  mean 
while,  he  Avas  prohibited  from  passing  the  river,  lie  Avas  likcAvise  told 
that  the  king  desired  him  to  seek  lodgings  in  one  of  the  villages  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  cajjital.  As  there  Avas  no  alternative,  he  at  once  set  out 
for  the  village,  Avhere,  to  his  great  mortification,  he  found  that  no  per- 
son Avoiild  ahnit  him  into  a  house.  "I  Avas  regarded  Avith  astonish- 
ment and  fear,"  he  observes,  "and  Avas  obliged  to  sit  all  day  AA-ithout 
victuals  in  (he  shade  of  a  tree;  and  the  night  threatened  to  be  A-ery 
unc()mlbrtal)le,  for  the  Avind  rose,  and  there  AA'as  great  appearance  of  a 
lieavy  rain ;  ami  the  AviM  beasts  Avere  so  very  nmnerous  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, that  I  should  have  been  uiKhu-  the  necessity  of  climbing  up  a 
tree,  and  restuig  among  the  branches.  About  sunset,  lioAvever,  as  I  Avas 
prej)aring  to  ]»ass  the  night  in  tliis  manner,  and  had  turned  my  horse 
loose  that  he  might  graze  at  liberty,  a  Avoman  returning  from  the  labors 


h' 


-ri 


m 


NATIVE    HOSPITALITY. 


109 


of  tlio  field,  stopped  to  observe  mc,  .itkI  poroeiving  that  I  wa.s  -weary 
and  dejected,  iiKpiirod  into  my  situation,  which  I  brielly  explained  to 
her;  whereupon,  v,-ith  looks  ofutreat  eonij)assion,  she  took  up  my  saddle 
and  bridle,  and  told  me  to  follow  her.  Having  conducted  im-  into  her 
hut,  she  lighted  up  a  lamp,  spread  a  mat  upon  the  floor,  and  told  me  I 
might  remain  there  for  the  night.  Finding  that  I  was  very  hungry,  she  said 
she  would  jtrocure  me  something  to  eat ;  she  accordingly  went  out,  and 
returned  in  a  short  time  with  a  very  iinc  tish,  which,  having  caused  to 
be  half-broiled  upon  some  embers,  she  gave  me  for  sujiper.  The  rites 
of  hospitality  being  thus  performed  toward  a  stranger  in  distress,  my 
Avorthy  benetlictress,  pointhig  to  the  mat,  and  telling  me  I  might  sleep 
there  without  apprehension,  called  to  the  female  part  of  her  family,  who 
had  stood  gazing  on  me  all  the  Avhile  in  fixed  astonisliment,  to  resume 
their  task  of  spinning  cotton,  in  Avhich  they  continued  to  employ  them- 
selves a  great  part  of  the  night.  They  lightened  their  lab(»r  Ijy  songs, 
one  of  which  Avas  composed  extempore,  for  I  was  myself  the  subject  of 
it ;  it  was  sung  by  one  of  the  young  women,  the  rest  joining  in  a  sort  of 
chorus.  The  air  was  sweet  and  plaintive,  and  tlie  words  literally  trans- 
lated were  these:  'The  winds  roared,  and  the  rains  fell;  the  ]ioor  white 
man,  faint  and  weary,  came  and  sat  under  our  tiee  ;  he  has  no  mother 
to  liring  liim  milk,  no  Avifo  to  grind  his  corn.'  Chorus;  '  Let  us  pity 
the  white  man,  no  mother  has  he,'  &c.  Trifling  as  this  recital  may  ap- 
l)ear  to  the  reader,  to  a  j)erson  in  my  situation  the  circumstance  was 
ufl'ecting  hi  the  highest  degree,  I  was  so  oppressed  by  such  iinex- 
])ected  kindness  that  sleep  fled  my  eyes.  In  the  morning  I  })resented 
my  compassionate  landlady  with  two  of  the  four  brass  buttons  Avhich 
remained  on  my  Avaistcoat,  tlie  only  recompense  I  could  make  her." 

Although  Mansong  refused  to  admit  the  traveler  into  Lis  presence, 
and  seemed  at  lirst  to  neglect  him,  it  soon  appeared  that  his  combut  did 
not  arise  from  any  churlish  or  inhospitable  feelings ;  for  AvhiU'  he  j)er- 
wsted  in  his  I'efusal  to  see  him,  and  signilied  his  pleasure  that  he  should 
fortliAvith  depart  from  the  city,  he  sent  him  a  present  of  live  thousand 
cowries,  and  a  guide  to  Sansanding.  Park  immediately  obeyed  the  royal 
command,  and  learned  from  the  conversation  of  his  guide  on  the  Avay, 
that  the  king's  motives  for  thus  dismissing  him  Avithout  an  audience  were 
at  once  prudent  and  liberal,  since  he  feared  that  by  the  least  show  of 
favor  he  should  excite  the  jealousy  of  tlie  IMoorish  inhabitants,  from 
whose  hiveterate  malice  he  might  be  unable  to  protect  hhn. 

With  his  guide  he  proceeded  to  Sansanding,  where  he  Avas  hospitably 
received  by  the  dooty,  and  Avould,  as  the  king's  stranger,  haAC  enjoyed 
nmch  (juiet  and  consideration,  had  lie  not  the  misfbrtum!  to  meet  Avith 
Home  of  his  old  enemies,  the  floors,  Avho  insisted  on  conducting  him  to 
the  mosque,  and  converting  liiin  into  a  !^rohammedan  at  once.  IIoav- 
ever,  the  dooty,  by  exerting  his  authority,  freed  him  from  these  fanatics, 
and  ordered  a  slieep  to  be  killeij,  and  jiart  of  it  dressed  for  liis  supper. 
"About  miilnight,  when  the  Moors  luid  loll  me,"  says  Park,  "he  paid 


}ii.;'l:^ 


1-; 


11: 


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J 

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110 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OP    MUNGO    PARK. 


me  a  visit,  niul  with  niucli  oarnostncss  (Icsirod  me  to  write  him  a  unphie, 
(dianii).  'If  a  Moor's  sapliie  is  good,'  said  this  liospitablc  old  man,  'a 
white  man's  must  needs  be  better.'  I  readily  furnished  him  with  one 
possessed  of  all  the  Airtucs  I  eould  concentrate,  for  it  contained  the 
Lord's  Prayer.  The  j'cn  with  which  it  was  written  was  made  of  a  reed, 
a  little  charcoal  and  gum-water  made  very  tolerable  ink,  and  a  thin 
boai-d  answered  the  ])ui'poso  of  paper." 

From  S;msanding  he  departed  early  in  the  morning,  before  the  Moors 
were  stirring.  The  road  now  lay  through  the  woods,  and  the  guide, 
who  understood  the  dangers  of  the  Avay,  moved  forward  with  the  great- 
est circumspection,  frequently  sto^iping  and  looking  imder  the  bushes. 
Upon  observing  this,  Park  incpiired  the  reason,  and  Avas  told  that  tlio 
lions  were  very  plentiful  m  that  part  of  the  country,  and  oth'ii  attacked 
tiavelers  in  the  woods.  While  they  were  conversing  on  this  subject. 
Park  discovered  a  giraffe  at  a  little  distance.  "  Shortly  after  this,"  says 
he,  "  as  we  were  crossing  a  large  open  plain,  where  there  were  a  few 
scattered  bushes,  ray  guide,  who  was  a  little  way  before  me,  wheeled  his 
horse  round  in  a  moment,  calling  out  something  in  the  Foulah  language 
which  I  did  not  understand.  I  inquired  in  Mandingo  what  he  meant. 
'  Wavit  hull  hilli'  (a  A'ery  large  lion) !  said  he,  and  made  signs  for  me  to 
ride  away.  IJut  my  horse  was  too  much  fatigued ;  so  Ave  rode  sloAvly 
past  the  bush  from  Avhich  the  animal  liad  given  us  the  alarm.  Not  see- 
ing aiiy  thing  myself,  lioAvever,  I  thought  my  guide  had  been  mistaken, 
when  the  Foulah  suddenly  put  his  hand  to  his  mouth,  exclaiming,  '  (Jod 
preserve  ns,'  and  to  my  great  surprise  I  then  perceived  a  largo  red  lion, 
at  a  short  distance  from  the  bush,  Avith  liis  liead  couched  between  his 
fore-paws.  I  expected  he  A\^ould  instantly  spring  ujwn  me,  and  instinct- 
ively ])ulled  my  feet  from  my  stirrups  to  throAV  myself  on  the  ground, 
that  my  horse  might  become  the  victim  rather  than  myself.  But  it  ia 
probable  the  lion  Avas  not  hungry ;  for  he  quietly  suffered  us  to  pass, 
though  we  Avere  fairly  Avithin  his  reach." 

About  sunset  they  arrived  at  Moodiboo,  "  a  delightful  village  on  the 
banks  of  the  Niger,  commanding  a  vicAV  of  the  river  for  many  miles, 
both  to  the  east  and  Avcst.  The  small  green  islands,  the  peaceful  retreat 
of  some  iiKbistrious  Foulahs,  AA'hoso  cattle  were  here  secure  from  the  at- 
tacks of  Avild  beasts,  and  the  majestic  breadth  of  the  river,  Avhich  is  hero 
nuu-li  larger  than  at  Sego,  render  the  situation  one  of  the  most  enchant- 
ing in  the  Avorld."  Park  Avas  noAV  so  worn  out  Avith  fatigue  and  suffer- 
hig,  that  his  landlord,  fearing  ho  might  die  in  his  house,  hurried  him 
away  though  lie  Avas  scarcely  able  to  Avalk,  and  his  horse  still  less  able  to 
carry  him.  In  flict,  they  had  not  proceeded  far  before  the  poor  beast 
fell  down,  and  could  lu:)  more  be  made  to  rise;  so  that,  taking  off  his 
saddle  and  bridle,  our  traveler  Avith  extreme  rehu'tance  .abandoned  him 
to  his  fate,  and  began  to  toil  along  on  foot  aftfu-  his  guiih\  In  this  Avay 
they  reached  Kca,  a  snuxll  fishing  village  on  the  Niger,  Avhere  Park  cm- 


i 


r 


DECIDES    ON    RETUKNINCr. 


Ill 


barked  in  a  fisherman's  canoe  whifh  was  going  down  the  stream;  "whilo 
the  guide  retm-ned  to  Hcgo. 

In  tliis  canoe  he  readied  Moorzan,  Avlience  lie  was  conveyed  across 
tlie  river  to  Silla,  a  large. town  on  the  opjmsite  sliore.  It  was  with  great 
difficulty  that  he  here  obtained  admission  into  the  strangers'  room  of 
the  dotity's  house,  a  damp,  nneomtbrtable  place,  where  he  had  a  severe 
paroxysm  of  fever  during  the  night.  Mere  his  resolution  and  energy,  of 
■which  no  traveler  possessed  a  larger  share,  began  at  length  to  fail.  Xo 
hope  of  success  remahied.  He  therefore,  with  extreme  sorrow  and 
angnish  of  mhid,  determined  on  returning.  His  om'ii  sim[)le  and  nmnly 
account  of  the  matter  can  not  iiiil  to  impress  even  the  most  insensible 
with  veneration  for  a  degree  of  courage  and  intrejiidity  amounting  to 
heroism.  "Worn  down  by  sickness,  exhausted  by  hunger  and  fatigue, 
half-naked,  and  withont  any  article  of  value  by  wliicli  I  might  procure 
provisions,  clothes,  or  lodging,  I  began,"  says  Park,  "  to  reflect  seriously 
on  my  situation.  I  was  now  convinced  by  i)ainful  exj)erience,  that  the 
obstacles  to  my  further  i)rogress  were  insurmountable.  The  tropical 
rains  had  already  set  in  Avith  all  their  violence ;  the  rice-grounds  and 
swamps  were  already  overflowed ;  and,  in  a  few  days  more,  traveling  of 
every  kind  except  by  water  would  be  completely  obstructed.  Th(>  cow- 
ries which  remained  of  the  King  of  Bambarra's  ])resent  were  not  suffici- 
ent to  hire  a  canoe  for  any  great  distance  ;  and  I  had  but  little  hopes  of 
subsisting  by  charity  in  a  country  where  the  ]Moors  have  such  influence. 
But,  above  all,  I  ])erceived  I  was  advancing  more  and  more  within  the 
power  of  those  merciless  famitics;  and  from  my  reception  both  at  Sego 
and  Sansanding,  I  was  apprehensive  that,  in  attempting  to  reach  even 
Jenne — unless  under  the  protection  of  souk;  man  of  consequence  among 
them,  which  I  had  no  means  of  obtaining — I  should  sacrifice  my  life  to 
no  purpose ;  for  my  discoveries  would  jierish  with  me.  The  prospect 
either  way  was  gloomy.  In  returning  to  the  Gambia,  a  journey  on  foot 
of  many  hundred  miles  presented  itself  to  my  contemplation,  through 
regions  and  countiies  unknown,  Xevertheless,  this  seemed  to  me  the 
only  alternative  ;  for  I  saw  inevitable  destruction  in  attf'mpting  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  eastward.  With  this  conviction  on  my  miml,  I  hope  my 
readers  will  acknowledge  I  did  ria;lit  in  o-'^i'i^  "f  furliier.  I  had  made 
every  exertion,  to  execute  my  mission  in  its  fullest  extent,  Avhich  jji'iidence 
could  justify.  Had  there  been  the  most  distant  prospect  of  a  successful 
termhiation,  neither  the  unavoidable  hardsliii>s  of  the  journey  nor  the 
dangers  of  a  second  captivity  should  have  forced  me  to  desist.  This, 
however,  necessity  compelled  me  to  do." 

When  lie  had  come  to  this  resolution,  he  thought  it  incumbent  upon 
him,  before^  he  left  Silla,  to  collect  whatever  information  might  be  within 
his  reach  respecting  the  further  course  of  the  Niger,  and  the  situation 
and  extent  of  the  various  kingdoms  in  its  vicinity.  Subseipient  travelers 
have  solved  the  problem,  the  honor  of  explaining  which  was  denied  to 
Park.    Wo  now  know  that  this  great  river,  after  llowing  to  a  consider- 


!    r 


ni 


!■::'  I, 


!!  I' 


n 


i    \ 


. ) 


;:» 


112 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF    MUNGO    I'APwK. 


iilik'  distance  eastward  of  Tirabuctoo,  makes  a  bend  to  tlie  south,  and, 
ailer  iiursuhii^  a  soutb-Avosterly  course,  tails  into  the  Atlantic  Ocean  on 
the  coast  of  Benin. 

On  the  30th  of  July  he  commenced  his  return  westward,  by  the  same 
route  throuifh  Aviiich  he  liad  readied  Silla.  In  a  few  days  he  recovered 
his  horse,  which  liad  in  some  measure  regauied  its  strength,  though  it  was 
still  too  weak  to  be  ritlden.  The  rainy  season  havuig  now  set  in,  the 
Avhole  of  the  plain  country  was  quickly  inundated  ;  so  that  he  M'as  often 
in  danger  of  losing  his  way  while  traversing  savaimahs  many  miles  in 
extent,  knee-deep  in  water.  In  several  places  he  Avaded  breast-deep 
across  the  swamps.  The  huts  of  the  villages  in  which  he  passed  the 
night,  beuig  undermined  or  softened  by  the  rain,  oflen  fell  in  ;  and  the 
uoise  of  their  fall  somethnes  kept  him  awake,  expecting  that  his  own 
might  bo  the  next.  His  situation  was  now  even  Avorse  than  during  his 
progress  eastward.  A  report  liad  been  Avidely  circulated  tliat  he  Avas  n 
spy,  in  conse<pience  of  Avhich  he  Avas  in  some  places  civilly  refused  ad- 
mittance into  the  towns,  in  others  repulsed  from  the  gates  Avith  violence; 
so  that  he  now  appeared  inevitably  doomed  to  jierish  Avith  hunger. 
However,  Avhcn  the  fatal  hour  seemed  at  hand,  some  charitable  being 
always  appeared  Avith  a  poor  but  seasonable  supply,  such,  perhaps,  as  a 
little  raAV  corn,  which  prolonged  his  life,  and  su}»plied  him  Avitli  strength 
to  achieve  his  memorable  journey.  "On  the  evening  of  the  15th  of 
August,  I  arrived,"  says  Park,  "  at  a  small  village  called  Song,  the  surly 
inhabitants  of  Avhich  Avonld  not  receive  me,  nor  so  much  as  permit  me  to 
enter  the  gate ;  but  as  lions  were  Aery  numerous  in  this  neighborhood, 
and  I  had  fre(|uently  in  the  course  of  the  day  seen  the  impression  of  their 
feet  ujioii  the  road,  I  resolved  to  stay  in  the  vicinity  of  the  village.  Hav- 
ing collected  some  grass  for  my  horse,  I  accordingly  lay  down  under  a 
tree  by  the  gate.  About  ten  o'clock  I  heard  the  hollow  roar  of  a  lion  at 
no  great  distance,  and  attempted  to  oi)eii  the  gate;  but  the  people  from 
Avithin  told  me  that  no  person  must  attempt  to  enter  Avithout  the  dooty's 
l)ermission.  I  begged  them  to  inform  the  dooty  that  a  lion  Avas  a]>proach- 
ing  the  village,  and  I  hoped  he  Avould  allow  me  to  come  Avithin  the  gate. 
I  Avaited  for  an  answer  to  this  message  Avith  great  anxiety  ;  for  the  lion 
kept  prowling  round  the  A'illage,  and  once  advanced  so  near  me  that  I 
h"ard  him  rustling  among  the  grass,  and  climbed  a  tree  for  safety. 
.Vbout  midnight  the  dooty  Avith  some  of  his  people  opened  the  gate,  and 
(K'.-iivd  me  to  come  in.  They  were  convinced,  they  said,  I  Avas  not  a 
3Ioor ;  for  no  3Ioor  cA'cr  Avaited  so  long  at  the  gate  of  a  village,  Avithout 
cuising  the  inhabitants." 

Tiie  history  of  this  journey  noAv  becomes  nothing  more  than  a  repeti- 
tion of  similar  sufferings.  Hunger,  fatigue,  and  depression  of  s[iirits  at- 
tack the  traveler  by  turns.  Nothing,  however,  subdues  his  courage. 
Obstacle  after  obstacle  yields  to  his  persevering  intrepidity,  and  he  pushes 
forAvard  with  invincible  ardor  toAvard  the  coast.  In  one  place,  at  the  re- 
quest of  a  native  who  had  groAvn  opulent  by  industrious  application  to 


I 
I 


i 

( 


ENCOUNTER   WITH   ROBBERS. 


113 


commerce,  he  wrote  charms  for  a  good  supper ;  and,  finding  the  con- 
trivance productive,  continued  the  practice  next  day  for  small  presents 
of  various  kinds.  On  other  occasions,  where  superstition  did  not  come 
to  his  aid,  humanity  interposed,  and  snatched  hun  from  starvation.  At 
IJammakoo  he  was  hospitably  treated,  even  by  a  Moor,  who,  having 
traveled  to  Rio  Grande,  had  conversed  ■with  Christians,  and  conceived  a 
favorable  idea  of  their  character.  The  rains  had  now  increased  the  Ni- 
ger to  a  vast  size,  and  rendered  imjjassable  almost  every  road ;  but,  as 
our  traveler's  finances  had  long  been  exhausted,  he  found  hunself  com- 
pelled to  proceed,  the  charity  of  the  natives  not  extending  so  far  as  to 
the  mamtaining  of  a  stranger  for  several  months.  The  ordinary  roads 
being  obstructed  by  the  rains,  the  only  practicable  route,  wild,  dreary, 
and  desolate,  lay  over  sterile,  rocky  mountains,  Avhich,  it  was  feared,  a 
horse  could  not  pass. 

Finding  that  a  singing-man  Avas  about  to  proceed  by  this  road  to 
Sibidooloo,  Park  placed  himself  under  his  guidance,  and  quitted  Bammar 
koo.     He  had  not  proceeded  far,  however,  before  his  companion,  finding 
that  he  had  taken  the  wrong  path,  escaped  among  the  rocks,  and  left 
him  to  find  his  way  as  he  best  might.     He  soon  arrived  at  a  village, 
where  he  was  entertained  with  hospitality,  and  where  he  passed  the 
night.    Next  day,  as  he  was  quietly  pursuhig  his  course,  a  troop  of  peas- 
ants presented  themselves,  whom  he  at  first  took  for  elephant-hunters, 
but  who  very  shortly  proved  themselves  to  bo  banditti.    Pretending  to 
arrest  him  m  the  name  of  the  King  of  the  Foulahs,  they  commanded  him 
to  follow  them,  until,  having  reached  a  dark,  lonely  part  of  a  wood,  one 
of  them  exclaimed  in  the  Manduigo  language,  "  This  place  will  do  !"  and 
immediately  snatched  his  hat  from  his  head.     "  Though  I  was  by  no 
means  free  from  apprehension,"  says  Park,  "  yet  I  was  resolved  to  show 
as  few  signs  of  fear  as  possible  ;  and  therefore  told  them,  that  unless  my 
hat  was  returned  to  me  I  should  proceed  no  further.    But  before  I  had 
time  to  receive  an  answer  another  drew  a  knife,  and,  seizing  upon  a 
metal  button  which  remained  upon  my  waistcoat,  cut  it  off",  and  put  it 
into  his  pocket.    Their  intentions  were  now  obvious ;  and  I  thought  that 
the  easier  they  were  peiinitted  to  rob  me  of  every  thing,  the  less  I  had 
to  fear.    I  therefore  allowed  them  to  search  my  pockets  Avithout  resist- 
ance, and  exanuno  every  part  of  my  apparel,  which  they  did  with  the 
most  scrupulous  exactness.    But,  observmg  that  I  had  one  waistcoat 
under  another,  they  insisted  that  I  should  cast  them  both  oif ;  and  at 
last,  to  make  sure  work,  stripped  me  quite  naked.     Even  my  half-boots, 
though  the  sole  of  one  of  them  was  tied  on  to  my  foot  with  a  broken  bridle- 
rein,  Avere  minutely  inspected.     While  they  were  examinmg  the  plunder, 
I  begged  them  Avith  great  earnestness  to  return  my  pocket-compass ;  but 
when  I  pointed  it  out  to  them,  as  it  Avas  lying  on  the  ground,  one  of  the 
banditti,  thinking  I  Avas  about  to  take  it  up,  cocked  his  musket,  and 
SAvore  he  would  lay  me  dead  upon  the  spot  if  I  presumed  to  put  my  hand 
upon  it.    After  this,  some  of  them  Avcnt  aAvay  Avith  my  horse,  and  the 

8 


Lli 


*"!ai 


li 


114 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OP    MUNGO    PARK. 


remainder  stfiod  considering  whether  they  should  lenvo  me  quite  naked, 
or  allow  me  something  to  shelter  me  from  the  sun.  Humanity  at  last 
])r('vailed ;  they  returned  me  the  Avorst  of  the  two  shirts  and  a  pair  of 
trowscrs  ;  and,  as  they  went  away,  one  of  them  threw  back  my  hat,  in 
the  crown  of  which  I  kept  my  memorandums  ;  and  this  was  probably 
the  reason  why  they  did  not  wish  to  keep  it." 

This  was  the  most  terrible  misfortune  that  had  hitherto  beflUlen  him, 
and  at  first  his  mind  appeared  to  sink  under  the  united  iniluence  of  grief 
and  terror.  For  awhile  he  sat  in  sullen  dejeetiijii,  half-jiersuaded  that  he 
had  no  alternative  but  to  lie  down  and  ]ierish.  Presently,  however,  a 
reliance  upon  Providence  succeeded  this  extreme  dejection,  and  his  muul 
gradually  regained  its  tone  : — "  I  was,  indeed,  a  stranger,"  he  thought, 
"  in  a  strange  land  ;  yet  I  was  still  under  the  protecting  eye  of  that 
Providence  who  has  condescended  to  call  himself  the  stranger's  friend. 
At  this  moment,  painful  as  my  reflections  were,  the  extraordinary  beauty 
of  a  small  moss  in  fructification  irresistiblv  cauulit  iiiv  eve.  I  mention 
this  to  show  from  what  tritling  circumstances  tin;  mind  will  sometimes 
derive  consolation  ;  for  though  the  whole  plant  was  not  larger  than  the 
top  of  one  of  my  fingers,  I  could  not  conteni})late  the  delicate  confurma- 
tion  of  its  roots,  leaves,  and  capsule,  without  adiiiiratiini.  Can  that 
l)eing,  thought  I,  who  i)lanted,  watered,  and  brought  to  perfection,  in 
this  obscure  part  of  the  world,  a  thing  which  appears  of  so  small  import- 
ance, look  Avith  niu'oncern  ujion  the  situation  and  suilbrings  of  creatures 
formed  after  his  own  image  V  Stu'ely  not !  Kellections  like  these  would 
not  allow  nie  to  despair ;  I  started  up,  and,  disregarding  both  danger  and 
fatigue,  traveled  forward,  assured  that  relief  was  at  hand ;  and  I  was 
not  disa])pointed." 

On  arriving  at  Sibidooloo,  Park  related  to  the  mansn,  or  chief  of  the 
town,  the  misfortinu)  Avhich  had  befallen  him.  This  humane  and  excel- 
lent man,  having  heai'd  him  imtiently  to  an  end,  took  the  pipe  from  his 
mouth,  and  tossing  up  the  sleeve  of  his  coat  with  an  indignant  air,  '*  Sit 
down,"  said  he,  "  you  shall  have  every  thing  restored  to  you ;  I  have 
sworn  it."  He  then  took  the  neccssaiy  measures  for  the  recovery  of  the 
traveler's  pro])erty,  and  invited  him  to  ]>artake  of  his  hospitable  fare  im- 
til  this  should  have  been  elfected.  After  si)ending  a  few  days  at  this 
])lace,  Avithout  hearing  any  news  of  his  horse  or  other  proi)orty,  our  trav- 
eler removed  to  a  distant  village,  Avhere  ho  remained  until  the  Avholo 
A\as  discovered  and  restored  to  him,  Avith  the  cxee])tion  of  his  pocket- 
compass,  Avhicli  had  been  broken  to  pieces.  Having  nothing  else  to  bc- 
stoAv  upon  his  hospitable  landlords,  hega^■e  his  horse  to  one,  and  his  sad- 
dle and  bridle  to  the  other  :  and  then  taking  his  leave,  proceeded  on  foot 
to  Kamalia,  Avherc;  ho  arrived  on  the  KJth  of  September.  At  this  town, 
romantically  situated  at  the  foot  of  a  lofty  mountain,  he  found  a  slavc- 
inei-chant,  Avho,  intending  to  descend  to  the  coast  Avith  a  small  caraA'an 
in  the  beginnhig  of  the  dry  season,  ofiered  the  traveler  an  asylum  imtil 
he  should  set  out.     Conceiving  that  it  Avould  be  impossible  to  proceed 


' 


RETURN    TOWARDS    THE    COAST. 


lir. 


during  llio  rains,  Park  aroopto<l  liis  kind  i>ro|insal,  and  promised  in  ro- 
tuni  to  gi\  f  'lini  the  price  of  a  slave  upon  their  arrival  on  the  coast. 
Here  a  fever,  w  hich  liad  for  some  time  menaced  him,  manifested  itself 
with  great  violence,  and  continued  to  torment  liim  during  the  Avhoh; 
season  of  the  r.'iins.  His  landlord,  iiu'anwhile,  exerted  liimself  to  keej) 
up  liis  hopes,  and  having  hy  some  means  or  another  obtained  ])ossession 
of  an  Englisli  Conmioii  IVayer  Book,  he  communicated  the  use  of  it  to 
Park,  who  v/as  tluis  enabled  to  beguile  the  gloomy  liours  of  his  solitude 
and  sickness.  At  length  the  rains  became  le-^s  frequent,  and  tlie  iever 
abated,  so  that  ho  could  move  out  aiul  enjoy  the  fresh  air  in  the  fields. 


K  .\.  J[  A  I,  I  A. 


On  the  19th  of  April,  after  Park  hnd  remained  seven  montlis  at  Ka- 
malia,  Karfli,  the  slave-merchant,  liaving  collected  liis  slaves,  and  com- 
pleted all  necessary  preparations,  set  out  toward  the  coast,  taking  the 
traveler,  to  whom  liis  behavior  had  always  been  marked  by  the  greatest 
kindness,  along  with  him.  Their  road  led  them  across  the  Jallonka 
wilderness,  where  the  sufferings  of  every  member  of  the  caravan,  and 
more  particularly  of  the  slaves,  were  most  exquisite ;  but  afHiction  was 
fiir  from  having  taught  them  connniseration,  for  a  fine  young  female 
slave,  fainting  from  fatigue,  had  no  sooiun-  signified  her  inability  to  go 
on,  than  the  universal  cry  of  the  cara\an  was,  "  Chit  her  throat,  cut  her 
throat."  Ijy  the  interposition  of  Kartii  her  life  was  spared,  l>ut  she  was 
abandoned  on  tlie  road,  Avhere  she  was,  no  doubt,  soon  devoured  by 
Avikl  beasts.    At  length,  after  a  long,  toilsome  journey,  Karfa  succeeded 


^!'^ 


f*i 


■J' 

i 

-t' 

1  ^^ 

i-  i 

i 

'  I'.i   ^ 

1 

1 

1 

1 

,i 


!     i 


.   i 


..(! 


It 


116 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF    MUNGO    PARK. 


in  fulfilling  his  promise,  and  conducted  Park  safe  to  Pisania,  wliich  ho 
reached  on  the  10th  of  June,  and  where  the  good  old  man  was  over- 
whelmed Avith  the  gratitude  of  his  guest.  Park  now  took  his  passage 
in  an  American  vessel,  and  on  arrivmg  in  the  West  Indies,  quitted  this 
ship  for  a  packet  bound  for  Falmouth,  where  he  arrived  on  the  22d  of 
December,  1797,  after  an  absence  of  two  years  and  seven  months. 

Immediately  on  his  landing,  he  hastened  to  Loudon,  where  he  arrived 
before  daylight  on  the  morning  of  Christmas  day.  It  being  too  early 
an  hour  to  call  on  his  brother-in-law,  3Ir.  Dickson,  he  strolled  about  for 
some  tune  in  the  neighboring  streets.  At  length,  finding  one  of  the 
entrances  into  the  gardens  of  the  Brtish  Museum  accidentally  open,  he 
went  in  and  walked  about  there  for  some  time.  It  happened  that  Mr. 
Dickson,  who  had  the  care  of  those  gardens,  Avent  there  early  that  morn- 
ing on  some  trifling  business.  "What  must  have  been  his  emotions  on 
beholding,  at  that  extraordinary  time  and  place,  the  vision,  as  it  must 
at  first  have  appeared,  of  his  long-lost  friend,  the  object  of  so  many 
anxious  reflections,  and  whom  he  had  long  numberetl  with  the  dead. 

He  was  now  received  with  tlistinguished  honor  by  the  African  Asso- 
ciation, and  the  various  literary  men  whom  he  met  with  in  London.  In 
the  mean  time  his  travels,  which  the  Association  pt  rmitted  him  to  pub- 
lish on  his  own  account,  were  announced ;  and  both  during  his  stay  in 
London,  and  the  visit  which  he  paid  to  his  friends  in  Scotland,  all  his 
leisure  hours  were  devoted  to  the  compiling  and  arranging  of  the  mate- 
rials for  the  work.  It  appeared  in  the  spring  of  1 799,  and  immediately 
acquired  that  degree  of  popularity  which  it  has  ever  since  maintained. 

Soon  after  the  publication  of  his  travels,  which  became  at  once  ex- 
ceedingly popular  jmd  profitable.  Park  again  returned  to  Scotland,  where, 
on  the  2d  of  August,  1799,  he  married  one  of  the  daughters  of  Mr.  An- 
derson, of  Selkirk,  with  whom  he  had  served  his  apprenticeship.  For 
the  two  following  years  he  resided  on  the  farm  at  Fowlshiels  with  his 
mother  and  one  of  his  brothers.  IIo  then  removed  to  the  toA\'n  of  Pee- 
bles, where  he  resumed  the  practice  of  his  j)rofession,  and  in  a  short  time 
acquired  a  good  share  of  the  business  of  the  place.  His  kindness  and 
charity  greatly  endeared  him  to  the  i)oor  of  the  district,  though  he  was 
considered  haughty  and  reserved  by  strangers,  who  were  apt  to  annoy 
him  with  their  questions.  IIo  soon  began  to  tire,  however,  of  the  ob- 
scure life  of  a  country  surgeon  ;  the  fiiscination  of  Africa  ■«as  upon  him, 
;ind  ho  longed  to  return  to  the  scene  of  his  dangers  and  sulferings. 
Wlu'U  one  of  his  relatives,  a  short  time  before  his  departure  on  his  sec- 
ond expetlition,  exjjostulated  with  him  on  his  rashness  and  imprudence, 
he  replied  that  a  few  inglorious  winters  of  coimtry  practice  at  Peebles 
was  a  risk  as  great,  and  would  tend  as  eifectually  to  shorten  Ufe,  as  his 
proposed  journey.  Tiie  IJritish  government  twice  ofll-rcd  him  the  com- 
mand of  an  expedition  to  explore  the  ulterior  of  Australia,  which  ho 
declined.  After  the  jjn'liminaries  of  peace  with  France  had  been  signed, 
in  October,  1801,  Sir  Joseph  IJanks  A\TOte  to  him  infcrming  him  that  the 


,•1 

1; 


I 


PREPARATION    FOR  THE    SECOND    EXPEDITION.      117 

African  Association  intended  reviving  their  project  for  an  exploration  of 
the  Niger,  and  that,  in  case  government  should  enter  into  the  plan,  ho 
A\ould  be  recommended  as  the  most  proper  person  to  carry  it  mto  ex- 
ecution. Park  remained  hi  suspense  for  two  years,  when  Lord  Ilobart, 
who  was  then  connected  with  the  Colonial  Department,  made  him  a 
formal  proposal  on  the  part  of  the  government.  He  accepted  at  once, 
and  in  December,  1803,  left  Scotland  with  the  expectation  of  soon  em- 
barkuig  for  Africa. 

On  account  of  political  changes  the  exjiedition  was  given  up,  after 
several  of  the  troops  destined  for  the  service  had  already  been  embarked 
at  Portsmouth.  Park  was  informed  that  nothing  could  be  done  until 
the  following  September,  and  was  recommended  to  study  the  Arabic 
language  in  the  mean  time,  and  to  exercise  himself  in  taking  astronomi- 
cal observations.  He  employed  a  native  of  Mogador  as  a  teacher,  and 
returned  to  Scotland,  where  he  remained  during  the  spring  and  summer 
of  1804.  Sir  Walter  Scott  was  at  that  time  residing  near  Fowlshiels, 
and  the  traveler  and  author  soon  became  friends.  Scott  relates  that, 
calling  ui)on  Park  one  day  and  not  finding  him  at  home,  he  walked  in 
search  of  him  along  the  banks  of  the  Yarrow.  In  a  short  time  he  found 
him  employed  hi  plunging  large  stones  into  the  river,  and  attentively 
watching  the  bubbles  as  they  rose  to  the  surface.  On  being  asked  why 
he  persevered  so  long  in  this  singular  amusement,  Park  answered  :  "  This 
was  the  manner  in  which  I  used  to  ascertaui  the  depth  of  a  river  in 
Africa,  before  I  ventured  to  cross  it,  judging  whether  the  attempt  would 
be  safe  by  the  time  which  the  bubbles  of  air  took  to  ascend." 

On  leaving  Fowlshiels  for  the  last  time  in  September,  1804,  Park 
was  extremely  affected,  and  Avould  not  venture  to  trust  his  own  feelings 
or  those  of  his  family,  with  a  formal  parting.  He  left  them,  as  if  with 
the  intention  of  returning,  alleging  that  ho  had  particular  business  at 
p]diiiburg,  whence  he  sent  them  his  last  farewell.  Scott  describes,  in 
feeling  terms,  the  manner  of  his  last  jyarting  with  his  friend.  Just  be- 
fore (putting  Fowlshiels,  Park  paid  him  a  visit  and  slept  at  his  house. 
The  next  morning,  Scott  accompanied  him  ])art  of  the  way  on  his  return, 
and  they  rod(!  together  over  the  wild  chain  of  pastoral  hills  which  divide 
the  Tweed  from  the  Yarrow.  Park  talked  much  of  his  new  African 
expedition,  and  mentioned  his  determination  of  going  straight  from 
Edinburg,  without  returning  to  take  leave  of  his  family.  They  were 
then  on  the  top  of  a  lofty  hill  Avhich  overlooked  tlu^  course  of  the  Yar- 
row, and  the  autumnal  mist,  which  floated  heavily  and  slowly  down  the 
valley  beneath  them,  jtresented  to  Scott's  imagination  a  striking  emblem 
of  the  troubled  and  uncertain  jn-ospeet  which  Park's  undertaking  af- 
fonletl.  He  endeavored  to  present  its  dangers  to  his  friend's  mind,  but 
Park  had  a  rea<ly  answer  for  every  tiling.  Tluis  discussing  the  jjlan, 
tiicy  came  to  a  road  where  it  liiid  been  agreed  they  shoulil  separate.  A 
small  ditch  divided  the  mom-  from  the  road:  in  going  over  it,  Park's 
horse  stumbled,  and  nearly  fell.     "  I  am  afraid,  Mungo,  that  is  a  bad 


^ 


«l 

1 
1 

'i 

i  ' 

', 

t 

1; 

118 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF    ilUNGO    PARK. 


omen,"  said  Scott ;  to  which  Park  answorcil,  smiling :  "  J^reits  (omens) 
follow  those  who  look  for  them."  With  this  i)roverbial  saying,  and 
afraid  of  a  formal  adieu,  he  rode  away  and  was  sjieedily  out  of  sight. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1804,  after  much  delay  and  luicertainty, 
the  expedition  was  finally  determhicd  on,  and  Park  received  from  Lord 
Camden  his  appointment  as  its  chief  conductor.  "  For  the  better  en- 
abling you  to  execute  this  service,"  says  his  lordshi]),  "  \m  majesty  has 
granted  you  the  brevet  commission  of  captain  in  Africa,  and  has  also 
granted  a  similar  commission  of  lieutenant  to  Mr.  Alexander  Aiidei'son, 
whom  you  have  recommended  as  a  proper  i)erson  to  accompany  you. 
Mr.  Scott  has  also  been  selected  to  attend  you  us  draughtsman.  You 
are  hereby  empowered  to  enlist  with  you  for  this  expedition  any  num- 
ber you  think  proper  of  the  garrison  at  Cloree,  not  exceeding  forty- 
five,  which  the  commandant  of  that  island  will  be  ordered  to  place 
under  your  command,  giving  them  such  Iwunties  or  encouragement  as 
may  be  necessary  to  induce  them  cheerfully  to  join  with  you  in  the  ex- 
pedition." 

Five  thousand  jiounds  were  at  the  same  time  placed  at  Park's  dis- 
posal, and  further  directions  given  him  resjiccting  the  course  and  line 
of  conduct  he  was  expected  to  pursu-^.  With  those  instructions  Park 
and  his  companions  proceeded  to  Portsmouth,  where  they  were  joined 
by  four  or  live  artificers,  appointed  for  the  service  from  the  dock-yards. 
They  sailed  on  the  30th  of  January,  1(305,  and  after  touching  at  St. 
Jago,  one  of  the  Cape  de  Verde  Islands,  to  pur<;hase  asses,  reached  Go- 
ree  on  the  28th  of  March.  Double  pay  was  oftered  to  the  soldiers 
during  the  expedition,  with  a  discharge  on  their  return,  and  these  in- 
ducements were  so  great  that  the  whole  garrison  volunteered.  Thirty- 
five  were  chosen,  and  placed  under  the  conuuand  of  Lieutenant  Martyn 
of  the  royal  artillery  corps,  who  had  also  volunteered  for  the  service. 
The  expedition  now  being  organized,  left  Gorec  on  the  Gth  of  April, 
the  soldiers  cheering  loudly  and  joyously  as  they  jumped  into  the  boats. 

On  arriving  at  Kayee,  a  small  town  on  the  Gambia  lliver,  l*ark  en- 
gaged a  Mandingo  jjriest,  named  Isaaco,  who  was  also  a  traveling 
merchant,  and  much  accustomed  to  long  inland  journeys,  to  serve  as 
guide  to  his  caravan.  On  the  27th  of  April,  he  left  Kayee,  and  arrived 
in  two  days  at  I'isania,  from  whence  he  had  set  out  for  the  interior  of 
Africa  nearly  ten  years  before.  Some  of  the  practical  difticnilties  of  the 
march  iiad  become  very  apparent  during  this  short  journey,  since  he 
found  it  necessary  to  halt  at  Pisania  six  days,  to  procure  additional 
beasts  of  burden.  He  soon  found,  also,  that  the  soldiers,  whose  ajtpear- 
ance  had  pleased  him  so  much  at  (Joree,  were  physically  inferior  to  the 
work  re(iuired  of  tliem,  while  in  sobriety,  steadiness,  and  good  discipline, 
they  weri'  sadly  defuieiit.  Finally  every  tiling  was  arranged,  and  they 
left  Pisania  on  tlie  tth  of  Mny.  The  party  consisted  of  Park,  his 
brother-in-law  Anderson,  to  whom  a  lieutenant's  conniiission  was  given; 
Lieutenant  Martyn  ;  George  Scott,  draughtsman  ;  forty  soldiers,  sailors, 


AN    ATTACK    OF    BEES. 


119 


and  carpenters,  and  Isaaco,  tlio  ijuide.  They  had  mncli  trouble  Avith  the 
asses,  at  the  start ;  some  hiy  down,  others  kicked  oil'  their  loads,  and  it 
became  necessary  to  increase  their  number  still  further.  They  passed 
JNIedina,  the  cajiital  of  the  kinLjdoni  of  Woolli,  and  advanced  slowly  cast- 
■\vard — much  too  slowly,  in  fact,  for  the  rainy  season  was  fast  approach- 
ing, and  Park  was  anxious  to  reach  the  Niger  before  the  intervening 
rivers  should  become  impassable. 

At  Jjady,  a  town  on  the  interior  frontier  of  Woolli,  they  were  led 
into  a  quarrel  Avith  the  fdrauba,  or  chief  of  the  town,  respecting  the 
amount  of  duties  to  be  paid  by  their  caravan,  in  which,  though  the  con- 
duct of  the  African  was  rude  and  perem{)tory,  the  travelers  were  clearly 
in  the  Avrong.  A  few  days  after  this  affair  the  caravan  had  an  adventure 
with  a  new  species  of  enemy.  On  the  'J -1th  of  3Iay  they  reached  a  j)laco 
which  they  denominated  Bee's  Creek,  where  they  halted  with  the  in- 
tention of  encamping  there.  "We  had  no  sooner  unloaded  the  asses  at 
the  creek,"  says  Park,  "  than  some  of  Isaaco's  peoiile,  being  in  search  of 
honey,  imfortunately  disturbed  a  large  swarm  of  bees  near  where  tho 
cotlle  had  halted.  The  bees  came  out  in  immense  munbers,  and  attacked 
men  and  beasts  at  the  same  time.  Luckily,  most  of  the  asses  were  loose, 
and  gallo])ed  up  tho  valley  ;  but  the  horses  and  people  were  very  much 
Btung,  and  obliged  to  scamper  in  all  directions.  The  fire  which  had  been 
kindled  for  cooking,  having  been  deserted,  spread  and  set  fire  to  tho 
bamboos ;  and  our  baggage  had  like  to  have  been  burned.  In  fact,  for 
half  an  hour  tho  bees  seemed  to  have  put  an  end  to  our  journey.  In 
the  evening,  when  the  bees  became  less  troublesome,  and  we  could 
venture  to  collect  our  cattle,  we  found  that  many  of  them  were  very 
much  stung  and  swelled  about  the  head.  Three  asses  were  missing ; 
one  died  in  the  evening  and  one  next  morning,  and  we  were  compelled 
to  leave  one  at  Sibikillin  ;  in  all  six  :  besides  Avhich,  our  guide  lost  his 
horse,  and  many  of  the  people  were  very  much  stung  about  the  face 
and  hands," 

About  the  middle  of  June  tho  rains  began  to  set  in,  accompanied 
by  A  iolent  tornadoes.  The  earth  Avas  quickly  covered  Avith  Avatcr.  The 
f<oldiers  Avere  affected  Avith  vomiting,  or  Avith  an  irresistible  inclination 
to  sleep.  I'ark  himself  Avas  affected  in  a  similar  manner  during  tho 
storm,  and,  notAvithstanding  that  ho  used  every  exertion  to  keep  away 
lieaviiu'ss,  at  length  fell  asleep  on  tho  damji  ground.  The  soldiers  did 
the  same  thing.  In  the  morning  twelve  of  them  Avcro  sick.  In  this 
Aicinity  he  saAV  many  i)its,  from  Avhich  gold  was  obtained  in  largo  (pian- 
titics  by  Avashing.  As  the  caravan  proceeded,  many  of  the  soMiers 
growing  delirimis,  or  too  Aveak  to  continue  the  march,  Avere  led  belund 
to  the  care  of  the  natives;  Avhile  others  dieil  on  the  road,  or  Avero 
drowned  in  the  rivers.  Sojue,  still  mon?  unfortunate  if  ]iossible,  Averci 
kist  in  the  Avoods,  where  they  Avere  no  doubt  dc^voured  by  wild  beasts. 
Meanwhile  the  natives,  Avho  imagined  that  the  oar.avan  contained  pro- 
digious Avealth,  hung  upon  their  marcli,  plundered  them  at  every  turn, 


I'l 


■  m 
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120 


LIFE    AND    TEAVELS    OF    MUNGO    PARK. 


hi 


and  as  often  as  they  api^cared  too  weak  to  resist,  endeavored  to  extort 
presents  from  them. 

The  condition  of  the  men  now  became  desperate.  Day  after  day 
some  poor  wretch  was  abandoned  to  his  fate,  some  in  one  way,  some  in 
another.  One  example  of  this  kind  may  serve  for  the  whole.  "Three 
miles  east  of  the  village  of  Koombandi,"  says  Park,  "  William  Alston, 
one  of  the  seamen  whom  I  received  from  his  majesty's  ship  Squirrel, 
became  so  fliint  that  ho  fell  from  his  ass,  and  allowed  the  ass  to  run 
away.  Set  him  on  my  horse,  but  found  he  could  not  sit  mthout  hold- 
ing him.  Replaced  him  on  the  ass,  but  he  still  tumbled  off.  Put  him 
again  on  the  horse,  and  made  one  man  liold  him  upright  while  I  led  the 
horse ;  but,  as  he  made  no  exertion  to  hold  himself  erect,  it  was  impos- 
sible to  keep  him  on  the  horse,  and  after  repeated  tumbles  he  begged 
to  be  left  in  the  woods  till  morning.  I  left  a  loaded  pistol  with  him, 
and  put  some  cartridges  into  the  crown  of  his  hat."  The  next  day  this 
man  came  up  with  the  company,  entirely  naked,  having  been  jilundered 
by  the  natives.  His  health  appeared  to  improve  for  some  days,  but  he 
afterward  grew  worse  again,  and  died  before  reaching  the  Niger. 

In  crossing  the  Wondu  the  caravan  was  nearly  deprived  of  its  guide 
in  the  following  manner.  "  Our  guide,  Isaaco,  was  very  active  in  joush- 
ing  the  asses  into  the  water,  and  shoving  along  the  canoe ;  but  as  he 
was  afraid  that  we  could  not  have  thciu  all  carried  over  ir.  the  course 
of  the  day,  ho  attempted  to  drive  six  of  the  asses  across  the  river  further 
down,  where  the  water  was  shallowei'.  When  he  had  reached  the  middle 
of  the  river,  a  crocodile  rose  close  to  hhn,  and  instantly  seizing  him  by 
the  left  thigh,  puUed  him  wider  water.  With  Avonderful  presence  of 
inind  he  felt  the  head  of  the  animal,  and  thrust  his  finger  into  its  eyes, 
on  which  it  quitted  its  hold,  and  Isaaco  attempted  to  reach  the  further 
shore,  calling  loudly  for  a  knife.  But  the  crocodile  returned  and  seized 
him  by  the  other  thigh,  and  again  pulled  him  under  water ;  ho  had  re- 
course to  the  same  expedient,  and  thrust  his  fingers  into  its  eyes  with 
such  violence  that  it  again  quitted  him ;  Avhen  it  arose,  flounced  about 
on  the  surface  of  the  water  as  if  stupid,  and  then  swam  down  the  middle 
of  the  river.     Isaaco  proceeded  to  the  other  side,  bleeding  very  much." 

Tills  event  retarded  for  several  days  the  march  of  the  caravan.  Be- 
sides, Park  hunself  was  attacked  with  fever,  and  their  provisions,  more- 
over, were  now  reduced  to  so  low  an  ebb,  that  upon  examination  it  was 
found  that  no  more  than  rice  for  two  days  remained  in  their  possession. 
This  deficiency  was,  therefore,  to  be  immediately  supplied.  Two  per- 
sons were  sent  away  with  an  ass  to  a  distant  village  for  rice,  and  in  tho 
nu'iui  tim(>  Park  devoted  his  attentions  to  the  wounds  of  tho  guide.  Tho 
audacity  of  the  native  thieves  Avas  extraordinary.  In  ascending  an  emi- 
neiu'c  two  miles  from  Maniakono,  Park  himself  was  robbed  in  a  very 
characteristic  manner : — "  As  I  was  holding  my  musket  carelessly  in  my 
hand,  and  looking  around,"  says  he,  "  two  of  Xumma's  sons  came  up  to 
me ;  one  of  them  requested  mo  to  give  him  some  snull'j  at  this  instant 


f 
H 


1 


:ll 


DEATHS   OF   THE   SOLDIERS. 


121 


the  other  (called  "Woosaba),  coming  up  behind  me,  snatched  tli3  musket 
from  my  hand,  and  ran  off  with  it.  I  instantly  sprung  from  the  saddlo 
and  followed  him  with  my  sword,  calling  to  Mr.  Anderson  to  ride  back, 
and  tell  some  of  the  people  to  look  after  my  horse.  Mr.  AndersoTi  got 
within  musket-shot  of  him ;  but,  seeing  it  was  Numma's  son,  had  some 
doubts  about  shooting  him,  and  called  to  me  if  he  should  fire.  Luckily 
I  did  not  hear  hun,  or  I  might  possibly  have  recovered  my  musket  at 
the  risk  of  a  long  palaver,  and  perhaps  the  loss  of  half  our  baggage.  The 
thief  accordingly  made  his  escape  among  the  rocks ;  and  when  I  returned 
to  my  horse,  I  found  the  other  of  the  royal  descendants  had  stolen  my 
coat." 

Their  condition  was  now  exceedingly  distressing.  From  the  10th  of 
June,  when  the  rainy  season  set  in,  the  entries  in  Park's  journal  are  truly 
heart-rending.  On  the  20th  of  July  he  writes :  "Francis  Beedle,  one  of 
the  soldiers,  was  evidently  dying,  and  having  in  vain  attempted  to  carry 
him  over  the  river,  I  was  forced  to  leave  him  on  the  west  bank.  In  the 
mornmg  one  of  the  soldiers  crossed  the  bridge,  and  found  Beedle  expir- 
ing. Did  not  stop  to  bury  him,  the  sun  being  high ;  but  set  out  imme- 
diately. About  half-past  ton  came  to  Mr.  Scott  lying  by  the  side  of  the 
road,  so  very  sick  that  he  could  not  walk.  Shortly  after,  Mr.  Martyn 
laid  do^Ti  in  the  same  state."  On  the  27th,  five  men  were  left  behind ; 
on  the  30th,  he  writes  :  "  Was  under  the  necessity  of  leaving  William 
Allen,  sick.  I  regretted  much  leaving  this  man ;  he  had  naturally  a 
clioorfiil  disposition ;  and  he  used  often  to  beguile  the  watches  of  the 
night  with  the  songs  of  our  dear  native  land."  On  the  10th  of  August 
four  more  men  lagged  behind,  and  were  never  heard  of  again ;  on  the 
12th,  two  more,  and  Mr.  Anderson  appeared  to  be  dying.  Park  halted 
with  him  under  a  tree,  watching  his  fluttering  pulse,  until  his  strength 
appeared  to  return.  lie  then  placed  him  upon  his  own  horse,  and  pushed 
forward  toward  their  proposed  resting-place,  leading  the  horse  by  the 
bridle.  "  We  had  not  proceeded  above  a  mile,"  says  Park,  "  before  wo 
heard  on  our  left  a  noise  very  much  like  the  barking  of  a  large  mastiff, 
but  ending  in  a  hiss  like  the  fuflf*  of  a  cat.  I  thought  it  must  bo  somo 
large  monkey ;  and  was  observing  to  Mr.  Anderson, '  What  a  bouncing 
fellow  that  must  be,'  when  we  heard  another  bark  nearer  to  us,  and 
presently  a  third  still  nearer,  accompanied  with  a  growl.  I  now  sus- 
pected somo  wild  beast  meant  to  attack  us,  but  could  not  conjecture  of 
what  species  it  was  Ukely  to  be.  Wo  had  not  proceeded  a  hundred 
yards  further,  when,  coming  to  an  opening  in  the  bushes,  I  was  not  a 
little  surprised  to  see  throe  lions  coming  toward  us.  They  were  not  so 
rod  as  the  lion  I  had  formerly  seen  in  Bambarra,  but  of  a  dusky  color, 
like  that  of  an  ass.  They  were  very  large,  and  came  bounding  over  tho 
long  grass,  TiOt  one  after  another,  but  all  abreast  of  each  other.  I  was 
afraid,  if  I  allowed  them  to  come  too  near  us,  and  my  piece  should  miss 

*  Fuff  18  an  oxprossivo  Scotch  word,  npplicablo  in  ita  original  sense  to  the  explosivo 
noise  which  a  cat  makes  in  flying  at  a  dog. 


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■\  ■:  -i'^;: 


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122 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OP    MUNGO    PARK. 


fire,  that  we  should  all  be  devoured  by  them.  I  therefore  let  go  the  bri, 
die,  and  walked  forward  to  meet  them.  As  soon  as  they  were  within 
a  long  shot  of  me,  I  fired  at  the  center  one.  I  do  not  think  I  hit  him ; 
but  they  all  stopped,  looked  at  each  other,  and  then  boimded  away  a  few 
paces,  when  one  of  them  stopped  and  looked  back  at  me.  I  was  too  busy 
in  loading  my  piece  to  observe  their  motions  as  they  went  away,  and 
A\'as  very  happy  to  see  the  last  of  them  march  slowly  oif  among  the 
bushes.  Wo  had  not  proceeded  above  half  a  mile  further  when  we  heard 
another  bark  and  growl  close  to  us  among  the  bushes.  This  was,  doubt- 
less, one  of  the  lions  before  seen ;  and  I  was  afraid  they  would  follow  us 
till  dark,  when  they  would  have  too  many  ojiportunitics  of  springing  on 
us  unawares.     We  however  heai'd  no  more  of  them." 

At  length,  from  the  brow  of  a  hill.  Park  had  once  more  the  satisfac- 
tion of  beholding  the  Niger,  rolling  its  immense  stream  along  the  plain. 
It  was  the  19th  of  August,  1805.  one  hundi'cd  and  five  days  after  starting 
from  Pisania.  But  he  was  in  no  mood  of  mind  to  triumph  at  the  sight. 
The  majority  of  his  companions  had  fallen  on  the  way;  of  thirty-four  sol- 
diers and  four  carpenters  who  loft  the  Gambia,  only  six  soldiers  and  one 
car})enter  reached  the  Niger,  With  this  miserable  remnant  of  his  origi- 
nal force  he  descended  the  hill,  and  pitched  his  tents  near  the  town  of 
Bambakoo.  After  a  day  or  two  he  advanced  to  Marraboo  to  await  the 
answer  of  the  King  of  Bambarra.  On  the  2d  of  September  he  writes : 
"Ever  since  my  arrival  at  Marraboo  I  had  been  subject  to  attacks  of  the 
dysentery  ;  and  as  I  found  that  my  strength  was  failing  very  fast,  I  re- 
solved to  charge  myself  with  mercury.  I  accordingly  took  calomel  till 
it  affected  my  mouth  to  such  a  degree  that  I  could  not  speak  or  sleep 
for  six  days.  The  salivation  put  an  immediate  stop  to  the  dysentery, 
which  had  jjroved  fatal  to  so  many  of  the  soldiers."  On  the  0th  one  of  his 
remaining  men  died,  two  others  at  Samec  on  the  24th,  and  yet  two  more 
at  Sansanding  on  the  2d  of  October.  At  Bambakoo  some  of  the  party 
embarked  in  canoes  on  the  Niger,  while  others  proceeded  by  land  to  the 
neighborhood  of  Sego,  which  they  reached  on  the  19th  of  September. 
Mansong  was  still  I^ig  of  Bambarra ;  and  being  highly  gratL<^ed  with 
their  presents,  not  only  gave  them  permission  to  build  a  boat  on  the  Ni- 
ger at  whatever  town  they  pleased,  but  engaged  to  protect,  as  far  as  his 
power  extended,  the  trade  of  the  whites  in  the  interior.  Park  selected 
Sansanding  as  the  place  most  eligible  for  building  the  boat,  and  removed 
thither  as  quickly  as  possible.  Here  immediately  on  his  arrival  he  opened 
a  shop,  exhibiting  a  choice  assoi  tment  of  European  goods,  which  sold  so 
well  among  the  natives  that  his  success  excited  the  envy  of  the  Jenno 
people,  the  Moors,  and  the  other  merchants  of  the  place,  who  offered 
Mansong  merchandise  to  a  much  greater  value  than  the  presents  made 
him  by  Park,  if  he  wo\ild  either  kill  the  strangers  or  drive  them  out  of 
the  country.  Mansong,  however,  rejected  the  otfer.  "  From  i"  j  8th  to 
tlie  10th  nothing  of  consequence  occurred  ;  I  found  my  shop  every  day 
more  and  more  crowded  with  customers ;  and  such  was  my  rmi  of  busi- 


11 


L 


LAST    LETTERS    AND    EMBARKATION. 


123 


ness,  that  I  Avas  sometimes  forced  to  employ  three  tellers  at  once  to 
count  my  cash.  I  turned  one  market-day  twenty-tive  thousand  seven 
hundred  and  lifty-six  pieces  of  money  (cowries)." 

Park  now  received  intelligence  of  the  death  of  Mr.  Scott,  Avho  had 
been  loft  behind  near  Bambakoo.  Mansong  very  soon  convinced  the 
traveler  that  he  understood  the  art  of  receiving  presents  much  better 
than  tliat  of  returning  them ;  for  upon  being  requested  to  furnish  a  canoo 
in  which  the  mission,  now  reduced  to  a  very  small  number,  might  em- 
bark on  the  Niger,  he  sent  one  after  another  several  half-rotten  barks  ; 
two  of  Avhicli  Park,  seeing  no  hope  of  getting  better,  was  at  length  com- 
pelled to  accei)t,  and  with  these  he  constructed  what  he  termed  a 
schooner.  Shortly  after  this  he  lost  his  brother-in-law  Anderson,  upon 
whose  death  "  I  felt  myself,"  says  he,  "as  if  left  a  second  time  lonely  and 
friendless  amid  the  wilds  of  Africa."  Dreary  and  perilous  as  was  his 
position,  however,  ho  still  determined  to  2)ersevere.  His  companions 
were  now  reduced  to  four,  Lieutenant  Martyn  and  three  soldiers,  one  of 
whom  was  deranged  in  his  mind  ;  yet  Avith  this  Avretched  remnant  of  a 
detachment  which,  it  must  bo  confessed,  had  been  thus  thinned,  or  rather 
annihilated,  by  his  own  ill  management  and  want  of  foresight,  he  pur- 
posed following  the  course  of  tlie  Niger  to  its  termination,  whether  that 
should  prove  to  be  in  some  great  lake  or  hiland  sea,  or,  as  he  rather  be- 
lieved, in  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  "  And  this  voyage,"  says  one  of  liis  biogra- 
pliers,  "oneof  themost  formidable  cverattenipted,  was  to  be  imdertakeu 
in  a  crazy  and  ill-appointed  vessel,  manned  by  a  few  negroes  and  a  few 
Europeans !" 

On  the  lOtli  of  Xovember,  having  completed  all  the  necessary  jire- 
parations  for  his  voyage,  our  traveler  put  the  finishing  hand  to  his  jour- 
nal ;  and  in  the  interval,  between  that  and  his  embarkation,  which  seems 
to  have  taken  place  on  the  19th,  Avrote  several  letters  to  England.  His 
letter  to  Lord  Camden  contained  the  following  cliaracteristic  passage : 
"  I  am  afraid  that  your  Lordship  will  be  apt  to  consider  matters  as  in  a 
very  hopeless  state ;  but  I  assure  you  I  am  far  from  desponding.  "With 
the  assistance  of  one  of  the  soldiers  I  have  changed  a  large  canoe  into  a 
tolerably  good  schooner,  on  board  of  which  I  this  day  hoisted  the  ]3rit- 
ish  ilag,  and  shall  set  sail  to  the  east  with  the  fixed  resolution  to  discover 
the  termination  of  the  Niger,  or  perish  in  the  attemi)t.  I  have  heard 
nothing  that  I  can  depend  on  respecting  the  remote  course  of  this  mighty 
stream ;  but  I  am  more  .and  more  inclined  to  tliink  that  it  can  end  nu- 
Avhere  but  in  the  sea.  My  dear  friend  j\[r,  Anderson,  and  likewise  ^Ir. 
Scott,  are  both  dead  ;  but  though  all  the  Europeans  who  are  with  mo 
should  die,  and  tliough  I  were  myself  lialf  dead,  I  would  still  persevere; 
and  if  I  could  not  succeed  in  the  object  of  my  journey,  I  would  at  last 
die  on  tlie  Niger." 

These  letters,  together  Avith  his  journal,  Avere  then  delivered  to  his 
piiile,  Isaaco,  by  Avhom  lli(>y  were  conveycMl  to  Gambia,  from  Avhence 
tlioy  Avere  transmitted  to  England ;  .'ifter  Avhich  notliing  certain  or  au- 


124 


LIFE   AND   TRAVELS    OF   MUNGO   PARK. 


thcntic  can  be  said  to  have  been  heard  either  of  Park  or  the  expedition. 
In  1806,  however,  vague  accounts  of  the  death  of  Park  and  his  compan- 
ions were  brought  to  the  British  settlement  on  the  coast  by  the  native 
traders  from  the  interior ;  but  several  years  elapsed  without  any  further 
intelhgence  being  obtained.  At  length,  in  1810,  Colonel  Maxwell,  gov- 
ernor of  Senegal,  dispatched  Park's  guide,  Isaaco,  into  the  interior,  for 
the  purpose  of  ascertaining  the  truth  or  falsehood  of  the  reports  which 
prevailed,  and,  should  they  prove  correct,  of  collecting  information  rc- 
Bpecting  the  place  and  manner  of  the  catastrophe. 

After  an  absence  of  one  year  and  eight  months,  Isaaco  returned  to 
Senegal,  and  delivered  to  the  governor  a  journal  of  his  proceedings, 
including  a  narrative  which  he  had  received  from  Amadi  Fatouma,  the 
guide  who  had  accompanied  Park  from  Sansandmg  down  the  Niger. 
Tlie  particulars  of  Isaaco's  adventures  it  is  altogether  unnecessary  to 
describe.  He  found  Amadi  Fatouma  at  Medina,  a  village  distant  a  few 
hours  from  Sansanding.  On  seeing  Isaaco,  and  hearing  the  name  of 
Park,  he  began  to  weep,  and  his  first  words  were,  "  They  are  all  dead." 
The  recollection  of  the  melancholy  transaction  appeared  to  affect  him  in 
an  extraordinary  manner,  and  it  was  with  the  utmost  reluctance  that  he 
at  length  consented  to  recall  to  memory  an  event  which  he  seemed  pe- 
culiarly desirous  of  delivering  over  to  oblivion.  However,  upon  the 
pressing  entreaties  of  Isaaco,  he  narrated  circumstantially  what  had 
taken  place.  Upon  leaving  Sansanding,  there  w^ere,  he  said,  nine  persona 
in  the  canoe.  Park,  Martyn,  three  other  white  men,  three  slaves,  and 
myself  as  their  guide  and  interpreter.  They  had  proceeded  but  a  very 
little  way  down  the  river  before  they  Avere  pursued  and  attacked  by  the 
Africans,  in  canoes,  particularly  in  passing  Timbuctoo,  where  a  great 
number  of  the  natives  were  killed.  Shortly  after  passing  Goroumo,  they 
lost  one  white  man  by  sickness.  Tliey  were  now,  therefore,  reduced  to 
eight ;  but  as  each  person  had  always  fifteen  muskets  loaded  and  ready 
for  action,  they  were  still  formidable  to  their  enemies. 

As  Park  had  laid  in  a  considerable  quantity  of  provisions  pre\aou3  to 
his  leaving  Sansanding,  he  was  enabled  to  proceed  for  several  days  with- 
out stopping  at  any  place,  which  is  the  only  circumstance  that  can  ac- 
count for  his  passing  in  safety  through  the  country  of  so  many  hostile 
nations.  At  length,  however,  their  wants  compelled  them  to  have  some 
communication  with  the  shore.  "We  came,"  says  Amadi  Fatouma, 
"  near  a  small  island,  and  saw  some  of  the  natives.  I  was  sent  on  shore 
to  buy  some  milk.  "When  I  got  among  them  I  saw  two  canoes  go  on 
board  to  sell  fresh  provisions,  such  as  fowls,  rice,  etc.  One  of  the  natives 
wanted  to  kill  me,  and  at  last  he  took  hold  of  me  and  said  I  was  his  pris- 
oner. Mr.  Park,  seeing  what  was  passuig  on  shore,  suspected  the  truth. 
He  stopped  the  two  canoes  and  people,  telling  the  latter  that  if  they 
should  kill  me,  or  keep  me  prisoner  on  shore,  ho  would  kill  them  aU  and 
carry  their  canoes  away  with  him.  Those  on  shore,  suspecting  Mr. 
Park's  uitentions,  sent  me  off  in  another  canoe  on  board.    They  were 


i 

pi 


1  i 

I 


i;-. 


'  M«f 


AMADI  FATOUMA'S  JOURNAL. 


125 


then  rcloascd,  after  wliicli  wo-  bought  some  provisions  from  them  and 
made  them  some  presents.  A  short  time  after  our  departure  twenty 
canoes  came  after  us  from  the  same  place.  On  coming  near  they  hailed, 
and  said,  '  Amadi  Fatouma,  how  can  you  pass  ti  'h  our  country  witli- 
giving  us  any  thing  ?'  I  mentioned  what  they  haa  said  to  Mr.  Park,  and. 
ho  gave  them  a  few  grains  of  amber  and  some  trinkets,  and  they  went 
back  peaceably.  On  coming  to  a  narrow  part  of  the  river,  we  saw  on 
the  shore  a  great  many  men  sitting  down  ;  coming  nearer  to  them  they 
stood  up ;  we  presented  our  muskets  at  them,  which  made  them  run  off 
into  the  interior.  A  little  further  on  we  came  to  a  very  dilRcult  passage. 
The  rocks  had  barred  the  river,  but  three  passages  were  still  open  be- 
tween them.  On  coming  near  one  of  them  we  discovered  the  samo 
people  again,  standing  on  the  top  of  a  large  rock,  wliich  caused,  great 
uneasiness  to  us,  especially  to  me,  and  I  seriously  promised  never  to  j^ass 
there  agaiix  without  making  considerable  charitable  donations  to  the  poor. 
We  returned  and  went  to  a  pass  of  less  danger,  where  wc  passed  unmo- 
lested. 

"We  came-to  before  Carmassee,  and  gave  the  chief  one  piece  of  baft. 
We  went  on  and  anchored  before  Gourman.     Mr.  Park  sent  me  on  shore 
M'ith  forty  thousand  cowries  to  buy  provisions.     I  went  and  bought  rice, 
onions,  fowls,  milk,  etc.,  and  departed  late  m  the  evening.     The  chief 
of  the  village  sent  a  canoe  after  us  to  let  us  know  of  a  large  army  en- 
camped on  the  top  of  a  very  high  mountain  waiting  for  us,  and  that 
we  had  better  return  or  be  on  our  guard.     We  immediately  came  to  an 
anchor,  and  spent  there  the  rest  of  the  day  and  all  the  night.     Wo 
started  in  the  morning.     On  passing  the  above-mentioned  mountain  we 
saw  the  army,  composed  of  Moors,  with  horses  and  camels,  but  without 
any  fire-arms.     As  they  said  nothing  to  us  we  passed  on  quietly,  and 
entered  the  country  of  Ilaoussa,  and  came  to  an  anchor.     Mr.  Park  said 
to  me,  'Now,  Amadi,  you  are  at  the  end  of  your  journey;  I  engaged 
you  to  conduct  me  here  ;  you  are  going  to  leave  mo  ;  but  before  you  go 
you  must  give  me  the  names  of  the  necessaries  of  life,  etc.,  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  countries  through  which  I  am  going  to  pass ;'  to  which  I 
agreed,  and  we  spent  two  days  together  about  it  without  landing.     Dur- 
ing our  voyage  I  was  the  only  one  who  had  landed.     We  departed,  and 
arrived  at  Yaour.    I  was  sent  on  shore  the  next  morning  with  a  musket 
and  a  saber  to  carry  to  the  chief  of  the  village  ;  also  with  three  pieces 
of  white  baft  for  distribution.     I  went  and  gave  the  chief  his  present ;  I 
also  gave  one  to  Alhagi,  one  to  Alhagi-biron,  and  the  other  to  a  person 
whose  name  I  forjret ;  all  Marabous.     The  chief  gave  us  a  bullock,  a 
!>hoep,  tlu'oo  jars  of  honej-^,  and  four  men's  loads  of  rice.     Mr.  Park  gave 
me  seven  thousand  cowries,  and  ordered  me  to  buy  provisions,  wliich  I 
did.    He  told  me  to  go  to  the  chief  and  give  him  live  silver  rings,  some 
powder  and  flints,  and  toll  him  that  these  presents  were  given  to  the  king 
by  the  white  men,  who  Averc  taking  leave  of  him  before  they  went  away. 
After  the  chief  received  these  things,  ho  inquired  if  the  white  men  in- 


■■;■  ;ijil 


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126 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF    MUNGO    PARK. 


tended  to  comeback,  Mv.  Park,  being  informed  of  this  inquiry,  replied 
thfit  he  could  not  return  any  more.  Mr.  Park  had  j^aid  me  for  my  A-oy- 
age  before  we  left  Sansanduig.  I  said  to  him,  '  I  agreed  to  carry  you 
into  the  kingdom  of  Ilaoussa ;  we  arc  now  in  Ilaoussa.  I  have  fullilled 
my  engagement  witli  you  ;  I  am  therefore  going  to  leave  you  here  and 
return.' " 

On  the  next  day  Park  departed,  leaving  tlie  guide  at  the  village  of 
Yaour,  where  he  Avas  put  in  irons  by  an  order  from  the  king,  from  a  sup- 
position that  he  had  aided  the  Avhite  men  in  defrauding  him  of  the  ctis- 
tomary  presents,  Avhich  the  chief  of  Yaour  had  in  fact  received,  but 
retained  for  himself.  "The  next  morning,  early,"  continues  the  guide, 
"  the  khig  sent  an  army  to  a  village  called  Boussa,  near  the  river-side. 
There  is  before  this  village  a  rock  across  the  AA'hole  breadth  of  the  river. 
One  part  of  the  rock  is  very  high  ;  there  is  a  large  opening  in  that  rock 
in  the  form  of  a  door,  AA'hich  is  the  only  passage  for  the  Avater  to  pass 
through;  the  tide  current  is  here  very  strong.  This  army  Avent  and 
took  possession  of  the  top  of  this  opening.  jMr.  Park  came  there  after 
the  army  had  posted  itself;  he  nevertheless  attem})ted  to  pass.  The 
jieojile  began  to  attack  him,  throAving  lances,  pikes,  arroA\'^,  and  stones. 
3Ir.  Park  defended  himself  for  a  long  time ;  two  of  his  'laves  at  the 
stern  of  the  canoe  Avere  killed;  they  threw  every  thing  they  had  in  the 
canoe  into  the  river,  and  kept  liring ;  but  being  overpowered  by  luuii- 
bcrs,  and  fatigued,  and  unable  to  kei'p  the  canoe  against  the  current,  and 
no  ])robability  of  escaping,  Mr.  Park  took  hold  of  one  of  the  Avhite  men 
!ind  jumped  into  thoAvater:  Mr.  Martin  did  the  same,  and  they  Avere 
drowned  in  the  stream  in  attempting  to  esca})e.  The  only  slave  remain- 
ing in  the  boat,  seeing  the  natives  persist  i.i  throwing  weapons  at  the 
canoe  Avithout  ceasing,  stood  up  and  said  to  sneui,  'Stop  throAving  now, 
you  see  nothing  in  the  canoe,  and  nobody  but  myself;  therefore  cease. 
Take  me  and  the  canoe,  but  don't  kill  me.'  They  took  jjossession  of 
the  canoe  and  the  man,  and  carried  them  to  the  king. 

"  I  Avas  kept  in  irons  three  months ;  the  king  released  me,  and  gave 
me  a  slave  (woman).  I  immediately  Avent  to  tlie  slave  taken  in  the 
canoe,  Avho  told  me  in  Avhat  manner  Mi-.  Park  and  all  of  them  had  died, 
and  Avhat  I  have  related  above.  I  asked  him  if  he  Avas  sure  nothing  had 
been  found  in  the  canoe  after  its  capture  ;  he  said  nothing  remained  in 
the  canoe  but  himself  and  a  SAvord-belt,  I  asked  him  Avhere  the  SAvord- 
belt  Avas ;  he  said  the  king  took  it,  and  had  made  a  girth  for  his  horse 
Avith  it."' 

Such  is  the  narratiA-e  of  Amadi  Fatouma;  and  the  information  since 
obtainetl  in  the  coimtry  by  C\aptain  Clappertou  corroborates  almost 
every  imiiortant  circumstance  Avhich  it  describes.  It  appears,  however, 
that  certain  books — whether  printed  or  manuscript  docs  not  appear — 
Avcre  found  in  Park's  canoe,  some  of  Avhich  Avere  still  in  the  possession 
of  the  chief  of  Yaour  Avhen  Clapperton  made  his  inquiries;  but  the  Avily 
African,  Avho  no  doubt  expected  a  valuable  present  for  these  relics, 


'I 


m 


HIS    rilOBABLK    FA  fE. 


127 


rofnsod  to  dolivor  thorn  to  tlio  traveler's  mcs-         r,  and  C    nporton      nn- 

Bolf.  for  some  reason  or  another  not  stated,  neujlecfc'd  to  \  i<it  tli'  •  <'f 
in  person.  It  should  be  remarked,  that  the  Africans  who  were  les- 
tioned  by  Clapperton  seemed  all  exceedingly  desirous  of  cxculp  ing 
their  countrymen,  perhaps  their  own  friends  and  relations,  from  tJn- 
charge  of  having  murdered  Park  and  liis  companions:  according  to  one 
narrator,  the  canoo  was  caught  between  two  rocks,  where  the  river, 
lieing  obstructed  in  its  course,  rushed  through  its  narrow  channel  with 
])rodigoiis  ra})idity.  Hero  the  travelers,  in  attempting  to  disembark, 
were  drowned  in  the  sight  of  an  ii;mense  multitude  who  had  assembled 
to  sec  them  pass,  and  were  too  timid  to  attack  or  assist  thcin.  On  an- 
other occasion,  however,  the  same  person  confessed  that  his  countrymen 
did  indeed  discharge  their  arrows  at  the  travelers,  but  not  until  they 
had  been  fired  upon  from  the  canoe.  But  the  sheriff  of  IJokhary,  whose 
letter  was  found  among  tlie  ]\ISS.  of  Clapperton,  asserts  that  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Boussa  went  out  against  the  Avhite  men  in  great  numbers,  and 
attacked  them  during  three  successive  days;  after  Avhich  Park  and  ^Nfar- 
tyn,  who  from  this  account  Avould  apjx'ar  to  liave  l)eeu  the  only  Kuro- 
j)ean  survivors,  threw  their  papers  and  baggage  into  the  water,  and  leap- 
ing in  after  them  were  drowned  in  the  stream.  This  melancholy  event 
appears  to  have  occurred  between  three  and  four  months  after  the  do- 
parturc  of  the  expedition  from  Sansanding,  oi*  about  the  1st  of  March,  1  S0t5. 

Park  possessed  in  a  high  degree  the  qualities  necessary  for  a  success- 
ful traveler:  intrepidity,  enthusiasm,  perseverance,  veracity,  and  pru- 
dence, all  of  which  were  admiral)ly  illustrated  by  his  first  journey.  Few 
men  hiue  jiassed  through  circumstances  so  trying,  with  equal  nerve  and 
self  possession ;  but  it  is  to  lie  doubted  whether  these  merits  were 
Cfjually  conspicuous  during  his  second  expedition.  Half  of  the  men, 
whose  lives  wore  sacrilieed  tohis  haste  and  impatience,  might  have  given 
his  party  sufficient  strength  to  carry  him  through  the  territory  of  Boussa 
and  the  hostile  tribes  beyond,  and  assured  alike  Ins  safety  and  his  tri- 
umph. But  the  blame  of  his  failure,  no  doubt,  rests  mainly  tipon  the 
Ih'itish  government,  through  whose  procrastination  he  was  kept  for  two 
years  in  a  state  of  painful  suspense,  and  finally  delayed  in  his  prepara- 
tions, until  the  flvvorable  season  for  traveling  had  nearly  passed. 

In  person  Park  was  tall,  being  about  six  feet  high,  and  perfectly  well 
propf)rtioned.  Ilis  countenance  and  whole  ajipearance  were  liighly 
interesting  ;  his  frame  active  and  robust,  fitted  for  great  exertions  and 
the  endurance  of  extreme  hardships.  His  constitution  had  suffered  con- 
siderably froni  the  eftects  of  his  first  journey  into  Africa,  but  seems 
afterward  to  have  been  restored  to  its  original  vigor,  of  which  his  last 
expedition  afforded  the  most  abundant  jM-oofs.  In  all  the  relations  of 
lirivato  life  he  appears  to  have  been  highly  exemplary.  To  the  more 
gentle  and  amiable  parts  of  his  character  the  most  certain  of  all  testimo- 
nies maybe  found  hi  the  warm  attachment  of  his  friends,  and  in  the  fond 
and  alVectionate  recollections  of  every  branch  of  his  family. 


ill' 

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LEWIS  AND   CLAKKE'S 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  PACIFIC  OCEAN. 


YOTAGE    UP   THE    MISSOURI. 

On  tlic  acquisition  of  Louisiana,  in  the  year  1803,  tlio  attention  of  tlie 
government  of  the  United  States  was  directed  toward  exploriiiL:  and  im- 
proving the  new  territory.  Accordingly,  in  tlio  sunnner  of  the  8ame 
3'ear,  an  expedition  was  planned  by  President  Jelfeison  fen*  the  purpose 
of  discovering  tlie  course  and  sources  of  the  Missouri  River,  and  the  most 
convenient  water-communication  tlienco  to  the  Taciiic  Ocean.  His  pri- 
vate secretary,  Captain  Meriwether  Lewis,  and  Cai)taiii  "William  Clarke, 
both  officers  of  the  army  of  the  L^nited  States,  Mere  associated  in  the 
command  of  this  enterprise.  After  receiving  the  riquisite  instructions, 
Ca])tain  Lewis  left  the  seat  of  government,  and  being  joined  by  Captahi 
Clarke  at  Louisville,  proceeded  to  St.  Louis,  where  they  arrived  in  the 
month  of  December.  Their  original  intention  \\  as  to  pass  the  whiter 
at  La  Charette,  then  the  highest  settlement  on  the  ^Missouri,  but  the 
Spanish  commandant  of  the  province,  not  having  received  an  official  ac- 
count of  its  transfer  to  the  United  States,  was  obliged,  by  the  general 
policy  of  his  government,  to  prevent  strangers  from  passing  through  the 
Spanish  territory. 

They  therefore  encamped  at  the  mouth  of  Wood  River,  on  the  east- 
ern side  of  the  Mississippi,  out  of  his  jurisdiction,  where  they  passed  the 
winter  in  disciplining  the  men,  and  making  the  necessary  preparations 
for  setting  out  early  in  the  spring,  before  Avhich  the  cession  was  oflicially 
announced.  The  party  consisted  of  nine  young  men  from  Kentucky, 
fourteen  soldiers  of  the  L^nited  States  Army  who  volunteered  their  serv- 
ices, two  French  watennon,  an  interpreter  and  hunter,  and  a  black  serv- 
ant belonging  to  Captain  Clarke.  All  these,  except  the  last,  were  en- 
listed to  serve  as  privates  during  the  expedition,  and  three  sergeants 
^\'ero  appointed  from  among  them  by  the  captains.  In  addition  to 
these  were  engaged  a  corporal  and  six  soldiers,  and  nine  watermen  to 
accompany  the  expedition  as  far  as  the  Mandan  nation,  in  order  to  assist 

9 


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; 


II 


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i  i  ^ 


1i' 


130 


TRAVELS    OF    LEWIS    AND    CLARKE. 


in  carrying  the  stores,  or  repelling  an  attack,  -wliicl)  waH  most  to  bo  ap- 
prelieiulcd  between  Wood  River  and  that  tribe.  The  party  was  to  em- 
bark on  board  of  three  boats  ;  the  first  was  a  keel-boat  littv-live  feet  lonjr, 
drawing  three  feet  of  water,  carrying  one  large  sijuaresail  and  twenty- 
two  oars;  a  deck  of  ten  feet  in  the  bow  and  stern  formed  a  forecastle  and 
cabin,  while  the  middle  was  covered  by  lockers,  which  might  be  raised 
so  as  to  form  a  breast-work  in  case  of  attack.  This  -was  accompanied 
by  two  perioques  or  open  boats,  one  of  six  and  the  other  of  seven  oars. 
Two  horses  were  at  the  same  time  to  be  led  along  the  bank  of  the  river 
for  the  purpose  of  bringing  home  game,  or  hunting,  in  case  of  scarcity. 

All  the  preparations  being  completed,  they  left  their  encampment  on 
Wood  Iviver,  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri,  on  the  14th  of  May, 
1S()4,  and  on  the  16th  arrived  at  St.  Charles,  situated  on  the  north  bank 
of  the  Missouri,  twenty-one  miles  from  its  mouth.  This  Avas  then  a  town 
of  about  four  hundred  and  lifty  inhabitants,  chielly  the  descendants  of 
the  Fri'n'-h  of  Canada.  Here  they  remained  a  few  days  waiting  for  Cap- 
fain  Lewis,  who  had  been  detauied  by  business  at  St.  Louis.  When  he 
arriv(>d,  they  again  set  sail,  on  the  afternoon  of  Monday  the  21st,  but 
Avere  ])revented  by  wind  and  rain  from  going  more  than  three  miles, 
when  they  encamped  upon  an  island. 

Two  miles  above  their  next  camp,  they  passed  a  settlement  of  thirty  or 
forty  families  from  the  L^nited  States,  and  further  on,  at  the  foot  of  cliffs 
three  lunulred  feet  high,  tliey  saw  a  large  cave  called  the  Tavern  by  the 
traders,  Avho  had  ])aintcd  in  it  some  images  that  conmianded  the  homage 
of  the  Indians.  On  the  124th  they  passed  some  difficult  rapids  where,  be- 
tween the  dangers  of  the  falling  banks  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  con- 
stantly changing  sand-bars  on  the  other,  they  came  near  ca})sizing  their 
boat.  On  the  evening  of  the  next  day  (I'/jth),  they  stopped  i'nv  the  night 
near  the  small  village  of  La  Charette,  about  seventy  miles  from  the  mouth 
of  the  river.  It  consisted  of  sev(>n  small  hoti«es,  and  as  many  poor  fami- 
lies, who  had  fixed  themselves  hero  for  the  convenience  of  trad(\  and 
foriniMl  lh((  last  establishment  of  whites  on  the  i\rissniui.  They  were 
again  detained  a  day  on  the  Mist  at  their  encampment  on  the  tJriiulstono 
Creek,  by  the  high  west  wind  and  rain.  In  the  ailernoon  a  boat  cam#down 
from  the  Osage  Kiver,  bringing  a  letter  from  a  messenger  sent  to  the 
Osage  nation  on  the  Arkansas  IJiver,  which  mentioned  that  the  letter 
announcing  tlu'  cession  of  Louisiana  Avas  connnilted  to  the  fhunes;  that 
the  Indians  woidd  not  believe  that  the  Americans  were  owners  of  that 
country,  and  disreganled  St.  Louis  and  its  supj)lies. 

On  the  .Otii  of  June  they  meL  two  French  trailers,  descending  on  a 
raft  from  their  winter  (piarters,  eighty  leagues  up  the  Kanzas  IJiver, 
where  they  had  caught  gi'eat  quantities  of  beaver,  but  had  lost  much  of 
Iheir  game  by  fires  from  the  prairii'S.  Soon  aflerward  they  passed  Little 
/lanitoii  Creek,  Avhich  was  nameil  from  a  strange  figin-*'  resendding  the 
bust  of  a  njan,  with  the  horns  of  a  stag,  painted  on  a  iirojeeting  rock, 
and   [jrobably  representing  Bome  npirit   or   deity.      On  llie  Tth  they 


\ 


ll'  - 1 


M\ 


FIRST    INDIAN    COUNCILS. 


131 


passed  Big  Manitou  Creek,  near  wliich  was  a  liraostono  rock  inlaid  with 
flint  of  various  colors  and  covered  with  iincoutli  paintiiigsof  animals,  and 
inscriptions.  They  landed  to  examine  it,  but  found  the  jtlace  infested 
with  rattlesnakes,  of  which  they  killed  three.  Meeting  two  rafts  from 
the  Sioux  nation,  loaded  with  furs  and  buffalo-tallow,  they  engaged  one 
of  the  party,  a  Mr.  Durion,  who  had  lived  more  than  twenty  years  with  the 
Sioux,  and  was  high  in  their  confidence,  to  accompany  them  thither. 

They  continued  to  advance  but  slowly,  their  progress  being  greatly 
impeded  by  the  numerous  rolling  sandbanks,  the  strong  current  and 
frecpient  head-winds,  while  the  dangers  of  the  na\igation  were  increased 
on  the  one  hand  by  the  sunken  trees,  on  the  other  by  the  falling  in  of 
the  banks.  They  reached  the  Kanzas  Kiver  on  the  2()th,  and  encamped 
on  the  low  point  above  its  mouth,  where  tliey  remained  two  days  and 
made  the  necessary  obser\ations,  recruited  the  party,  and  repaired  the 
boat.  They  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Platte  on  the  evening  of  July 
21st,  and  having  found,  at  the  distance  of  ten  miles  above  its  junction, 
a  high  and  shaded  situation,  they  encamped  there,  intending  to  make 
the  requisite  observations  as  well  as  to  send  for  the  neighboring  tribes, 
for  the  purpose  of  making  known  the  recent  change  in  the  government, 
and  the  wish  of  the  United  States  to  cultivate  their  friendship. 

Having  completed  the  object  of  their  stay,  they  set  sail  on  the  '27th, 
and  on  the  HOtli  again  encamped  to  await  tint  arrival  of  the  Indians. 
On  the  evening  of  August  2d,  a  b.and  of  Ottoways  and  Missouris  ap- 
peared, and  next  morning  the  Indians,  with  their  six  chiefs,  were  assem- 
bled under  an  awning,  formed  with  the  main-sail,  in  the  jiresence  of  all 
the  party,  paraded  for  the  occasion.  A  speech  was  then  m:ule,  .an- 
nouncuig  to  them  the  change  of  government,  with  promise!  of  protection, 
and  advice  as  to  their  future  conduct.  All  the  six  chiefs  replieil,  eiu'h 
in  turn,  according  to  rank.  They  expressed  their  joy  at  the  change  in 
the  government,  and  tlieir  desire  to  be  reconuncnded  to  their  gnat 
father  (the  President),  that  they  might  obtain  trade  and  necessaries. 
They  wanted  arms  for  hunting  .and  for  defense,  and  asked  for  mediation 
between  them  and  the  jAIahas,  with  whom  they  wer(>  then  at  war.  "We 
promised  to  do  so,"  says  Captain  Clarke,  "and  wished  some  of  them  to 
acoompiiny  us  to  that  nation,  which  they  declined,  for  fear  of  being 
killed  by  them.  We  then  proceeded  to  distribute  ot  ■•  presents.  Tli(« 
grand  chief  of  the  nation  not  being  of  the  ])arty,  we  svnt  him  a  ting,  a 
medal,  and  some  ornaments  for  clothing.  To  the  six  chiefs  who  were 
present,  wo  gave  u  medal  of  the  second  gnule  to  one  Ottoway  chief, 
nnd  one  Missoini  chief;  a  medal  of  the  third  grade  to  two  inferior 
chii'fs  of  each  nation — the  (Mistomary  n)ode  of  recogni/.ini;  a  chief  being 
to  jdace  a  nu'dal  aroimd  his  neck,  which  is  considered  among  his  tribe 
as  a  proof  of  his  consideratiotj  abroad.  Each  of  these  medals  was  accom- 
l);uiied  by  a  present  of  paint,  garters,  and  cloth  ornnmcnts  of  dress ; 
;»id  to  this  we  added  a  canister  of  powder,  a  bottle  of  whiskey,  and  a 
few  presents  to  the  whole,  which  appeared  to  niake  tliem  perfectly  satis- 


1 


if  't 


■'i  • 


1  'il 

I 


'h 


I  ••  ^ 


.  . 


!| 


132 


TRAVELS  OF  LEWIS  AND  CLARKE. 


fied.  The  uir-gun,  too,  was  firctl,  and  astoni.shed  them  greatly.  The 
absent  grand  chief  was  an  Ottoway,  named  Weahrushliah,  Avhioh  in 
Englisli  degenerates  into  Little  Tliief.  The  two  ])rincipul  chieftains 
present  were  Shangotongo,  or  Big  Horse,  and  Wethca,  or  Hospitality; 
also  Shosguean,  or  White  Horse,  an  Ottoway ;  the  first  was  an  Ottoway, 
the  second  a  Missouri.  The  incidents  just  related  induced  lis  to  give 
this  ])lace  the  name  of  the  Council  Bluft";  the  situation  of  it  is  exceed- 
ingly favorabh;  for  a  fort  and  trading  factory,  as  the  soil  is  well  calculated 
for  bricks,  and  there  is  an  abundance  of  Avood  in  the  neighborhood,  and 
the  air  being  pure  and  liealthy.  The  ceremonies  of  the  council  being 
concluded,  we  set  sail  in  the  .afternoon,  and  encamped  at  the  distance  of 
live  miles,  where  we  found  the  mosquitoes  very  troublesome." 

The  small-pox  had  sadly  scourged  the  Indians  of  this  region.  The 
Mahas,  once  a  warlike  and  powerful  people,  had  been  wasted  away  by 
the  disease,  and  in  their  frenzy  they  had  burned  their  villages  ;  some 
had  even  put  to  death  their  wives  and  children,  probably  to  save  them 
from  the  affliction,  and  all  had  gone  olf  to  some  better  country.  The 
messengers  of  the  expedition  called  the  Indians  to  another  council,  and 
they  met  further  up  the  river  on  the  ]8th  and  lOtli,  when  the  com- 
manders made  speeclies,  and  distributi'd  medals  and  i>resonts,  as  at 
Council  Bluff.  Xext  morning  the  Indians  left  tluni ;  they  set  sail,  and 
soon  afterward  came  to  under  some  blulfs  on  the  north  side  ofthe  river. 
"Here,"  says  Caj)tain  Clarke,  'Mve  had  the  mist()rtune  to  lose  one  of 
our  sergeants,  Charles  Floyd.  He  was  seized  with  a  bilious  colic,  and  all 
our  care  and  attention  were  ineflectual  to  relievo  him.  He  was  buried 
on  the  top  of  the  bluff  with  the  honors  due  to  n  brave  soldier,  and  the 
]»lace  of  Jiis  interment  marked  by  a  cidar  post,  on  which  his  name  and 
the  day  of  his  death  were  inscribed.  About  a  mile  beyond  this  jilace, 
to  wliich  we  gave  his  name,  is  a  small  river  about  thirty  yartls  wide,  on 
the  north,  which  we  called  Floyd's  I'iver,  where  we  encamped." 

On  the  25th  of  August,  Captains  Lewis  and  Clarke,  with  ten  men, 
went  to  see  an  object  deemed  extraordinary  among  all  the  neighboring 
Indians,  This  Avas  a  large  momid  in  the  midst  of  the  jtlaiii,  nine  miles 
northward  from  the  mouth  of  tin-  Wiiitestone  Kiver.  "  The  base  ofthe 
m(>jnid  is  ii  reg\ilar  parallelogram,  the  longest  side  being  about  thre(> 
hiuiilred  vanls,  the  shorter  si\tv  or  seventv.  Fn^in  the  longest  side  it 
rises  with  a  steep  ascent  from  the  north  and  south  to  the  lieight  of  sixty- 
fi\e  or  seventy  feet,  leaving  on  the  top  a  level  plain  of  twelve  U'ct  in 
breadth  ami  ninety  in  length.  The  north  and  south  extremities  are  con- 
nected by  two  oval  i)onlers,  which  serve  as  new  bases,  and  divide  the 
whole  side  into  tliree  steep  but  regular  gradations  from  the  jilain.  The 
only  thing  cliaracleri'^tie  in  this  hill  is  its  extreme  syninu'try,  and  this, 
togi'ther  with  its  being  totally  detached  from  the  other  hills,  which  are 
at  the  distance  <»f  oigfit  or  nine  miles,  would  induce  the  belief  that  it 
Mas  artificial ;  but,  as  the  earth,  and  tlie  loose  pebbles  v. Iiicli  compose  it, 
are  arnuigetl  exactly  like  the  steep  grounds  on  the  "»order«  of  tho  creek, 


MEETING    WITH    THE    SIOUX. 


133 


we  concluded  oin  this  similarity  of  texture  that  it  might  be  natural. 
But  the  Indians  have  made  it  a  groat  article  of  tlieir  superstition.  It  is 
called  the  mountain  of  Little  People,  or  Little  Spirits,  and  they  believe 
that  it  is  the  abode  of  little  devils,  in  the  human  form,  of  about  eighteen 
inches  high,  and  of  remarkably  largo  heads ;  they  are  armed  with  sharp 
arrows,  Avith  Avhich  they  are  very  skillful,  and  are  always  on  the  watch  to 
kill  those  who  have  the  hardihood  to  approach  their  residence.  The  tra- 
dition is,  that  many  have  suffered  from  these  little  evil  spirits,  and  among 
others  three  Maha  Indians  fell  a  eaeritice  to  them  a  few  years  since.  This 
has  inspired  all  the  neighboring  nations,  Sioux,  Mahas,  and  Ottoways, 
with  Huch  terror  that  no  consideration  could  tempt  them  to  visit  the  hill. 
We  saw  none  of  these  wicked  little  spirits,  nor  any  place  for  them,  ex- 
cept some  small  holes  scattered  over  the  top.  We  were  happy  enough 
to  escape  their  vengeance,  though  we  remained  some  time  on  the  mound 
to  enjoy  the  delightful  prospect  of  the  i)lain,  which  spreads  itself  out  till 
the  eye  rests  tipon  the  hills  in  the  north-west  at  a  great  distance,  and 
those  of  the  north-east  still  further  on,  enlivened  by  large  herds  of  buft'alo 
feeding  at  a  distance."  As  they  returned  they  gathered  deliciotis  plums, 
grapes,  and  blue  currants,  on  tln^  banks  of  the  creek,  and  on  reaching 
their  encampment  set  the  prairies  on  tire,  to  warn  the  Sioux  of  their  ajj- 
proach. 

On  the  2'7th,  they  met  with  a  i\'\Y  Indians  at  the  mouth  of  the  James 
River,  M'ho  informed  them  tl:at  a  large  body  of  Sioux  were  encamped  in 
the  neighborhood.  Sergeant  Pryor  was  accordingly  disftatched  to  them 
with  an  invitation  to  nu(>t  Lewis  and  Clarke  at  a  spot  above  the  river. 
The  latter  encamped  next  day  under  Calumet  liluff,  on  the  south  side, 
to  await  the  arrival  of  the  Sioux.  Tlie  iJ'Jth  was  spent  in  re|tairing  a 
perioque  that  liad  been  disabled,  and  other  necessary  occupations,  when 
at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  Sergeant  I'ryor  and  his  jjarty  arrived  on 
the  opposite  side,  atteixled  by  live  chiefs,  aiul  about  seventy  men  and 
boys.  Some  jtresents  were  given,  and  a  cf)nlerence  appointed  lor  the 
morrow.  Sergeant  Pryor  rej)orted  that  on  reacliing  their  village,  twelve 
miles  distant,  he  was  met  by  a  party  with  a  buttalo  robe,  on  which  they 
desired  to  carry  their  visitors,  an  honor  which  they  declined,  informing 
the  Indians  that  they  were  not  the  connnan<lers  of  the  boats.  As  a 
great  mark  of  respect  they  were  then  presented  with  a  fat  dog,  already 
cooked,  of  which  they  partook  heartily,  and  found  it  well  ilavored.  The 
chiefs  and  warriors  were  received  on  the  aoth,  inider  a  largo  oak-tree, 
wlien  Captiui  Lewis  delivered  a  speech,  with  the  \isual  advice  and  coun- 
Kul  for  their  future  conduct.  They  then  acknowledged  the«'iiiefsl)y  medals 
ai\d  presents,  and  smokc(l  witii  them  the  pipe  ot"  peace,  after  wliich  the 
latter  retired  to  hold  a  council  c<mcerning  tlie  answer  which  they  were 
to  make  on  the  morrow.  The  young  people  exercised  their  bows  and 
arrows  in  shooli?ig  at  marks  t()r  beads,  and  in  the  evi-ning  the  wiiolc 
|i;uty  dance(l  imlil  a  late  hoin*.  In  the  morning  they  met,  atid  tin' chiel's 
Wilt  down  in  a  nnv,  with  pipi'S  of  jteaci',   higiily  oriuunented,  and  all 


f  j  :■  ii 


Li^ip 


■■:i 


n 


i      if! 


I      11     i**^ 


I       i    I 


n 


134 


TRAVKLS    OF    LEWIS    AND    CLARKE, 


jj  .liiitecl  toward  tlie  scats  of  Captains  Lewis  and  Clarke.  When  the 
latter  were  seated,  the  grand  chief,  "Weucha,  or  Shake  Hand,  arose  and 
spoke  at  some  length,  apjjrovuig  -what  had  been  said,  and  j)ronii8ing  to 
follow  the  advice.  lie  promised  to  make  peace  between  the  tribes  then 
at  war,  and  ended  by  requesting  material  aid  for  their  people  and  their 
■wives.  lie  Avas  followed  by  the  other  chiefs  and  a  warrior,  a\  lio,  m 
shorter  speeches,  repeated  or  seconded  his  views.  "  All  these  harangues 
concluded  by  describing  the  distress  of  the  nation.  They  begged  us  to 
have  ])ity  on  them ;  to  send  them  traders ;  that  they  wanted  jtowder  and 
ball ;  and  seemed  anxious  that  we  should  supply  them  with  some  of  their 
great  father's  milk,  the  name  by  which  they  distinguished  ardent  spirits. 
AV'e  prevailed  on  Mr.  Durion  to  remain  liere  and  accompany  as  uiany  of 
the  (Sioux  chiefs  as  lie  could  collect  down  to  the  seat  of  government." 
These  Indians  were  the  Yanktons,  a  tribe  of  the  great  nation  of  Sioux. 

They  set  forward  on  the  1st  of  September.  On  the  2d  they  passed 
some  extensive  mounds  and  walls  ui'  earth,  the  first  remains  of  the  kind 
they  had  an  ojtportunity  of  examining.  They  consisted  of  a  citadel  and 
walls  more  than  a  mile  in  length,  on  the  southern  banks  of  the  river, 
and  a  circular  fortress  nearly  opposite,  <m  Bonhomme  Island.  On  the 
morning  of  September  11th  they  saw  a  man  on  horseback  coming  down 
the  river  toward  them,  and  were  nuich  please(^  to  lind  it  was  George 
Shannon,  one  of  their  j)arty,  for  whose  safety  they  had  been  very  xmeasy. 
Their  two  horses  having  strayed  away  on  the  20th  of  August,  lie  Avaa 
sent  to  search  tor  them.  When  he  had  fouiul  them  he  attempted  to  ro- 
jouj  the  party,  but  seeing  some  other  tracks,  i)robably  those  of  Indians, 
he  cciuluded  that  they  were  ahead  and  had  been  for  sixteen  days  follow- 
ing the  bank  of  the  river  before  them.  During  the  first  four  days  ho 
had  exhausted  his  bullets,  and  was  then  nearly  starved,  being  obliged  to 
suhsist  for  twelve  days  on  a  i'vw  grapes  and  a  rabbit  which  he  had  killed 
by  nuiking  use  of  a  hard  piece  of  stick  for  a  ball.  One  of  his  horses 
gave  out  and  was  left  behhid;  the  other  he  kej)t  as  a  last  resource  for 
food.  Desj)airing  of  overtaking  the  expedition,  he  was  returning  down 
the  river  in  hopes  of  meeting  some  other  boat,  and  was  on  the  jmint  of 
killing  liis  horse,  when  he  Avas  so  tbrtunate  as  to  join  his  companions. 

In  another  week  they  reached  the  (treat  liend,  and  dispatched  two 
men  with  their  remaining  horse  across  the  neck  to  hunt  there,  and  await 
their  arrival.  In  the  fblhnving  night  they  were  alarmed  l)y  the  sinking 
of  the  bank  on  which  they  were  encamj)ed.  They  leaped  into  their  boats 
and  ])ushed  off  in  time  to  save  them,  aiul  presently  the  whole  ground 
of  their  encampment  sank  also.  They  Ibrmed  a  second  camp  for  the 
rest  of  the  night,  and  at  daylight  proceeded  on  to  the  throat  of  the 
(.treat  liend.  A  man  whom  they  had  dispatched  to  step  oft"  the  distunco 
across  the  lleml,  made  it  two  thousand  yards;  the  circuit  is  thirty  miles. 
On  till'  evening  of  the  24th,  they  eucampeil  near  a  river  which  they 
called  the  Teton,  from  a  trihe  inhabiting  its  bonlcrs.  Here  they  raised 
a  llag-statt' and  an  awnbig  in  tiie  morning,  and  with  all  the  party  parading 


ASSAULT    OF    THE    TETONS. 


135 


under  arms,  awaited  the  Indians,  who  had  been  summoned  to  a  council. 
Tlie  chiefs  and  warriors  from  a  camp  two  miles  up  tlie  rive;,  met  them, 
the  speeches  were  delivered,  and  they  went  through  the  ceremony  of 
acknowledging  the  chiefs  by  giving  them  the  usual  presents,  according 
to  rank.  They  then  invited  them  on  board,  showed  them  the  boat,  air- 
gun,  and  such  curiosities  as  might  amuse  them,  but  after  giving  them  a 
quarter  of  a  glass  of  whiskey,  it  was  with  much  difficulty  that  they  could 
get  rid  of  them.  "  They  at  last  accompanied  Captain  Clarke  on  shore 
in  a  perioque  Avith  five  men  ;  but  it  seems  they  had  formed  a  design  to 
stop  us ;  for  no  sooner  had  the  party  landed  than  three  of  the  Indians 
seized  tlie  cable  of  the  perioque,  and  one  of  the  soldiers  of  the  chief  put 
his  arm  around  the  mast ;  the  second  chief,  who  affected  intoxication, 
then  said  that  we  should  not  go  on,  that  they  had  not  received  presents 
enough  from  us.  Cajttain  Clarke  told  him  that  he  would  not  be  j)re- 
vented  from  going  on ;  that  we  were  not  squaws,  but  warriors ;  that 
we  were  sent  by  our  great  fatbor,  who  could  in  a  moment  exterminate 
them.  The  chief  replied  that  he,  too,  liad  warriors,  and  was  proceeding 
to  offer  personal  violence  to  Captain  Clarke,  who  immediately  drew  his 
sword,  and  made  a  signal  to  the  boat  to  prepare  for  action.  The  In- 
dians who  surrounded  him  drew  their  arrows  from  their  quivers  and 
Mere  bending  their  bows,  when  the  swivel  in  the  boat  was  instantly 
jiointed  toward  them,  and  twelve  of  our  most  deternuned  men  jumped 
into  the  perioque,  and  joined  Captain  Clarke.  This  movement  made 
an  impression  on  them,  for  the  grand  chief  ordered  the  young  men  away 
from  the  perioque,  and  they  witiidrcw  and  held  a  short  council  witli  the 
warriors.  JJeinj:  unwilling  to  irritate  them,  Caj)tain  Clarke  then  went 
forward  and  offered  his  hand  to  the  first  and  second  chiefs,  who  refused 
to  take  it.  lie  then  turned  from  them  and  got  into  the  perioque,  but 
had  not  gone  more  than  ten  paces  when  botii  the  chiefs  and  two  of  the 
warriors  waded  in  atler  him,  and  he  brought  them  on  board.  We  then 
j)roceeded  on  for  a  mile  and  anchored  off  a  willow  island,  which  from 
the  circumstances  that  had  just  occurred,  wo  called  Jiad-lnunored 
Island."  Ilavhig  thus  insjiired  the  Indians  with  fear,  they  desired  to 
cultivate  their  ac(piaintance,  and  accordingly  on  the  next  day  they 
drew  uj)  to  the  shore  where  a  crowd  of  men,  women,  and  chihb-cn 
were  waiting  to  receive  them.  Captain  Lewis  went  on  shore  and  re- 
mained several  hours,  and  finding  their  dis])osition  frii'udly,  resolved 
to  remain  during  the  night,  an<l  attend  a  dance  which  the  Imbans 
were  preparing  for  them.  Captains  Lewis  and  Clarke  were  received 
on  landing  by  ten  well-dressed  young  men,  who  look  them  up  on  a 
robe  iiighly  decorated,  and  carried  them  to  the  council-hou^e  where 
they  were  jtlaced  on  a  dressed  buffalo  skin  by  the  side  of  tin;  grind 
chief.  He  was  surrounded  by  a  circle  of  about  seventy  men,  before 
whom  were  ])laced  the  Spanish  and  American  flags,  and  the  ]npv.  of 
peace.  A  large  lire,  at  which  they  were  cooking  jtrovisions,  was  near, 
and  a  ipiantily  of  buffalo  meat,  as  a  present.     When  thtiy  were  seated, 


L. 


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)i  l. 


¥4 


III 


.* 


l'4 


186 


TRAVELS  OF  LEWIS  AND  CLARKE. 


an  old  man  spoke,  approvinff  what  the  white  men  had  done,  and  im- 
ploring pity  on  their  own  unfortunate  situation.  Lewis  and  Clarke  re- 
plied with  assurances  of  protection  ;  then  the  great  chief  arose  and 
delivered  a  harangue,  after  which  with  great  solemnity  he  took  some  of 
the  most  delicate  parts  of  the  dog,  which  was  cooked  for  the  festival, 
and  held  it  to  the  flag  hy  way  of  sacrifice.  This  done,  he  held  up 
the  pipe  of  peace,  first  pointing  it  upward,  then  to  the  four  quarters  of 
the  globe,  and  then  to  the  earth,  made  a  short  speech,  lighted  tlie  pipe, 
and  presented  it  to  the  guests.  They  ate  and  smoked  until  dark, 
when  every  thing  was  cleared  away  for  the  dance,  a  large  fire  being 
made  in  the  center,  to  give  light  and  warmth  to  the  ball-room.  The 
musicians  played  upon  a  sort  of  tambourine  and  made  a  jingling  noise 
with  a  long  stick  to  which  the  hoofs  of  deer  and  goats  were  hung ; 
the  third  instrument  was  a  small  skin  bag  with  pebbles  in  it :  these, 
with  a  few  singers,  made  uji  the  band.  The  women  came  forward  highly 
decorated,  some  with  poles  bearing  the  scalps  of  their  enemies,  others 
with  gvms,  spears,  and  other  trophies  taken  in  war  by  their  husbands, 
brothers,  or  connections,  Tiiey  danced  toward  each  other  till  they  met 
ill  the  center,  when  the  rattles  were  shaken,  and  all  shouted  and  re- 
turned to  their  places.  In  the  pauses  of  the  dance  a  man  of  the  com- 
pany would  come  forward  and  recite,  in  a  low,  guttural  tone,  some 
little  story  or  incident,  either  warlike  or  ludicrous.  This  was  taken  up 
by  the  orchestra  and  dancers,  who  repeated  it  in  a  higher  strain  and 
danced  to  it.  Sonaetimes  the  women  raised  their  voices,  when  tho 
orchestra  ceased,  and  made  a  music  less  intolerable  than  the  men.  The 
dances  of  the  men,  always  separate  from  the  women,  were  conducted 
in  iiearlv  the  same  wav.  The  harraonv  of  the  entertainment  came  near 
being  disturbed  by  one  of  the  musicians,  Avho,  thinking  ho  had  not 
received  a  due  share  of  the  tobacco  distributed  during  the  evening, 
])ut  himself  into  a  passion,  broke  one  of  the  drums,  threw  two  of  them 
into  the  fire,  and  left  the  band.  The  drums  were  taken  out  of  tho 
fire ;  a  bullalo  robe  held  in  one  hand  and  beaten  with  the  other,  by 
several  of  the  company,  supplied  the  place  of  tho  lost  tambourine, 
and  no  notice  was  taken  of  the  offensive  conduct  of  the  man.  Tho 
white  guests  retired  at  twelve  o'clock,  accompanied  by  four  chiefs,  two 
of  wliom  spent  the  night  on  board. 

AVhile  on  shore  they  saw  fifty  prisoners,  women  and  children,  who 
had  been  taken  in  a  late  battle  with  the  Mahas,  on  which  occasion  tlio 
Sioux  had  killed  seventy-five  men.  They  gave  them  a  variety  of  small 
articles  and  interceded  for  them  witii  the  chiefs,  who  promised  to 
restore  them  aiul  live  in  peace  with  the  Mahas.  The  tribe  they  saw  this 
day  were  a  part  of  the  great  Sioux  nation,  known  by  the  name  of  Teton 
Okandaudas.  "Wiiile  with  them,  the  travelers  wittu'ssed  a  quarrel  be- 
tween two  scjuaws,  which  Mas  suddenly  stopped  by  the  ap])earance  of 
a  man,  at  whose  a])])roach  every  one  seemed  teriified  and  ran  away. 
He  took  the  squaws  and  without  any  ceremony  whipped  them  severely. 


I 


A    NEGRO    CURIOSITY. 


137 


This  '.vas  an  officer  whose  duty  was  to  keep  the  peace.  The  whole  in- 
terior police  of  the  village  was  confided  to  two  or  three  such  officers, 
who  were  named  by  the  chiet!,  and  remained  in  power  a  few  days,  until 
a  successor  was  ap))ointed.  They  were  always  on  the  watch  to  keep 
tranquillity  during  the  day,  and  guard  the  camp  in  the  night.  Their 
power,  though  of  short  duration,  was  supreme,  and  in  the  suppression  of 
any  riot  no  resistance  was  sulfered.  In  general  they  accomp.'inied  the 
person  of  the  cliief,  and  when  ordered  to  any  duty,  however  dangerous, 
made  it  a  point  of  honor  ratlier  to  die  than  refuse  obedience.  It  was 
thus  when  they  attempted  to  stop  Lewis  and  Clarke  on  the  day  before. 
The  chief  having  ordered  one  of  those  men  to  take  possession  of  the 
boat,  he  immediately  put  his  arms  around  the  mast,  and  no  force  ex- 
cept the  command  of  the  chief  would  liavc  induced  him  to  release 
his  hold. 

They  spent  the  next  day  with  other  Indians  of  the  nation,  who  enter- 
tained them  in  a  similar  maimer ;  but  when  they  were  preparing  to  set 
out,  some  difficulties  arose  from  a  misunderstanding  with  the  people, 
either  from  Jealousy  or  the  hope  of  obtaining  presents.  By  decided 
measures  and  tlie  distri1)Ution  of  tobacco,  the  natives  were  appeased, 
and  the  expedition  set  forward  on  the  28th.  As  they  sailed  up  the  river 
they  were  frequently  accosted  by  Indians,  who  asked  them  to  land,  and 
begged  for  tobacco  and  other  presents,  but  they  had  no  furtlier  inter- 
course with  them  until  they  came  in  the  vicinity  of  the  IJicaras,  on  the 
8th  of  October.  Here  they  halted  a  few  days,  visited  the  Indians  at 
their  villages,  and  received  them  in  council.  Tlie  usual  ceremonies  were 
here  performed,  speeches  made,  chiefs  acknowledged  by  distinguished 
presents,  and  curiosities  exhibited  to  astonish  the  natives.  "  The  object 
that  appeared  to  astonish  the  Indians  most,  was  Captain  Clarke's  serv.anr, 
York,  a  remarkably  stout,  strong  negro.  They  h.ul  never  seen  a  being 
of  that  color,  and  therefore  flocked  around  him  to  examine  the  extra- 
ordinary monster.  By  way  of  amusement,  lie  told  them  that  he  liad 
once  been  a  wild  animal,  and  had  been  caught  and  tamed  by  his  master; 
and  to  convince  them,  showed  them  feats  of  sti'ength,  which,  added  to 
liis  looks,  made  him  more  terrible  than  we  wished  him  to  be."  "  On 
our  side,"  says  Captain  Clarke,  "  we  were  gratified  at  discovering  that 
those  Kiearas  made  use  of  no  spirituous  licpiorsof  any  kind  ;  the  examjile 
of  the  traders  Avho  bring  it  to  them,  so  far  from  tempting,  has,  in  fact, 
disgusted  them.  Supposing  that  it  was  as  agreeable  to  them  as  to  the 
other  Indians,  we  had  at  first  oflTered  them  whiskey,  but  they  refused  it 
with  this  sensible  remark,  that  they  were  surprised  that  their  father 
should  present  to  them  a  liquor  which  would  make  them  fools." 

On  the  13th  they  continued  their  journey.  Durhig  the  day  they 
]mssod  a  stream  to  which  they  gave  the  name  of  Stone  Idol  Creek,  for 
they  learned  that  a  few  miles  back  from  the  ^lissouri  tliere  were  two 
stones  resembling  liumaii  figures,  and  a  third  like  a  dog ;  all  which  were 
objects  of  great  veneration  among  the  Kiearas.     "Their  history  would 


Pi!?B^'|Sa 

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138 


TRAVELS  OP  LEWIS  AND  CLARKE. 


adorn  the  '  JMctamorplioses'  of  Ovid.  A  young  man  was  deeply  enamored 
villi  a  girl  Avhose  parents  refused  their  consent  to  the  marriage.  Tho 
youth  went  out  into  the  fields  to  mourn  his  misfortunes ;  a  sympathy 
of  feeling  led  the  lady  to  the  same  spot ;  and  the  faithful  dog  Avould 
not  cease  to  follow  his  master.  After  Avandering  together  .and  having 
nothing  but  gr.apes  to  subsist  on,  they  were  at  last  converted  into  stone, 
Aviiioh,  beginning  .at  the  feet,  gradually  inv.aded  the  nobler  parts,  leaving 
nothing  unchanged  but  a  bunch  of  grapes  which  the  female  holds  in 
her  hands  luito  this  day."  These  stones  were  sixcred  objects  to  tho 
Ilicar.as,  who  made  some  propitiatory  olfering  whenever  they  passed  them. 
They  saw  another  object  of  Uicara  superstition  on  the  21st — a  largo 
oak-tree,  standing  alone  on  the  open  prairie,  which,  having  withstood 
fires  that  hiid  consumed  every  thing  around,  was  possessed  of  extraor- 
dinary i)Owers  in  the  belief  of  the  Indians.  One  of  their  ceremonies 
was  to  make  a  hole  in  the  skin  of  the  neck,  through  which  a  strhig  was 
passed,  and  the  other  end  tied  to  the  body  of  the  tree ;  and  after  re- 
maining in  this  way  for  some  time,  they  fancioel  they  became  braver. 
The  Uicara  chief  told  them  of  a  large  rock  in  the  neigliborhood,  on  the 
Chisshetaw,  which  was  held  in  great  veneration,  and  consulted  by  parties 
for  their  own  or  their  nation's  destinies ;  these  they  probably  found  in 
some  sort  of  ligurcs  or  paiuthigs  with  which  it  was  covered. 


WINTER    AMONG    THE    MANDANS. 

Tlie  i).arty  now  approached  the  region  of  tho  INIandans,  passed  many 
of  their  deserted  villages,  and  on  the  24th  met  one  of  their  gr.and 
chiefs,  who  was  on  a  hunting  excursion.  lie  met  his  enemy,  the  Uicara 
chief,  who  had  accompanied  the  exjiedition,  with  great  ceremony  and 
apparent  cordiality,  and  smoked  with  him.  The  latter  afterward  went 
Avith  the  Mandans  to  their  camp.  On  the  2Gth  they  encamped  near  the 
first  village  of  the  Mandans,  who  came  down  in  crowds  to  see  them  as 
soon  as  they  landed.  Among  the  visitors  Avas  the  son  of  the  grand 
chief,  Avho  had  his  two  little  fingers  cut  off  at  tho  second  joints.  On 
iiKpiiring  into  this  accident,  they  found  it  was  customary  to  express  grief 
at  the  death  of  relations  by  some  corporeal  suffering,  and  that  the  usual 
mode  was  to  lose  two  joints  of  the  little  fingers,  or  sometimes  the  other 
fingers.  On  tho  two  following  days  they  visited  several  villages,  and 
Avent  uj)  the  river  a  short  distance  in  search  of  a  convenient  spot  for  a 
Avinter  fort,  but  the  timber  Avas  too  scarce  and  sm.all  for  their  purpose. 
The  council  assembled  on  the  29th.  A  number  of  chiefs  of  the  Mim- 
dans,  the  Miimetarees,  and  tlu;  Ahnahaways,  Avere  jiresent.  The  forces 
of  the  expedition  Avere  .all  jianided,  and  the  council  opened  by  a  discharge 
from  the  swivel  of  the  boat.  The  Indians  were  addressed,  as  heretofore, 
Avith  adviecj  intermingle<l  Avith  assurances  of  frieiidshii)  and  trade,  and 
toward  the  end  of  the  speech  tho  subject  of  the  Uicara  chief  Avas  Intro- 


■■n' 


THEY  ENCAMP  FOR  THE  WINTER. 


139 


duced,  -with  whom  they  were  recommended  to  miiko  a  firm  peace.  To 
this  they  seemed  well  disposed,  and  smoked  with  him  amicably.  Pres- 
ents were  then  distributed  with  great  ceremony  :  one  chief  of  each  town 
was  acknowledged  by  a  gift  of  a  Hag,  a  medal  with  the  likeness  of  the 
President,  f:  uniibrm  coat,  hat,  and  leather ;  to  the  second  cliiefs  tliey 
gave  a  medal  ren'-'-senting  some  domestic  animals  and  a  loom ;  to  the 
third  chiefs,  n  .».ais  with  the  impressions  of  a  farmer  sowing  grain.  A 
variety  of  other  presents  were  distiibuted,  but  none  seemed  to  give 
more  satisfaction  than  an  iron  corn-mill  which  they  gave  to  the  iMandans. 
The  council  was  concluded  by  a  shot  from  the  ",wivel,  after  whicli  the  air- 
gun  was  fired  for  their  amusement.  In  the  evening  the  prairie  took  lire, 
either  by  accident  or  design,  and  burned  with  great  fury,  the  whole  plain 
being  enveloped  hi  fiames.  So  rapid  was  its  progress,  that  a  man  and 
woman  were  burned  to  death  before  they  could  reach  a  place  of  safety, 
and  several  otliers  were  badly  injured  or  narrowly  escaped  destruction. 
A  half-breed  boy  escaped  unhurt  in  the  midst  of  the  fiames,  and  liis 
safety  was  ascribed  to  the  great  medicine  spirit,  who  had  preserved  him 
on  account  of  his  being  white.  But  a  much  more  natural  cause  was  the 
presence  of  mind  of  his  mother,  who,  seeing  no  hopes  of  carrying  otf  her 
son,  threw  him  on  the  ground,  covered  him  with  the  fresh  hide  of  a 
buft'alo,  and  then  escaped  herself  from  the  flames.  As  soon  as  the  fire 
had  passed  she  returned  and  found  him  untouched,  the  skin  having  pre- 
vented the  flame  from  reaching  the  grass  on  which  he  lay. 

On  the  yist  Captain  Clarke  had  an  interview  Avitli  the  grand  chief  of 
the  Mandans,  who  expressed  his  faith  in  what  had  been  said,  hoped  they 
would  enjoy  peace,  and  promised  to  send  his  second  chief  with  some 
warriors  to  the  Ilicaras  with  their  chief,  to  smoke  with  that  nation.  lie 
added  that  he  would  go  and  see  his  great  fiither.  the  President.  The 
chiefs  of  the  other  villages  manifested  the  same  amicable  disposition,  and 
the  Ilicaree  chieftain  set  out  on  his  return  with  a  Mandan  chief  and  sev- 
eral Minnetaree  and  Mandan  warriors. 

Having  found  a  suitable  wintering-place  three  miles  below,  they  en- 
camped there,  and  on  the  3d  of  November  they  began  the  building  of 
their  cabins.  Some  Frenchmen  who  were  here  built  a  perio(pie  to  de- 
scend to  St.  Louis,  and  Lewis  and  Clarke  engaged  the  services  of  a  Cana- 
dian Frenchman,  who  had  been  with  the  Chayenne  Indians  on  the  Black 
Uivcr.  Mr.  Jessaume,  their  interpreter,  also  came  down  with  his  squaw 
and  children  to  live  at  the  camp.  In  the  evening  they  received  a  visit 
from  Kagohami,  or  Little  Paven,  one  of  the  chiefs  who  attended  the 
council,  whose  wife  accompanied  him,  bringing  about  sixty  weight  of 
dried  meat,  a  robe,  and  a  pot  of  meal.  Other  Indians  visited  them,  and 
freciuently  brought  them  presents,  during  the  building  of  their  cabins. 
These  were  com]jleted  and  picketed  by  the  20th,  when  they  moved  into 
them,  and  named  the  j)lace  Fort  iMandan.  There  v.  ere  five  villages  in 
the  neighborhood,  the  residence  of  three  distinct  nations,  who  had  been 
at  the  council.    Captain  Lewis  made  an  excursion  to  them  in  a  few  daya, 


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140 


TRAVELS  OP  LEWIS  AND  CLARKE. 


and  found  them  all  well  disposed  and  very  kind,  except  a  principal  chief 
of  one  of  the  upper  villages,  named  Mahpahpaparapassatoo,  or  Horned 
Weasel,  who  made  use  of  the  civilized  indecorum  of  refusing  to  be  seen, 
and  when  Captam  Lewis  called  he  was  told  the  chief  was  not  at  home. 

They  passed  the  winter  very  comfortably  at  the  fort,  finding  sufficient 
employment  in  hunting,  visiting,  and  cultivating  the  friendship  of  the 
Indians ;  although  in  these  excursions  they  frequently  suifered  from  the 
cold,  Avhich  was  sometimes  very  intense.  On  the  10th  of  December  the 
hunters  saw  large  herds  of  buffalo  crossing  the  river  on  the  ice.  The 
mercury  stood  at  11°  below  zero,  and  the  next  morning  it  was  21°  belo  v. 
When  the  party  returned  in  the  evening,  many  of  them  were  frostbitten. 
On  the  12th  the  thermometer  indicated  38°  below  zero,  and  at  sunrise 
on  the  17th  it  was  45°  below. 

On  Christmas  day  the  party  fired  three  platoons  before  day.  Tliey 
had  told  the  Indians  not  to  visit  them,  as  it  Avas  one  of  their  great  medi- 
cine days ;  so  the  men  remained  at  home  and  amused  themselves  in 
A'arious  ways,  particularly  in  dancing,  in  which  they  took  great  pleasure. 
The  American  flag  was  hoi.sted  for  the  first  time  in  the  fort ;  the  best 
provisions  they  had  were  brought  out,  and  this,  with  a  little  brandy, 
enabled  them  to  pass  the  day  in  great  festivity. 

On  the  morning  of  the  new  year,  1 805,  the  men  were  permitted  to 
go  up  Avith  their  music  to  the  first  village,  wherc^  they  delighted  the 
whole  tribe  with  their  dances,  particularly  with  the  movements  of  one 
of  the  Frenchmen,  Avho  danced  on  his  head.  In  return  they  presented 
the  dancers  with  several  buffalo  robes  and  quantities  of  corn.  This  at- 
tention Avas  shoAvn  to  the  village  because  they  had  conceived  the  Avhites 
to  be  Avanting  in  regard  for  them,  and  had  begun  to  circulate  invidious 
comparisons  betAveen  them  and  the  northern  traders ;  all  these,  however, 
they  declared  to  Captain  Clarke,  Avho  visited  them  in  the  course  of  the 
morning,  Avere  made  in  jest.  The  Indians  likcAvise  performed  various 
dances  at  their  villages  during  the  winter. 

On  the  9th  of  January,  the  mercury  at  21°  below  zero.  Captain 
Clarke,  Avith  three  or  four  men,  accompanied  Kagohami  and  a  party  of 
Indians  to  hunt.  They  Avere  incommoded  by  snow  and  high  Avinds,  and 
scA'cral  of  the  Indians  came  back  nearly  frozen.  Next  morning  the  mer- 
cury stood  at  40°  beloAV  zero,  and  they  were  imcasy  for  one  of  the  men, 
Avho  Avas  still  missing.  lie  came  back,  howcA-er,  as  they  Avcre  sending 
out  a  i)arty  in  search  of  him,  having  made  a  fire  and  kept  himself  Avar  ^. 
through  the  night.  An  Indian  boy  came  in  soon  after.  lie  had  slept 
in  the  snoAV  Avith  no  coA'ering  but  his  moccasins  and  leggings,  and  a  buf- 
falo robe,  and  had  his  feet  frozen.  A  missing  Indian  also  returned,  and 
althoiigh  his  dress  Avas  thin,  and  he  had  slept  on  the  snow  Avithout  fire, 
he  had  not  suffered  the  slightest  inconvenience.  They  often  had  occa- 
sion to  observe  how  well  the  Indians  endured  the  rigors  of  the  season. 
A  more  pleasing  reflection  occurred  at  seeing  the  Avarm  interest  which 
the  situation  of  these  two  persons  had  excited  in  the  village.     The  boy 


I 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  DEPARTURE. 


141 


had  been  a  prisoner  ami  adopted  from  cluirity,  yet  tlie  fatlicr's  distress 
proved  that  he  felt  for  him  the  tenderest  alfeetioii.  Tlie  man  was  a  per- 
son of  no  distinetion,  yet  the  whole  village  was  full  of  anxiety  for  his 
safety. 

Toward  the  middle  of  January  nearly  one  half  of  the  Mandan  nation 
passed  down  the  river  to  hunt  for  several  days.  In  these  excursions, 
men,  women,  and  children,  with  their  dogs,  all  leave  the  village  together, 
and  after  finding  a  f«i>ot  convenient  to  the  game,  fix  their  tents.  All  tlu^ 
family  bear  their  part  in  the  labor,  and  the  game  is  equally  divided 
among  the  families  of  the  tribe.  On  the  9th  of  March  the  grand  chief 
of  the  Minnetarees,  who  was  absent  on  their  arrival,  visited  them.  lie 
was  received  with  great  attention,  two  guns  were  fired  in  lienor  of  his 
arrival,  the  curiosities  were  shown  to  him,  aiid  presents  bestowed  upon 
him.  In  the  course  of  conversation  he  observed  that  some  foolish 
young  men  of  his  nation  had  told  him  there  Avas  a  person  among  them 
quite  black,  and  he  wished  to  know  if  it  could  be  true.  They  assured 
him  that  it  was  true,  and  sent  for  York.  The  chief  was  much  surprised 
at  his  appearance  ;  he  examined  him  closely,  spitting  on  his  finger  and 
rubbing  the  skin  in  order  to  wash  off  the  paint ;  nor  was  it  until  the 
negro  uncovered  his  head  and  showed  his  hair,  that  the  chief  could  be 
persuaded  he  M'as  not  a  painted  white  man. 

On  the  approach  of  spring,  Lewis  and  Clarke  began  to  make  prepara- 
tions for  their  departure.  Canoes  were  built  and  hauled  down  to  the 
river,  and  the  Iwats  were  all  finally  launched  on  the  1st  of  April.  While 
they  were  loading  their  boats  on  the  5th,  they  were  visited  by  a  number 
of  Mandans.  They  brought  uiformation  of  a  j^arty  of  Ricaras  on  the 
other  side  of  the  river.  An  interpreter  Avas  sent  to  learn  the  reason  of 
their  coming;  he  returned  next  morning  with  a  Kicara  chief,  who 
brought  a  letter  from  Mr.  Tabeau,  stating  the  wish  of  the  grand  c  'licf 
of  the  Kiearas  to  visit  the  President,  and  requesting  i)ermission  for  him- 
self and  four  men  to  join  the  returning  boat  of  the  expedition.  This 
being  granted,  he  said  he  was  sent  Avith  ten  AA'arriors  by  his  nation,  to 
arrange  their  settling  near  the  Mandans  and  Minnetarees,  Avhom  they 
Avished  to  join  ;  that  he  considered  all  the  neighboring  nations  friendly, 
except  the  Sioux,  Avhose  persecution  they  could  no  longer  Avithstand,  and 
AA'hom  they  hoped  to  I'epel  by  uniting  with  the  tribes  in  this  quarter. 
He  added,  that  the  llicaras  intended  to  live  in  jieace  Avith  all  nations, 
and  requested  I^ewis  and  Clarke  to  speak  in  their  favor  Avith  the  Assini- 
hoin  Lillians.  This  they  promised,  and  assured  him  of  the  President's 
protection.  They  then  gave  him  a  modal,  a  certificate,  and  some  pres- 
ents, Avith  Avhicli  he  departed  for  the  Mandan  village,  well  satisfied  Avith 
Lis  reception. 


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142 


TRAVELS    OF    LEWIS    AND    CLARKE. 


JOURNEY  ACROSS   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 


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Having  made  all  tlioir  arrangements,  thoy  left  the  fort  on  the  after- 
noon of  April  Vth.  The  ])arty  now  consisted  of  thirty-two  persons. 
Besides  Captains  Lewis  and  Clarke,  there  were  Sergeants  John  Ordway, 
Nathaniel  Pryor,  and  Tatrick  Gass.  The  interpreters  were  George 
Drewyer  and  Toussaint  Chaboneau.  The  wife  of  Chaboneau  also  ac- 
companied them  with  her  young  child,  and  they  hoped  she  would  be  use- 
ful as  an  interpreter  among  the  Snake  Indians.  .She  was  herself  one  of 
that  tribe,  but  had  been  taken  in  war  by  the  Minnetarees,  by  whom  she 
■was  sold  as  a  slave  to  Chaboneau,  who  brought  her  up  and  afterward 
married  her.  One  of  the  Mandans  likewise  embarked  Avith  them,  in 
ortler  to  go  to  the  Snake  Indians  and  obtain  a  peace  with  them  for  his 
countrymen.  All  this  party,  with  the  baggage,  was  stowed  in  si.v  small 
canoes  and  two  large  perioques.  At  the  same  time  that  they  took  their 
departure,  their  barge,  manned  with  seven  soldiers,  two  Frenchmen,  and 
Mr.  Gravelines  as  pilot,  sailed  for  the  United  States,  loaded  with  their 
presents  and  dispatches. 

On  the  9th  they  came  to  a  hunting  party  of  Minnetarees,  who  had 
prepared  a  park  or  inclosure,  and  were  waiting  the  return  of  the  ante- 
lope. In  the  region  they  p.assed  through  on  the  two  following  days  they 
saw  on  the  surface  of  the  earth  large  quantities  of  a  white  substanao 
which  tasted  like  a  mixture  of  common  salt  with  Glauber  salts.  It  ap- 
peared on  the  sides  of  the  hills,  and  even  on  th(^  l)anks  of  the  rivers,  as 
M'cll  as  on  the  sand  bars.  !Many  of  the  streams  which  came  from  the 
foot  of  the  hills  were  so  strongly  impregnated  with  this  substance 
that  the  water  had  an  unpleasant  taste  and  a  pui-gative  effect.  On  the 
2()th  of  April,  at  noon,  they  encamped  at  the  junction  of  the  Missouri 
and  Yellowstone  Rivers.  As  the  river  was  ci-ooked  and  the  Avind  adverse 
Captain  Lewis  had  left  the  boats  the  day  before  and  proceeded  overland 
to  iind  the  Yellowstone  and  make  the  necessary  observations,  so  as  to 
be  enabled  to  continue  the  expedition  without  delay.  lie  pursued  his 
route  along  the  foot  of  the  hills,  Avhich  lie  ascended  for  the  distance  of 
eight  miles.  From  these  the  wide  plains,  watered  by  the  Missouri  and 
the  Yellowstone,  s|)read  themselves  before  the  eye,  o<,'casionally  varied 
with  the  wood  of  the  banks,  enlivened  by  the  irregular  windings  of  the 
two  rivers,  and  animated  by  vast  herds  of  buftalo,  deer,  elk,  and  ante- 
lope. Above  the  Yellowstone  the  hills  were  higher  and  rougher,  and 
the  wild  animals  more  numerous.  A  small  river  which  they  passed  on 
the  'id  of  3Iay  they  called  Porcupine  River,  from  the  unusual  number  of 
porcupines  near  it.  A  quarter  of  a  mile  beyond  this  they  passed  another 
on  the  op])osite  side,  to  which,  on  account  of  its  distance  from  the  mouth 
of  tlu!  Missouri,  they  gave  the  name  of  Two-thousaml-mile  creek.  On 
the  5th  Captain  Clarke  and  a  hunter  met  the  largest  brown  bear  they 
had  ever  seen.     When  they  fired  he  did  not  attempt  to  attack,  but  fled 


i    i 


«k3 


ADVENTURE    WITH    A    BEAR. 


143 


with  a  1  romcru'lous  roar,  and  such  Avas  liis  tonaoity  of  lifo  that,  although 
Iio  had  live  balls  through  iiis  lungs,  and  fivo  other  wounds,  ho  swam 
more  than  half  across  the  river  to  a  sand-bar,  and  survived  twenty  min- 
utes, lie  weighed  between  five  and  six  hundred  pounds,  and  measured 
eight  feet  seven  inches  liom  the  nose  to  the  extremity  of  the  hind  leet. 
On  the  14th  six  himters  attacked  another  which  they  discovered  lying  in 
the  open  grounds,  at  a  little  distance  from  the  river.  Coming  unper- 
oeived  upon  him,  four  of  them  fired,  and  each  lodged  a  ball  in  his  body. 
The  furious  animal  sprang  u]>  and  ran  oj)cn-mouthcd  upon  them.  As  he 
approaclied,  tlie  two  himters,  Avho  had  reserved  fire,  gave  him  two 
wouncla,  one  of  which,  breaking  his  shoulder,  retarded  him  a  moment, 
but  before  they  could  reload,  he  was  so  near  that  they  were  obliged  to 
run  to  the  river.  Two  jiunped  into  the  canoe,  the  other  four  separated, 
and  concealing  themselves  in  the  willows,  fired  as  fast  as  each  could,  re- 
load. They  struck  iiim  several  times,  but  instead  of  weakening  the 
monster,  each  shot  seemed  only  to  direct  him  to  the  hunter,  till  at  last 
he  pursued  two  of  them  so  closely  that  they  threw  aside  their  guns  and 
pouches,  and  jumped  down  a  perpendicular  bank  of  twenty  feet  into  the 
river.  The  bear  sprang  after  them,  and  was  within  two  feet  of  the  hind- 
most when  one  of  the  hunters  on  shore  shot  him  in  the  head  and  finally 
killed  him.  They  dragged  him  to  the  shore,  and  found  that  eight  balls 
had  passed  through  lihn  in  different  <lirections.  The  bear  being  old,  they 
took  the  skin  only,  and  rejoined  the  party  at  the  camp,  who  had  mean- 
while been  terrilied  by  an  accidi'nt  of  a  dilfcrent  kind.  This  was  the 
narrow  esca])e  of  a  canoe  containing  all  their  paj)ers,  instruments,  medi- 
cine, and  almost  every  other  a;ti(;Ie  indispensable  to  the  success  of  the 
enterj)rise.  The  canoe  being  nnder  sail,  was  struck  by  a  sudden  squall 
of  wind  which  turned  her  considerably.  The  man  at  the  helm,  instead 
of  putting  her  belbre  the  wind,  lulled  her  up  into  it.  The  wind  was  so 
high  that  it  forced  the  brace  of  the  squaresail  out  of  the  hand  of  the 
man  who  was  attending  it,  and  instantly  ups(>t  the  canoe,  which  would 
have  been  turned  bottom  upward  but  for  the  resistance  of  the  awning. 
Such  was  the  confusion  on  Ijoard,  and  the  Avaves  ran  so  high,  that  it  Avas 
half  a  minute  before  she  righted,  and  then  nearly  full  of  AA'ater;  Init  by 
hailing  she  Avas  kept  from  sinking  until  they  rowed  ashore.  Here  they 
remained  until  the  articles  Avere  dried  and  repacked,  and  again  embarked 
on  the  afternoon  of  the  10th. 

On  Sunday,  the  2Gth  of  iMay,  after  ascending  the  highest  summits  of 
the  hills  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  "•  Captain  Lewis  ilrst  caught  a 
distant  vicAV  of  the  IJocky  Mountains,  the  object  of  all  our  hopes,  and. 
the  rcAvard  of  all  our  ambition.  On  both  sides  of  tlie  river,  and  at  no 
great  distance  from  it,  the  mountains  fblloAVcd  its  course :  al)OA'c  these, 
at  the  distance  of  fifty  miles  from  us,  an  irregular  range  of  mountains 
spread  themsi.'lves  from  Avest  to  north-west  from  his  position.  To  the 
north  of  these  a  few  elevated  points,  the  most  remarkable  of  Avhich  bore 
north  G5°  Avcst,  appeared  above  the  horizon,  and  as  the  sun  shone  on  the 


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144 


TRAVELS    OF    LEWIS    AND    CLARKE. 


snows  of  their  summits,  he  obtained  a  clear  and  satisfactory  view  of  those 
mountains  which  close  on  the  Missouri  the  passage  to  the  Pacific." 

In  the  night  of  the  '28th  they  were  alarmed  by  a  new  sort  of  enemy. 
A  bufiUlo  swam  over  from  the  opposite  side  and  clambered  over  one  of 
the  canoes  to  the  shore  ;  then  taking  fright  he  ran  full  speed  up  the  bank 
toward  the  fires,  and  passed  within  eighteen  inches  of  the  heads  of  some 
of  the  men  before  the  sentinel  could  make  him  change  his  course  :  still 
more  alarmed,  ho  ran  down  between  four  fires  and  within  a  few  inches  of 
the  heads  of  a  second  row  of  men,  and  would  have  broken  into  the  lodge 
if  the  barking  of  the  dog  had  not  stopped  him.  He  suddenly  turned  to 
the  right,  and  was  out  of  sight  in  a  moment,  leaving  them  all  in  confu- 
sion, every  one  seizing  his  rifle  and  hiquiring  the  cause  of  the  alarm. 
On  learning  what  had  happened,  they  were  rejoiced  at  suffering  no  more 
injury  than  the  damage  to  some  guns  in  the  canoe  Avhich  the  buffiilo 
crossed.  Next  day  they  passed  a  precipice  about  one  hundred  and  twenty 
feet  high,  under  which  lay  scattered  the  fragments  of  at  least  a  hundred 
carcases  of  buflTaloes.  They  had  been  chased  down  the  precipice  in  a 
way  very  common  on  the  Missouri,  by  which  vast  herds  are  destroyed. 
The  mode  of  hunting  is,  to  select  one  of  the  most  active  young  men,  who 
is  disguised  by  a  InilTalo  skin,  with  the  head  and  ears  so  arranged  as  to 
deceive  the  buflalo;  thus  dressed  he  fixes  himself  at  a  convenient  dis- 
tance between  a  herd  and  the  river  ])recipices.  Meanwhile  his  compan- 
ions show  themselves  in  the  rear  and  side  of  the  herd ;  they  nistantly 
take  the  alarm  and  run  toward  the  Indian  decoy,  who  leads  them  on  at 
full  speed  toward  the  river,  then  suddenly  seciu'ing  himself  in  some  knoAvn 
crevice  of  the  cliff,  leaves  the  herd  on  the  brink  of  the  precipice.  It  is 
then  in  vain  for  the  foremost  to  retreat  or  even  stop ;  they  are  pi'essed 
on  by  the  hindmost  rank,  who,  seeing  no  danger  but  from  the  hunters, 
goad  on  tiioso  before  them  until  the  whole  are  hurled  down  and  tho 
shore  is  strewn  with  tlu'ir  dead  bodies.  Sometimes  in  this  perilous  se- 
duction the  Indian  is  himself  either  trodden  under  foot  by  the  rapid 
movements  of  the  buffaloes,  or,  missing  his  footing  in  the  dift',  is  urged 
down  the  ]irecipico  by  the  falling  herd. 

In  the  upper  course  of  the  Missouri,  the  rapidity  of  the  current  and 
the  numerous  rocks  rendered  the  navigation  ditticult,  and  often  danger- 
ous. They  had  frequently  to  depend  on  towing,  and  as  the  lines  wero 
mostly  of  <'lk-skin,  slender  and  worn,  the  boats  sometimes  narrowly  es- 
caped destruction,  while  the  men  on  the  banks  suffered  great  hardships. 
In  some  places  the  banks  were  slippery  and  tho  nuul  so  adhesive  that 
they  could  not  wear  their  moccasins ;  ollen  they  had  to  wade  in  deep 
water,  and  sometimes  to  walk  ov«r  the  sharp  fragments  of  rocks  which 
had  fallen  from  the  hills.  As  they  advanced,  the  difls  became  higher 
and  more  nbr>i]»t.  Sometimes  they  rose;  in  perpendicular  walls  and  tur- 
rets, which  at  a  distance  resembled  long  ranges  of  buildings  and  col- 
umns variously  sculptured  and  supporting  elegant  galleries,  while  the 
parapets  were  adoruedwith  statuary.     Ou  a  nearer  approach  they  repre- 


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A   PERILOUS    SITUATION. 


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145 


eented  every  form  of  picturesque  ruins ;  columns,  some  "nith  pedestals 
and  capitals  entire,  others  mutilated  and  prostrate,  others  risinpj  pyramid- 
ally over  each  other  until  they  terminated  in  a  sharp  point.  These  were 
varied  by  niches,  alcoves,  and  the  customary  appearaiicos  of  desolated 
magnificence.  As  they  advanced  there  seemed  to  bo  no  end  to  this  vis- 
ionary enchantment. 

On  the  3d  of  June  they  encamped  in  the  morning  on  a  point  formed 
by  the  junction  of  a  large  river  with  the  IMissouri.  Hero  they  wero  at  a 
loss  to  know  which  was  the  Ahraatealiza,  or  Missouri,  therefore  they  dis- 
patched a  party  in  a  canoe  up  each  of  the  streams,  to  ascertain  the  com- 
parative body  of  water,  and  sent  out  companies  to  discover  from  the  ris- 
ing grounds  the  bearings  of  the  two  rivers.  Meanwhile  they  asceniled 
the  high  grounds  in  the  fork,  whence  they  saw  a  range  of  lofty  mount- 
ains in  the  south-west,  partially  covered  with  snow,  and  far  beyond  them 
a  still  higher  range  completely  snow-clad,  reaching  off  to  the  north-west, 
where  their  glittering  tops  were  blended  with  the  hoj-izon.  The  direc- 
tion of  the  rivers  was  soon  lost  in  the  extent  of  the  plain.  On  their  re- 
turn they  found  the  north  branch  to  be  two  himdred  yards  wide,  and 
the  south  three  hundred  and  seventy-two.  The  characteri^ties  of  the 
north  fork  so  nearly  resembled  those  of  the  Missouri,  that  almost  all  the 
])arty  believed  it  to  be  the  true  course,  while  the  same  circumstances  in- 
duced Captains  Lewis  and  Clarke  to  think  otherwise — that  it  passed 
through  the  low  grounds  of  the  open  plain  in  the  north,  and  did  not 
coino  down  from  the  mountains. 

The  reports  of  the  parties  were  fir  from  deciding  the  question,  there- 
fore Lewis  and  Clarke  set  out  on  the  4th,  each  to  ascend  one  of  the 
rivers  for  a  day  and  a  half,  or  more,  if  necessary.  Captain  Lewis  pur- 
sued the  nortli  fork  for  two  days,  when  finding  its  direction  too  fir 
northward  for  their  route  to  the  Pacific,  he  began  to  retrace  his  steps 
on  the  afternoon  of  the  6th.  A  storm  of  wind  and  rain  which  pre- 
vaik'il,  made  their  returning  route  extremely  unpleasant.  Tlie  suriace 
of  the  gi'ound  was  saturated  with  water,  and  so  slippery  that  it  was 
almost  impossible  to  walk  over  the  blulfs  which  tliey  liad  passed  in 
ascending  the  river.  Li  advancing  along  the  side  of  one  of  these  bluffs, 
at  a  narrow  ])ass.  Captain  Lewis  slipped,  and  but  for  a  fortunate  re- 
covery by  nutans  of  his  espontoon,  would  have  l)een  ])recipitated  into 
the  river  over  a  precijiico  of  abor.t  ninety  feet.  He  had  just  reache<l  a 
spot,  where,  by  the  assistanoo  of  his  espontoon,  he  could  staml  with  toler- 
alilc  safety,  when  he  heard  a  voice  behind  him  cry  out,  "(lood  (tod! 
ca])taiii,  wh.'it  shall  I  do?"  lie  tm-ned  instantly,  and  found  it  was  a  man 
named  Windsor,  who  had  lost  his  foothold  about  the  middle  of  tlio 
narrow  pass,  and  had  slipp(>(l  down  to  the  very  verge  of  the  precipice, 
where  he  lay  with  his  right  arm  and  leir  over  the  brink,  while  with  tho 
other  arm  and  leg  he  was  with  difiiculty  holding  on  to  kr;  p  himself 
from  heinix  dashed  to  ])ieees  below. 

Captain  Lewis  instantly  perceived  his  dreadful  wituation,  and  stifiing 

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146 


TRAVELS  OF  LEWIS  AND  CLARKE. 


his  alarm,  calmly  told  him  that  he  was  in  no  danger ;  that  he  should 
take  his  knife  out  of  his  belt  with  the  right  hand,  and  dig  a  hole  in  the 
side  of  the  bluff  for  his  right  foot.  With  great  presence  of  mind  ho 
did  this,  and  then  raised  himself  on  his  knees.  Then  taking  off  his 
moccasins  he  came  forward  on  his  hands  and  knees,  holding  the  knife 
in  one  hand  and  his  rifle  in  the  other,  and  thus  crawled  to  a  secure  spot. 
The  men  who  had  not  attempted  this  passage,  returned  and  waded  the 
river  at  the  foot  of  the  bluff,  where  they  found  the  water  breast  high. 
Thus  they  continued  down  the  river,  sometimes  in  mud,  sometimes  up 
to  their  arms  in  water,  and  when  it  became  too  deep  to  wade,  they  cut 
foot-holds  with  their  knives  in  the  sides  of  the  banks.  At  night  they 
encamped  in  an  old  Indian  lodge  of  sticks,  which  afforded  them  dry 
shelter,  and  they  slept  comfortably  on  some  willow  boughs.  They  reach- 
ed the  camp  on  the  evening  of  the  8th,  and  found  Captain  Clarke  and 
the  party  very  anxious  for  their  safety.  Captain  Lewis,  being  persuaded 
that  this  was  not  the  main  stream,  nor  one  which  it  would  be  advisable 
to  ascend,  gave  it  the  name  of  Maria's  River. 

Captain  Clarke's  party  ascended  the  south  branch.  Near  the  camp 
on  the  evening  of  the  4th,  a  white  bear  attacked  one  of  the  men,  Avhose 
gun  happening  to  be  wet,  would  not  go  off;  he  instantly  made  toward 
a  tree,  but  was  so  closely  pursued  that  in  climbing  he  struck  the  bear 
with  his  I'oot.  The  bear  not  being  able  to  climb,  waited  till  he  should 
be  forced  to  come  down ;  and  as  the  rest  of  the  \nrty  were  separated 
from  him  by  a  perpendicular  cliff  which  they  could  not  descend,  it  Avas 
not  in  their  power  to  give  him  any  assistance :  but  finally  the  bear  was 
fnghttiied  by  their  cries  and  firing,  and  released  him.  Next  day  they 
followed  the  river  several  miles,  until  Ca])tain  Clarke  was  satisfied  it 
Avas  their  true  route,  when  they  turned  back  and  reached  the  camp 
on  the  evening  of  the  Cth.  Although  Lewis  and  Clarke  were  com- 
pletely satisfied  by  their  observations,  all  the  rest  of  the  j)arty  were  of  a 
contrary  opinion.  Li  order  therefore  that  nothing  might  be  omitted 
which  could  prevent  an  error,  it  was  agreed  that  one  of  them  should 
ascend  the  southern  branch  by  land,  until  he  reached  either  the  falls 
or  the  mountains.  jMeanwhile,  to  lighten  their  burdens,  they  deter- 
mined to  deposit  luire  one  of  the  pc'riocpies  and  all  the  heavy  baggage 
they  could  possibly  spare  from  the  boats. 

Captain  Lewis  and  his  party  set  out  on  the  11th.  As  there  were 
many  deep  ravines  extending  back  from  the  shore  which  made  tho 
traveling  diniciilt  near  the  river,  they  sometinu'S  led  it  in  its  windings, 
but  on  tlie  l.lth,  being  fearful  of  passing  the  falls,  they  clianged  their 
coiirse  tt)ward  tin;  river.  They  had  proceedeil  thus  awhile,  Avhen 
their  ears  Avercs  greeteil  Avith  the  sound  of  fiilling  Avater.  Directing 
their  steps  toward  it  they  reached  tho  falls  at  noon,  having  traveled 
seven  miles  since  liearing  the  sound.  Captain  Lewis  hastened  to  de- 
scend tlie  steep  banks,  Avhich  Avere  two  liundred  feet  high,  and  seating 
himself  on  a  rock  before  the  falls,  enjoyed  the  sublime  spectacle  which 


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THE    FALLS    OP   THE    MISSOURI. 


147 


since  the  creation  had  been  lavishing  its  magnificence  upon  tlie  desert, 
unknown  to  civilization.  "The  river  is  three  hundred  yards  wide  at 
the  fall,  and  is  pressed  in  by  perpendicular  cliffs  which  rise  about  one 
hundred  feet.  The  fall  itself  is  eighty  feet,  forming  on  one  side  an 
unbroken  sheet  one  hundred  yards  in  length,  while  the  remaining  part, 
which  precipitates  itself  in  a  more  rapid  current,  is  broken  by  irregular 
rocks  below,  and  forms  a  splendid  prospect  of  white  foam,  two  thousand 
feet  in  length.  This  spray  is  dissipated  into  a  thousand  shapes,  some- 
times flying  up  in  columns  of  fifteen  or  twenty  feet,  which  are  then 
oppressed  by  larger  masses  of  the  white  foam,  on  all  which  the  sun 
scatters  the  brightest  colors  of  the  rainbow.  Below  this  fall  the  river 
is  for  three  miles  one  continued  succession  of  rapids  and  cascades,  over- 
hung with  perpendicular  bluffs,  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two 
hundred  feet  high." 

Next  morning  a  man  was  dispatched  to  Captain  Clarke  with  an  ac- 
count of  the  discovery  of  the  falls,  and  Captain  Lewis  proceeded  to 
examine  the  rapids  alone.  After  passing  a  series  of  rapids  and  small 
cascades  he  reached,  at  the  distance  of  five  miles,  a  second  fall  of  nine- 
teen feet.  While  viewing  it  ho  heard  a  loud  roar  above,  and  crossing 
over  the  point  of  a  hill  for  a  few  hundred  yards,  he  saw  the  whole  Mis- 
souri, here  a  quarter  of  a  mile  wide,  precipitated  in  an  even,  uninter- 
rupted sheet  to  the  perpendicular  de{)th  of  fifty  feet,  whence,  dashing 
against  the  rocky  bottom,  it  ruslies  rapidly  down,  leaving  behind  it  a 
spray  of  the  purest  foam  across  the  river.  The  scene  was  singularly 
beautiful,  without  the  wild,  irregular  sublimity  of  the  lower  falls.  The 
eye  had  scarcely  been  regaled  with  this  charming  prospect  when,  at  the 
distance  of  half  a  mile.  Captain  Lewis  observed  another  of  a  similar 
kind.  Hastening  thither  he  found  a  cascade  stretching  across  the  river 
with  a  descent  of  fourteen  feet,  though  the  perpendicular  pitch  was  only 
six  feet.  This  too  in  any  other  neighborhood  would  have  been  an  ob- 
ject of  great  magnificence,  but  after  what  lie  had  just  seen  it  became 
of  secondary  interest ;  his  curiosity  being  however  awakened,  he  de- 
termined to  go  on,  even  should  night  overtake  him,  to  the  head  of  the 
falls.  The  river  was  a  constant  succession  of  rapids  and  small  cascades, 
at  every  one  of  which  the  bluffs  became  lower,  or  the  bed  of  the  river 
more  on  a  level  with  the  plains.  At  the  distaiun;  of  two  and  a  half  miles 
he  arrived  at  another  cataract  of  twenty-six  feet,  where  the  river  was  six 
hundred  yards  wide.  Just  above  this  was  a  cascade  of  about  five  feet, 
beyond  wliicli,  as  far  as  could  be  discerned,  the  velocity  of  the  water 
seemed  to  abate. 

Captain  Lewis  now  ascended  the  liill  which  was  behind  him,  and  saw 
from  its  to])  a  beautiful  plain  extending  from  the  river  to  the  base  of  the 
snow-moinitaina  in  the  south  and  south-west.  Along  this  wide  level 
comitry  the  Missouri  pursued  its  winding  course,  filled  with  water  to  ita 
even  and  grassy  banks;  while,  about  four  miles  above,  it  was  joined  by  a 
large  river  fluwing  from  the  north-west,  through  a  valley  three  miles  in 


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148 


TRAVELS    OF    LEWIS    iVND    CLARKE. 


width,  and  distinguished  by  the  timber  wliich  adorned  its  shores.  Ho 
then  descended  the  hill,  and  directed  liis  course  toward  the  river  falling 
in  fro.n  the  Avest.  lie  soon  met  a  herd  of  at  least  a  thousand  buffiiloes,  and 
being  desirous  of  providing  for  supper,  shot  one  of  them.  The  animal  im- 
mediately began  to  bleed,  and  the  Captain,  Avho  had  forgotten  to  reload 
liis  ritie,  was  intensely  Avatching  to  see  hhn  fall,  Avhcn  he  beheld  a  large 
broAvn  bear  Avhich  yras  stealing  upon  him  unperceived,  and  AA'as  already 
Avithin  tAventy  steps.  In  the  first  moment  of  surprise  he  lifted  his  rifle, 
but  remembering  instantly  that  it  AA'as  not  charged,  and  that  he  had  not 
time  to  reload,  he  felt  that  there  Avas  no  safety  but  in  flight.  It  Avas  in  the 
open  level  plain,  not  a  bush  or  tree  Avithin  three  hundred  yards,  the  bank 
of  the  river  sloping  and  not  more  than  three  feet  high,  so  that  there  Avas 
no  possible  mode  of  conccalmont.  He  therefore  thought  of  retreating  in 
a  quick  Avalk,  as  fast  as  the  bear  advanced,  toAvard  the  nearest  tree ;  but 
as  soon  as  he  turned,  the  bear  ran,  open  mouth,  and  at  full  speed  upon 
him.  Captain  LoAvis  ran  about  eighty  yards,  but  finding  that  the  animal 
gained  on  him  fast,  it  flashed  on  his  mind  that  by  getting  into  the  Avater 
to  such  a  depth  that  the  bear  Avould  be  obliged  to  attack  him  sAviniming, 
there  Avas  still  some  chance  of  his  life.  He  therefore  turned  short, 
plunged  into  the  river  about  waist  deej),  and  facing  about,  ])rcscnted  the 
point  of  Ills  cspontoon.  The  bear  came  to  the  Avater's  edge  Avithin 
twenty  feet  of  him,  but  as  soon  as  he  put  himself  in  this  posture  of  de- 
fense, lie  seemed  frightened,  and  Avheoling  about,  retreated  Avith  as  much 
precipitation  as  he  had  pursued.  Very  glad  to  bo  released  from  this 
danger,  Captain  LcAvis  returned  to  the  shore,  and  observed  him  run  Avith 
great  speed,  sotuetimes  looking  back  as  if  he  expected  to  be  pursued,  till 
he  reached  the  Avoods.  He  could  not  conceiA'o  the  cause  of  the  sudden 
alarm  of  the  bear,  but  congratulating  himself  on  his  escape  Avhen  he  saw 
his  OAvn  track  torn  to  pieces  by  the  furious  animal,  he  learned  from  the 
Avhole  adventure  never  to  suffer  his  rifle  to  be  a  moment  unloaded.  The 
river  to  Avhich  he  directed  his  steps  he  found  to  be  the  jNIedicine  River 
of  the  Indians,  mentioned  as  emptying  itself  into  the  Missouri,  just  above 
the  falls.  He  set  out  in  the  evening  to  retrace  h.is  steps  to  the  camp, 
tAvelve  miles  distant,  and,  after  fresh  encounters  with  wild  beasts,  camo 
late  at  night  to  his  party,  Avho  were  anxious  for  his  safety. 

Captam  Clarke  and  his  party  arrived  in  the  boats  at  the  rapids  on 
the  15th,  Avhere  they  Avere  joined  next  day  by  Captain  LcAvis.  Tliey 
then  proceeded  to  examine  the  ground  for  a  portage,  to  deposit  a  por- 
tion of  their  goods  and  baggage,  and  to  prepare  carriages  for  tue  trans- 
portation of  the  boats  Avith  the  remainder.  The  ]»ortage  Avas  about  fif- 
teen miles.  The  men  Avere  loaded  as  lu'avily  as  their  strength  Avould 
l)ermit,  and  the  prickly  pear  and  the  sharp  points  of  earth  formed  by  the 
buHUlo  (luring  the  late  rains  made  the  crossing  really  painful.  Some 
AA'ere  limping  from  the  soreness  of  their  feet,  others  scarcely  a1)le  to  stand 
from  the  heat  and  fatigue.     They  Avere  obliged  to  halt  and  rest  fre- 


;? 
'M 


if 


ENTERING    THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS. 


149 


qucntly,  and  at  almost  every  stopping-place  they  -would  fall  asleep  in  an 
instant ;  still  they  went  on  with  great  cheerfuhiess. 

On  the  29th,  Captain  Clarke,  accompanied  by  his  servant,  York, 
Chaboneau  and  his  wife  and  child,  proceeded  to  the  falls  to  make  further 
observations.  On  his  arrival  he  observed  a  very  dark  cloud  rising  in 
the  west,  which  threatened  rain.  He  took  shelter  in  a  deep  ravine, 
where  some  shelving  rocks  kept  off  the  rain.  The  shower  increased, 
and  presently  a  torrent  of  rain  and  hail  descended.  The  rain  fell  in  a 
solid  mass,  and  instantly  coUectmg  in  the  ravine  came  rolling  down  in  a 
dreadful  current,  carrying  the  mud  and  rocks,  and  every  thing  that 
opposed  it.  Captain  Clarke  fortunately  saw  the  danger  a  moment  be- 
fore it  reached  them,  and  sprang  up  the  steep  bluff  with  his  gun  and 
shot-po'xch  in  one  hand,  pushing  the  Indian  woman  with  her  child  before 
him.  Her  husband,  too,  had  seized  her  hand,  but  was  so  terrified  that 
but  for  Captain  Clarke  they  Avould  all  have  been  lost.  So  instantaneous 
was  the  rise  of  the  water,  that  before  he  had  reached  his  gun  and  began 
to  ascend  the  bank,  the  water  was  up  to  his  waist,  and  he  could  scarcely 
get  up  faster  than  it  rose,  till  it  reached  the  height  of  fifteen  feet,  udth 
a  furious  current  that  would  have  swept  them  hito  the  river  just  above 
the  Great  Falls,  down  which  they  must  inevitably  have  been  precipitated. 
He  now  reUnquished  his  intention  of  going  up  the  river,  and  returned 
to  the  camp. 

Finally,  after  unheard-of  toil  and  privations,  the  various  jjartios  had 
arrived  at  the  camp  above  the  falls  and  transported  all  the  baggage 
thither  by  the  1st  of  July.     Here  some  days  were  spent  in  building  a 
boat,  and  calking  it  with  a  composition  of  charcoal,  with  beeswax  and 
buffalo-tallow,  instead  of  tar,  which  they  could  not  obtain ;  but  on  the 
9th,  when   it  was  lanched  and  loaded,  it   leaked   so   that   they  were 
obliged  to  abandon  it.     Captain  Clarke,  with  a  party  of  workmen,  then 
went  to  some  timber  on  the  river,  eight  miles  altove,  where  they  con- 
structed some  canoes.     The  expedition  proceeded  by  laud  and  by  water 
to  join  them,  and  on  the  15th  of  July  they  embarked  all  their  baggage 
on  board  of  eight  canoes,  and  set  out  on  their  journey.     On  the  19tli 
they  went  through  a  grand  mountain-pass,  which  they  called  the  Gates 
of  the  liocky  Mountains.     For  nearly  six  miles  the  rocks  rise  perpen- 
dicularly from  the  water's  edge  to  the  lieight  of  nearly  twelve  hundred 
feet.     Being  anxious  to  meet  with  the  Shoshonees  or  Snake  Indians,  and 
fearful  lest  they  should  hear  of  the  expedition  and  retreat  to  the  mount- 
ains. Captain  Clarke  frequently  went  on  by  land  in  advance.     On  the 
25th  he  arrived  at  the  tliree  forks  of  the  Missouri,  and  finding  that  the 
north  branch,  though  not  largest,  contained  more  water  than  the  middle 
one,  and  bore  more  to  the  westward,  he  determined  to  ascend  it.     There- 
fore leaving  a  note  for  Captain  Lewis,  he  went  up  the  stream  twenty-five 
miles ;  when  Chaboneau  being  uiuible  to  proceed  further,  the  party  cn- 
cam])ed,  all  of  them  much  fatigued,  their  feet  blistered,  aiul  wounded 
by  the  prickly  pear.     Cajitain  Clarke  proceeded  next  d;iy  to  the  top  of 


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150 


TEAVELS  OF  LEWIS  AND  CLARKE. 


a  mountain  twelve  miles  further,  whence  he  had  an  extensive  view  of 
the  river  valley  upward,  but  saw  no  fresh  signs  of  Indians.  He  then  re- 
turned to  Chaboneau,  pursued  his  route  across  to  the  middle  branch, 
and  descending  it,  met  with  Captain  Lewis  at  the  forks  on  the  27th. 
Captain  Lewis  had  JBrst  arrived  at  the  south-eastern  branch,  which  he 
ascended  a  short  distance,  and  named  Gallatm's  River,  in  honor  of  the 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury.  He  then  proceeded  to  the  confluence  of  the 
other  branches,  where  he  found  Captain  Clarke's  note,  and  encamped 
on  the  south-west  fork  to  await  him.  He  arrived  much  exhausted  with 
fatigue,  and  with  fever  and  chills,  occasioned  by  drinking  cold  water 
from  a  spring  in  the  heat  of  the  day.  Finding  it  difficult  to  decide  which 
of  the  two  streams  was  the  larger,  or  the  real  Missouri,  they  were  induced 
to  discontinue  the  name,  and  gave  to  the  south-west  branch  the  name  of 
Jefferson,  in  honor  of  the  President  of  the  United  States  and  the  pro- 
jector of  ;lie  ^ -.iterprise;  and  called  the  middle  branch  Madison,  after  the 
Secretary  of  State. 

Captain  Clarke  being  much  restored  by  the  30th,  they  began  to 
ascend  the  Jefferson  River.  On  the  1st  of  August  Captain  Lewis  left 
the  party,  with  Sergeant  Gass,  Chaboneau,  and  Drewyer,  to  go  on  in 
advance  in  search  of  the  Shoshonees.  In  a  few  days  he  came  to  forks 
m  the  river,  and  findmg  the  right  one  to  be  rapid  and  obstructed,  while 
the  other  was  more  turbid,  and  seemed  to  flow  from  an  opening  in  the 
mountauis,  he  left  a  note  recommending  the  latter  to  Captain  Clarke, 
and  then  continued  his  course  along  the  more  rapid  branch.  This  ho 
followed  for  more  than  a  day  when,  coming  to  the  mountains,  he  ob- 
tained an  extensive  view  of  the  surrounding  region.  From  the  general 
course  of  the  southern  stream,  as  well  as  the  gap  by  which  it  intersects 
the  mountains,  he  decided  to  make  it  their  future  route.  He  then  crossed 
over  to  the  other  branch,  and  descended  toward  the  forks,  where  ho 
found  the  party  in  the  boats  returning  from  the  stream  he  had  lately 
left.  They  had  reached  the  forks  on  the  afternoon  of  the  5th,  but  un- 
luckily Captain  Lewis's  note  had  been  left  on  a  green  pole,  which  the 
beavers  had  cut  do^\^l  and  carried  off,  with  the  note,  an  accident  which 
deprived  them  of  all  information  as  to  the  character  of  the  two  branches ; 
and  as  the  north-west  fork  Avas  most  in  their  direction,  and  contained  as 
much  water,  they  ascended  it.  They  found  it  extremely  rapid,  and  its 
Avaters  so  scattered,  that  they  proceeded  with  difficulty.  Next  morning 
they  had  been  joined  by  Drewyer,  who  had  gone  out  in  search  of  deer, 
and  who  uiformed  them  of  the  state  of  the  two  rivers,  and  of  Captam 
Lewis's  note.  They  accordingly  descended  to  the  fork,  when  they  met 
vnih  Captain  Lewis.  This  north-west  branch  they  called  Wisdom 
River. 

On  the  Tth  they  continued  their  journey  up  the  Jefferson.  Im- 
mediately after  breakflist  on  the  9th,  Captain  Lewis  took  Drewyer, 
Shields,  and  McNeal,  and  slinging  their  knajjsacks,  they  set  out  with  a 
resolution  to  meet  some  nation  of  Indians  before  they  returned,  however 


J 


SNAKE    INDIANS— THE    DIVIDING    RIDGE. 


151 


long  they  might  bo  separated  from  the  party.  They  followed  the  river 
by  an  Indian  road  until  they  entered  the  mountains  next  day,  and  came 
to  two  nearly  equal  branches.  Finding  the  best  road  on  the  right  fork, 
Captain  Lewis  concluded  to  follow  it,  and  left  a  note  to  that  efiect  for 
Captain  Clarke. 

They  had  gone  but  a  few  miles  on  the  morning  of  the  11th,  when 
they  were  delighted  to  see  a  man  on  horseback,  at  the  distance  of  two 
miles,  coming  down  to  meet  them.  On  examining  him  with  the  glass, 
Cajjtain  Lewis  saw  that  he  was  of  a  difterent  nation  from  any  Indians 
they  had  hitherto  met.  He  was  armed  with  a  bow  and  quiver  of  ar- 
rows ;  mounted  on  an  elegant  horse,  without  a  saddle,  while  a  small 
string  attached  to  the  under  jaw  answered  as  a  bridle.  Convinced  that 
he  WPS  a  S'"  '\onee,  and  knowing  how  much  of  their  success  depended 
on  t'  lit..  offices  of  that  nation  *  ;i>  ,ain  Le^vis  was  anxious  to  ap- 
proach witho.ii,  alarming  him,  and  endeavor  to  convince  him  that  ho 
was  a  white  man.  Ho  therefore  proceeded  on  at  his  usual  jiace.  When 
they  Avere  within  a  mile  of  each  other  the  Indian  suddenly  stopped ; 
Lewis  followed  his  example,  took  his  blanket  from  his  knapsack,  and  hold- 
ing it  with  both  hands  at  the  two  corners,  threw  it  above  his  head,  and 
unfolded  it  as  he  brought  it  to  the  ground,  as  if  in  the  act  of  spreading 
it.  This  signal  is  the  universal  sign  of  friend.ship  among  the  Indians  on 
the  ^Missouri  and  l{ocky  Mountains.  As  usual.  Captain  Lewis  repeated 
this  signal  three  times ;  still  the  Indian  kept  his  position,  and  looked 
with  an  air  of  suspicion  on  Drewyer  and  Shields,  who  were  now  advancing 
on  each  side.  Lewis  then  took  from  his  pack  some  beads,  a  looking-glass, 
and  a  few  trinkets,  which  he  had  brought  for  the  purpose,  and  advanced 
unarmed  toward  the  Indian.  He  remained  awhile,  then  turned  his  horso 
and  began  to  move  oif  slowly.  Captain  Lewis  then  called  out  "  Tahha 
bone!"  ("white  man"),  but  the  Indian  kept  his  eye  on  Drewyer  and 
Sliields,  who  were  still  thoughtlessly  advancing,  till  Lewis  made  a  signal 
to  them  to  halt.  Then  the  Indian  Avaited  for  Captain  Lewis,  who  still 
came  nearer,  repeating  the  words  "  tabba  bone,"  and  holding  up  the  trin- 
kets, at  the  same  time  stripping  up  his  sleeve  to  show  the  color  of  his 
skin.  Ho  thus  advanced  within  a  hundred  jiaces,  but  as  Shields,  who 
had  not  observed  the  signal,  was  still  a[)proaching,  the  Indian  suddenly 
turned  his  horse,  and  leaping  the  creek,  disappeared  in  an  instant. 
Though  sadly  disappointed,  Caj)tain  Lewis  determined  to  make  some  use 
of  the  iiu'idont.  He  therefore  set  off  with  his  men  to  follow  the  track, 
hoping  it  might  lead  them  to  a  body  of  the  nation.  They  now  fixed  a 
small  flag  of  the  I^'nited  States  on  a  pole,  which  was  carried  as  a  signal 
of  their  friendly  intentions,  should  the  Indians  see  them  ai>pro-  'hing. 
Thus  pursuing  their  journey,  they  came,  on  the  12th,  to  a  plain  Indian 
road  which  led  directly  on  toward  the  moimtain.  The  stream  gradually 
became  smaller,  till,  after  going  a  few  miles,  it  had  so  greatly  diminished 
in  width,  that  one  of  the  men,  in  a  fit  of  enthusiasm,  with  one  foot  on 
each  side  of  the  river,  thanked  God  that  he  had  lived  to  bestride  tho 


i.i 


Al 

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1 

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^'lli.-  ii 


I  ! 


^ii 


152 


TRAVELS  or  LEWIS  AND  CLARKE. 


Missouri.  As  tlicy  Avent  along,  their  hopes  of  soon  seeing  the  waters 
of  the  Cohimbia  arose  ahnost  to  painful  anxiety,  when,  after  four  miles 
from  the  last  abrupt  turn  of  the  river,  they  reached  a  small  gap  fornaed 
by  the  high  mountains,  which  recede  on  each  side,  leaving  room  for  the 
Indian  road.  "  From  the  foot  of  one  of  the  lowest  of  these  mountains, 
which  rises  with  a  gentle  ascent  of  about  half  a  mile,  issues  the  remotest 
water  of  the  Missouri.  They  had  now  reached  the  hidden  sources  of 
that  river,  which  had  never  yet  been  seen  by  civilized  man  ;  and  as  they 
quenched  their  thirst  at  the  chaste  and  icy  foimtain — as  they  sat  down 
by  the  brink  of  that  little  rivulet,  which  yielded  its  modest  tribute  to  the 
parent  ocean — they  felt  themselves  rewarded  for  all  their  labors  and  all 
their  difficulties.  They  left  reluctantly  this  interesting  spot,  and  pursuing 
the  Indian  road  through  the  interval  of  the  hills,  arrived  at  the  top  of  a 
ridge,  from  which  they  saw  high  mountains,  partially  covered  with  snow, 
lying  still  further  west.  The  ridge  on  which  they  stood  formed  the  di- 
vidhig  line  between  the  waters  of  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  oceans.  They 
followed  a  descent  much  steeper  than  that  on  the  eastern  side,  and  at 
the  distance  of  three  quarters  of  a  mile,  reached  a  fine,  bold  creek  of 
cold  water,  runnhig  to  the  westward.  They  stopjicd  to  tasi,e,  for  the  first 
time,  the  waters  of  the  Columbia." 

Next  day,  as  they  were  pursuing  their  journey  westward  through  an 
open,  broken  country,  they  perceived  two  Avomcn,  a  man,  and  two  dogs 
on  an  eminence  a  mile  before  them.  The  strangers  seemed  at  first  to 
await  them,  and  Captain  Lewis  approached,  unfurling  the  flag  and  call- 
ing "  Tahba  bone/"  But  the  females  first  retreated  behind  the  hill, 
and  when  Lewis  came  near  the  man  went  off  also,  and  they  had  all  dis- 
appeared when  he  reached  the  top  of  the  hill.  They  had  gone  about  a 
mile  further,  Avhen  they  suddenly  came  upon  three  female  Indians  from 
whom  they  had  been  concealed  until  they  Avere  within  thirty  paces  of 
each  other.  A  young  woman  fled,  the  other  two,  an  elderly  woman 
and  a  little  girl,  seeing  the  strangers  too  near  for  them  to  escape,  sat 
on  the  ground,  holding  down  their  heads  as  if  reconciled  to  the  death 
Avhich  they  supposed  awaited  them.  Captain  Lewis  put  down  liis  rifle, 
and  advancing,  took  the  woman  by  the  hand,  raised  her,  and  :  jpeated 
the  words  "  tabba  bone  !"  at  the  same  time  baring  his  arm  to  p  ^ve  that 
he  was  a  white  man,  for  his  hands  and  face  had  become,  by  exj^osure,  as 
dark  as  their  own.  Slie  appeared  at  once  relieved,  and  Captain  Lewis 
gave  them  some  beads,  pewter  mirrors,  paint,  and  other  trinkets,  as  well 
as  to  their  companions,  who  had  hastened  back  Avhen  called,  and  he 
I)aiiited  their  cheeks  with  vermilion,  a  ceremony  which  among  the  Sho- 
Khonees,  is  emblematic  of  peace.  Afterward,  at  liis  request,  they  con- 
ducted the  party  towaid  the  Indian  camp. 

In  this  way  they  had  marched  two  miles,  when  they  met  a  troop  of 
nearly  sixty  warriors,  well  mounted,  riding  at  full  speed  toward  them. 
C/aptain  Lewis  put  down  his  gun  and  Avent  forward  Avith  the  flag.  The 
chief  spoke  to  the  Avomen,  Avho  explained  and  showed  exultingly  the 


RECEPTION    BY    THE    SHOSHONEES. 


153 


presents  they  had  received,  and  then  the  chief  and  two  warriors  leaped 
from  their  horses,  came  up  to  Captam  Lewis,  and  embraced  him  with 
great  cordiality,  at  the  same  time  applying  their  left  cheek  to  his,  and 
frequently  vociferating  "  Ah  hi  c  !  ah  hi  e  /"  "  I  am  much  pleased ;  I  am 
much  rejoiced."  The  whole  body  of  warriors  now  came  forward,  and 
the  men  received  the  caresses,  and  the  grease  and  paint,  of  their  new 
friends.  After  this  fraternal  embrace,  Captain  Lewis  lighted  a  pipe  and 
offered  it  to  the  Indians,  who  now  seated  themselves  in  a  circle  around 
the  party.  But  before  they  accepted  this  mark  of  friendship,  they  pulled 
off  their  moccasins,  a  custom  which  indicates  the  sacred  sincerity  of  their 
professions  when  they  smoke  with  a  stranger,  and  imprecates  on  them- 
selves the  misery  of  going  barefoot  forever  if  they  are  faithless  to  their 
words,  a  penalty  by  no  means  light  to  those  who  roam  over  the  thorny 
plauis  of  their  country.  It  is  not  unworthy  to  remark  the  analogy 
which  some  of  the  customs  of  these  children  of  the  wilderness  bear  to 
those  recorded  in  Holy  Writ.  After  a  few  pipes  were  smoked  and  some 
presents  distributed.  Captain  Lewis  stated  the  friendly  object  of  their 
visit,  and  gave  the  flag  to  the  chief  as  an  emblem  of  peace,  after  Avhich 
they  proceeded  to  the  Indian  camp.  There  a  council  was  held,  in  which 
the  captain  more  fully  explamed  the  purposes  of  his  visit,  and  distributed 
the  few  articles  he  had  left  to  the  wondering  crowd  which  had  assembled 
to  see  the  first  white  men.  Here  he  learned  that  an  alarm  had  been 
given,  and  the  warriors  he  had  met  in  the  morning  were  comhig  down 
to  attack  the  supposed  enemy. 

In  order  to  give  tune  for  the  boats  to  reach  the  forks  of  the  river, 
Captain  Lewis  remamed  a  while,  and  obtained  all  the  information  he 
could  collect  in  regard  to  the  country.  On  the  14th,  his  men  went  out 
with  the  Indians  to  hunt,  but  as  they  wfvro  unsuccessful  he  made  a  little 
paste  with  flour,  wliich,  with  some  berries,  formed  a  palatable  repast. 
Having  secured  the  goodwill  of  the  chief,  he  informed  him  of  the  ap- 
proach of  his  companions,  and  induced  him  to  go  down  with  horses  to 
assist  in  transporting  their  merchandise.  On  the  morning  of  the  15th, 
he  began  to  feel  the  inconveniences  of  hunger,  and  found  that  his  whole 
stock  of  provisions  consisted  of  two  pounds  of  flour.  This  M'as  divided, 
and  one  half  boiled  with  the  berries  into  a  sort  of  pudding  ;  and  after 
presenting  a  large  share  to  the  chief,  he  and  his  men  breakfasted  on  the 
remainder.  Cameahwait,  the  chief,  was  delighted  with  this  new  dish ;  he 
examined  the  flour,  and  asked  if  it  was  made  of  roots ;  the  process  of 
preparing  it  was  explahied,  and  he  said  it  was  the  best  thuig  ho  had 
eaten  for  a  long  time.  Captain  Lewis  now  endeavored  to  hasten  the 
departure  of  the  Indians,  who,  although  urged  by  the  chief,  were  still 
reluctant,  having  heard  that  he  was  in  league  with  their  enemies,  the 
Pahkees.  Finally,  by  appearing  to  doubt  their  courage,  he  succeeded 
in  enlisting  a  few,  with  whom  he  smoked  a  pipe  and  set  off  immediately. 
Their  departure  spread  a  gloc  over  the  village,  yet  they  had  not  gone 
liir  when  they  were  joined  by  others,  and  before  they  had  reached  the 


m 


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154 


TRAVELS    OF    LEWIS    AND    CLARKE. 


spring  whcro  they  had  encamped  on  the  12tli,  all  the  men  of  the  nation, 
and  a  number  of  the  women,  had  overtaken  them.  Here  they  halted  an 
hour  to  let  the  horses  graze,  and  at  sunset  encamped  at  the  upper  end 
of  the  valley. 

Next  morning  Captain  Lewis  sent  two  hunters  ahead  to  procure  pro- 
visions, at  the  same  time  requesting  Camoahwait  to  prevent  his  young 
men  from  going  out,  lest  by  their  noise  they  might  alarm  the  game,  but 
this  immediately  revived  their  suspicions.  Tiiey  believed  these  men 
Avere  sent  forward  to  apprize  the  enemy  of  their  coming,  and  small  par- 
ties of  Indians  went  out  f>n  each  side  of  the  valley,  under  pretense  of 
hunting,  but  in  reality  to  watch  the  movements  of  the  two  men  ;  wliile 
a  considerable  number,  alarmed,  went  home.  An  hour  afterward  they 
saw  one  of  the  spies  coming  back  at  full  speed  across  the  plain ;  the  chief 
stopped  and  seemed  uneasy,  the  rest  Avcre  moved  with  fresh  suspicions, 
and  Captain  Lewis  liimself  was  disconcerted  ;  but  the  young  Indian  had 
scarcely  breath  to  say  a  few  words  as  he  came  up,  when  the  whole  troop 
dashed  forward  as  fast  as  their  horses  could  carry  them ;  and  Captain 
Lewis,  astonished,  was  borne  along  neai'ly  a  mile  before  lie  learned,  with 
great  satisfaction,  that  it  Avns  all  caused  by  the  announcement  that  one 
of  the  white  men  had  killed  a  deer.  AVhen  they  reached  the  place 
where  Drewyer  had  thrown  its  intestines,  they  all  dismounted  in  con- 
fusion, and  ran  tumbling  over  each  other  like  flvmished  dogs,  each  tear- 
ing away  whatever  part  he  could,  and  beginning  to  eat  it.  When  the 
deer  was  skinned  Captain  Lewis  reserved  one  cpiarter  and  gave  the  rest 
to  the  Indians,  who  devoured  nearly  the  Avhole  of  it  without  cooking. 
Two  more  deer  Avere  brought  in,  and  these  scenes  repeated,  until  tho 
Indians  seemed  completely  satisfied  and  in  good  humor.  At  len  gth,  as 
they  were  approaching  the  place  where  they  were  to  see  tho  white  men, 
the  chief  placed  ornaments  around  the  necks  of  Lewis  and  his  party, 
evidently  to  disguise  the  white  men.  Seeing  this,  Captain  Lewis,  to 
inspire  them  with  confidence,  put  his  cocked  hat  and  feather  on  the  head 
of  the  chief;  the  men  followed  his  example,  and  the  change  seemed  very 
agreeable  to  the  Indians. 

To  guard  against  disappointment,  Captain  Lewis  explained  the  possi- 
bility of  his  companions  not  having  reached  the  forks,  in  consequence  of 
the  difficulty  of  navigation  ;  and  to  the  disappointment  of  both  parties, 
on  coming  within  two  miles  of  the  forks,  no  canoes  Avcro  to  be  seen. 
Uneasy  lest  at  this  moment  ho  should  be  abandoned  and  all  his  hopes 
of  obtaining  aid  from  the  Indians  destroyed,  he  gave  the  chief  his  gun, 
tellii.g  him  that  if  the  enemies  of  his  nation  Avcre  in  the  bushes  he  might 
defend  himself  with  it ;  that  fir  his  own  part  he  Avas  not  afraid  to  die, 
and  that  tho  chief  might  shoot  him  as  soon  as  they  discovered  themselves 
betrayed.  As  they  Avent  on.  Captain  LcAvis  sent  a  man  Avith  an  Indian 
for  the  notes  ho  had  left,  which  he  pretended  to  be  from  his  companion, 
sent  forward  by  agreement,  to  let  liim  know  Avhore  the  boats  were  ;  that 
they  Avere  just  below  the  mountains,  coming  sloAvly  against  the  current. 


AN    INDIAN    RECOGNITION. 


155 


The  chief  and  the  greater  part  of  the  Indians  Avere  satisfied;  they  spent 
the  night  here,  and  in  the  morning  Drewyer  and  an  Indian  were  dis- 
patched down  the  river  in  quest  of  the  boats.  They  had  been  gone  two 
hours  when  a  straggling  Indian  came  in  with  a  report  that  he  had  seen 
the  white  men,  Avho  were  only  a  short  distance  below,  and  were  coming 
on.  The  Indians  were  all  transported  with  joy,  and  the  chief,  in  the 
warmth  of  his  satisfaction,  renewed  his  embrace  of  Captain  Lewis,  who 
was  quite  as  much  delighted  as  the  Indians  themselves. 

Meanwhile  the  party  in  the  boats  had  been  ascending  the  multiplied 
windings  of  the  river  by  a  slow  and  toilsome  progress,  and  on  the  night 
of  the  IGtli  were  encamped  only  four  miles,  by  land,  below  the  forks, 
although  the  distance  was  ten  miles  by  water.  On  setting  out  in  the  morn- 
ing. Captain  Clarke,  with  Chaboneau  and  his  wife,  walked  on  shore,  but 
they  had  not  gone  more  than  a  mile  before  Captain  Clarke  saw  Sac»- 
jawea  (Caboneau's  wife)  who  Avas  ahead  with  her  husband,  begin  to 
dance  and  show  every  mark  of  the  most  extravagant  joy,  turning  round 
to  him  and  pointing  to  several  Indians,  whom  he  now  saw  advancing  on 
horseback,  sucking  her  fingers  at  the  same  time,  to  indicate  that  they 
were  of  her  native  tribe.  As  they  came  near  he  saw  Drewyer  among 
them,  dressed  I'ke  an  Indian,  from  whom  he  learned  the  situation  of  the 
party.  While  the  boats  were  making  the  circuit  he  went  toward  tho 
forks  with  the  Indians,  who  sang  aloud  as  they  went  along,  with  the 
greatest  appearance  of  delight.  They  soon  drew  near  the  camp,  and 
just  as  they  reached  it  a  woman  made  her  way  through  the  crowd,  to- 
ward Sacojawea,  and  recognizing  each  other  they  embraced  with  tho 
most  tender  affection.  They  had  been  companions  in  childhood,  had 
been  taken  prisoners  in  the  same  battle,  and  shared  the  rigors  of  their 
captivity,  till  one  of  them  had  escaped  from  the  Minnetarees.  Captain 
Clarke  was  received  by  the  chief,  who,  after  embrachig  him,  conducted 
him  to  a  tent  of  willows,  seated  him  on  a  Avhite  robe,  and  tied  in  his  hair 
six  small  shells  resemblmg  pearls,  an  ornament  highly  valued  by  these 
peojjle.  The  moccasins  of  the  whole  party  were  then  taken  off,  and 
after  much  ceremony  the  smoking  began.  When  the  conference  was 
opened,  Sacajawea  was  sent  for ;  she  came  into  tho  tent,  sat  down,  and 
was  beginning  to  interpret,  when  in  the  person  of  Cameahwait  she  recog- 
nized her  brother.  She  instantly  jumped  up,  and  ran  and  embraced  him, 
throwmg  over  him  a  blanket  and  weeping  profusely ;  the  chief  himself 
was  also  moved.  After  some  conversation  between  them  she  resumed 
her  seat  and  attempted  to  interpret  for  the  parties,  but  her  new  situation 
seemed  to  overpower  her,  and  she  was  frequently  interrupted  by  her 
tears.  After  the  council  was  finished,  the  unfortunate  woman  leavned 
that  all  her  family  were  dead  except  two  brothers,  one  of  who:  n  w".3 
absent,  and  a  son  of  her  eldest  sister,  a  small  boy,  who  was  immediately 
adopted  by  her. 

When  the  canoes  arrived  the  baggage  was  taken  out  and  an  awning 
erected,  under  which  a  treaty  was  held.    Here  they  made  arrangements 


I 

pi  '^  ^ 

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H      -,       t- 

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I- 


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!  ill 


■I  1 


156 


TRAVELS  OP  LEWIS  AND  CLARKE. 


with  the  Imlians  for  horses  in  order  to  ijroicecl  witli  as  little  delay  as 
possible,  promising  them  amjjle  remmioration  for  every  service  they 
should  render.  The  conference  having  ended  satisfactorily,  the  presents 
"were  distributed.  To  Cameahwait  they  gave  a  small  medal  with  the 
likeness  of  President  Jefferson,  and  on  the  reverse  a  figure  of  hands 
clasped  with  a  pipe  and  tomahawk  ;  to  this  was  added  a  uniform  coat,  a 
shirt,  a  pair  of  scarlet  leggings,  a  carrot  of  tobacco,  and  some  small  arti- 
cles. Each  of  the  other  chiefs  received  a  small  medal  struck  during 
Washington's  administration,  a  shirt,  handkerchief,  leggings,  a  knife,  and 
some  tobacco.  Medals  Avere  also  given  to  two  young  warriors,  who  were 
promising  youths  and  A'ery  much  respected  in  the  tribe.  Tlicse  honor- 
ary gifts  were  followed  by  ^jrcsents  of  paint,  moccasins,  awls,  knives, 
beads,  and  looking-glasses.  A  plentiful  meal  of  Indian  corn,  of  which 
the  luiU  was  taken  off  by  being  boiled  in  lye,  was  also  distributed  ;  and 
as  it  was  the  first  they  had  ever  tasted,  they  were  very  much  pleased 
with  it.  They  had  indeed  abundant  sources  of  surprise  in  all  they  saw ; 
the  appearance  of  the  men,  their  arms,  their  clothing,  the  canoes,  the 
strange  looks  of  the  negro,  and  the  sagacity  of  the  dog ;  all  in  turn 
shared  their  admiration,  which  was  raised  to  astonishment  by  a  shot 
from  the  air-gun.  This  oi)eration  was  instantly  considered  as  a  great 
medicine,  by  which  they,  as  well  as  tlie  other  Indians,  mean  something 
emanating  directly  from  the  Great  Spirit,  or  produced  by  his  invisible 
andincomprehcnsible  agency. 

Lewis  and  Clarke  next  consulted  as  to  their  future  operations.  The 
Indians  had  represented  that  the  river  below  them  was  rocky,  rapid,  and 
so  closely  confined  between  high  mountains,  that  it  was  impossible  to 
pass  down  it,  either  by  land  or  water,  to  the  great  lake.  It  was  there- 
fore agreed  that  Captain  Clarke  should  set  off  in  the  morning  with  eleven 
men,  go  by  the  Indian  camp,  and  leave  Chaboneau  and  his  wife  to  has- 
ten the  collection  of  horses,  then  lead  his  men  down  the  river,  and  if  ho 
found  it  navigable  and  the  timber  in  sufficient  quantity,  begin  to  build 
canoes.  Before  setting  out  on  the  18th,  they  exposed  a  few  articles  to 
barter  for  horses,  and  soon  obtained  three  good  ones,  for  which  they 
gave  some  clothing,  kniACS,  and  other  small  articles,  the  whole  of  which 
did  not  cost  more  than  twenty  dollars.  A  fourth  was  purchased  by  the 
men  for  an  old  check  shirt,  a  pair  of  old  leggings,  and  a  knife.  Captain 
Clarke  arrived  at  the  camp  on  the  20th,  where  lie  succeeded  in  engaging 
an  intelligent  old  man  as  a  guide.  After  pursuing  his  route  for  a  few 
days  he  began  to  perceive  that  the  Indians  had  not  exaggerated.  The 
mountains  were  rocky,  and  so  high  that  it  seemed  almost  impossible  to 
cross  them  with  horses  ;  their  road  lay  over  the  sharp  fragments  of  rocks 
which  had  fallen  from  the  steep  cliffs,  and  were  strewed  in  heaps  for 
miles  together ;  yet  the  horses,  unshod,  traveled  across  them  as  fast  as 
the  men.  These  difficulties  increased  until  on  the  2Sd  he  reached  a  small 
meadow,  below  which  the  whole  current  of  the  river  beat  against  a  solid 
wall  of  rock  perfectly  maccessible  to  horses.    Leaving  the  horses  and  the 


DREWYKR'S    ADVENTURE. 


157 


greater  part  of  the  men  here,  he  proccodeil  with  his  guide,  clambering 
over  immense  rooks  aiul  along  the  sides  of  lofty  precipiees  which  bor- 
dered the  river,  until  at  the  distance  of  twelve  miles  he  reached  a  small 
meadow.  Thus  far  the  river  was  one  continued  rapid,  along  which  even 
the  empty  canoes  must  be  let  down  with  cords,  and  then  at  the  great 
risk  both  of  the  canoes  and  the  men,  while  tlie  transportation  of  the  bag- 
gage over  the  steep  mountains  would  have  to  be  done  by  men.  Still 
Captain  Clarke  continued  his  route,  and  at  length  ascended  a  high  ami 
steep  point  of  a  mountain,  from  which  the  guide  now  pointed  out  Avhere 
the  river  broke  through  the  mountains,  about  twenty  Jniles  distant.  The 
view  was  terminated  by  a  lofty  mountain,  which  was  perfectly  covered  with 
snow.  Toward  this  formidable  barrier  the  river  went  directly  on,  and 
there  it  was,  as  the  guide  observed,  that  the  difficulties  and  dangers,  of 
Avhich  tliey  had  spoken,  commenced.  Captain  Clarke  was  now  con- 
vinced of  the  impracticability  of  this  route  ;  he  therefore  hasteni'd  to  re- 
turn, and  after  rejoining  his  men  next  nening  they  retr  ced  their  steps 
to  the  Indian  camp,  where  they  arrived  on  the  2'jth.  As  game  was 
scarce  in  this  region  they  found  a  precarious  subsistence,  and  suftered 
from  a  scarcity  of  food,  the  Indians  being  able  to  supply  them  with  little 
else  than  a  pittance  offish.  Therefore,  while  awa  ;  .ng  the  -ival  o  '  Cap- 
tain Lewis  and  his  party,  they  made  all  possible  prepan  •  ■  ns  for  their 
departure,  especially  in  preparing  pack-saddles  for  the  ho;  >ol  which  Lewis 
had  purchased. 

Captain  Lewis  and  his  party,  who  were  lei  Wi.  h  the  Indians  at  the 
forks  of  the  Jefferson  on  the  18th,  spent  a  few  days  in  making  ready  to 
transport  the  baggage.  Saddles  were  made,  some  of  the  bagg.age  was 
buried,  the  boats  sunk  in  the  stream,  and  by  the  24th  all  the  prepara- 
tions were  made  for  their  departure.  INIeanwhile  the  lumters  had  been 
out  as  usual,  but  the  game  was  so  scarce  that  they  were  obliged  to  en- 
croach on  their  stock  of  provisions.  One  night  Drewyer  returned  late 
with  a  fawn  and  a  quantity  of  Indian  plunder,  which  he  had  taken  by 
way  of  reprisal.  "While  hunting  in  the  morning,  he  came  suddenly  upon 
an  Indian  camp,  at  which  were  an  old  man,  three  women,  a  young  man 
and  a  boy.  As  they  showed  no  surprise  he  rode  up  to  them,  and  turn- 
ing his  horse  loose  to  graze,  sat  down  and  began  to  converse  with  them 
by  signs.  They  had  just  finished  u  i.'')ast  of  some  roots,  and  in  a  little 
while  they  collected  their  horses  iuk:  began  to  saddle  them.  Drewyer, 
having  rested,  went  to  catch  his  horse,  forgetting  at  the  moment  to  take 
up  his  rifle.  lie  had  scarcely  <:;one  more  than  fifty  paces  wdien  the  In- 
dians mounted  their  horses,  the  young  man  snatched  up  the  rifle,  and 
leaving  all  their  baggag.;  they  set  oft"  at  full  speed  toward  the  mountain 
passes.  Drewyer  instantly  pursued  them.  After  running  ten  miles,  the 
horses  of  the  women  began  to  give  out,  and  as  they  raised  dreadful  cries, 
tho  young  man  slackened  his  pace,  and  began  to  ride  round  them.  Drew- 
yer persuaded  the  women  that  he  did  not  mean  to  hurt  them,  and  they 
stopped  ;  and  when  he  asked  the  young  man  for  his  rifle,  the  only  part 


»i  ^l-iS' 


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158 


TRAVELS    OP    LEWIS    AND    CLARKE. 


of  tlio  answer  ho  understood  was  "  Palikec,"  the  name  by  which  thoy 
call  their  enemies,  the  Minnetarees.  While  they  were  thus  engaged  in 
talking,  Drewyer  watched  his  opportunity,  and  seeing  the  Indian  off  his 
guard,  galloped  up  to  him  and  seized  his  rifle.  The  Indian  struggled  for 
some  time,  but  finding  Drewyer  too  strong  for  liim,  had  the  jtresenco  of 
mind  to  open  the  pan  and  let  the  priming  fall  out ;  then  loosing  liis  hold, 
lie  gave  his  horse  the  whip  and  escaped  at  full  speed,  leaving  the  Avomen 
at  the  mercy  of  the  conqueror.  Drewyer  then  returned,  and  finding 
their  baggage,  brought  it  to  camp  with  him. 

From  some  Indians  who  arrived  they  purchased  three  horses,  by  giv- 
ing for  each  an  ax,  a  knife,  a  handkerchief,  and  a  little  paint.  For  a 
mule  they  were  obliged  to  add  a  second  knife,  a  shirt,  a  handkerchief, 
and  a  pair  of  leggings.  They  now  loaded  eleven  horses  and  a  mule, 
and  placing  the  rest  on  the  shoulders  of  the  Indian  women,  left  the 
camp  at  noon  on  the  24th.  They  were  all  on  foot  except  Sacajawe.a,  for 
whom  her  husband  had  purchased  a  horse.  An  Indian  had  the  polite- 
ness to  offer  Captain  Lewis  one  of  his  horses  to  ride,  which  Ik;  accepted, 
in  order  better  to  direct  the  march  of  the  party.  On  the  morning  of 
the  2Gth  they  reached  the  fountain  of  the  Missouri  and  passed  over  the 
dividing  ridge,  and  in  the  evening  arrived  at  the  encampment.  Here 
they  found  a  note  from  Captain  Clarke,  apprising  them  that  there  were 
no  hopes  of  a  pass.age  by  water,  and  suggesting  the  route  by  the  north 
as  the  most  practicable.  Captain  Clarke  joined  them  on  the  29th,  and 
they  resumed  the  purchase  of  horses.  The  prices  had  risen  meanwhile, 
so  that  one  hors(!  cost  a  j)istoI,  on«  himdred  balls,  some  j)owder,  and  a 
knife  ;  another  was  changed  for  a  musket ;  and  in  this  Avay  they  obtained 
twenty-nine.  The  horses  were  young  and  vigorous,  but  poor,  and  worn 
with  the  roughness  of  the  Shoshonee  saddle.  They  were  tiiercfore  anx- 
ious to  oI>tain  one  at  least  for  eac^h  man,  to  carry  the  baggage,  or  the 
man  himself,  or  in  the  last  resource  to  serve  as  food ;  but  they  were 
unable  to  supply  all. 

On  the  aoth  they  loaded  their  horses  and  took  leave  of  the  Shosho- 
nees,  accompanied  by  the  old  guide,  his  lour  sons,  and  another  Indian. 
They  dt'scended  the  river  by  tin;  road  whii-h  Clarke  had  jireviously  jmr- 
Hued  imtil  tlio  1st  of  September,  when  tliey  turned  to  the  nortli-west 
across  the  hills.  Next  day  the  Indians  .all  kfl  them  except  the  guide, 
and  the  road  they  were  following  turned  eastward  toward  the  Missouri. 
Tin  y  had  therefore  to  cut  their  way  with  much  dMiculty  up  the  west 
branch  of  the  creek  they  were  following.  The  lojul  led  over  the  steep 
and  rocky  side  of  the  hills,  and  tlu;  thickets  were  almost  impenetrable; 
the  horses  frequently  fell  down  the  sides  of  the  hills,  and  sonu*  gave  out 
exhausted  with  fatigue.  On  the  4th  they  crossed  ahigh  nKnuitain,  which 
formed  tlie  dividing  ridge  between  the  waters  of  the  creek  they  had  been 
ascending,  and  those  rtmning  north  and  west.  Kvery  thing  was  frozen, 
and  the  groinid  was  covered  with  snow,  whicli  had  fiiilen  the  night  be- 
fore.   Thi'y  presently  came  to  a  8tream  Howing  westward,  which  they 


1 

1 


HARDSHIPS    OF    THE    JOURNEY. 


159 


descended  to  its  junction  with  a  river  from  the  east.  Here  they  found 
a  large  encampment  of  Indians,  who  received  them  Avith  great  cordial- 
ity. They  smoked  with  them,  remained  a  few  days,  exchanged  presents, 
and  trafficked  for  horses.  These  Indians  were  called  Ootlashoots,  and 
represented  themselves  as  one  band  of  the  Tushepaws,  a  numerous  peo- 
ple residing  on  the  head  waters  of  the  Missouri  and  Columbia  Rivers. 
They  seemed  kindly  and  friendly,  and  willingly  shared  the  berries  and 
fruits  which  formed  their  only  stock  of  provisions.  Their  only  wealth 
was  their  horses,  which  were  very  fine  and  so  numerous  that  this  party 
had  with  them  at  least  five  hundred.  To  this  river  they  gave  the  name 
of  Clarke,  as  they  had  that  of  Lewis  to  the  one  they  had  lately  left, 
each  from  the  first  white  man  who  had  visited  its  waters.  Resuming 
their  journey,  they  came  on  the  9th  to  a  large  stream  flowing  in  from 
the  west,  where  they  halted  a  day  to  make  observations  and  collect  pro- 
visions, as  they  were  here  to  leave  the  I'iver,  and  the  mountain  region 
through  which  they  had  to  pass  was  without  game.  Next  (hiy  one  of 
the  hunters  returned  with  three  Indians  whom  he  had  met  up  the  creek, 
one  of  whom  they  persuaded  to  go  with  them.  They  ascended  the  course 
of  tlie  creek,  and  after  a  rugged  and  diflicult  passage  over  the  mountain, 
came  on  the  14th  to  the  Kooskf)oskee  River.  Their  whole  stock  of  ani- 
mal food  being  exhausted,  they  killed  a  colt,  on  which  they  made  a  hearty 
supper,  and  from  this  incident  they  gave  the  name  of  Ct)lt-killed  Creek 
to  a  stream  near  by.  They  then  left  the  river  and  took  the  mountains 
on  the  right,  where  the  timber  was  fiUlen  and  the  ascent  so  stec])  that 
they  had  to  wind  in  every  direction.  The  horses  frequently  slii)i)ed, 
and  ono,  which  was  loaded  with  a  desk  and  small  trunk,  rolled  over  and 
over  for  forty  yards  till  his  fall  was  stopjied  by  a  tn-e.  The  desk  was 
broken,  but  the  poor  aninial  escaped  without  naich  injury.  Provision 
was  also  very  scarce ;  they  found  only  a  few  phi'asants,  and  on  the 
17th  they  killed  another  colt.  This  Avant  of  provisions,  the  extreme 
fatigue  to  which  they  Avere  subjected,  and  th(>  ilreary  prospect  before 
them,  began  to  dispirit  the  men  ;  Captain  Clarke  therefore  set  out  with  six 
hunters  on  the  18th,  intending  to  goon  ahead  ami  find  somethhig  for  the 
support  of  the  party.  The  region  they  passed  tlir<MigIi  was  rugged  and 
barren  until  the  '20th,  Avhen  they  descended  the  last  of  the  Rocky  Mount- 
ains and  reached  the  level  country.  They  had  jirocecfU'd  a  fi'W  miles  on 
the  j)Iain  when  they  saw  three  boys,  wlioran  and  hid  in  the  grass.  Ca|> 
tain  Clarke,  leaving  his  horse  and  gun  with  the  men,  soon  relieved  tho 
apprehensioiif}  of  tlu'  boys,  and  si'ut  them  forwanl  to  the  village  with  pres- 
ents of  small  pi.'ces  of  ribbon.  I'ri'si'utly  a  man  came  out  very  cau- 
tiously to  meet  the  party,  and  conducted  tluni  to  a  large  te  it  in  the  vil- 
lage, where  all  the  inhabitants  gathered  round  to  vieAv,  v  ith  a  mixture 
of  fear  and  pleasure,  these  wondert'ul  strangers.  This  spa  ious  tent  waa 
the  residence  of  the  great  chief,  who  had  gone,  Avitli  all  the  warriors,  to 
attack  some  of  their  enemies  to  the  south-west,  leaving  but  a  few  men  to 
guard  the  women  and  children.     They  cntertaiiuMl  their  guests  with  a 


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160 


TRAVELS  OF  LEWIS  AND  CLARKE. 


sumptuous  feast ;  the  latter  returnctl  the  kinduoss  by  a  few  small  pres- 
ents, and  then  went  on  with  one  of  the  chiefs  to  a  pocond  village,  two 
miles  distant.  Here  tlie  party  was  treated  with  great  kindness,  and  passed 
the  night. 

The  inhabitants  of  tlieso  villages  called  themselves  Chopunnish,  or 
Pierced-nose.  The  chief  drew  a  chart  of  the  river,  and  explained  that 
a  greater  chief  than  himself,  who  governed  this  village,  and  was  called 
Twisted  Hair,  was  now  fishing  at  the  distance  of  half  a  day's  ride  down 
the  river.  Tlie  hunters  not  being  able  to  kill  any  thing.  Captain  Clarke 
bought  as  much  dried  salmon,  roots,  and  berries  as  he  could  obtain  with 
the  few  articles  he  chanced,  to  have  in  his  pockets,  and  having  sent 
them  back  to  Captain  Lewis,  he  went  on  toward  the  cam])  of  the  Twist- 
ed Hair.  Ho  arrived  at  midnight,  and  giving  him  a  medal  they  smoked 
together  till  one  o'clock.  The  chief  seemed  cheerful  and  sincere,  and 
on  the  next  day  he  accompanied  Captain  Clarke  back  to  the  village 
where  they  arrived  at  sunset ;  they  then  walked  up  to  the  second  vil- 
lage where  the  main  party  with  Captain  Lewis  liad  just  arrived.  Next 
morning,  the  23d,  the  chiefs  and  warriors  were  all  assembled,  and  Lewis 
and  Clarke  explained  to  them  whence  they  came,  the  objects  of  their 
visit,  and  their  pacific  intentions  toward  all  the  Indians.  This  was  con- 
veyed by  signs,  but  seemed  to  give  perfect  satisfliction.  They  then 
gave  medals  and  additional  presents  to  the  chiefs,  and  delivered  a  flag 
and  handkerchief  for  the  grand  chief  on  his  return.  They  purchasi'd  a 
quantity  of  lish,  berries,  and  roots,  and  in  the  afternoon  went  on  to  the 
second  village,  Avhcro  they  continued  their  purchases. 

On  the  i.'4th,  they  sent  back  Colter  in  search  of  horses  lost  in  the 
mountains,  and  having  collected  the  rest,  set  out  for  the  river  by  the 
route  already  passed  by  Captain  Clarke.  They  now  felt  the  conse- 
quences of  eating  heartily  after  their  late  j)rivations:  many  of  them 
Avere  taken  very  ill ;  Captain  Lewis  could  scarcely  sit  on  his  horse,  while 
others  had  to  bo  put  on  horseback,  and  some,  from  extreme  weakness 
and  pain,  were  forced  to  lie  down  by  the  road-side  for  some  time.  At 
sunset  they  reached  the  island  where  they  ha<l  first  met  the  Twisted 
Hair,  and  where  some  hunters  had  been  left  on  the  22d.  The  latter 
had  been  unsuccessful,  and  two  of  them  wore  sick.  Tlie  party  en- 
camped on  an  island  a  little  below,  and  adminifitered  to  the  sick. 


VOYAQK    DOWN    LEWIS    AND    COLUMBIA    RIVERS. 

Having  resolved  to  go  down  to  some  spot  suitable  for  building 
canoes,  they  set  out  early  on  the  '20th,  anil  encaniped  five  miles  below, 
opposite  the  forks  of  tlie  river.  liut  tlie  men  were  so  weak  that  several 
were  taken  siek  in  eoniing  <lown,  tlu;  weather  being  oppressively  liot. 
Next  <lay  they  pre|iared  to  make  five  canoes;  but  lew  of  tlio  men,  how- 
ever, were  able  to  work,  and  some  of  thom  were  taken  ill.     The  hunt- 


•ill 
>t. 

It- 


LEWIS    RIVER  — INDIAN    BATHS. 


161 


crs,  too,  returned  without  any  game,  antl  seriously  inilisposed,  so  that 
nearly  the  whole  party  was  ill.  Colter  rcturnctl  with  one  of  the  horses 
and  brought  half  a  deer,  wliich  was  very  nourishing  to  the  invalids.  At 
length  those  first  attacked  began  to  recover,  and  all  who  were  able  to 
work  were  busied  at  the  canoes.  Meanwhile  it  became  necessary  to  dis- 
pose of  the  horses.  They  were  therefore  collected  to  the  ninnl)er  of 
thirty-eight,  and  being  branded  and  marked,  were  delivered  to  three 
Indians,  the  brothers  and  son  of  a  chief  who  was  going  with  them  <l<nvn 
the  river,  wlio,  having  each  received  a  knife  and  some  small  articles, 
agreed  to  take  good  care  of  the  horses  till  the  return  of  the  expedition. 
The  saddles  were  buried  near  the  river,  and  with  them  a  canister  of 
powder  and  a  bag  of  balls. 

On  Jlonday,  the   7th  of  October,  the    canoes   were  lanched  nnd 
loaded,  the  oars  fixed,  and  every  preparation  made  for  setting  out,  but 
when  all  was  ready,  the  two  chiefs  who  had  promised  to  acconiiiany 
them  were  not  to  be  found,  and  at  the  same  time  they  n     sed  a  ])ipe- 
tomahawk.     They  therefore  proceeded  without  them.     Uelow  the  forks 
the  river  was  called  the  Kooskooskee ;  it  was  a  clear,  rapid  stream,  with 
a  number  of  shoals  and  difficult  places.     They  passed,  in  tlu'  course  of 
the  day,  ten  rapids,  in  descending  which  one  of  the  canoes  struck  a  rock 
and  sprung  a  leak.     Next  day,  as  they  were  passing  the  last  of  fitleen 
rapids,  which   they  had  been  fortunate  enough  to  escape,  one  of  the 
canoes  struck,  and  iunnediately  filled  and  sunk.     The  men,  several  of 
whom  could  not  swim,  clung  to  the  boat  till  a  canoe  could  be  unloaded, 
wlien   with  the  assistance  of  an  Indian  boat  they  were  all  brought  to 
shore.     All  the  goods  were  so  wet  that  they  had  to  halt  fjr  the  night, 
and  spread  them  out  to  dry.     The  old  Shoshoiiee  guide  with  his  son 
descrteil  them  on  the  9th,  and  was  seen  running  up  the  river,  without 
having  given  notice  of  his  design,  or  even  received  his  pay.     AN'ithont 
serious  accident  they  passed  many  rapids  below  and  reached  the  junction 
of  the  Kooskooskee  with  the  Li'wis,  on  the  evening  of  the  10th.     They 
stoppi'd  for  breakfast  next  morning  at  a  large  encampment  of  Indians  a 
few  miles  below,  where  they  traded  for  a  stock  of  provisions.     While 
the  traffic    was  going   on,  they  observed  a  vapor  bath,  diffirent  from 
those  they  ha<l   previoiisly  seen.     "  It  was  a  hollow  square  six  <ir  eight 
feet  deep,  formed  in  the  river  bank,  and  completely  covered,  excejtt  an 
opening  about  two  feet  wide  at  the  top.     The  bathers  descend  by  this 
ho|i>,  taking  with  them   a  number  of  jugs  of  water;  and,  arter  being 
seated  around  the   room,  throw  the  water  on  the  stones  until  the  steam 
becomes  of  a  temju'rature  sufficiently  high  fo    (heir  purposes.      Tho 
baths  of  the  Indians  of  the  I'ocky  Mountains  are  of  ditfereiit  sizes,  tho 
most  connnon  being  made  ofuuid  and  sticks  like  an  oven,  but  tin- mode 
of  raisiiii;  {]u'  steam  is  exactly  the  same.     Among  both  these  iiations  it 
19  very  uncommon   for  a  man  to  bathe  alone;  he  Is  geiu'rally  accom- 
panied by  one,  or  sonu'tinies  by  several  of  his  nc<piaintnnces;  indeed  it 
is  80  essentially  a  social  anmsement  that  to  decline  going  in  to  batho 

11 


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162 


TRAVELS  OF  LEWIS  AND  CLARKE. 


when  invitod  by  a  friend  is  one  of  the  liighost  hulignities  that  can  be 
ofl'eivd  him." 

In  Louis  liiver  tliey  likewise  cncoiuitered  frequent  rajiids,  "which 
sonietiuiL's  injured  their  boats,  and  endangered  their  safety.  In  descend- 
ing one  of  these  a  boat  was  driven  crosswise  against  a  rock  in  the  middle 
of  tlie  current.  The  crew  attempted  to  get  her  oft*  but  the  waves 
diislied  over  lier  and  slie  soon  filled.  They  got  out  on  tlie  rock  and 
held  her  above  water,  with  great  exertion,  until  another  canoe  was  un- 
loaded and  sent  to  her  rehef,  but  they  could  not  prevent  a  great  deal  of 
baggage  from  Hoating  down  the  stream.  As  soon  as  she  was  liglitened 
she  was  hin-ried  down  the  ciiannel,  leaving  the  crew  en  the  rock.  They 
were  bi'ought  oft'  by  the  rest  of  the  party,  and  the  canoe  itself  and 
nearly  all  that  had  been  washed  overboard,  was  recovered. 

On  the  lUtli  they  reached  the  Columbia,  and  halted  above  the  point 
of  junction  to  confer  with  the  Indians,  who  luid  collected  in  great  num- 
bers to  receive  them.  A  chief  who  had  i)a.ssed  them  on  horseback  a  few 
days  before,  and  who  a]»poared  to  be  a  man  of  inftuence,  harangued  the 
Indians  on  the  occasion.  After  smoking  with  the  latter,  they  formed 
a  camp  and  had  the  lires  prepared,  "  when  a  chief  came  from  the  Indian 
camp,  about  a  mile  and  a  (piarter  up  the  Columbia  Kiver,  at  the  head 
of  nearly  two  hundred  men.  They  formed  a  regular  proces.sion,  keeping 
thne  to  the  imise,  rather  than  music,  of  their  drums,  which  they  accom- 
panied with  their  voices.  As  they  advanced  they  formed  a  semicircle 
around  us,  and  continued  singing  for  some  time.  Wo  then  smoked  with 
ihem  all,  and  counuunicated,  as  well  as  we  could  by  signs,  oar  friendly 
intentions  toward  all  nations,  and  our  joy  at  iinding  ourselves  surrounded 
by  our  children.''  JMedals  and  presents  were  then  distributed,  as  usual, 
to  the  chiels.  "  Aft^er  they  had  dispersed,  we  proceeded  to  purcliaso 
provisions,  and  were  enabled  to  collect  seve  i  dogs,  to  which  some  of  the 
Iiulians  atlded  small  presents  of  fish,  and  o  le  of  them  gave  us  tw»'nty 
pounds  of  fat  dried  iu)rse-ftesh."  2\'e.\t  day  tlie_)  •.vere  occupieil  in  mak- 
ing the  necessary  observations  and  measuring  the  rivers.  During  this 
time,  the  principal  chief  came  down  with  several  of  his  Avarriors,  and 
suu)ked  Mith  the  jjarty.  They  were  also  visited  by  several  men  and 
women  wli<»  oft'cred  dogs  and  lish  for  sale,  but  as  the  lish  was  out  of 
season,  they  contented  themselves  with  purchasing  all  the  dogs  they 
could  obtain. 

These  Iiulians  called  themselves  Si)kulks.  In  ihiir  language,  as  well 
as  in  dress  and  general  appearance,  tluy  resemlthd  the  ('lioi»unnish  of 
the  Kcjoskooskee  ami  Lewis  liivers.  "  The  most  striking  iliilerence  be- 
tween tliem  is  among  the  females,  the  Sokulk  women  being  more  inclined 
to  corpulency  than  any  we  liave  yet  seen.  Their  stature  is  low,  their 
faces  l)road,  and  their  lieads  llaltened  in  such  a  manner  that  the  fore- 
liead  is  in  a  straiglit  lino  from  the  nose  to  the  crown  of  tlio  head. 
Their  eyes  arc  of  n  dirty  sable ;  tlieir  liair  is  coarse  and  black,  and 
braided  witliout  ornament  of  any  kind.     Instead  of  wearing,  as  do  tho 


4 


.'11 


1)0- 

L'ir 

re- 

lil. 

lid 


OLAEKE    SURPRISES    THE    INDIANS. 


163 


Chopurnlsli,  long  leathern  sliirts,  highly  deeorateil  with  heads  and  shells, 
the  Sokulk  females  have  no  other  covering  than  a  jtieee  of  leather 
drawTi  around  the  hii)s." 

In  the  course  of  the  day  Captain  Clarke  ascended  the  Columhia  a  fe\v 
miles  in  a  small  canoe.  Opposite  some  rapids,  live  miles  ahove,  lie  found 
a  fishing-place,  consisting  of  three  mat-liouses.  Here  were  great  quanti- 
ties of  salmon  drying  upon  scaffolds;  and,  indeed,  from  the  mouth  of  the 
river  upward  he  saw  immense  numbers  of  dead  salmon  strewed  along 
the  shore  or  floating  on  the  surface  of  the  river,  whose  waters  were  so 
clear  that  the  salmon  could  be  seen  swimming  in  it  at  the  dejith  of 
fifteen  or  twenty  feet.  The  Indians,  who  had  collected  on  the  banks  to 
view  him,  now  joined  liim  m  eighteen  canoes  and  accom])aiiied  him  up 
the  river. 

On  the  ISth  a  numerous  council  was  held  with  Indians  who  came  in  ; 
then,  having  com))leted  the  purposes  of  their  stay,  they  purcliascd  forty 
dogs  foi-  provisions  and  proceeded  down  the  river.     Coming  to  some 
dangerous  rapids  on  the  19th,  several  of  the  party  landed  to  lighten  the 
boats.     While  walking  ahead,  Ca]>tain  Clarke  ascended  a  clilF  alxtut 
two  hundred  feet  abo\e  the  water,  from  Avhich  he  saw  that  the  country 
on  both  sides  of  the  river,  immediately  below  the  olifls,  was  low,  and 
spread  itself  in  a  level  plain  to  a  great  distance  on  all  sides.     To  the 
west,  at  the  distance  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  was  a  very 
high  mountain  covered  with  snow,  which,  from  its  direction  and  appear- 
ance, he  suj))iosed  to  be  the  Mount  St.  Helen's  laid  down  by  Vancouver 
as  visible  from  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia.     There  was  also  another 
mountain  of  a  c<inical  form,  whose  top  was  covered  with  snow,  in  a  south- 
west direction.     As  Captain  Clarke  came  to  the  lower  end  of  the  rapid 
before  any  others,  e.vcept  one  of  the  small  canoes,  he  sat  down  on  a  rock 
to  wait  for  them,  and  seeing  a  crane  fly  across  the  river,  shot  it,  atid  it 
fell  near  him.     Several  Indians  liad  been  lieforc  this  passing  on  the  oji- 
pnsite  side  toward  the  rapids,  and  some  few  who  passed  nearly  in  front 
of  liim,  being  cither  alarmed  at  his  appearance  fM'  the  report  of  the  gun, 
tied  to  their  houses.     Captain  Clarke  was  afraid  that  these  people  had 
not  yet  heard  that  the  white  men  were  coming,  and  therefore,  in  order 
to  allay  their  uneasiiu'ss  before  the  wh(»le  party  should  arrive,  lie  got 
into  the  small  canoe  with  three  men,  and  rc)Wi'(l  over  toward  the  houses. 
While  crossing,  he  shot  a  duck,  which  fell   into  the  water.     As  he  ap- 
l)r(,ached,  no  person  was  to  be  seen  cxcejit  three  men  on  the  plains,  and 
they  too  fled  as  lu;  canu'  near  the  shore.     He  landed  bi'Ibre  five  houses 
dose  to  each  other,  but  no  one  appeared,  and  (he  doors,  which  were  of 
mat,  were   cl<ised.     He  went  toward  one  of  them  with  a  pipe  in  his 
liand,  and   pushing  aside  the  mat,  enteretl  the  lodge,  where  lie  found 
tliirty-two  persons,  chiefly  men  and  women,  with  a  ihw  children,  all  in 
the  greatest    consternation  ;    some  hanging  down  their  heads,  otlieru 
crying  and  wringing  their  hands.     He  went  up  to  them  all  and  shook 
hands  with  them  in  the  most  frieiuUy  manner ;  but  their  apprehensions, 


.1 :' 


III 


It';.  ■: 

,!  ; 


I  H  1 


11:1 


In 


1 

i 

1 

;     ll 

i 

1 

i 

164 


TRAVELS  OF  LEWIS  AND  CLARKE. 


Avhicli  huil  tor  fv  moment  subsiiled,  revived  on  his  talcing  out  a  burn- 
ing-glass, as  there  -was  no  roof  to  the  house,  and  lighting  his  ])ii)e.  lie 
then  ofU-red  it  to  several  of  the  men,  and  distributed  among  the  women 
and  ehildren  a  fe\v  small  trinkets  which  he  carried  about  with  him,  and 
gradually  restored  some  tranquillity  among  them.  He  then  lell  this 
house,  and  directing  each  of  the  men  to  go  into  a  house,  Avent  himself 
into  a  second.  Here  he  found  the  inhabitants  more  terrified  than  those 
he  had  first  seen,  but  he  succeeded  in  pacifying  them,  and  then  visited 
the  other  houses,  where  the  men  had  been  equally  successful. 

After  leaving  the  houses  he  went  out  to  sit  on  a.  rock,  and  beckoned 
to  some  of  the  men  to  come  and  smoke  with  him  ;  but  none  of  them 
ventured  to  join  him  till  the  canoes  arrived  with  the  two  chiefs,  who  im- 
mediately explained  to  them  the  paciiic  intentions  of  the  strangers.  Soon 
afterward  the  interpreter's  wife  landed,  and  her  presence  dissipated  all 
doubts,  since  in  that  country  no  woman  ever  accompanies  a  war-party; 
they  therefore  all  came  out  and  seemed  perfectly  reconciled.  They  told 
the  two  chiefs  that  they  knew  the  strangers  were  not  men,  for  they  had 
seen  them  fall  from  the  clouds.  In  fact,  iuq)crceived  by  them.  Captain 
Clarke  had  shot  the  white  crane,  which  they  had  seen  fall  just  before  ho 
appeared  to  their  eyes.  The  duck  which  he  had  killed  also  tell  close  by 
him,  and  as  there  were  a  few  clouds  thing  over  at  the  moment,  they 
connected  the  fall  of  the  birds  with  his  sudden  ajjpearance,  and  believed 
that  he  had  himsi'lf  dropped  from  the  clouds  ;  the  noise  of  the  riHe,  which 
they  had  never  heard  before,  being  considered  merely  as  a  sound  to  an- 
nounce so  extraordinary  an  event.  This  belief  was  strengthened  when 
on  entering  the  room  he  brought  down  fire  from  the  heavens  by  means 
of  his  burning-glass.  They  were  so(m  satisfiictorily  convinced  Miat  the 
strangers  were  only  mortals,  and  after  one  of  the  chiefs  had  explained 
their  history  and  objects,  they  all  smoked  together  in  great  harmony. 

On  the  L'2d  they  came  to  the  Great  Falls  of  the  Columbia,  at  the 
head  of  which  they  unloaded  all  the  canoes  ami  took  the  l)aggage  over 
by  land  to  the  foot  of  the  rajuds.  In  this  transportation  they  Avero 
greatly  assistetl  by  the  Indians  living  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  who  car- 
ried some  of  the  heavy  articles  on  their  horses.  For  their  services,  how- 
ever, they  repaitl  themselves  so  adroitly  that  the  travelers  had  to  secure 
the  camp  against  their  jiilfering.  Next  day  they  brought  down  their 
canoes  by  the  plan  adopted  by  the  Indians.  Crossing  the  river,  they 
hauled  them  over  a  point  of  land  on  the  south  side,  so  as  to  avoiil  a  per- 
pendicular fill!  of  twenty  feet.  At  the  distance  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
tliey  reached  (he  wati'r  and  embarked.  Having  thus  desce?  '  "1  for  a 
mile,  they  reached  a  pitch  of  the  river,  which,  divided  by  two  la  go  rocks, 
descends  with  great  rapidity  down  a  fall  of  eight  fi'ct.  As  the  boats 
could  not  be  naviixated  down  this  steel)  descent,  thev  Avere  oblijfed  to 
land  and  let  tlutn  down  as  slowly  as  jjossible  by  strong  ropes  of  elk-skin. 
Tliey  all  passed  in  safety  ex<'ept  one,  which  being  loosed  by  the  breaking 
of  the  ropes,  Avas  swept  down,  but  was  recovered  by  the  Indians  below. 


4 


TUE    PALLS    OF    THE    COLUMBIA. 


165 


Tlicy  wore  visited  that  day  by  a  grout  nuiubor  of  Indians,  both  from 
above  and  l)olow  the  falls,  and  toward  evening  they  wore  informed  by 
one  of  the  chiefs  who  accompanied  them,  that  he  had  overheard  that  the 
Indians  below  intended  to  attack  the  party  as  it  passed  down  the  river. 
Being  always  ready  for  any  attempt  of  that  sort,  they  only  re-examined 
their  arms  atid  increased  the  ammunition  to  one  hundred  rounds.  Tlie 
chiefs,  liowcver,  were  not  so  much  at  case,  and  when  at  night  thoy  saw 
the  Indians  depart  earlier  than  usual,  they  were  very  much  alarmed. 
Next  morning  the  Indians  approached  with  ajtparont  caution,  and  be- 
haved with  more  th.an  usual  reserve.  The  two  chiefs,  by  whom  those 
circumstances  were  not  unobserved,  now  expressed  their  wish  to  return 
home,  saying  that  they  could  no  longer  be  of  any  service,  and  tliat  thoy 
could  not  imdcrstand  the  language  of  the  i)ooi)le  below  the  Falls  ;  that 
the  two  tribes  had  been  at  war  with  each  other,  and  the  Indians  would 
certainly  kill  them.  "  We  endeavored  to  quiet  their  fears,  and  rocjuostcd 
them  to  stay  two  nights  longer,  in  which  time  we  would  see  the  Indians 
below  and  make  a  peace  between  the  two  nations.  They  replied  that 
they  were  anxious  to  return  and  see  their  horses;  we  insisted  on  their 
remaining  Avith  us,  not  only  in  hopes  of  bringing  about  an  aooonunoda- 
tion  between  them  and  their  enemies,  but  because  they  might  be  able  to 
detect  any  hostile  designs  against  us,  and  also  assist  us  in  passing  tlie 
next  falls,  which  are  not  far  off,  and  represented  as  very  difhcult.  They 
at  length  consented  to  stay  two  nights  longer." 

Three  miles  below,  the  rivor  widens  into  a  largo  1)asin,  at  tlie  extremity 
of  which  a  high  black  rork,  rising  perpendicularly  from  the  right  shore, 
seonied  to  run  wholly  across  the  rivor.  So  totally  did  it  appear  to  stop 
the  passage,  that  as  they  api)roachod  they  could  not  see  whore  the  rivor 
escaped,  except  that  the  current  was  drawn  with  more  than  usual  veloc- 
ity to  the  loft  of  the  rock,  where  there  was  a  great  roaring.  Climbing 
the  rock,  they  saw  that  the  whole  river  swept  through  a  chaimel  of 
forty-five  yards  wide,  in  which  the  water  was  thrown  into  whirls,  and 
swelled  and  boiled  in  every  part  with  tlie  wildest  agitation.  IJtit  as  it 
was  impossible  to  carry  the  boats  over  this  high  rock,  and  as  the  chief 
danger  was  not  from  rocks,  but  from  great  waves  and  w  hirlpools,  thoy 
resolved  to  try  the  i)assage  in  the  boats.  With  great  care  thoy  passed 
aufoly  through,  much  to  the  astonishment  of  the  Indians  who  had  col- 
lected on  the  top  of  the  rock  to  see  them.  This  narrow  j)assage  contin- 
ued for  half  a  mile,  Avlien  the  rivi'r  agahi  onlargod  to  the  width  of  two 
hundred  yards.  I'resently  thoy  came  to  other  rajtids,  whii-h  looked  so 
uiii)i()niising  that  tliey  unloaded  the  most  valuable  articles  and  sent  them 
down  by  land,  with  all  tlie  men  who  could  not  swim.  They  descended 
ill  safely,  and  encamped  in  the  evening,  two  miles  below,  near  an  Indian 
village  at  the  second  falls.  The  inhabitants  receive* i  them  with  great 
kiiiiliiess,  visits  wore  exchanged,  and  an  apparent  reconciliation  was  ef- 
fected between  them  and  the  two  chiefs  who  accompanied  the  expedi- 
tion. 


L. 


if 


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I        I     !l 


til 


166 


TRAVELS    OF    LEWIS    AND    CLARKE. 


The  IrKlimis  represented  the  luvrrows  :is  most  dangerous ;  Lut  as  tlio 
portage  of  the  hirgo  canoes  was  impracticable,  they  sent  some  of  the 
party  forward  next  morning  with  the  best  stores,  lixed  others  on  the 
rocks  to  assist  with  ropes  the  canoes  that  might  meet  Avith  any  difficulty, 
and  begati  the  descent,  in  the  presence  of  great  numbers  of  Indians, 
wlio  had  collected  to  witness  the  exploit.  Tlie  channel  for  three  miles 
was  worn  through  a  hard,  rough  black  rock  from  fifty  to  a  hundred 
yards  Avide,  in  which  the  Avater  swells  and  boils  in  a  tremendous  manner. 
At  half  a  mile  they  got  through  the  worst  without  serious  accident,  then 
reloading  the  canoes  they  passed  down  the  remainder  of  the  channel 
very  well,  except  that  one  of  the  boats  was  nearly  lost  by  striking  against 
a  rock.  The  Indians  designate  these  foils  by  the  word  Tlmm,  which 
they  ijronounco  so  as  to  make  it  represent  the  sound  of  a  distant  catar- 
act. Below  the  ciiannel  they  landed  to  smoke  with  a  chief  whom  they 
saw,  Avho  had  been  absent  when  they  passed  his  village  above.  He  was 
a  bold-looking  man,  of  pleasing  appearance,  about  fifty  years  of  age,  and 
dressed  in  a  war-jacket,  a  caj),  leggings,  and  moccashis.  They  presented 
him  Avith  a  medal  and  other  small  articles,  and  he  gave  them  some  meat, 
of  Avhich  he  had  but  little  ;  for  on  his  route  he  had  had  a  battle  AA'ith  a 
AA'ar  party  of  the  ToAvahnahiooks.  Hero  they  met  Avith  their  old  chiefs, 
who  had  Avalked  on  to  the  village  beloAv,  to  smoke  a  ])ii)e  of  friendship 
on  the  renewal  of  peace.  These  chiefs  had  each  brought  a  horse,  intend- 
ing to  go  homo,  and  noAV  the  travelers  smoked  a  parting  pipe  Avith  their 
two  faithful  friends,  Avho  liad  accompanied  them  from  the  head  of  the 
river. 

They  encamped  that  evening,  the  25th,  on  a  liigh  rock,  Avhcre  they 
remained  two  days  to  make  observations,  to  dry  their  Avet  cargoes,  and 
to  hold  conferences  Avith  the  Indians.  Six  men  AA'erc  sent  out  to  collect 
rosin  to  j)itch  the  canoes,  Avhich,  by  being  frequently  hauled  oA'cr  rocks, 
had  become  leaky.  Many  Indians  came  ;  some,  from  hunting  excursions, 
brought  j)resents  of  deer's  llesh  ami  small  Avhite  cakes  nuxde  of  roots. 
LcAvis  and  Clarke  bestoAved  the  usual  medals  and  presents,  and  being 
anxious  to  insure  a  friendly  reception  on  their  return,  treated  them  Avith 
great  kindness.  These  attentions  Avere  not  losi  on  the  Indians,  Avho 
appeared  Avell  pleased  Avith  them.  At  night  a  lire  Avas  made  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  camp,  and  as  the  Indians  sat  round  it,  the  men  danced  to  tho 
music  of  the  violin,  Avhich  so  delighted  them  that  several  resolved  to 
remain  all  night ;  the  rest  crossed  the  river.  Having  dried  their  gooda 
they  set  out  on  the  28th,  and  on  the  day  folloAving  stopped  at  the  resi- 
dence of  the  principal  chief  of  the  (JhilluckittequaAV  nation,  Avho  inhab- 
ited this  region.  He  proved  to  be  the  same  Avith  Avhom  the  tAvo  chiefs 
had  made  peace  at  the  village  above.  After  the  exchange  of  presents 
the  chief  showed  them  some  curiosities,  and  then  directed  his  Avife  to 
hand  him  liis  medicine-bag,  from  Avliich  he  brought  out  fourteen  fore- 
fingers, Avhich  he  said  had  once  belonged  to  the  sanu'  mnnber  of  his 
enemies,  whom  he  had  killed  in  fighting  Avith  the  nations  to  the  south- 


...J 


FIRST    VIEW    OF    THE    PACIFIC 


167 


^ 


L 


east.  This  bag  was  about  two  feet  in  length,  containing  roots,  pounded 
dirt,  etc.,  which  the  Indians  only  know  how  to  appreciate.  It  is  sus- 
pended in  the  middle  of  the  lodge,  and  it  is  supposed  to  be  a  si)ecies  of 
sacrilege  to  be  touclicd  by  any  but  the  owner.  It  is  an  object  of  relig- 
ious fear,  and  it  is,  from  its  sanctity,  the  safest  place  to  deposit  their 
medals  and  more  valuable  articles. 

By  the  last  of  October  they  reached  the  Lower  Falls  of  the  'olumbia, 
where  they  held  a  conference  with  the  Indians  who  came  :  from  a 
neigld)oring  village,  and  then  made  preparations  for  a  portage  on  the 
1st  of  Xovember.  They  then  carried  their  small  canoe  and  all  the 
baggage  across  the  slij)pery  rocks  to  the  foot  of  the  shoot,  after  which 
the  four  large  canoes  were  brought  down  by  slipj)ing  them  along  pf)les, 
])laced  from  one  rock  to  another,  and  in  some  places  by  partially  using 
streams  that  escaped  alongside  the  river.  Three  of  them,  however,  Avere 
so  injured  that  the  men  were  obliged  to  stop  at  the  end  of  the  shoot  to 
repair  them.  A  mile  and  a  half  below,  they  passed  another  bad  rapid, 
and  so  ditliciilt  was  the  navigation  of  this  day,  that  when  they  encamped 
for  the  night  they  had  made  but  seven  miles  from  the  head  of  the  shoot. 
In  the  morning  they  found  it  necessary  to  imload  once  more,  anil  send 
tlie  liaggage,  with  those  who  could  not  swim,  around  a  dangerous  rapid. 
Tills  was  the  last  descent  of  the  Columbia ;  below  it  they  came  to  tide- 
water, and  the  river  began  to  grow  wide. 

In  passing  along  they  frecjuently  met  Indians  ascending  the  river  in 
canoes ;  some  of  these  canoes  bore  the  figure  of  a  bear  in  the  bow,  and 
that  of  a  man  in  the  stern,  both  made  of  painted  wood  and  nearly  as 
large  as  life.  They  also  held  continual  intercourse  with  the  natives  on 
the  shore,  who  were  usually  kind  and  friendly,  but  occasionally  mani- 
fested a  disposition  to  pilfer.  Tiiey  encountered  much  rainy  wciither  in 
the  lower  stages  of  their  journey,,  so  that  their  clothing  was  continually 
wet,  and  the  baggage  much  injured.  On  the  7th,  they  stopped  to  ]iur- 
chase  some  food  and  beaver  skins  at  a  village  situated  at  the  foot  of  the 
high  hills  on  the  right,  1)ehind  two  small  islands.  "  Opposite  to  these 
islands  the  hills  on  the  letl  retire,  and  the  river  widens  into  .1  kind  of 
bay  crowded  with  islands.  "We  had  not  gone  far  from  this  village  when 
the  fog  cleared  off,  and  we  enjoyed  the  deli'^htful  prospect  of  theoceaii: 
that  ocean,  the  object  of  all  our  labors,  th(  reward  of  all  our  anxieties. 
Tliis  cheering  view  exhilarated  the  spirits  of  all  the  ]>arty,  who  were 
still  more  delighted  on  hearing  the  distant  roar  of  the  breakers."  They 
went  on  with  great  cheerfulness,  but  the  shore  was  so  bold  and  rocky  on 
the  right  that  they  could  find  no  spot  fit  for  an  encamjnnent,  and  after 
having  gone  thirty-four  miles  during  the  day,  they  s))read  their  mats  on 
the  ground  and  jiassed  the  night  in  the  rain.  It  rained  in  the  morning; 
having  changed  their  wet  clothing  of  the  day  before,  they  set  forward 
at  a  lute  hoiu",  but  when  they  had  reached  a  point  eight  miles  in  ad- 
vance, the  Avaves  ran  so  high,  and  dashed  the  canoes  about  so  much  that 
several  of  the  men  became  sea-sick,  and  they  were  compelled  to  land. 


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TRAVELS  OF  LEWIS  AND  CLARKE, 


The  situation  was  extremely  imcomfortaLle,  the  high  Iiills  jutted  in  so 
closely  tliat  thca-e  was  not  room  to  lie  level,  nor  to  secure  their  baggage 
free  from  the  tide,  but  the  waves  were  increasing  at  every  moment  so 
much  that  they  could  not  move  from  the  spot  in  safety.  They  therefore 
fixed  themselves  on  the  beach  left,  by  the  ebb-tide,  and  having  raised  the 
baggage  on  poles,  si)ent  a  disagreeable  night.  It  rained  the  whole  of 
the  next  day ;  the  tide  set  in,  accompanied  by  a  high  wind  from  the 
south,  which  shifted  and  blew  almost  a  gale  from  the  sea.  The  im- 
men.se  waves  now  broke  over  the  place  where  they  were  encamped,  and 
the  large  trees,  some  of  them  five  or  six  feet  thick,  which  had  lodged  at 
the  i)oint,  were  drifted  over  their  camp,  and  the  utmost  vigilance  of 
every  man  could  scarcely  save  the  canoes  from  bemg  crushed  to  pieces. 
They  romauied  iu  the  water,  and  drenched  Avith  rain  during  the  rest  of 
the  day ;  their  only  food  being  some  dried  fish,  and  some  rain-water, 
which  they  caught.  Yet,  though  wet  and  cold,  and  some  of  them  sick 
fro'u  udng  the  salt-water,  the  men  were  still  cheerful  and  full  of  anxiety 
to  see  more  of  the  ocean. 

On  the  10th  they  were  enabled  to  proceed,  but  at  the  distance  of 
ten  miles  the  wind  arose,  and  the  heavy  sea  forced  them  to  seek  a  place 
of  safety.  They  made  another  attempt  when  the  tide  fell,  but  were 
obliged  to  jnit  to  shore  a  mile  below.  They  eucamjied  on  souu  drift- 
logs,  with  the  hills  rising  steep  above  their  heads  to  the  height  of  five 
hundred  feet.  Every  thing  was  thoroughly  wet  with  the  rain,  which 
did  not  cease  during  the  night,  in  the  course  of  which  the  tide  reached 
the  logs,  and  set  them  afloat.  Next  day  the  wind  was  still  high,  and 
drove  the  waves  against  the  shore  with  great  fury ;  the  ruin,  too,  fell  in 
torrents,  and  not  only  drenched  them  to  the  skin,  but  loosened  the  stones 
on  the  hill-sides,  Mhich  then  came  rolling  down  upon  them.  In  this 
comfortless  situation  they  remained  all  day,  Avith  nothing  but  dried  fish 
to  satisfy  tiieir  hunger ;  the  canoes  in  one  place  at  the  mercy  of  the 
waves ;  the  baggage  in  another ;  and  all  the  men  scattered  on  floating 
logs,  or  sheltering  themselves  in  the  crevices  of  the  rocks,  and  hill-sides. 
At  three  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  12th,  a  tremendous  gale  of  wind 
arose  accompanied  Avith  lightning,  thunder,  and  hail.  In  a  fcAV  hours  it 
abated,  but  a  violent  rain  soon  began,  and  lasted  all  day.  Their  situa- 
ti(jn  now  became  much  more  dangerous,  for  the  Avaves  Avere  driven  with 
fiuv  against  the  rocks  and  trees  Avhich  till  noAV  had  aftbrded  them  a 
refuge;  they  tlierelbre  took  advantage  of  the  Ioav  tide  and  moved  half 
a  mile  to  the  mouth  of  a  small  brook  Avhich  had  been  hidden  by  the 
buslus  and  drift-Avood.  Here  they  Avere  safer,  if  not  more  comfortable. 
On  the  14th,  three  men  Avere  sent  to  try  if  they  could  double  the  point 
and  find  some  safer  harbor.  One  of  them  returned  next  day  A\i'b  in- 
formation that  at  no  great  distance  there  was  a  beautiful  sand-beach, 
and  a  good  harbor.  Captain  Lewis  then  set  out  to  examine  more  mi- 
nutely the  loAver  part  of  the  1»ay.  On  the  15th  the  Aveather  Avas  foir,  and 
enabled  them  to  dry  their  bedding  and  examhie  then-  baggage.     The 


I 


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THE    MOUTH    OP    THE    COLUMBIA. 


169 


rain,  which  liatl  contiimt'd  for  the  last  ten  ilays  witliout  an  interval  of 
more  than  two  hours,  Jiatl  coini)letely  wet  all  their  nierchandisie,  and 
spoiled  some  of  theii'  fish,  destroyed  the  robes,  and  rotted  nearly  one 
half  of  their  few  remaining  articles  of  clothing,  jiarticularly  the  leather 
dresses.  About  three  o'clock  the  wind  fell,  and  they  instantly  loaded 
the  canoes,  and  left  the  miserable  spot  to  which  they  had  been  confined 
the  last  six  days. 

At  the  sand-beach  below,  they  met  Shannon,  who  had  been  sent  back 
by  Captain  Lewis  to  meet  them.  The  day  Shannon  had  set  out  in  his 
canoe,  he  and  his  comrade  went  on  till  they  met  a  jiarty  of  twelve  In- 
dians, who,  having  never  heard  of  the  expedition,  did  not  know  where 
the}  came  from;  they,  however,  behaved  Avitli  so  much  civility,  and 
seenud  so  anxious  that  the  men  slvuld  go  with  them  toward  the  sea, 
that  their  suspicions  were  excitcil,  and  they  declined  going  on.  The 
Indians,  however,  would  not  leave  them,  and  the  men  being  confirmed 
in  then-  suspicions,  and  fearful  that  if  they  went  into  the  woods  to  sleep, 
they  woiild  be  cut  to  pieces  in  the  night,  thought  it  best  to  remain 
in  the  midst  of  the  Indians ;  they  therefore  made  a  fire,  and  after 
talking  with  them  to  a  late  hour,  lay  down  with  their  rifles  under  their 
heads.  On  awaking  in  the  morning  they  found  the  Indians  had  stolen 
and  hidden  their  guns.  Having  demanded  them  m  vain.  Shannon  seized 
a  club  and  was  about  assaulting  one  of  the  Indians  whom  he  suspected 
of  being  the  thief,  when  another  Indian  began  to  load  a  fowling-piece 
with  the  intention  of  shooting  him.  He  therefore  stopped,  and  explained 
by  signs  that  if  they  did  not  give  up  the  guns,  a  large  ])arty  would 
come  down  the  river  before  the  sun  rose  to  such  a  height,  and  put 
every  one  of  thciu  to  death.  Fortunately  Captain  Lewis  and  his  party 
appeared  at  this  time  and  the  terrified  Indians  immediately  brought 


the 


guns. 


WINTEH    ON"    THE    PACIFIC   COAST. 


"  Saturclnj,  Xovember  16. — The  moniing  was  clear  and  beautiful. 
We  therefore  put  out  all  our  baggage  to  dry,  and  sent  several  of  the 
party  to  hunt.  Our  camp  is  in  full  view  of  the  ocean,  on  the  bay  laid 
down  by  Vancouver,  Avhich  was  distinguished  by  the  name  of  Haley's 
Bay,  from  a  tr:i  ler  who  visits  the  Indians  lur'-,  and  is  a  great  favorite 
among  them."  Captain  Lewis  returned  on  the  1  Vlh,  after  having  coasted 
down  Haley's  Bay  to  Cape  l)isa])pointment,  aiul  some  distance  to  the 
north  along  the  sea-coast.  Ho  was  followed  by  several  Chinnooks, 
amcjng  whom  were  the  principal  chief  .and  his  family,  "They  made  ug 
a  present  of  a  boiled  root,  very  much  like  the  common  liquorice  in  taste 
and  size,  called  culu'Iiamo;  in  return,  we  gave  double  the  value  of  their 
l»resent,  and  now  learned  the  d.anger  of  accepting  any  thing  from  them, 
since  no  return,  even  if  ten  times  the  value  of  their  gift,  can  satisfy 


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170 


TRAVELS    OF    LEWIS    AND    CLARKE. 


tliom."  Captiiin  Clarke  aftorwiml  travolod  l)y  hwl  irountl  Ihe  coast, 
and  cliinbt'd  Cape  Disa]iiiointmt'iit.  This  is  a  cin  u. .  knob,  rising,  v.ith 
a  stec'i)  ascL'nt,  one  liundri'd  and  fifty  foct  above  the  .  -m  r,  !i,.d  t  onnected 
to  the  main  land  by  a  neck  of  low  ground,  two  or  tluec  hundred  yards 
Avide. 

lie  returned  to  the  camp  on  the  20th,  and  found  a  number  of  Chin- 
nooks,  with  whom  they  lield  a  ooimeil.  Xext  day  they  were  visited  liy 
various  bands  of  the  neighborhood,  and  a  eliief  from  tlie  (Irand  Kapids, 
Avitli  whom  tliey  exchanged  articles  of  trade.  Afler  these  Indians  Avere 
gone  tliey  were  surprised  at  a  visit  of  a  ditterent  kind  :  "An  old  woman, 
the  wife  of  a  Chinnook  chief,  came  with  six  young  women,  her  dauglit- 
ers  and  nieces,  and  having  deliberately  encamped  near  xis,  proceeded  to 
cultivate  an  intimacy  between  our  men  .and  her  fair  Avards." 

Having  examhied  the  coast,  it  became  necessary  to  decide  on  the  spot 
for  their  Avinter  quarters.  As  they  Avould  have  to  rely  chiefly  on  their 
arms  ibr  suV)sistence,  they  Avere  guided  in  their  choice  by  the  abundance 
of  game  Avhich  .any  particular  jdace  might  otler.  The  Indians  said  the 
country  on  the  ojiposite  side  of  the  l)ay  Avas  better  sujjplied  Avith  elk, 
•an  animal  larger  and  more  easilj-  killed  than  the  deer,  the  latter  being 
most  numerous  at  some  distance  up  the  river.  The  climate  here  Avas 
milder  than  above  the  first  range  of  mountains;  the  Indians  Avent  thinly 
clad,  and  said  they  had  but  little  snr>AV.  The  Aveather  had  indeed  been 
very  Avarm  since  their  arrival,  sometimes  disagreeably  so  ;  .ami  dressed, 
as  they  Avere,  altogether  in  leather,  the  cold  Avould  be  very  impleasant, 
if  not  injurious.  The  neighborhood  of  the  sea  Avas  further  recommended 
by  the  facility  of  su])plyiiig  themselves  Avith  salt,  and  the  hope  of  meet- 
ing some  of  the  trading  vessels,  Avhich  might  be  expected  in  .about  three 
months,  and  from  Avhich  they  might  secure  a  fresh  sui)j)ly  of  trinkets 
for  their  route  homeward.  These  considerations  induced  them  to  visit 
the  opposite  side  of  the  bay  ;  and  if  there  Avas  an  ai)pearance  of  much 
game,  to  establish  themselves  there  during  the  Avinter.  Accordingly,  on 
the  25th  they  left;  their  place  of  encampment,  but  the  Avind  being  too 
high  they  kept  along  near  the  shore  toward  their  former  camp,  and  on 
the  following  day  crossed  oAcr  to  the  south  side  of  the  Columbia.  After 
going  a  few  miles  along  the  shore  they  entered  a  chamiel  Avhich  separates 
the  main  land  from  a  large,  Ioav  island,  and  stopped  at  a  village  of  the 
Cathlamah  tribe.  Here  they  procured  some  elk  meat,  and  .after  dining 
on  fresh  fish  and  roots,  AAdiich  they  bought  at  an  enormous  price,  they 
coasted  along  the  rix'er  tow.ard  the  south.  On  the  27th  they  encamped 
on  a  pebbly  beach,  connecting  Avith  the  main  land  a  remarkable  peninsular 
knob,  AA-hich  they  called  Point  "William.  For  a  Aveek  ]iast  the  Aveather  had 
been  almost  incessantly  Avet,  and  it  had  rained  hard  the  Avholc  of  this 
day ;  "  it  continued  all  night,  and  in  the  morning  began  more  violently, 
.attended  Avith  a  high  Avind  from  the  south-Avest.  It  Avas  now  impossible 
to  proceed  on  so  rough  a  sea.  We  therefore  sent  several  men  to  hunt, 
and  the  rest  of  us  remained  during  the  day  in  a  situation  the  most  cheer- 


:  I  ;.,..!    , 


THEY    ENCAMP    FOR   THE    WINTER. 


171 


less  and  uncomfortaljle.  On  this  little  nock  of  hind  wo  wore  oxposod, 
with  a  niisorable  covering  which  did  not  deserve  the  name  of  shelter,  to 
the  violence  of  the  winds ;  all  our  bedding  and  stores,  as  well  as  our 
bodies,  were  eonipletely  wet,  our  clothes  rotting  Avith  constant  exposure, 
and  no  food  except  the  dried  fish  brought  from  the  Falls,  to  which  wc 
were  again  reduced.  The  hunters  all  ri'turned  hungry  and  drencluMl 
with  rain,  havhig  seen  neither  deer  nor  elk,  and  the  swan  and  brant  too 
shy  to  be  approachi'd.  At  noon  the  wind  shifted  to  the  north-west  and 
blew  with  such  tremendous  fury  that  many  trees  were  blown  down 
near  us." 

The  disagreeable  diet  of  pounded  fish  and  salt  water  occasioned  so 
much  sickness  among  the  men  that  it  became  absolutely  necessary  to 
vary  it.  Cai)tain  Lewis  took  a  canoe  on  the  29th,  and  went  down  the 
bay  with  five  men,  to  hunt  elk,  and  other  parties  went  out  l)y  land.  On 
the  ;3d  of  Uecember  an  elk  was  brought  into  camp,  the  first  thoy  had 
killed  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  atl:er  their  meager  fare  it  formed 
a  niost  nourishing  food.  In  the  afternoon  of  the  Gth  thoy  were  rejoiced 
at  the  return  of  Captain  Levis,  for  whose;  safety  they  had  begun  to  bo 
very  uneasy.  lie  came  in  a  canoe  with  three  of  his  men,  the  other  two 
being  lefl  to  guard  six  elk  and  five  deer  which  the;,  liad  killed.  lie  had 
examined  the  coast,  and  found  a  river  a  short  distance  below,  on  which 
they  might  encamp  during  the  winter,  with  a  sufliciency  of  elk  for  their 
subsistence  m  ithin  reach.  This  uiformalion  was  very  satisfactory,  and 
they  decided  on  going  thither  as  soon  as  they  could  move  from  the  point. 
This  they  were  enabled  to  do  on  the  Tth,  although  the  tide  was  against 
them  and  the  waves  still  very  high.  On  reaching  the  south  side  of 
Meriwether's  Bay,  which  they  named  from  Captain  Lewis,  they  ascended 
the  river  Netul  ibr  three  miles,  to  the  first  point  of  liighland  on  its 
western  bank,  and  ibrmed  their  camp  in  a  thick  grove  of  lotly  pines, 
about  two  hundred  yards  from  the  water,  and  thirty  foot  above  the  level 
of  the  high  tides.  Tins  seemetl  the  most  eligible  spot  for  their  winter 
establishment.  In  order,  therefore,  to  find  a  place  for  making  salt,  and 
to  examine  the  country  further.  Captain  Clarke  sot  out  with  five  men, 
taking  a  south-western  course  through  thick  \m\c  forests  and  much 
swampy  land,  toward  the  sea.  For  shelter  the  first  night  they  stretched 
the  skin  of  an  elk  they  had  killed,  but  rose  in  the  morning  perfectly  wet 
Avith  the  rain.  Proceeding  westward,  they  had  much  difficulty  in  mak- 
ing their  way  over  streams  and  svamps,  and  at  length  met  Avith  three 
Indians,  Avho  invited  them  to  their  village  on  the  sea-coast.  They  Avent 
thither,  and  Captain  Clarke  was  received  Avithmnch  attention.  As  soon 
as  he  entered,  clean  mats  Avere  spread,  and  fish,  berries,  and  roots  set 
before  him  on  small,  neat  platters  of  rushes.  After  he  had  eaten,  the 
men  of  the  other  houses  came  and  smoked  Avith  him.  They  all  appeared 
much  neater  in  their  persons  and  diet  than  Indians  generally  are,  and 
frequently  Avashed  their  hands  and  faces,  a  ceremony  by  no  means  fre- 
quent elsoAvhere. 


II 


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172 


TRAVELS    OP    LEWIS    AND    CLARKE. 


As  the  cajitain  was  walking  on  the  shore  next  day,  one  of  the  Indians 
askt'il  hiin  to  .shoot  a  cluck  about  thirty  stops  distant.  He  did  so,  and 
liaviiig  accidentally  shot  off  its  head,  the  bird  was  brought  to  the  village 
by  the  Indians,  all  of  whom  came  round  in  astonishment.  They  exam- 
ined ihe  thick,  the  nuisket,  and  the  very  small  bullet,  and  then  exclaimed : 
"  Cloitch  7nu{<h(,  irdK'c,  conimatax  musktV  ("A  good  musket,  do  not 
imderstand  this  kind  of  musket").  They  now  placed  before  him  their 
best  roots,  fish,  and  syrup,  after  whicli  he  made  a  few  purchases  and  re- 
turned to  the  camp  through  a  heavy  rain.  The  whole  party  had  been 
occujiicd  during  his  absence  in  cutting  down  trees  to  make  huts,  and  iu 
hunting. 

On  the  11th  of  December  Captain  Clarke  says:  "The  rain  cotitinued 
last  night  and  the  whole  of  this  day.  We  were,  however,  all  employed 
in  jMitting  uj>  our  Avinter  cabhis,  which  we  are  anxious  to  finish,  as  sev- 
eral of  the  men  are  beginning  to  suffer  from  the  excessive  dampness; 
four  '.>f  them  have  violent  colds,  one  has  a  dysentery,  .another  has  tumors 
on  his  legs,  and  two  have  been  injured  by  dislocatit)n  ;md  str.aining  their 
limbs."  The  work  went  on  notwithstanding  the  rain,  and  by  the  14th 
they  had  finished  the  walls  of  the  huts  and  completed  a  house  for  \n-o- 
visions.  The  constant  rains  ha<l  sju)ile(l  their  last  supply  of  elk,  but  the 
sick  were  recovering,  although  scarcely  a  man  had  bet  ti  dry  for  a  great 
many  days.  The  hunters  were  so  fortunate  as  to  kill  eighteen  elk,  and 
on  the  15th  Captain  Clarke  set  out  with  sixteen  men,  Avho  were  dis- 
]iatclied  for  the  game  in  small  j)arties,  each  man  I'cturning  with  the  ijuar- 
ter  of  an  animal.  In  bringing  the  tliinl  ami  last  load,  nearly  half  the 
men  missed  their  way  and  did  not  return  till  after  night,  .and  five  did  not 
find  their  way  till  next  morning.  The  rain  had  poured  down  upon  them 
all  night,  as  it  had  upon  their  comrades  in  the  camp,  but  in  addition  to 
this  they  had  been  without  fire,  and  dirnche(l  and  cold  as  they  were, 
they  presented  a  most  distressing  sight  w  hen  they  came  in.  At  length 
the  building  was  completed,  .and  they  moved  into  their  huts  on  the  'J4th. 
Meanwhile,  however,  their  stock  of  meat  was  completely  spoiled  by  the 
incessant  rains,  .ind  pounded  fish  became  again  their  chief  dependence. 

"  Wtdiicxdityy  -.").  We  were  awaked  at  daylight  by  a  discharge  of 
fire-arms,  which  Mas  followed  by  a  song  from  the  men,  as  a  compliment 
to  us  on  the  return  of  Christmas,  Mhich  we  have  always  been  accustomed 
to  observe  sis  a  day  of  rejoicing.  Atler  breakfast  we  divided  oin-  re- 
maining stock  of  tobacco,  which  amounted  to  twelve  ciirrots,  into  two 
parts,  one  of  which  we  distributed  among  such  of  the  jtarty  .as  made  use 
of  it,  making  a  present  of  a  handkerchief  to  the  otiiers.  Tlie  remainder 
of  the  day  was  passed  in  goctd  spirits,  though  there  was  nothing  in  our 
Kituation  to  excite  much  gayety.  Tlie  rain  confined  us  to  the  house, 
and  our  only  luxmies  in  honor  of  the  Beason,  were  some  j)oor  elk,  so 
much  spoiled  thatwc  a'e  it  through  mere  necessity,  a  few  roots,  and 
bomc-  spoiled  poimde(l  fish." 

l)ccend)cr  ;J0.     "  We  enjoyed  the  fairest  and  most  pleasant  weather 


i 


TIIK    SALT    CAMP. 


173 


since  o;ir  arrival ;  the  sun  li;iviiitf  slioiie  fit  intervals,  and  there  beinjjj 
onlv  three  showers  in  the  course  of  Ihc  day.  Wy  sunset  we  h;id  com- 
i)leted  the  turtilieation,  and  now  announced  to  the  Indians  that  every 
day,  at  that  hour,  the  i^ates  would  he  closed,  ami  they  must  h'ave  the 
fort,  and  not  enter  it  till  sunrise.  The  AVahkiacuins,  who  had  remained 
with  us,  and  who  are  very  forward  in  their  deportment,  complied  very 
reluctantly  vith  this  order  ;  buthein;^  exchnled  from  our  houses,  f)rnie(l 
u  camp  near  us." 

'■^  W'diicsditi/,  January  1,  IROO. — AV(?  were  aw.iked  at  an  e.irly  hour 
by  a  discharge  of  a  volley  of  small  arms,  to  siihite  the  Xew  Year.  This 
is  the  only  mode  of  doing  honor  to  the  day  whicli  our  situation  permits, 
for  though  we  have  reason  to  be  gay(<r  than  we  were  at  Christmas,  our  only 
dainties  are  the  boiled  elk  and  Wappafoo  roots,  enliveiu'd  by  draughts 
of  pure  water."  One  day  a  neighboring  chief,  with  a  party  of  ("latsops, 
brought  for  sale,  besides  roots  and  berries,  three  dogs  anil  some  llesh 
bhibber.  "  Having  been  so  long  accustomed  to  live  on  the  llesh  of 
dogs,  the  greate  part  of  ns  have  accjuired  a  fondness  for  it,  and  our 
original  aversion  for  it  is  overcome,  by  rellcrting  that  while  wi'  sub- 
sisted on  that  fooil  we  were  fitter,  stronger,  and  in  general  enjoyed  bet- 
ter  health  than  at  any  period  since  leaving  the  bulfalo  country  eastward 
of  the  mountains."  The  blubber  had  ln'cu  obtained  from  the  Killa- 
nuu'ks,  a  neighboring  nation  on  the  sea-coast  to  the  south,  near  one  of 
whose  villages  a  whale  had  recently  been  stran<led. 

Two  of  the  men  who  l\ad  been  tlispatcheil  to  make  salt,  returned  on 
the  ir)th.  They  had  carefully  examined  the  coast,  but  it  was  not  until 
the  fitlh  day  after  their  departure  that  they  discoveretl  a  convenient  sit- 
uation f)r  its  manuliictiu'e.  At  length  they  ii)rmed  an  establishment 
about  tiileen  miles  south-west  of  the  fort,  near  some  scattered  houses  of 
the  Clatsop  and  Killamuck  nations,  wlu-re  they  had  erected  a  comforta- 
ble camp  and  ha<l  killeil  a  stock  of  provisions.  The  Tnilians  had  treated 
them  very  kindly,  and  ma<le  them  a  present  of  the  blnlilxT  of  tlu  whale, 
some  of  which  the  men  brought  liome.  The  appearance  of  the  whah' 
seemed  to  be  a  matter  of  imj)ortance  to  all  the  neighboring  Indians,  ami 
in  tlu!  hojie  of  procuring  some  of  it,  a  parcel  of  merchandise  was  pre- 
pared, and  a  jiarty  of  men  lield  in  readiness  to  set  out  from  the  f  >rt  in 
the  morning.  As  soon  as  this  re;  )lution  was  known,  Chaboiu'au  ami  his 
wife  recjuested  that  they  might  be  permitted  to  accompany  the  jiarty. 
The  poor  won\an  stated  very  earin'^tly  that  she  had  traveletl  a  great  way 
with  them  to  see  the  great  water,  yit  she  Iiad  never  lieeu  dnwii  to  the 
coast,  and  now  that  this  monstrous  fish  was  also  to  be  seen,  it  seemetl 
hard  that  she  should  not  be  permitted  to  see  eitiier  the  ocean  or  the  whale. 
So  reasonable  a  reipiest  co\dd  not  be  denied  ;  they  went  therefore  suf- 
fereil  to  accompany  Captain  Clarke. 

Having  reached  the  salt-maki'rs'  camp,  "  we  persusided  a  young  In- 
dian, by  a  iH'osent  of  a  file  and  a  promise  of  some  other  articles,  to  gui<le 
us  to  the  spot  where  the  wliale  lay.     lie  h-d  ns  for  two  and  a  half  miles 


My 

i-'i: 


^W 


-I 


'il 


■nf^^i^im 


I        1 


ii.;ii 


f  \ 


171 


TRAVELS    OF    LEWIS    AND    CJLARKE. 


over  tlic  rouiul  slipiu-ry  sIoik's  at  (lie  foot  of  a  IiiirJi  lull  projectiiij^  into 
tlio  sea,  ami  thou  sudileiily  stopping,  explaineil  l)y  signs  that  avo  must 
cross  the  mountain.  This  promised  to  be  a  most  laborious  undertakincr. 
for  the  sidi'  is  nearly  ])erpendicular  and  the  top  lost  in  clouds.  lie,  how- 
I'vi'r,  followeil  an  Indian  path  which  wound  along  as  nu:ch  as  possible, 
but  still  the  ascent  was  so  steep  that  at  one  ]»lace  we  drew  oursehes  for 
about  .a  hundred  feet  by  means  of  bushes  and  roots.  At  length,  afler 
luo  hours'  labor,  wc  reached  the  top  of  the  mountain,  Avhere  wc  looked 
dnwn  with  a>itonishment  on  the  prodigious  height  of  ten  or  twelve  him- 
dred  feet  which  we  had  ascended.  AVe  proceeded  by  a  bad  road  till 
night,  when  we  encamped  on  a  small  run :  we  wore  all  much  fatigued, 
but  the  weather  Avas  pleasant,  and  for  the  iirst  time  since  our  arrival 
here  an  I'litire  day  has  passed  without  rain.  On  the  8th  we  set  out  early 
and  prorei'(led  to  thi'  top  of  the  mountain,  the  highest  point  of  which  is 
an  op<n  spot  facing  the  ocean.  It  is  situated  about  thirty  miles  south- 
cast  of  Cajjc  Disappointment,  and  projects  nearly  two  and  a  half  miles  into 
the  sea.  Here  one  of  the  most  delightful  views  in  nature  jiresents  itself. 
Iintnetliately  in  front  is  the  ocean,  which  breaks  with  !\iry  on  the  coast, 
from  the  rocks  of  Cape  DisapjtointuK'nt,  as  far  as  the  eye  can  discern,  to 
the  north-west,  and  against  the  high  lands  and  irregular  piles  of  rock 
which  iliversify  the  shore  to  the  south-east.  To  this  boisterous  scene 
the  Columbia,  with  its  tributary  waters,  widening  into  bays  as  it  ap- 
proaches the  ocean,  and  studded  on  both  sides  with  the  Chimook  and 
Clatsop  villages,  forms  a  charming  contrast ;  while  inniiediately  beneath 
our  feet  are  stretched  the  rich  i)raiiies,  enlivened  by  three  beautiful 
streams,  which  conduct  the  eye  to  small  lakes  at  the  foot  of  the  hills. 
We  stojtped  to  enjoy  the  ronumtic  view  from  this  place,  which  we  dis- 
tinguished by  till'  nanu' of  Clarke's  Point  of  View,  and  then  followed  our 
guide  down  the  mountain." 

The  whale  had  been  j)laced  between  two  Killamuck  villages,  and 
nothing  more  remained  than  the  skeleton,  which  they  found  to  be  ono 
hundred  and  fi\e  feel  in  length.  The  natives  were  all  b>i>«ied  in  boiling 
the  blubber  and  preserving  the  oil.  These  theyjiarted  with  r.  hictantly, 
and  at  such  high  prices  that  Captain  Clarke's  whole  stock  of  merchandiso 
was  exhausted  in  the  purchase  of  three  hundred  poimds  of  blubber  and 
a  few  gallons  of  oil.  With  tlu'se  he  set  out  to  return,  ;uid  encampi'd  on 
the  other  side  of  the  creek,  which  he  culled  Kcola,  vv  Whale  Creek. 
Here  (hey  were  joined  by  the  men  of  the  village,  who  gave  all  the  infor- 
mation tiny  possessed  relative  to  (heir  country.  While  smoking  with 
tile  Indian^,  Captain  Clarke  was  surprised  about  ti'U  o'clnck  by  a  loud 
shrill  outcry  iVom  (he  opposite  village;  on  hearing  which  all  the  Indians 
started  up  to  cross  the  cri'ck,  and  the  guide  informed  him  (hat  soiiu'  ono 
hail  liei  n  killed.  On  examination,  one  of  the  men  was  found  (o  be  ab- 
st'ul,  and  a  guard  dispa(ched,  wlio  met  him  crossing  the  creek  m  great 
haste.  \i\  Indian  belonging  to  another  ban<l,  who  happineil  to  be  with 
the  Killamueks  that  evening,  had  treated  him  with  nmch  kindness,  and 


M 


PREPARATIONS    FOR    RETURN. 


175 


walked  firm  in  arm  with  him  to  a  tent  whore  he  found  aChinuook  squaw 
wlio  was  an  old  acquaintance.  From  the  conversation  and  manner  of 
the  stranj^er,  this  woman  discovered  that  his  object  was  to  murder  the 
white  njaii  fo"  the  sake  of  tlie  few  articles  on  his  person  ;  and  when  lie 
rose  and  pressed  the  man  to  go  to  another  tent,  where  they  would  find 
something  better  to  eat,  she  held  M'Xeal  by  the  blanket.  Not  knowing 
her  object,  he  freed  himself  from  her,  and  was  gonig  on  with  his  \n\'.- 
tended  friend,  when  she  ran  out  and  gave  the  shriek  which  brought  the 
men  of  the  village  over.  The  stranger  escaped  before  M'Xeal  knew 
what  had  occasioned  the  alarm. 

"The  month  of  February  and  the  greater  part  of  3Iarch  was  passed 
in  the  same  manner.  Every  day,  parties  as  large  as  we  could  ^pare 
them  from  our  other  occupations,  were  sent  out  to  hunt,  and  we  were 
thus  enabled  to  command  some  days'  ])rovision  in  advance.  It  consisted 
ciiielly  of  deer  and  I'lk  ;  the  first  is  very  U'aii,  and  liic  lK>h  by  no  means 
as  good  as  that  of  the  elk,  which  is  our  chief  deiieudence."  In  3Iarch 
the  elk  became  scarce  ami  lean,  and  they  made  use  of  fish  whenever 
they  could  catch  tlu'm,  or  purchase  them  from  tlu;  Indians;  ]»ut  as  they 
were  too  poor  to  indulge  very  largely  in  these  luxuries,  tluir  diet  was 
by  no  means  pleasant,  and  to  the  sick,  especially,  was  unwholesome, 
iJuring  tlie  greater  ])art  of  this  month,  live  or  six  of  the  i,it  ii  were  sick, 
the  gfueral  complaint  being  a  bad  cold  aiul  fever,  something  like  an 
intlueuifca. 

THE    RETURN   JOURNEY. 

"  ^lany  reasons  had  determined  us  to  remain  at  Fort  Clatsop  till  the 
Ist  of  April.  Besides  the  want  of  fuel  on  the  Columbian  jdains,  and  the 
impracticability  of  jiassing  the  mountains  before  the  beginning  of  June, 
we  were  anxious  to  see  sonu'  of  the  f  ireign  traders,  from  whom,  by  means 
oi  oiu-  ample  letters  of  credit,  we  might  have  recruited  our  exhausted 
stores  of  merchandise.  About  the  mid.]!  >  of  ^larch,  however,  we  be- 
came seriously  alarmed  for  the  want  of  fo  ■  •  ;  the  <  Ik,  our  chief  de|)cnd- 
ence,  had  at  hngth  <lesL'rted  their  usua'  hauius  in  our  neighltorliooil, 
and  retreated  to  the  mountains.  We  were  too  poor  tt)  jtin-cliase  other 
food  from  the  Indians,  su  that  wo  were  sometimes  reduced,  notwith- 
standing all  the  exertions  of  our  hi  .'ers,  to  a  single  day's  ])rovisions  in 
advaiu-e.  Tin-  men,  too,  whom  the  constant  rams  and  conlinenicnt  hail 
rendered  unhealthy,  might,  Me  hoped,  iiy  benelile<l  by  leaving  the  coast 
ami  resuming  the  exercise  of  traveling.  We  therel'oie  determined  to 
leave  Fort  Clatsoj),  ascend  the  riviT  slowly,  eon  iniie  the  month  of  March 
in  the  wotidy  c(»untry  wlure  we  liojie  to  (iml  subsistence,  and  in  this 
way  reach  the  plains  about  the  1st  of  April,  betbre  Mhich  time  it  will  bo 
inipossibli'  to  atti'Uipt  crossing  them  :  for  this  purpose  ne  began  our  pre- 
parations. During  the  winter  we  had  been  very  industrious  in  dressing 
skins,  so  that  wc  ha*l  now  a  suflicieut  quantity  of  clothing,  besides  bo- 


r  ■  ^  111 
"  ii 


ilJ 


r  i: 


^! 


176 


TRAVELS  OF  LEWIS  AND  CLARKE. 


twccn  fliroe  nml  four  Imnclrcd  pair  of  mocoasiiis.  But  tlic  wholo  stock 
of  ^oods  on  wliicli  wo  aiv  to  depend,  either  for  the  jtiirchaso  of  horses 
or  of  food,  during  the  long  tour  of  nearly  four  thousand  miles,  is  so  much 
diminished  that  it  might  all  be  tied  in  two  handkerchiefs.  We  have,  in 
fact,  nothing  but  six  blue  robes,  one  of  scarlet,  a  coat  and  liat  of  United 
States  artillery  uniform,  live  robes  made  of  our  large  Hag,  and  a  few  old 
clothes  trinuned  witli  ribbon.  Our  chief  dependence,  therefore,  uiust  be 
on  our  gun.%  which,  fortunately  for  us,  are  all  in  good  order,  as  we  liad 
taken  the  precaution  of  bringing  a  nund)cr  of  extra  locks,  and  one  of 
our  men  proved  to  be  an  excellent  artist  in  that  way.  The  jiowder  had 
been  secured  in  leaden  canisters,  and  though  on  many  occasions  they 
had  been  under  water,  it  remained  perfectly  dry,  and  we  now  found  our- 
selves in  i»ossession  of  one  huntb-ed  ami  forty  poimds  of  jiowder,  and 
twice  that  quantity  of  lead,  a  stock  quite  sufficient  for  the  route  home- 
Avard. 

"After  much  traflicking,  we  at  last  succeeded  in  purchasing  a  canoe 
for  ;i  uniform  coat  and  half  a  carrot  of  tobacco,  and  took  a  canoe  from 
the  CMatsops  as  a  reprisal  for  soine  elk  they  liad  stolen  from  us  in  the 
winter.  We  Merc  now  ready  to  leave  Fort  Clatsop,  but  the  rain  prevented 
us  for  several  days  from  calking  the  canoes,  and  Ave  were  l()rced  to  wait 
for  calm  weather  before  we  could  attempt  to  j)ass  Point  William.  In  the 
mean  time  Ave  were  visited  by  many  of  our  neighbors,  for  the  purpose 
of  taking  leave  of  us.  The  Clatsop  Comowoo)  has  been  the  most  kind 
and  hospitable  of  all  the  Indirms  in  this  ipiarter ;  we  therefore  gave  him 
a  certilicate  of  the  khidness  and  attention  Avhich  we  have  received  from 
him,  and  a<lded  a  more  substantial  proof  of  our  gratitude,  the  giil  of  all 
our  houses  ami  furniture.  To  the  Chiiinook  cliief,  Delashelwit,  we  gave 
a  cirtificate  of  the  same  kind.  We  also  circulated  among  the  natives 
several  [>apers,  one  of  whi"h  Ave  also  posted  up  in  the  fort,  to  the  follow- 


hig  ellect 


"'The  ol>ject  of  this  last  is,  that  through  the  medium  of  some  civil- 
i/.e(l  person,  Avho  may  see  the  same,  it  maybe  made  known  to  the  worh], 
that  the  i)arty  consisting  of  the  j)ersons  Avhose  names  are  hereunto  an- 
nexed, an<l  Avho  Avere  sent  out  l)y  the  government  of  the  United  States 
to  explore  the  interior  of  the  continent  of  North  America,  did  penetiate 
the  sanu'  by  tlie  Avay  of  the  Jlissoini  and  Columbia  Kivers,  to  the  dis- 
charge of  lht>  latter  hito  the  Pacific  Ocean,  where  they  arrived  on  the 
11th  day  of  Xovember,  1805,  and  departed  the  'J:id  day  of  March,  1800, 
on  thi'ir  return  to  the  United  States,  by  the  same  route  by  which  they 
had  c(mie  out.' 

"  Siuiifiti/,  IVfarch  23(1,  1800,  the  canoes  AA'ore  loaded,  and  at  one 
o'tiook  in  ih-}  arternoon  Ave  took  a  final  leave  of  Fort  ('latsoji.  The  Avind 
was  still  high,  but  the  alternative  of  remaining  •"'•  '  'ut  provisions  Avas 
so  unpleasant  that  we  hoped  to  be  able  to  doubh  l  ouu  William."  Hav- 
ing pa'^sed  the  point  in  safety,  tlu'y  proceeded  uji  the  river  without  any 
binderance  luitil  the  1st  of  April,  a'.  hen  they  learned  from  some  Indians 


'IP 

CAPTAIN    CLARKE'S    SORCERY. 


177 


'4^ 
i 


desccnfling  tlic  rivor  that  there  was  a  great  scarcity  of  provisions  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  Great  Ra[)iclrt,  They  accordingly  decided  to  re- 
main at  their  present  eticanipnient,  near  the  nioutii  of  tlie  Quiiksaiid 
River,  until  tliry  had  collected  meat  enough  to  last  them  to  the  ("hoppun- 
nish  nation,  with  whom  they  had  left  their  liorses,  I'artit-s  \\ere  accord- 
ingly ser.t  out  to  hunt,  and  in  a  week  they  had  collected  and  dried  a 
sufficient  cjuantity  of  meat  for  their  purpose. 

3Iean while  they  heard  of  a  large  river  whi("h  empties  into  the  south 
side  of  the  Columbia  a  few  miles  below,  and  Captain  Clarke  set  out  on 
the  2d,  ^\^th  one  of  his  informants  as  guide,  to  search  for  it.     Prot-eed- 
ing  down  the  south  side  of  the  river  a  few  hours,  he  lai\ch'il  at  a  house 
which  was  recogiuzed  as  the  only  nnnains  of  a  village  of  twenty-four 
straw-huts  which  '.hey  liad  seen  the  preceding  fall.     Along  the  shore 
were  great  numbers  of  small  canoes  tor  gathering  wapi)atoo,  left  by  the 
Sliahalas,  wlio  visit  the  place  annually,  aiul  the  inhabitants  f.f  the  house 
belongetl  to  a  tribe  of  the  same  nation.     On  entering  one  of  the  apart- 
ments, Cajttain  Clarke  offered  several  articles  in  exchange  ibr  wappatoo, 
but  they  appeared  sullen  and  ill-humored,  and  refused  to  give  him  any. 
He  therefore  sat  down  by  the  fire,  o])posite  to  the  men,  aiid  taking  a 
port-tire  match  from  his  pocket,  threw  a  small  piece  of  it  into  the  llame; 
at  the  same  time  he  took  his  pocket  compass,  and  by  means  of  a  magnet 
which  happened  to  be  in  his  hikhorn,  made  the  needle  turn  round  very 
briskly.     Tlie  matdi  now  took  lire  and  l)urned  violently,  on  whidi  the 
Indians,  terrified   at   this  Scrange    exhibition,  immediately   brou^dit   a 
quantity  of  wappatoo  and  laid  it  at  his  feet,  begging  him  to  put  out 
the  bad  lire  ;  wliile  an  old  woman  continued  to  si)eak  with  great  vehe- 
mence, as  if  praying  and  imploring  protecticT.     Having  received  the 
roots,  Ca])tain  Clarke  put  uj*  the  compass,  and  as  the  matcli  went  out 
of  itself,  traiKpiillity  was  restored,  though  the  women  and  children  still 
took  refug.'  ni  their  beds,  ami  b'hind  tlie  men.     Ho  now  paid  for  what 
he  hatl   used,  and  after  lighting  his  pipe,  ^id  smoking  with  them,  he 
continued  ilown  the  river.     He  found  the  mouth  of  a  large  river,  ivilK-d 
M'ltnomah  by  the  Indians,  which  a  clu -.tcr  of  islands  liad  concealed 
from  them   in  their  ]>assago  down  and     p  lue  Columbia.     From  its 
entr.'iuce  Moimt  St.  Heleti's  bore  iiorth.  Mount  Hood  ibu'  east,  :uid  Cap- 
tain Clarke  now  discovered  to  the  south-east  a  mountain  which  he  had 
not  bcll)re  seen,  and  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  M<iuiit  Jefferson. 
Like  Sr.  Helen's,  its  figure  was  a  regular  cone,  and  it  apju-ared  to  be  of 
cr]u:il  height  with  that  mountain.     He  ontc>red  the  Multnomah  which  he 
ascended  several  miles,  and  foimd  to  be  a  fine  navig.-ibh-  river,  lu-ld 
some  intercourse  with  the  natives  on  its  banks,  and  returned  to  tho 
camp  on  tlie  evening  of  the  Md. 

On  tlie  flth  they  continued  their  journey  and  renched  the  first  rajtiils. 
During  the  wlwde  <l.iy  they  passed  along  umler  liigii,  .steep.,  and  rocky 
si'li's  of  the  mountains,  which  at  length  closed  in  on  each  side  of  tho 
river,  forming  stupmdous  precipices,  covered  with  fir  aiul  white  jedar. 

12 


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\h 


i  f 


178 


TRAVELS  OF  LEWIS  AND  CLARKE. 


Down  Uk'sc  heights  tVtMjueiitly  clesceiid  i  .le  most  Itoautifiil  cascades,  one 
of  wliirli,  :i  l:iri!;o  creek,  throws  itself  ovc r  a  i)er|)eiuliciilar  rock  tlirec 
liundn-il  feet  above  tlie  water,  wliile  otl  er  smaller  streams  Jirecipitato 
themselves  from  a  slill  greater  elevatioi  ,  and,  evaporating  in  a  mist, 
again  collect  and  form  a  second  cascade  before  they  reach  the  bottom 
of  the  rocks. 

?Next  day  the  j»rej)arations  were  mad. ^  for  a  portage,  Avhich  was  be- 
gun on  the  11th,  by  nearly  the  whole  party,  w..u  J.'-agged  four  of  tlic 
canoes  to  the  hca<l  of  the  rajiids  with  great  difliculty  and  labor.  A 
guard  eon>isting  of  the  sick  and  lame,  remained  vrith  Caj  <^ain  Lewis  to 
protect  the  baggage.  They  had  fomid  the  AVahcleliahs  i)  be  great 
thieves,  and  were  convinced  that  nothing  but  their  nuinbers  saved  thera 
from  attack.  These  peojde  crowded  about  them  as  tliey  were  taking  up 
the  boats,  and  in  several  instances  seemed  very  ill  dis[)Osed.  Shields, 
one  of  the  men,  had  stopjud  to  purchase  a  dog,  and  being  sejiarated 
from  the  rest  of  the  ]»arty,  two  Indians  pushed  him  out  of  the  road  and 
attempted  to  take  the  dog  from  him.  lie  had  no  weaj)on  but  a  long 
knile,  with  which  he  innuediately  attackeil  them  both,  hoping  to  kill 
them  betbrc  they  had  time  to  draw  their  arrows,  l>ut  as  scjon  as  they 
saw  his  desigti  they  fled  into  the  woods.  Soon  afterward  it  was  found 
that  the  Wahcli'llahs  had  carried  offCajitain  Lewis's  dog  to  their  village 
below,  aiid  three  men  well  armed  were  instantly  dispatched  in  pursuit 
<»f  them,  with  orilers  to  lire  if  there  was  the  slightest  resistance  or  hesi- 
tation. .\.t  the  distance  of  two  miles  they  came  in  sight  of  the  thieves, 
who,  lindhig  themselves  jjursued,  lell  the  dog  antl  made  off.  The  In- 
dians \\.vve  now  all  ordi-red  out  of  the  camp,  and  told  that  whoevi'r  stole 
any  baggage,  or  insulted  the  men,  should  be  instantly  shot.  During 
the  day  they  were  visited  by  a  chief  of  the  "Wahclellahs  who  seemed 
very  well  disposi'd  and  inorlitled  at  the  behavior  of  the  Indians,  which, 
lie  said,  was  chiefly  owing  to  two  very  bad  men  belonging  to  the 
tribe. 

A  jieriocpie  was  lost  in  the  rapids,  and  to  replace  it,  Captain  Lewis 
procuri'd,  on  the  Hith,  two  small  canoes,  in  exchange  for  two  robes  and 
lour  elk-skins.  They  also  purchased,  with  deer-skins,  three  dogs,  an 
animal  which  had  now  become  a  iiivorite  food,  as  it  was  foun<l  to  be  a 
strong,  Iiealthy  diet,  preferable  to  lean  dear  or  elk,  and  much  superior 
lo  h(»rse  flesh  in  any  state.  In  the  evening  he  Joineil  the  other  boats, 
uliieh  had  ad  v. meed  a  few  mihs,  and  they  resumed  tlu'ir  Journey  next 
morning.  Oi.  >'ic  i.-Ji,  tluy  made  a  portage  of  seven  paces  over  the 
rock  at  the  !u  \t  rapi<ls,  then  d  'W  up  the  boats,  reloaded,  and  at  the 
distance  of  fi  miles  reached  the  basin  at  the  foot  of  the  long  narrows. 
I'aiitain  (Marke  had  meanwhile  been  out  to  procure  horses,  and  having 
obiaiui'd  four,  thi-y  transported  their  merchandise  over  the  porl.ige  on 
the  10th,  and  encamped  near  the  Skilloot  village  above  the  rapids, 

"The  whoh"  village  was  filled  with  rejoicing  to-day  at  having  caught 
a  sLigle  salmon,  which  was  considered  as  the  harbinger  of  vast  quantities 


« 


! 


I 


r 


aiKi 
diui 
t-r 

IIKH 
tiuti 

for 

rcfii 

Disg 

wlii. 

ing 

nml 
an  1 1 
of  Al 

visit, 


ir 


'S. 


lit 

OS 


-X.  u 


A    DISAaRKKABLE    TRIBK. 


179 


in  fonr  or  five ilays.  In  (tnlcr  to  li;istc'n  llieir ••iniviil, fli(> Indians, accord- 
in;^  to  custom,  dressed  tlie  fihli  and  out  it  into  small  jiieei's,  one  of  wliicli 
was  jfiven  to  each  cliild  in  the  village.  In  tlie  good  humor  excited  l»y 
this  occiiireiu'e  tliey  parted,  though  reluctantly,  with  four  other  liorses, 
for  which  we  gave  them  two  kettles,  reserving  only  a  single  small  one 
for  a  iness  of  eight  men.  Unluckily,  however,  we  lost  one  of  the  horses 
by  the  negligence  of  the  person  to  Avhose  charge  he  was  committed." 

On  the  morning  of  the  21st  the  canoes  were  dispatched  to  the  I'licc- 
shur  village  at  the  (Irand  Falls,  whither  Captain  Clarke  Mad  preceded 
them  ill  (>rd('r  to  barter  for  horses.  The  rest  of  the  party  were  detaineil 
in  searching  for  a  horse  that  liad  hroken  loose  in  the  night.  In  the 
mean  time  the  Indians,  Avho  were  always  on  the  alert,  stole  a  tomahawk, 
which  was  not  recovered,  though  several  of  them  were  searche(l.  An- 
other fellow  was  detected  in  earryuig  off  a  piece  of  iron,  and  kicked  out 
of  camp.  Captain  Li'wis  then,  aihlressing  the  Indians,  declared  that  he 
was  not  alVaid  to  fight  them,  for,  if  lu'  chose,  he  might  instantly  put 
them  to  death  and  burn  their  village  ;  that  lu^  did  not  wish  to  treat  them 
ill  if  they  did  not  steal ;  and  that  although  if  he  knew  who  had  the; 
tomahawk  he  would  take  away  the  horses  of  the  thieves,  yet  he  would 
ratlur  lose  the  property  altogether  than  take  the  horse  of  an  innocent 
man.  The  chiefs  were  present  at  this  harangue,  hung  their  heads,  and 
made  no  reply.  At  ten  o'clock  the  men  returned  with  the  horse,  and 
they  left  these  disagreeable  pcoj)le.  They  found  Captain  Clarke  at  t  le 
Eiiee>^hiir  village,  and  being  here  joined  by  the  canoes  and  baggage 
across  the  portage,  they  jiroceeded  a  short  distance  above  the  town, 
where  they  diiieil  on  some  dogs,  and  then  set  forward.  Tliey  encamped 
near  a  village  at  the  Kock  Kapids  on  the  2.Td,  and  having  assembled  the 
warriors  ami  smoked  with  them,  they  entertained  them  with  the  violin 
ami  a  dance  by  the  men.  The  Indians  ri'tiirne(l  the  comprmieiit  in  a 
dance  thai  was  new  to  the  travelers,  and  then  retired,  promising  to  bar- 
ter horses  in  the  morning.  Three  horses  were  then  purchased,  and  three 
iiiore  hired  ofa  Chopuimish  Indian  who  was  to  aceompany  the  expedi- 
timi  with  Ills  (iiuiily.  They  alst  promiseil  to  take  the  caiiors  in  e\  •hange 
for  Ikum's,  but  finding  the  white  men  had  resolved  to  go  l)y  land,  they 
refused  to  give  any  thing,  in  hopis  they  wouM  be  forced  to  leave  them. 
Disgust  I'll  at  this  con<luct,  the  men  tiegan  to  split  them  in  pieces,  on 
uliiili  the  Indians  gavi-  several  strands  of  beads  lor  each  canoe.  Hav- 
ing now  a  sunieient  number  of  horses,  they  proceede<l  wholly  by  land. 

.\-  they  advancetl  u|»  the  river,  they  found  the  iiihabitaiits  more  kind 
and  hospital)le.     Alter  n  long  march  on  the  2Tlh   they  had  eiicamjied 

and  W(  r loking  some  jerk*  il  meat,  when  ihty  were  joinetl  by  a  party 

of  WollawdUahs,  among  whom  was  a  chief  named  Yellei)t,  who  had 
\isited  the!n  in  Oetobir.  He  was  much  jihased  at  seeing  them  again, 
and  invited  them  to  ren'ain  at  liis  village  three  ar  four  days,  when  ho 
Would  supply  them  with  ftod  and  furnish  horses  for  the  journey.  After 
their  late  experience  this  kind  offer  was  truly  aeceptabh-,  and  they  wont 


. 


Hi 


!•       \  ' 


\    ' 


'^.    !«•  !'i 


i  :||  * 


I     i 


180 


TRAVELS    OF   LEWIS    AND    CLARKE. 


with  him  to  his  village  six  niilos  above,  ''.nfl  twelve  miles  below  the  mouth 
of  Lewis's  River.  Yellept  then  harangued  his  jieoiile  on  the  virtues  of 
hospitality,  and  set  them  an  examj^e  by  bringing  an  arnitiil  of  wood 
and  a  iilalter  of  roasted  mullets.  They  immediately  began  l)y  liniiisliing 
an  abundance  of  the  only  fuel  they  use,  the  stems  of  jilants.  The  trav- 
elers then  purchased  four  dogs,  on  which  they  supjjed  heartily,  having 
been  on  short  allowance  for  two  days  past. 

The  Indians  informed  them  of  a  route  opposite  their  village  to  tlie 
mouth  of  the  Kooskooskee,  much  shorter  thantliat  by  Lewis's  IJiver,  aiul 
passing  over  a  level,  watered  country,  abounding  in  deer  and  antelope. 
As  there  were  no  houses  on  this  road,  they  thought  it  prudent  to  lay  in 
a  stock  of  provisions,  and  accordingly,  next  morning,  purchased  ten  dogs. 
Meanwhile  Yellept  presented  a  tine  white  horse  to  Captain  Clarke,  ex- 
pressing a  wish  to  have  a  kettle ;  but  on  being  told  that  they  had  dis- 
posed of  the  last  one  they  could  spare,  he  said  he  would  be  content  with 
any  present  they  should  make  in  return.  Captain  Clarke  theretbre  gave 
his  sword,  for  which  the  chief  had  before  expressed  a  desire,  adding 
one  hundred  balls,  some  powder,  and  other  articles,  with  which  he  ap- 
jteared  perfectly  satisfied.  Fortunately  there  was  here  a  Slic-lionee 
prisoner,  from  the  south  of  the  ^Multnomah,  who  spoke  the  same  language 
as  the  8hoshonee  woman  Sacajawea,  and  by  their  means  Lewis  and 
Clarke  were  able  to  explain  themselves  intelligibly  to  the  Indians.  Tlie 
latter  were  inspired  with  confidence,  and  soon  bi'ought  several  sick  jter- 
sons  requiring  assistance.  They  s})lintered  the  arm  of  one,  and  admin- 
istered remedies  for  various  diseases  ;  but  their  most  valual)Ie  medicine 
was  eye-water,  whicli  was  greatly  needed :  tlie  complaint  of  {ne  eyes, 
occasioned  by  living  on  the  water,  and  incx'eased  by  the  line  sand  of  the 
plains,  being  now  universal. 

On  the  2!>th,  they  crossed  the  river  in  the  canoes  of  Yellept.  In  the 
course  of  the  day  they  gave  .small  medals  to  two  inferior  chiefs,  eaoh  of 
whom  made  them  a  present  of  a  line  lior.se.  They  were  in  a  poor  con- 
dition to  make  an  ade(juatc  acknowledgment  for  this  kimlness,  Imt  gave 
several  articles,  among  which  was  a  jtistol,  and  several  rounds  ot'-unniu- 
nition.  Tliey  felt  indeed  that  they  had  been  treated  by  thoe  people 
with  an  unusual  (h'gree  of  kindness.  They  finally  took  leave  oi"  this 
honest,  worthy  tribe,  and,  accomiKinied  by  a  guide  and  the  Cliopun- 
nish  family,  .set  off  across  an  open  sandy  plain,  on  the  IJOth.  They  had 
now  twenty-three  horses,  many  of  them  young  and  excellent  animals, 
but  the  greater  part  afflicted  with  .sore  backs.  The  Indians  in  general 
are  cruel  ma.sters;  they  ride  very  hard,  and  as  the  saddles  are  badly 
constructed  it  is  ahnost  imp')s.sible  to  avoid  wounding  the  back,  yet  they 
continue  to  ride  when  the  poor  creatures  are  scarified  in  a  tlreadful 
manner. 

They  reached  Lewis's  River  a  fi'W  miles  above  the  Kooskooskee,  on 
the  4th  of  May,  an<l  next  day  continued  their  journey  up  the  latter 
river.     As  they  proceeded  they  fretpiently  met  old  .acijii.iintances  of  last 


I 


In 
It 


MEETING    WITH    TWISTED    HAIR. 


181 


year,  an;l  always  found  that  their  klmlncss  had  not  boon  bestowed  on 
the  natives  in  vain.  On  the  fltli,  an  Iiuliun  gave  Captain  Clarke;  a  very 
elegant  gray  mare,  for  which  all  ho  re(juested  was  a  i)hial  of  eye-water. 
In  the  autumn,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Choi)unnish  River,  a  man  Anth  pain 
in  his  knee  was  brouglit  to  them  for  reHef.  He  was,  to  appearance, 
recovered  from  his  disorder,  though  ho  had  not  walked  for  some  time. 
But  that  they  might  not  be  disappointed,  Captain  Clarke,  with  muoli 
oercsuony,  washed  and  rubbed  his  sore  limb,  and  ga.o  him  some  Vdl- 
atile  liniment  to  continue  the  operation,  which  caused,  or  rather  did  not 
prevent,  his  recovery.  Tlie  man  gratefully  circulated  their  praises,  and 
their  fame  as  physicians  was  increased  by  the  efficiency  of  some  eye- 
water which  they  gave  them  at  the  same  time.  This  new  r^^source  of 
obtaining  subsistence  was  not  imwelcome,  now,  when  their  stock  of 
merchandise  was  very  much  reduced.  So  great  was  tl»e  fame  of  their 
medical  skill,  that  when  they  encamped  that  evening  at  Colter's  Creek, 
they  soon  had  nearly  fifty  patients.  A  chief  brought  liis  wife  with  an 
abscess  in  her  back,  which  Captain  Clarke  opened  and  dressed,  and  then 
distributed  medicines  to  others.  Next  day  the  woman  declared  she  had 
6k'i)t  better  than  at  any  time  since  her  illness.  She  was  therefore  dressed 
a  second  time,  and  her  husband,  according  to  promise,  brought  them 
a  horse  M'hich  they  immediately  killed.  Their  jiractice  now  increased 
so  long  as  they  remauied.  When  they  had  gone  a  few  miles  further 
an  Indian  brought  them  two  canisters  of  powder,  which  his  dog  had 
found.  They  recognized  them  as  the  same  they  had  buried  last  fall, 
and  as  he  had  kept  them  safely,  and  had  honesty  enough  to  return 
them,  they  rewarded  him  as  well  as  they  could. 

In  crossing  the  plain  they  saw  that  the  Rocky  iMountains  were  still 
covered  with  snow,  which  the  Indians  informed  them  was  so  deep  that 
they  would  not  be  able  to  pass  before  the  1st  of  June,  and  some 
placed  the  time  later.  As  they  were  very  desirous  of  reachhig  the 
plains  of  the  Missouri,  if  for  no  other  reason  than  that  of  once  more 
enjoying  a  good  meal,  this  intelligence  Avas  most  unwelcome,  and 
gave;  no  relish  to  the  remahider  of  the  liorse  killed  at  Colter's  Creek, 
which  formed  their  supper,  and  part  of  which  had  already  been  their 
dinner. 

On  the  8tli,  they  met  with  the  Twisted  Ilair,  the  chief  to  whom 
they  had  confided  their  horses,  and  part  of  their  saddKs,  liut  as  he 
received  them  with  great  coldness  they  formed  very  unflivorable  con- 
jectures. They  soon  found  that  a  violent  quarrel  had  arisen  between 
him  and  Neeshnepahkeeook,  the  Cutnose,  who  now  addressed  each  other 
in  a  loud,  angry  manner.  They  interposed,  and  all  went  forward  to 
a  place  of  encampment;  the  two  chiefs  forming  sejtarate  camps,  at  a 
distance  from  each  other.  Anxious  to  reconcile  the  chiefs,  and  recover 
their  property,  they  desired  a  Shoshonee,  who  liad  been  with  the  party 
Komo  days,  to  interpret  while  they  .attempted  a  nu'diation  ;  but  he  per- 
t'tnptorily  refused  to  sj)eak  a  word,  for  fear  of  meddling  in  a  private 


~ 

{fffH 

i 

•  * 

1*1 
1  1^ 

! 

i 

1 

r 

! 

li  ,i  \t 


■      ! 


:lu 


iir:i,ii 


I 


Ml 


I' ! '  < 


I        ^ 


I  ! 


i!    ,  I 


182 


TRAVELS    OF    LEWIS    AND    '  LATIKE. 


quairt'I  wlioro  Iio  hud  no  ri^Iit  to  intcil'crc.  Tliu  TwIsUmI  Hair  wm 
jil'tcrwaid  invili.'il  to  come  ami  siiiukc  witli  lliciii.  He  acccpti'd  the 
invitation,  and  inti)rnu'd  them  that  he  li:id,  accordinj^  to  [nonnsi',  col- 
lected the  liorses,  and  taken  ehar<fe  of  tlieni ;  but  tliat  ISV-eslinepali- 
keeook,  and  Tiuniaelieniootoolt  (the  Ciitno.s.-,  and  lircjkinariii),  who  had 
been  on  a  war  party  ajfalnt-t  the  Sho.>honee.s,  returned,  and  becoming 
jealous  because  the  horses  were  confided  to  his  <  un-,  were  constantly 
quarreling  with  ium.  At  length,  unwilhng  to  live  !(*  perpetual  dispute 
with  the  two  cliiefs,  lie  had  gi\en  up  the  care  of  the  liorses,  which  had 
coiiseciucntly  become  much  scattered.  He  addetl  that  in  the  spring  the 
earth  had  llillen  away  and  ex})osed  the  saddk-s,  some  of  which  had 
probalily  been  lost,  but  tlmt  he  had  buried  them  ui  another  deposit. 
Xe\t  day  he  brought  hi  about  half  th'  saddles^  and  some  powder  and 
lead  which  was  bulled  at  the  same  phue;  and  soon  afterward  the  In- 
dians brought  hi  about  twenty-one  of  the  horses,  the  greater  jtart  of 
which  were  in  excellent  order,  though  some  had  not  yet  recovered  from 
hanl  usage.  The  Cntnose  and  Twisted  Hair  seemed  now  perfectly  re- 
conciled, and  b(»th  sle])t  in  the  house  of  the  former.  The  party  set  for- 
ward next  morning,  and  in  the  afternoon  arrived  at  the  house  of  IJroken- 
arm,  where  they  were  received  with  due  form  under  a  flag  which  they 
liad  given  him.  In  the  evi'ning  the  people  brought  thein  a  large  sui)ply 
of  roots,  Ibr  which  they  thanked  them,  but  remarked  that  they  were  not 
accustomed  to  live  on  roots  alone,  and  therefore  proposed  to  (;xchange 
a  good  horse,  winch  was  lean,  for  one  that  was  fatter,  which  tliey  might 
kill.  The  chief  said  that  his  jjcoplc  Iiad  an  abundance  of  young  horses, 
and  that  if'  their  giu'sts  were  disposed  to  use  that  food,  they  might  have 
as  many  ts  ihey  wanted.  Accordingly  they  soon  gave  lliem  two  fat 
young  iiors^cs,  withcnit  askuig  any  thing  in  return. 

Duriiig  their  stay  they  weie  visited  by  several  Indians,  and  on  tlio 
lllh,  liuling  some  of  the  jjrincipal  chiein  of  the  Chopunnish  nation  pres- 
ent, they  t.iok  the  opi)ortunity  to  explain  the  intentions  of  the  govern- 
ment. Tii.y  drew  a  map  of  the  relative  situation  of  the  countiy  on  a 
mat  wit  ha  ])ie''e  of  coal,  then  detailed  the  nature  and  power  of  tlie 
Americ.'.ii  nation,  its  desire  to  preserve  harmony  between  all  its  red 
brethren,  and  its  intention  of  establishing  trailing  houses  for  their  relief 
and  sujiport.  "It  was  not  without  difficulty,  nor  till  nearly  half  the  day 
was  spent,  that  we  were  able  to  convey  all  this  hifbrmation  to  the  Cho- 
punnish, nuich  o!'  which  might  have  been  lost  or  distorted  in  the  circuit- 
ous rout  3  through  a  variety  of  languages:  for  m  the  tirst  place,  we  spoke 
in  English  to  one  of  our  men,  who  translated  it  in^o  French  to  Chabo- 
neau;  he  interpreted  it  to  his  wife  in  the  ]\Iinnetaree  language,  and  she 
then  put  it  into  Shoshonee,  and  the  young  Shoshonee  prisoner  explamed 
it  to  the  Chopunnish  in  their  own  dialect.  At  last  we  succeeded  in  com- 
municating tiie  hiipression  they  wished,  and  then  adjourned  the  council ; 
after  which  we  amused  tlieni  by  showuig  the  wonders  of  the  compass, 
the  spy-glass,  the  magnet,  the  watch,  and  au"-giui,  each  of  which  attracted 


I 


J 


FRIENDLY    COUNCILS. 


188 


its  share  of  attention.  Thoy  said  tliat  after  avc  liad  left  the  Minnetareea 
]a<t  autumn  throe  young  Cho])unnish  had  gone  over  to  tliat  nation,  who 
had  mentioned  our  visit,  and  tlie  extraordinary  articles  we  Imd  with  us, 
but  they  had  placed  no  confidence  in  it  till  now." 

Next  day  the  eliiefs  and  Avarriors  held  a  council  to  decide  oji  their 
ansAver,  .and  the  result  was  that  they  resolved  to  follow  the  advice  of  the 
white  men. 

The  principal  chief,  Tunnaehemootoolt,  then  took  a  quantity  of  flour 
of  roots,  and  thickened  the  soup  which  his  ))eople  were  cooking,  and 
making  known  the  determination  of  tlie  chiefs,  invited  all  who  agreed 
to  the  proceedings  of  the  council  to  come  and  eat,  while  those  who  dis- 
sented would  abstain  from  the  feast.  MeanAvhile  the  women,  probably 
mieasy  at  the  prospect  of  this  new  connection  with  strangers,  tore  their 
hair  and  wrung  their  hands  \\.  .  the  greatest  appearance  of  distress. 
Jiut  the  concluding  ajipeal  of  the  orator  effectually  stop])ed  the  mouth 
of  every  malcontent ;  the   j  dings  were  ratified,  and  the  mush  de- 

voured with  the  most  zealo\i^  rnity.     The  chiefs  and  warriors  then 

came  in  a  body  to  Lewis  aiid  *  ,,trkc,  and  at  their  instance  two  young 
men  presented  each  of  tluin  with  .a  fine  horse.  The  latter  then  gave 
flags  and  presents  to  the  chiefs  and  the  two  young  men,  afler  which  the 
chiefs  invited  them  to  their  tent  to  receive  their  answer,  but  stateil  also 
that  many  of  their  people  were  then  waiting  in  great  jiain  for  medical 
assistance.  Captain  Clarke,  who  was  the  favorite  jihysician,  therefore 
went  to  visit  the  sick,  while  Cajttain  LcAvis  attended  the  council. 

The  meeting  was  opened  by  an  aged  chief,  who  delivered  a  long 
speech  in  approbation  of  the  advice  they  had  revived,  expressiug  their 
desire  to  be  at  peace  with  all  their  neighbors.  They  htid  fought  with  the 
Shoshonees,  because  the  latter  had  slain  their  messengers  of  ])eace ;  but 
now,  having  .avenged  the  insult,  they  Avould  receive  them  as  friends. 
They  woidd  send  some  of  their  young  men  with  tlu>  ex))edition  if  tlH>y 
would  effect  a  peace  Avith  the  Indians  on  the  Missouri,  ami  then  the  whole 
nation  would  go  over  next  sinniner.  They  had  not  yet  decided  to  send 
a  chid'  with  the  white  men  to  their  country,  but  would  let  them  kn,)w 
hclorc  they  left.  The  Avhites  might  depend  on  their  attachment  and 
their  best  seiwices,  for  though  poor,  their  hearts  were  good.  Captain 
Lewis  replied  at  some  length.  They  a])peared  highly  gratiiied,  and  after 
smoking  the  pipe,  made  him  a  present  of  another  fit  horse  for  food.  lie 
in  turn  gave  Urokenarm  a  phial  of  eye-water  for  all  who  Avould  apply  to 
bun,  and  ])romised  to  fill  it  again  ;  at  which  liberality  the  chief  was 
much  ])leased.  To  Twisted  Hair,  Avho  had  collected  six  more  horses,  ho 
gave  a  gun,  a  InuidriMl  balls,  ami  two  ])ounds  of  jiowder,  promising  the 
same  (piantity  when  they  received  the  remainder  of  their  horses.  Li 
the  course  of  the  day  three  moi-e  were  brought  in,  and  a  fresh  exehango 
of  small  presents  put  th(>  Indians  in  excell(>nt  humor.  Having  settled  all 
their  affairs,  the  Indians  separated  into  two  parties,  and  begfui  to  play  tho 
game  of  hiding  a  oono  fyr  stakes  of  beads  and  other  ornaments. 


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TRAVELS  OP  LEWIS  AND  CLARKE. 


On  the  14th,  Lewis  and  Clarke  transported  all  their  baggage  and 
swam  their  horses  across  the  river,  and  formed  their  camp  a  short  dis- 
tance below,  on  a  spot  recommended  by  the  Indians.  As  they  were  to 
pass  some  time  in  this  neighborhood,  while  waiting  for  the  snow  on  the 
mountains  to  melt,  they  sent  out  a  number  of  hunters  in  different  direc- 
tions ;  the  rest,  wlio  Avere  well,  were  employed  in  completing  the  camp. 
They  secured  the  baggage  with  a  shelter  of  grass,  and  made  a  kind  of 
tent  of  part  of  an  old  sail,  while  the  men  formed  very  comfortable  huts 
of  willow-poles  and  grass.  In  a  few  days  it  rained,  and  the  flimsy  cover- 
ing of  Lewis  and  Clarke  so  leaked  that  they  were  in  water  most  of  the 
time,  and,  what  was  more  unlucky,  their  chronometer  became  wet  and 
rusted.  The  men  built  a  canoe,  for  which  the  Indians  promised  a  horse 
when  they  should  set  out.  The  hunters  brought  nothing  but  a  sandhill 
crane,  and,  as  they  usually  met  with  ill  success,  the  last  morsel  of  meat 
Tv'as  eaten.  As  there  was  now  little  hope  of  procuring  a  stock  of  dried 
meat,  they  made  a  division  of  all  the  merchandise,  so  as  to  enable  the 
men  to  purchase  a  store  of  roots  and  bread  for  the  mountains.  On  par- 
celing out  the  stores,  the  stock  of  each  man  was  found  to  consist  of  only 
one  awl,  and  one  knittuig-pin,  half  an  ounce  of  vermilion,  two  needles, 
a  few  skeins  of  thread,  and  about  a  yard  of  ribbon — but  slender  means 
of  bartering  for  a  subsistence,  but  the  lucn  had  been  now  so  much  accus- 
tomed to  privations,  that  neither  the  want  of  meat  nor  the  scanty  funds 
of  the  party,  excited  the  least  anxiety  among  them. 

'■'  liesidcs  administering  medical  relief  to  the  Indians,"  says  the  nar- 
rative, "  we  are  obliged  to  devote  much  of  our  time  to  the  care  of  our 
own  invalids.  The  child  of  Sacajawea  is  very  unwell ;  and  with  one  of 
the  men  we  have  ventured  an  experiment  of  a  very  robust  nature,  lie 
has  been  for  some  time  sick,  but  has  now  recovered  his  flesh,  eats  heart- 
ily, and  digests  well,  but  has  so  great  a  weakness  in  the  loins  that  he 
can  not  walk,  nor  even  sit  upright  without  extreme  pain.  After  we  had 
in  vain  exhausted  the  resources  of  our  art,  one  of  the  hunters  mentioned 
that  he  had  known  persons  in  similar  situations  restored  by  violent 
sweats,  and  at  the  reipiest  of  the  patient  we  permitted  the  remedy  to  bo 
applied.  For  this  purpose  a  hole,  about  four  feet  deep  and  three  in 
diameter,  was  dug  in  the  earth,  and  heated  well  by  a  large  fire  in  the 
bottom  of  it.  The  fire  w.as  then  taken  out,  and  an  arch  formed  over  the 
whole  by  means  of  willow-poles,  and  covered  with  several  blankets,  so 
as  to  make  a  jjcrfcct  awning.  The  jiatient,  being  strippeil  naked,  was 
seated  under  this  on  a  bench,  with  a  jiiece  of  board  for  his  feet,  ;md  with 
a  jug  of  water  we  sprinkled  the  bottom  and  siiles  of  the  liole,  so  as  to 
keep  up  as  hot  a  steam  as  he  could  bear.  After  remaining  twenty  min- 
utes in  this  situation  he  w.'is  taken  out,  immediati'ly  ])lunged  twice  in 
cold  water,  and  bntught  back  to  the  hole,  where  he  resumed  the  vapor 
batli,  Dui'ing  all  this  time  he  drank  copiously  of  a  strong  infusion  of 
liorse-miiit,  whiih  was  used  as  a  sid»stituti'  for  the  setieca-root,  which  our 
inlbrniaut  said  he  liad  seen  employed  on  these  uccasiyns,  but  of  which 


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THE   VAPOR   CURE. 


185 


there  is  none  in  this  country.  At  the  end  of  three  quarters  of  an  hour 
he  was  again  withdrawn  from  the  hole,  carefully  wrapijed,  and  suflered 
to  cool  gradually.  The  next  morning  he  walked  about,  and  was  nearly 
free  from  pain. 

"  An  Indian  was  brought  in  to-day  who  had  lost  the  use  of  his  limbs, 
and  for  whose  recovery  the  natives  seemed  very  anxious,  as  he  is  a  chief 
of  considerable  rank  among  them.  His  situation  is  beyond  the  reach  of 
our  skill."  On  the  25th,  they  attempted  to  sweat  him,  but  found  he  was 
too  weak,  and  had  to  desist.  The  Indians  who  accompanied  him  were 
so  anxious  for  his  safety  that  they  still  remained,  and  on  the  '27th  had 
the  operation  of  sweating  again  attempted.  The  hole  was  therefore 
enlarged,  and  the  father  of  the  chief  went  in  with  him  and  held  him  in  a 
})ro])er  position.  "  We  could  not  produce  as  complete  a  perspiration  as 
Ave  desired,  and  after  he  was  taken  out  he  complained  of  suftering  con- 
siderable pain,  which  we  relieved  with  a  few  drops  of  laudanum,  and 
then  he  rested  well.  Next  morning  he  was  able  to  use  his  arms,  felt 
better  than  he  had  for  many  months,  and  sat  up  during  the  greater  part 
of  the  day.  *  *  *  29th.  The  Indian  chief  is  still  rapidly  rocoveruig, 
and  for  the  first  time  during  the  last  twelve  months,  had  strength  enough 
to  wash  his  face.  We  had  intended  to  repeat  his  sweating  to-day,  but 
as  the  weather  was  cloudy,  with  occasional  rain,  we  declmed  it.  This 
operation,  though  violent,  seems  highly  efficacious ;  for  our  own  man, 
on  whom  the  experiment  was  first  made,  is  recovering  his  strength  very 
fast,  and  the  restoration  of  the  chief  is  wonderful."  He  continued  to 
improve,  and  on  the  following  day,  after  a  violent  sweating,  was  able  to 
move  one  of  his  legs,  and  thighs,  and  some  of  liis  toes ;  the  fingers  and 
ar.as  being  almost  entirely  restored  to  their  former  strength. 

On  the  1st  ot  June  their  stock  of  merchandise  was  completely  cx- 
liausted,  and  as  yet  they  had  no  adequate  supplies  for  the  mountains. 
Being  anxious  to  provide  against  the  cold  and  hunger  which  they  had 
to  encounter  on  the  passage,  they  created  a  new  fund  by  cutting  olf  the 
buttons  from  their  clothes,  preparing  eye-water,  and  adding  some  small 
articles  that  had  been  in  use.  With  this  cargo  two  men  set  out  on  the 
2d  to  trade,  and  brought  home  three  bushels  of  roots  and  some  bread, 
which,  in  their  situation,  was  as  important  as  the  return  of  an  East  hi- 
dia  ship.  Another  i)arty  returned  from  Lewis's  River  with  roots  a:ul 
salmon,  but  the  distance  was  so  great  that  most  of  the  fish  was  nearly 
spoiled.  T'ley  continued  hunting  in  the  neighborhood,  and  by  their  own 
exertions  and  trading  with  the  Indians,  succeeded  in  procuring  as  nuich 
bread  and  roots,  besides  other  food,  as  would  enable  them  to  subsist  dur- 
ing the  passage  of  the  niountains. 

On  the  10th,  they  collected  their  liorses  and  set  out  for  the  Quamash 
Flats,  where  they  intended  to  hunt  for  a  few  days  before  proceeding  to 
the  mountains.  In  tiiis  they  were  not  very  successful ;  therefore,  on  the 
niorning  of  the  Kith,  they  collectid  their  straggling  horses  and  j)roceeded. 
On  the  nth  they  fouutl  themselves  enveloped  in  snow,  from  twelve  to 


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TRAVELS    OF    LEWIS    AND    CLARKE. 


fifteen  feet  deep,  even  on  tlie  south  side  of  the  mountain.  The  air  was 
keen  and  cold,  no  vestige  of  vegetation  was  to  be  seen,  and  their  hands 
and  feet  were  benumbed.  The  snow  bore  their  horses,  and  rendered  the 
traveling  far  easier  than  it  was  during  tlieir  outward  journey.  But  it 
would  require  five  days  to  pass  over,  the  danger  of  missing  the  way  was 
great,  and  during  this  time  there  would  be  no  chance  of  finding  cither 
grass  or  imderwood  for  the  horses.  They  therefore  decided  to  venture 
no  further.  The  baggage  and  provisions,  together  with  instruments 
and  papers,  were  deposited  on  scaffolds  and  carefully  covered.  They 
then  set  out  at  one  o'clock,  and  retracing  their  steps,  encamped  on  Hun- 
gry Creek,  at  a  spot  where  they  found  some  scanty  grass.  In  the  hope 
of  procuring  a  guide  they  went  back  to  the  Flats  on  the  21st,  and  in  the 
evening  found  themselves  at  their  old  encampment,  where  the  hunters 
had  killed  a  deer  for  supper.  Next  day  all  the  hmiters  were  out,  and 
brought  in  eight  deer  and  three  bear. 

Having  obtained  guides,  they  set  out  at  an  early  hour  on  the  24th, 
on  a  second  attempt  to  cross  the  mountains.  Pursuing  their  former 
route,  they  arrived  at  Hungry  Creek  on  the  evening  of  the  25th,  and 
next  morning  began  once  more  to  ascend  the  ridge  of  mountains.  On 
readiing  the  top,  they  found  their  deposit  perfectly  untouched.  The 
snow  had  melted  nearly  four  feet  since  the  seventeenth.  They  arranged 
their  baggage,  took  a  hasty  meal,  and  hastened  on,  as  they  had  a  long 
ride  before  reaching  a  spot  where  there  Mas  grass  for  the  horses.  They 
continued  their  route  along  the  mountain-ridge,  Avhere  sometimes  they 
were  so  completely  inclosed  by  mountains  that,  although  they  had  once 
passed  them,  they  would  have  despaired  of  finding  their  way  out  through 
the  snow,  but  for  the  Indians.  The  marks  on  the  trees,  which  had  been 
tlieir  chief  dependence,  were  fewer  and  more  indistinct  than  they  had 
sujtposed;  Init  their  guides  traversed  this  trackless  region  with  a  kind  of 
instinctive  sagacity  ;  they  never  hesitated,  were  never  embarrassed  ;  yet 
so  undeviating  was  their  step,  that  wherever  the  snoAV  had  disappeared, 
for  even  a  few  paci's,  they  found  the  summer  road.  On  the  20th,  the 
ridge  they  hud  been  following  for  several  days  terminated,  and,  leaving 
the  snows,  they  desc-ended  to  the  main  branch  of  the  Kooskooskee. 

"  July  1. — We  had  now  made  one  lumdred  and  fifty-six  miles  from  the 
Quamasli  Flats  to  the  mouth  of  Traveler's  Rest  Creek.  This  being  the 
point  where  we  j)roposed  to  separate,  it  was  resolved  to  remir  'ty  or 
two  in  order  to  refresh  ourselves  and  the  horses.  We  now  '-  i  the 
following  plan  of  operations  :  Captain  Lewis,  with  nine  men,  is  to  pursue 
the  most  direct  mute  to  the  fills  of  the  Missom'i,  where  three  of  his  party 
are  to  ])repare  carriages  lor  transporting  the  baggage  and  canoes  across 
the  portage.  With  the  remaining  six  he  will  ascend  Maria's  lliver  to 
explore  iJie  country,  and  ascertain  whether  any  braiuh  of  it  reaches  as 
fir  iK.ilh  as  the  latitude  of  fifty  degrees,  at\er  which  he  will  descend  that 
river  to  its  mouth.  The  rest  of  the  men  will  accompany  Captain  Clarke 
to  the  head  of  Jefferson  liiver,  which  Sergeant  Ordway  and  a  party  of 


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THE    PARTY    SEPARATES. 


187 


nine  men  will  descend  -with  the  canoes  and  other  articles  deposited  the.-e. 
Captain  Clarke's  party,  which  will  then  be  reduced  to  ten,  will  proceed 
to  the  Yellowstone,  at  its  nearest  approach  to  the  three  forks  of  the  Mis- 
souri. There  he  will  build  canoes,  and  go  down  that  river  with  seven  of 
his  party,  and  wait  at  its  mouth  till  the  rest  of  the  pai-ty  join  hhn.  Ser- 
geant Piyor,  with  two  others,  will  then  take  the  horses  by  land  to  the 
Mandans.  From  that  nation  he  is  to  go  to  the  British  posts  on  the  ^W 
smiboin,  with  a  letter  to  Mr.  Henry,  to  procure  his  endeavors  to  prevail 
on  some  of  the  Sioux  chiefs  to  accompany  him  to  the  city  of  "Washuig- 
ton." 

"  July  n. — All  our  prejiarations  being  completed,  we  saddled  our 
horses,  and  the  two  parties  who  had  been  so  long  companions,  now  se])a- 
rated,  with  an  anxious  hope  of  soon  meeting,  after  each  had  accomplished 
the  purpose  of  its  destination." 

Ca})tain  Lewis  proceeded  doAvn  Clarke's  River  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Cokalahishkit,  or,  "  Kiver  of  the  Road  to  Buifaloes,"  by  which  they  as- 
cended to  the  dividing  ridge,  and  reached  the  Missouri  at  Wliitebear  Is- 
land, above  the  falls,  on  the  11th  of  July.  They  crossed  over,  and  on 
the  i;Jth  formed  a  camp  at  their  old  station,  near  the  head  of  the  White- 
bear  Island.  On  opening  the  deposit,  they  found  the  bearskins  entirely 
destroyed  by  the  water  w^hich,  during  a  flood,  had  penetrated  to  them. 
All  the  specimens  of  plants  were  lost ;  the  chart  of  the  Missouri,  how- 
ever, still  remained  unhurt,  and  several  articles  contained  m  trunks  and 
boxes  had  sulfered  but  little  hijury.  They  proceeded  to  make  prepara- 
tions for  transporting  the  articles,  and  on  the  15th  sent  M'Neal  to  exam- 
ine the  deposit  at  the  lower  end  of  the  portage,  lie  returned  at  night, 
however,  without  having  reached  the  place.  Near  Willow  Run  he  ap- 
proached a  thicket  in  which  was  a  white  bear,  which  he  did  not  discover 
until  he  was  within  ten  feet  of  him.  His  horse  started,  and  wheeling 
suddenly  around,  threw  him  almost  immediately  under  the  bear.  lie 
started  up  instantly,  and  as  the  bear  was  rising  up  to  attack  him,  struck 
it  on  the  head  with  the  butt  of  his  musket.  Tlie  blow  was  so  violent 
that  it  broke  the  musket  and  knocked  the  bear  to  the  ground,  and  before 
he  recovered,  M'Xeal  sprang  up  a  willow-tree,  where  he  remauied  closely 
guarded  by  the  bear  imtil  late  in  the  afternoon.  The  beast  then  went 
ofl",  and  ]\rXeal,  being  released,  came  down,  and  having  found  his  liorse, 
which  had  strayed  two  miles  away,  returned  to  camj). 

Leaving  Sergeant  Gass  with  two  men  and  four  horses  to  assist  in  car- 
rying the  eflects  over  the  portage,  Captain  Lewis,  with  Drewyerand  the 
two  Fields,  proceeded,  with  six  horses,  toward  the  sources  of  Maria'a 
River.  After  a  week's  travel  they  halted  at  a  place  ten  miles  from  tho 
foot  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  whence  they  coultl  trace  the  river  to  its 
egress  from  th(>  mountains,  and  as  this  was  to  the  south  of  west,  they 
concluded  they  had  reached  its  moat  northern  point.  They  therefore 
remained  here  to  make  observations.  The  weather  was  doiuly,  and  after 
waiting  a  few  days  in  vam,  they  mounted  their  horses  on  the  2Cth,  and 


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TRAVELS    OF    LEWIS    AND    CLARKE. 


Bet  out  on  their  return.  They  had  proceeded  several  miles,  and  Drew- 
yer  had  gone  forward  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  when  Captain  Lewis, 
who,  with  his  party,  had  ascended  the  hills  by  the  river's  side,  saw,  at 
the  distance  of  a  mile,  about  tliirty  horses,  half  of  whioii  were  saddled ; 
on  an  eminence  above  them  several  Indians  were  looking  doAvn  toward 
the  y'lver,  probably  at  Drewyer.  He  feared  some  e\'il  design,  but  re- 
solved to  make  the  best  of  the  situation,  and  advanced  in  a  friendly 
manner.  Their  attention  was  so  engaged  upon  Drewyer  that  they  did 
not  at  first  see  the  approaching  party  ;  when  they  did  they  were  alarmed, 
and  ran  about  in  confusion.  Afterward  they  collected  as  if  to  await  them. 
An  Indian  mounted  and  rode  at  full  speed  toward  them,  but  after  halt- 
ing for  some  time  he  hastened  back  to  his  companions.  The  whole  party 
then  descended  the  hill  and  rode  toward  them.  When  they  came  near, 
all  the  Indians  but  one  stopped.  Captahi  Le\\-is  ordered  the  two  men 
to  halt,  while  he  advanced  and  shook  hands  with  the  Indian,  and  then 
with  his  companions.  They  now  all  came  up,  and  the  Indians  proposed 
to  smoke.  Captain  Lewis  found,  by  signs,  that  they  were  Minnetarees 
of  the  north,  and  that  there  were  three  chiefs  in  the  party.  Though  he 
did  not  believe  them,  yet  he  thought  best  to  please  them,  and  he  gave 
to  one  a  flag,  to  another  a  medal,  and  to  a  third  a  handkerchief.  They 
seemed  well  satisfied,  and  now  recovered  from  their  alarm,  while  Lewis's 
party  -were  equally  satisfied  that  the  Indians,  only  eight  in  number,  were 
joined  by  no  more  of  their  companions.  Being  joined  by  Drewyer, 
they  proceeded  to  the  river,  and  all  encamped  together  in  an  Indian 
tent  of  buffalo  skins,  where,  by  means  of  Drewyer,  the  evening  was 
spent  in  conversation  with  the  Indians. 

In  the  mornhig  the  latter  watched  their  opportunity  and  made  off 
with  the  rifles  of  the  party.  As  soon  as  Fields,  who  was  on  guard,  per- 
ceived them,  he  railed  his  brother,  and  pursued  the  one  who  had  taken 
both  their  rifles.  In  their  scuftle  he  stabbed  the  Indian,  and  he  fell. 
Drewyer,  being  awake,  wrested  his  gun  from  the  fellow  Avho  seized  it, 
and  Cai)tahi  Le\ns,  awakened  by  the  noise,  reached  to  seize  his  gun,  but 
finding  it  gone,  drew  a  pistol  and  followed  the  Indian  who  was  running 
off  with  it.  He  ordered  him  to  lay  it  down,  which  was  done  just  as  the 
others  wei'o  about  to  shoot  him.  Captain  Lewis  forbid  them,  but  find- 
ing that  the  Indians  were  now  driving  off  the  horses,  he  sent  three  of 
them  in  i)ursuit,  with  orders  to  fire  on  the  thieves,  while  he  pursued 
the  fellow  who  had  stolen  his  gun,  and  another  Indian,  who  were  driving 
away  the  horses  on  the  other  side.  lie  pressed  them  so  closely  that  they 
left  twelve  of  their  own  horses,  but  still  made  off  with  one  of  Lewis's. 
As  they  entered  a  niche  in  the  bluffs.  Captain  Lewis  called  out,  as  he 
did  several  tunes  before,  that  unless  they  gave  up  the  horse  he  would 
shoot  them.  As  he  raised  his  gun  one  jumped  behind  a  rock,  and  Cap- 
tain Lewis  shot  the  other.  lie  fell,  but  rising  a  little,  fired,  and  then 
crawled  behind  a  rock.  Lewis,  who  was  bare-headed,  felt  tlie  wind  of 
his  ball ;  not  having  his  shot-pouch,  ho  now  thought  it  most  prudent  to 


A    RACE    FOR    LIFE. 


189 


retire.  The  other  men  pursued  the  Indians  until  two  of  them  swam  tlie 
river,  and  two  climbed  the  hills,  and  then  returned  with  four  liorses.  In 
the  contest  they  lost  one  horse,  but  gained  four  of  the  Indians',  besides 
which  they  found  in  the  camp  four  shields,  two  bows  with  quivers,  and 
one  of  their  guns,  which  they  took  with  them,  as  well  as  the  flag  tlioy 
had  given  to  the  Indians,  but  left  the  medal  around  the  neck  of  the  dead 
man  to  inform  the  tribe  who  they  were. 

As  there  was  no  time  to  lose,  they  ascended  the  river-hill  and  set  oiF 
across  the  level  plains  toward  the  south-east,  over  which  they  pushed 
their  horses  with  all  possible  speed.  Fortunately  the  Indian  horses  were 
good,  and  the  road  smooth,  so  that  when  they  halted  at  three  o'clock 
they  had  made,  by  estimate,  sixty-three  nules.  They  rested  an  hour  and 
a  haltj  and  then  rode  seventeen  miles  further,  when,  as  night  came  on, 
they  killed  a  buffalo,  and  again  stojiped  for  two  hours.  The  moon  gave 
light  enough  to  show  the  route,  and  they  continued  along  through  im- 
mense herds  of  buffalo  for  twenty  miles,  when,  almost  exhausted,  they 
halted  at  two  in  the  morning.  At  day-light  they  awoke,  sore  and 
scarcely  able  to  stand,  but  as  their  own  lives,  as  well  as  those  of  their 
companions,  depended  on  their  passing  forward,  they  mounted  tlunr 
horses  and  set  oft".  At  the  distance  of  twelve  miles  they  came  near  the 
Missouri,  when  they  heard  a  noise  like  the  report  of  a  gun.  They 
quickened  their  pace  for  eight  miles  further,  when  they  lieard  distinctly 
ihe  noise  of  several  rifles  from  the  river.  They  hurried  to  the  bank  and 
saw  with  joy  their  friends  coming  down  the  stream.  Turning  loose  their 
horses,  they  embarked  with  their  baggage,  and  all  proceeded  down  to 
the  spot  where  they  had  dej)osited  some  goods.  Most  of  the  articles 
were  injured,  but  they  took  what  was  worth  preserving,  and  immediately 
proceeded  to  the  Point,  where  the  deposits  were  found  in  good  order. 
Here  they  were  tbrtunately  joined  by  Gass  and  Willard  from  the  Falls, 
and  j)roceeding  down  the  river  together,  they  encampe<l  fitleen  miles  be- 
low. Sergeant  Ordway's  party,  which  had  lefl;  the  mouth  of  Madison 
River  on  the  13th,  had  desciiuded  in  safety  to  the  Whitebear  Isiamls, 
where  they  arrived  on  the  lOtli,  and  after  collecting  the  baggage,  left  the 
Falls  on  the  '27th  in  a  perioque  and  five  canoes,  while  Sergeant  Gass  and 
Willard  set  out  at  the  same  time  by  land  with  the  horses,  and  thus  for- 
tunately the  three  parties  met  at  the  same  time. 

On  the  29th  the  united  party  proceeded  with  the  aid  of  a  strong  cur- 
rent, and  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Yellowstone  on  the  Tth  of  Augu>t, 
where  they  found  a  note  from  Captain  Clarke,  stating  that  he  would 
wait  for  them  a  few  miles  below.  Not  meeting  with  him  next  day,  they 
landed,  and  began  to  calk  and  repair  their  canoes,  and  also  to  repair 
some  skins  for  clothing;  for  since  leaving  the  Kocky  Mountains,  they 
had  not  had  leisure  to  make  clothes,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  \nvn 
were  almost  naked.  On  the  11th  they  went  forward  rapidly,  hojiing  to 
reach  the  Burned  Hills  bynoon,  in  order  to  ascertahi  the  latitude,  but  ar- 
riving too  late,  Cai)tam  Lewis  went  with  Cruzatte  hi  pursuit  of  a  herd 


1 

if 

'    1 

IP 

t    i 

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■'  ■  i. 

;  i 


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i  ^-«: 


V  1 


li 


'   11   .. 


, 


190 


TRAVELS  OF  LEWIS  AND  CLARKE. 


of  oik  which  they  saw.  Each  of  them  shot  an  oik,  then  roloadocl  and 
took  (lifforent  routos  in  pursuit  of  the  game,  Avhen  just  as  Ca])taiu  Lewis 
was  taking  aim  at  an  elk,  a  ball  struck  him,  passing  through  the  loft 
thigh  and  grazing  the  right.  Being  dressed  in  brown  leather,  ho  thought 
Cruzatto  had  shot  him  in  mistake  for  an  elk.  lie  called  several  times, 
but  seeing  nothing  and  receiving  no  answer,  he  concluded  the  .shot  must 
bo  from  an.  Indian,  and  therefore  made  toward  the  boat,  calling  out  to 
Cruzatto  to  retreat,  as  there  were  Indians  in  the  willows.  lie  then  or- 
dered the  men  to  arms,  saying  that  he  was  wounded  by  the  Indians,  and 
bade  theni  follow  him  to  relieve  Cruzatto.  They  went  forward  until  his 
wound  became  so  painful  that  lie  could  go  no  further.  lie  then  ordered 
the  men  to  proceed,  and  if  overpowered  by  numbers,  to  retreat  toward 
the  boats,  koej)ing  up  a  fire  ;  then  limping  back  to  the  boat,  he  prepared 
himself  with  his  rifle,  a  pistol,  and  the  air-gun,  to  sell  liis  life  dearly  in 
case  the  men  should  bo  overcome.  In  this  state  of  anxiety  he  remained 
about  twenty  minutes,  when  the  party  returned  with  Cruzatto,  and  re- 
ported +hat  no  Indians  were  to  be  seen  in  the  neighborhood.  Cruzatte 
Avas  nowMnuch  alarmed,  and  declared  he  had  shot  at  an  elk  after  Captain 
Lewis  had  left  him,  but  disclaimed  every  idea  of  having  intentionally 
wounded  his  oflicer.  There  was  no  doubt  that  he  was  the  one  who  gave 
the  wound,  but  as  it  seemed  wholly  accidental,  aiid  he  had  always  con- 
ducted himself  Avith  propriety,  no  further  notice  Avas  taken  of  it.  The 
Avound  Avas  (b-cssed,  and  though  it  blod  profusely,  yet  as  the  ball  had 
touched  neither  bono  nor  artery,  they  hoped  it  Avould  not  prove  fatal. 
They  then  Aveiit  on  till  evening,  when,  as  Captain  Loaa^s  had  a  high 
fever,  and  could  not  be  removed  Anthout  great  difficulty,  he  remained 
on  board  during  the  night.  Next  morning  they  proceeded  Avith  all  pos- 
sible expedition,  and  soon  afterward  called  i.o  a  camp  of  t\A'o  Illinois  trad- 
ers, Avho  said  they  had  seen  Captain  Clarke  the  day  before.  While 
they  lialtod,  they  Avere  overtaken  by  two  hunters  Avho  had  been  missing 
since  the  3d,  and  Avhose  absence  excited  much  uneasiness.  After  mak- 
ing some  ])rosonts  to  the  traders  they  Avont  forAvard,  and  at  one  o'clock 
joined  their  friends  and  companions  imder  Captain  Clarke. 

On  taking  leave  of  Captain  LoAvis  and  the  Indians  on  the  .3d  of  July, 
the  other  division,  consisting  of  Captain  Clarke,  Avith  fifteen  men  and 
(ifly  horses,  set  out  in  a  southern  direction  through  the  valley  of  Clarke's 
Uiver.  During  the  next  day,  they  halted  at  an  early  hour  to  do  honor 
to  the  birth-day  of  their  country's  independence.  "The  festival  Avas  not 
very  splendid,  for  it  consisted  of  a  mush  matle  of  roots  and  a  saddle  of 
venison,  nor  had  avo  any  tiling  to  temi)t  us  to  prolong  it."  On  +he  6th 
they  left  tlie  last  year's  trail  and  crossed  over  the  dividing  riilge  to  the 
Avators  of  "\Vis<lom  liiver,  and  on  the  8th  arrived  at  the  fSirks  of  the  Jef- 
ferson, where  they  had  deposited  their  merchandise  in  August.  "  Most 
of  the  men  AA'cre  in  the  habit  of  chewing  tobacco,  and  such  was  their  ea- 
gerness to  procure  it,  after  so  long  a  privation,  that  they  scarcely  took 
the  saddles  from  their  horses  before  they  ran  to  the  cave,  and  Averc  de- 


DESCENT    OF    THE    YELLOWSTONE. 


191 


lio-litod  at  being  able  to  resume  tliis  fascinating  indulgence.  This  was 
one  of  the  severest  privations  we  have  oncounteretl.  Home  of  the  men, 
Avhose  tomahawks  were  so  constructed  as  to  answer  the  purpose  of  pipes, 
broke  the  handles  of  these  instruments,  and  after  cutting  them  into  small 
fragments,  chewed  them ;  the  wood  having,  by  frequent  smoking,  be- 
come strongly  im])regnated  Avith  the  taste  of  that  plant."  They  found 
every  thing  safe,  though  some  of  the  goods  were  a  little  damp. 

The  canoes  were  raised,  and  the  preparations  for  the  journey  all  made 
by  the  10th,  when  Captain  Clarke  divided  his  men  into  two  bands,  the 
one  to  descend  the  river  with  the  baggage,  and  the  other  to  proceed 
with  him  on  horseback  to  the  Yellowstone.  After  breakfast  they  set  out, 
and  at  the  distance  of  fifteen  miles  the  two  parties  stopped  to  dine,  when 
Captain  Clarke,  finding  that  the  river  became  wider  and  deeper,  and 
that  the  canoes  could  advance  more  rapidly  than  the  horses,  determined 
to  go  himself  by  water,  leaving  Sergeant  Pryor  with  six  men  to  bring 
on  the  horses.  They  reached  the  entrance  of  Madison  River  at  noon  on 
the  13th,  where  Sergeant  Pryor  had  arrived  Avith  the  horses  an  hour  be- 
fore. The  horses  were  then  driven  across  Madison  and  (Jallatia  Rivers, 
and  the  whole  party  halted  to  dine  and  unload  the  canoes  below  the 
mouth  of  the  latter.  Here  the  tAvo  parties  separated  ;  Sergeant  Ordway 
Avith  nine  men  set  out  in  six  canoes  to  descend  the  river,  Avhile  Captain 
Clarke  Avith  the  remaining  ten,  and  the  vdfa  and  child  of  Chaboneau, 
were  to  proceed  by  land  with  fifty  horses  to  Yellowstone  River. 

They  set  out  at  five  in  the  afternoon  from  tli(>  Forks  of  the  Missouri, 
in  a  direction  nearly  eastAvard.  On  the  15th,  they  pursued  a  buftalo 
road  over  a  Ioav  gap  in  the  mountain,  to  the  heads  of  the  eastern  fork 
of  Gallatin  River,  Avhere  they  reached  the  dividing  ridge  of  the  Avaters 
of  the  Missouri  and  the  YelloAVStone ;  and  on  descending  the  ridge, 
they  struck  one  of  the  streams  of  the  latter  river.  Nine  miles  from  the 
top  of  the  ridge  they  reached  the  YelloAvstone  itself,  about  a  mile  and 
a  half  from  Avhere  it  issues  from  the  Rocky  Mountains.  They  pursued 
their  journey  doAvn  the  banks  of  the  riAcr  until  the  20th,  Avhen  Captain 
Clarke  determined  to  make  two  canoes,  AA'hich,  being  lashed  together, 
might  convey  the  party  down  the  river,  Avhile  a  fcAV  men  should  lead 
the  horses  to  the  Mandan  natii)n.  The  !.orses  AA'^ere  turned  out  to  rest 
for  a  few  days,  but  in  the  morning  tAventy-four  of  them  Avere  missing, 
and  although  the  search  for  them  Avas  continued  f(.)r  several  days,  they 
Avcre  not  seen  afterward.  One  day  a  piece  of  robe  and  a  moccasin  Avere 
found  not  far  from  the  camp,  and  it  became  (.  vident  that  the  Indians  had 
stolen  the  horses. 

At  length  the  canoes  Avere  finished  and  lashed  together,  and  every 
thing  being  prepared,  the  parties  set  out  on  the'  24th.  Sergeant  Pryor 
was  directed,  Avith  Shannon  and  Windsor,  to  take  the  horses  to  the 
Mandans,  and  if  i\Ir.  Henry  Avas  on  the  Assiniboin  River,  to  go  thither 
and  deliver  him  a  letter,  the  object  of  Avhieh  A\'as  to  prevail  on  the  most 
distinguished  chiefs  of  the  Sioux  to  accompany  him  to  Washington. 


! 

•if 


•II 


■ 

il 

1 

! 

1 

'      i  ! 

lii'  ■■ 

■ 


I  : 


*  I 


Hh 


m 


192 


TRAVELS  OP  LEWIS  AND  CLARKE. 


Cajitain  Clarke  embarked  on  the  little  flotilla,   and   proceeded  very 
steadily  down  the  river. 

At  2  o'clock  on  the  3d  of  August,  they  reached  the  junction  of  the 
Yellowstone  Avith  the  Missouri,  and  formed  a  camp  on  the  point  where 
they  had  encamped  on  the  2Gth  of  April,  1805.  The  canoes  were 
now  unloaded,  and  the  baggage  exposed  to  dry,  as  many  of  the  articles 
•were  wet,  and  some  of  them  spoiled.  Next  day  they  found  their  camp 
absolutely  uninhabitable  in  consequence  of  the  multitude  of  mosquitoes; 
the  men  could  not  work  in  preparing  skins  for  clothing,  nor  hunt  in  the 
timberetl  low  grounds ;  in  short,  there  was  no  mode  of  escape  except 
by  going  on  the  sandbars  in  the  river,  where,  if  the  wind  blew,  the 
bisects  did  not  venture  ;  but  when  there  was  no  wind,  and  particularly 
at  night,  they  could  hardly  be  endured.  Captain  Clarke  therefore 
determined  to  seek  better  quarters,  and  leaving  a  note  on  ,  pole  at 
the  confluence  of  the  two  rivers,  proceeded  down  the  Missouri. 

On  the  8th,  they  w'ere  joined  by  Sergeant  Pryor,  with  Shannon, 
Ilall,  and  Wilson,  but  without  the  horses.  These  had  been  stolen  from 
them  by  the  Indians  on  the  second  night  after  they  had  left  Captain 
Clarke.  In  the  morning  they  had  pursued  the  tracks  five  miles,  when 
they  divided  into  two  parties.  They  followed  the  larger  party  five  miles 
further,  till  they  lost  all  hope  of  overtaking  the  Indians,  and  returned 
to  camp;  and  packing  the  baggage  on  their  backs  pursued  a  north- 
east course  toward  the  Yellowstone.  Having  reached  the  river,  they 
descended  it  in  two  skin  canoes,  which  they  made  for  the  occasion. 

In  proceeding  further  down  the  river.  Captain  Clarke  had  stopped 
■with  Dickson  and  Hancock,  two  Illinois  traders,  on  the  11th.  The  party 
continued  slowly  to  descend,  when,  on  the  12th,  one  of  the  skin  canoes 
was  by  accident  pierced  with  a  small  hole,  and  while  they  stopped  to 
mend  it,  they  were  overjoyed  at  seeing  Captain  Lewis's  boats  heave  in 
sight  about  noon.  But  they  were  alarmed  on  seeing  the  boats  reach 
the  shore  without  Captain  Lewis,  who,  they  learned,  had  been  wounded 
the  day  before,  and  was  then  lying  in  the  perioque.  After  attending 
to  his  wound  they  remained  here  a  while,  and  were  overtaken  by  their 
two  men,  accompanied  by  Dickson  and  Hancock,  who  wished  to  go 
with  them  as  far  as  the  Mandans.  The  whole  party  being  now  happily 
re-united,  they  all  embarked  together. 

On  the  14th,  they  approached  the  grand  village  of  the  Minnetarees, 
where  the  natives  collected  to  view  them  as  they  passed.  They  fired  a 
blunderbuss  several  times  by  way  of  salute,  and  soon  afterward  landed 
near  the  village  of  the  Mahahas,  or  Shoe  Indians,  and  were  received 
by  a  crowd  of  people  who  came  to  welcome  their  return. 

"  In  the  evening  we  were  applied  to  by  one  of  our  men.  Colter,  who 
was  desirous  of  j>)ining  the  two  trappers  who  had  accompanied  us,  and 
who  now  proposed  an  expedition  up  the  river,  in  which  they  were  to 
find  traps,  and  give  him  a  share  of  the  profits.  The  offer  was  a  very 
advantageous  one,  and  as  he  had  always  performed  liis  duty,  and  his 


RETURN    TO    CIVILl ,  ATION. 


193 


services  might  ho.  dispcnsctl  with,  Ave  agrood  that  he  might  go,  provided 
none  of  the  rest  Avoiild  ask,  or  expect  a  similar  indulgence.  To  this  they 
cheerfully  answered  that  they  wished  Colter  every  success,  and  would 
not  apply  for  liberty  to  sejiarate  before  wo  reached  St.  Louis.  We 
therefore  supplied  him,  as  did  his  comrades  also,  witli  powder  and  lead, 
and  a  variety  of  articles  wliich  might  be  useful  to  him,  and  lie  left  us 
the  next  day.  The  example  of  this  man  shows  how  easily  men  may  be 
weaned  from  the  habits  of  a  civilized  life  to  the  ruder  but  scarcely 
less  fascinating  manners  of  the  woods." 

On  the  IGth  the  principal  chiefs  of  the  ^Minetavecs  came  doAvn  to  bid 
them  farewell,  as  none  of  them  could  be  prcA'ailed  on  to  go  with  tho 
party.  This  induced  Chaboneau,  the  interi)rcter,  with  his  wife  and 
child,  to  leave,  as  he  could  be  no  longer  useful,  and  having  no  acquaint- 
ance in  the  United  States  nor  means  of  making  a  livelihood  there,  he 
preferred  remaining  among  the  Indians.  This  man  had  1)een  very  serv- 
iceable to  the  expedition,  and  his  wife  particularly  useful  among  the 
Shoshonees.  She  had  borne  Avith  admirable  ])atiencc  the  flitigue  of  the 
long  journey,  encumbered  with  an  infant  AA'ho  Avas  yet  only  nineteen 
months  old.  They  therefore  paid  hini  his  Avages  and  dropped  doAvn  to 
the  village  of  the  chief  BigAvhite,  AA'ho  Avas  to  accompany  them  Avith  liis 
Avife  and  son.  All  the  chiefs  accompanied  them  on  shore,  to  take  leave 
of  him.  They  found  him  surrounded  by  his  fVieuds,  Avho  sat  in  a  circle 
smoking,  while  the  Avomen  were  crying.  He  immediately  sent  his  Avifo 
and  son,  with  their  baggage,  on  board,  then,  after  distributing  among 
his  friends  some  powder  and  ball,  and  smoking  Avith  the  Avhite  men, 
Avent  Avith  them  to  the  riA'cr  side.  The  Avholc  village  croAvded  about 
them,  and  many  of  the  people  Avept  aloud  at  the  departure  of  their 
chief. 

On  the  3d  of  September  they  Avcre  delighted  by  hearing  the  first 
ncAVS  from  their  country,  from  a  trader  aaIio  had  lately  i)assed  through 
St.  Louis,  and  Avith  Avhom  they  encamped  for  the  night.  Near  the  Little 
Sioux  River,  on  the  Gth,  they  mot  a  ti-ading  boat  of  St.  Louis,  Avith 
se\eral  men  on  their  Avay  to  trade  Avith  the  Yanktons  at  the  river 
Jacques.  They  obtained  of  them  a  gallon  of  Avhiskey,  and  gave  each 
of  the  party  a  dram,  Avhich  Avas  the  first  spirituous  li(juor  any  of  them 
had  tasted  since  the  4th  of  July,  1805.  On  the  iVth  they  passed  the 
island  of  the  Little  Osiigo  village.  Thirty  miles  below  they  inet  a  Cap- 
tain M'Clellan,  lately  of  the  I'nited  States  Army,  Avith  Avhom  they  en- 
camped, lie  informed  tliem  that  the  general  opinion  hi  the  United 
States  AA'as  that  they  \',  ere  lost ;  the  last  accounts  Avhich  had  been  heard 
from  them  being  from  the  Mandan  villages. 

At  length,  as  the  hunters  Avere  not  Aery  successful,  their  stock  of 
provisions  became  very  Ioav,  though  it  Avas  partially  supplied  by  an 
abundance  of  papaws  ;  several  of  the  i)arty  Avere  also  attacked  AA'ith  a 
soreness  of  the  eyes,  Avhicli  Avas  extremely  ]iainful,  ])articularly  Avhen  ox- 
Jtosed  to  the  light.     Three  of  the  men  Avere  so  nmch  ali'ected  by  it  as  to 

13 


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194 


TRAVELS    OF    LEWIS    AND    CLARKE. 


bo  unable  to  row ;  they  tlierofore  turned  two  of  the  boats  adrift  on  the 
19th,  and  distributed  the  men  among  the  other  canoes. 

'''' Saturday,  September  20th.  Near  the  mouth  of  the  Gasconade, 
where  we  arrived  at  noon,  we  met  five  Frenchmen  on  their  way  to  the 
Great  Osage  village.  As  we  moved  along  rapidly,  we  saw  on  the  banks 
some  cows  feeding,  and  the  whole  party  almost  involuntarily  raised  a 
shout  of  joy  at  seeing  this  image  of  civilization  and  domestic  life.  Soon 
after  we  reached  the  little  French  village  of  La  Charette,  which  wo 
saluted  Avith  a  discharge  of  four  guns  and  three  hearty  cheers.  They 
were  all  equally  surprised  and  pleased  at  our  arrival,  for  they  had  long 
since  abandoned  all  hope  of  ever  seeing  us  return.  Next  morning  we 
proceeded,  and  as  several  settlements  had  been  made  during  our  ab- 
sence, we  were  refreshed  with  the  sight  of  men  and  cattle  along  the 
banks.  At  length,  after  coming  forty-eight  miles,  we  saluted,  with  heart- 
felt satisfaction,  the  village  of  St.  Charles,  and  on  lauding  were  treated 
Avith  the  greatest  hospitality  and  kindness  by  all  the  inhabitants  of  the 
place, 

'"''Tuesday,  23d.  Descended  to  the  Mississippi,  and  round  to  St. 
Louis,  where  we  arrived  at  twelve  o'clock,  and  having  fired  a  salute, 
went  on  shore  and  received  the  heartiest  and  most  hospitable  welcome 
from  the  whole  village." 


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BUECKHARDT'S  TRAVELS 


IN    SYRIA,    AFRICA,    AND    ARABIA 


TRAVELS    IN    SYRIA. 


John  Lewis  Bitrckiiaudt,  the  most  prominent  amonj?  oriental 
travelers,  tlie  discoverer  of  the  city  of  Petra,  and  the  first  Christian  trav- 
eler who  visited  Mecca  and  Medhia,  was  a  Swiss,  descended  from  an 
eminent  family  of  Basle,  lie  was  born  at  Lansanne,  o\\  the  Lake  of 
Geneva,  in  the  year  17H4.  lie  was  the  eighth  child  of  John  Kodolph 
liurckhardt,  a  gentleman  of  wealth  and  intelligence,  Avhose  ])rospects  in 
hfe  were  early  bliglited  by  his  adherence  to  the  Austrian  faction,  during 
the  troubles  in  Switzerland,  conseiiuent  upon  the  French  Ivevolution. 
lie  was  at  one  time  tried  for  his  life,  and  was  obliged  to  fly  from  IJaslo 
in  order  to  save  his  family  from  total  ruin.  The  future  traveler  natu- 
rally grew  up  with  a  detestation  of  the  French  rule,  and  it  was  his  boy- 
ish desire  to  serve  in  the  armies  of  some  nation  at  Avar  with  France.  It 
was  his  fortune,  however,  to  be  destuied  for  a  far  more  useful  and  heroic 
career. 

Burckhardt'9  studies  were,  from  various  causes,  conducted  in  the 
manner  best  calculated  to  create  and  nourish  restless  and  adventurous 
habits.  Having  received  the  lirst  rudiments  of  his  education  in  his 
father's  house,  he  was  removed  to  a  school  at  Neufehatel,  Avhere  ho  re- 
mained two  years.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  was  entered  as  a  student 
at  the  university  of  Leipzig ;  fro.n  whence,  after  four  years'  resicU'nce, 
he  proceeded  to  Gottingen,  where  \w  conlinued  another  year,  lie  theti 
returned  to  his  parent".  The  natural  iirnmess  and  consistency  of  his 
character,  of  which  liis  countenance  was  strikingly  expressive,  still  taught 
him  to  keep  alive  Ills  hatred  to  the  French;  but  no  continental  nation 
ha<l  preserved  itself  wholly  tree  froi.i  the  influence  of  tiiis  people  ;  and 
therefore,  rejecting  an  offer  which  Avas  niaile  hiiu  by  one  of  tl»c  petty 
courts  of  Germany,  desirous  of  numbering  liini  .among  its  diplomatic 
body,  he  turiu'd  his  thoughts  toward  Kngland,  his  liilher  having  formerly 
served  in  a  Swiss  corjis,  in  Fuglish  pay.     Accordingly,  liaving  provided 


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198 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF    BURCKHARDT. 


himself  Avith  letters  of  introduction  to  several  jiersons  of  distinction, 
among  which  \\"xi  one  from  Professor  IJlumenbach  to  Sir  Joseph  Banks, 
he  set  out  for  London,  where  he  arrived  in  the  month  of  July,  1806. 

This  stej)  was  the  jjivot  upon  which  the  whole  circle  of  his  short  life 
\vas  destined  to  turn.  His  introduction  to  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  who  had 
long  been  an  active  member  of  the  African  Association,  almost  necessarily 
brought  him  into  contact  with  several  other  individuals  connected  with 
that  celebrated  society ;  and  conversations  with  these  persons,  whose 
enthusiasm  Avas  unbounded,  luiturally  begot  iiiBurckhardt  a  correspond- 
ing Avarmth,  and  transformed  him,  from  a  (Quixotic  crusader  against  tho 
French,  hito  an  ardent,  ambitious  traveler. 

Upon  Burckhardt's  desire  to  tra\'el  for  the  African  Association  being 
comnmnicated  to  Sir  Joseph  Banks  and  Dr.  Hamilton,  then  acting  sec- 
retary to  that  body,  strong  representations  of  the  dangers  to  be  en- 
countered in  the  execution  of  the  plan  Avcre  made  to  tho  youthful  aspi- 
rant;  "but,''  says  one  of  his  biographers,  "such  representations,  which 
are  a  delusive  kind  of  peace-oftering  placred  for  form's  sake  on  the  altar 
of  conscience,  arc  seldom  sincerely  designed  to  eftect  their  apparent  pur- 
pose ;  and  the  actors  in  the  farce,  for  the  most  part,  experience  extreme 
chagrin  should  they  lind  their  eloquence  prove  successful." 

His  otter,  whidx  Avas  laid  before  the  association  at  the  general  meet- 
ing of  May,  1808,  Avas  Avillingly  accei)ted  ;  and  he  inunediately  com- 
menced all  those  preparations  Avhich  Avere  necessary  to  the  proper 
accomplishment  of  his  undertaking.  He  employed  hhnself  diligently  in 
tho  study  of  the  Arabic  language  both  in  London  and  Cambridge,  as 
Avell  as  in  accpuring  a  knowledge  of  several  branches  of  science,  such  as 
chemistry,  .astronomy,  mineralogy,  medicine,  and  surgery :  he  likewise 
allowed  his  beard  to  grow,  assumed  the  oriental  dress,  "  aiul  in  the  in- 
tervals of  his  studies  exercised  liimself  by  long  joTU-neys  on  foot,  bare- 
headed, in  the  heat  of  the  sun,  sleepitig  upon  the  ground,  and  living  upon 
vegetables  and  AV.ater." 

On  the  2r)th  of  January,  IROO,  he  received  his  instructions,  by  Avhich 
he  Avas  directed  to  proceed  in  the  lirst  instance  to  Syria,  Avhere,  it  wag 
BU])poKed,  lu'  might  coinj)lete  his  knoAviedgo  of  tho  Arabic,  and  acquire 
oriental  habits  and  manners  at  a  distance  from  the  scene  of  his  researches, 
and  where  he  Avas  not  liki'ly  to  meet  with  any  individuals  Avho  might 
utlerward  recogni/e  him  at  an  inconvenient  moment.  After  spending 
tAVO  years  in  Syria,  lie  AV.as  instructed  to  proceed  to  Cairo,  to  accompany 
the  Arab  caravan  to  Mourzuk,  in  Fezzan,  by  the  same  route  traversed 
by  the  nnf  irtimale  Hornem.ann,  and  to  make  that  jilace  the  jjoint  of  his 
de])arture  for  the  interior  of  Africa. 

liiirckhardt  saileil  from  Cowes  on  the  2d  of  March,  1 800,  in  a  nierchant- 
slii)),  proceeded  to  the  i\[editerranean,  and  arrived  at  Malta  in  themiddlo 
of  April.  During  liis  slay  at  this  place  he  completed  his  ecjnlpmcnt  in 
the  oriental  manner  and  assumed  the  character  of  an  Indian  Moham- 
medan merchant,  bcvring  dispatches  from  the  East  India  Company  to 


Vu 


% 


VOYAGE    TO    SYRIA. 


199 


Ml*.  Barker,  British  consul,  and  the  Company's  agent  at  Aleppo.  Mean- 
while lie  carefully  avoided  all  in«  ourse  with  such  persons  from  Bar- 
bary  as  happened  to  be  in  the  ic  [ ;  and  when  he  met  parties  of  them 
in  the  street,  as  he  often  did,  the  aalaam  cdeikoora  (peace  be  with  you  !) 
given  and  returned,  Avas  all  that  passed  betn'cea  them.  There  was  at 
this  time  a  Swiss  regiment  in  the  English  service  at  Malta,  to  many  of 
the  ofiiccrs  of  which  Burckliardt  Avas  personally  knoAvn,  To  be  recog- 
nized by  these  gentlemen  would  at  once  have  proved  fatal  to  his  assumed 
character  ;  ho  therclbre  appeared  in  public  cautiously,  and  but  seldom  ; 
but  had  at  length  the  satistiiction  of  findinsjc  that  his  dissfuise  was  so  com- 
plete  as  to  enable  him  to  |)ass  unknown  and  unnoticed. 

He  entered  into  arrangements  with  a  Greek  respecting  his  passage 
from  Malta  to  Cyprus;  but  on  the  very  morning  of  his  expected  depart- 
m"e  he  received  information  that  tlie  owner  of  the  ship  had  directed  the 
caittain  to  proceed  to  Tripoli.  His  baggage  was  in  consequence  trans- 
ferred to  another  ship,  said  to  be  bound  to  the  same  island;  "but  the 
very  moment  I  was  embarking,"  says  Burckliardt,  "•  the  new  captain  told 
me  that  he  was  not  quite  sure  whether  he  should  touch  at  Cyprus,  his 
sliip  being  properly  bound  for  Acre.  I  had  now  the  option  to  wait  at 
Malta,  perhaps  another  month  or  two,  for  an  ojiportunity  for  Cyprus  or 
the  coast  of  Syria,  or  to  run  the  chance  of  disembarking  at  a  place  where 
there  was  no  jierson  Avhatever  to  wIkjui  I  could  apply  for  advice  or  pro- 
tection. Luckily  an  Arab  of  Acre,  then  at  Malta,  happened  to  be  known 
to  ]Mr.  Barker,  jr. ;  in  half  an  hour's  time  a  letter  from  a  merchant  at 
Acre,  with  another  in  case  of  neeil  f()r  the  pasha,  Avere  procured,  and  T. 
embarked  and  sailed  the  same  morning  in  the  lioiie  of  finding,  when  ar- 
rived at  Acre,  a  passage  i'or  Tripoli  (Syria),  or  for  Latakia.  However, 
we  were  no  sooner  out  of  sight  of  the  island  than  it  was  made  knoAvn  to 
me  that  the  real  destination  of  the  ship  was  the  coast  of  Caramania,  that 
the  captain  had  orders  t>)  touch  first  at  the  ])()rt  of  Satalia,  then  at  that 
of  Tarsus ;  and  that  if  grain  could  not  be  purcliased  at  an  advantageous 
])rice  at  eitlier  of  these  ])lac('s,  in  that  case  only  he  was  to  proceed  to 
Acre.  My  remonstrances  v  itii  the  captain  would  have  been  vain  ;  noth- 
ing was  lefl  to  me  but  to  cuUivate  his  good  graci'S  and  those  of  my 
fellow-travelers,  ;is  the  ])rogress  of  my  journey  must  depend  greatly 
upon  their  good  oHices.  The  passengers  consisted,  to  my  astonishment, 
of  a  rich  Tripoliiie  mcrchanl,  who  owned  part  of  the  ship,  two  other 
Tripoiiues,  and  two  negro  slaves.  T  introduced  myself  among  them  as 
an  Indian  Mohammedan  merchant,  who  had  been  from  early  years  in 
England,  and  was  now  on  his  way  home;  and  I  had  the  good  fortune  to 
make  my  story  credible  enough  to  tiie  j)assengers,  as  well  .-^s  to  the  ship's 
company.  During  the  course  of  our  voy;ige  numerous  questions  w«'rt! 
juit  to  me  relative  to  India,  its  inhaltitimts  and  its  language,  which  I 
answere(l  as  well  as  I  couM,  Win  never  I  was  asked  for  a  specimen  of 
the  Hindoo  language,  I  answered  in  the  worst  diiileet  of  the  Swiss  (ler- 
nian,  almost  uuintelligilde  «ven  to  a  Cermaii,  and  which,  in  its  guttural 


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200 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF    BURCKHARDT. 


sounds,  may  fairly  rival  the  harshest  utterance  of  ^Vrabic.  Every  even- 
ing we  assembled  upon  deck  to  enjoy  the  cooling  sea-breeze  and  to  smoke 
our  pipes.  While  one  of  the  sailors  was  amusing  his  companions  with 
story-telling,  I  was  oalled  upon  to  relate  to  my  companions  the  wonders 
of  the  furthest  east — of  the  Great  Mogul  and  the  riches  of  his  court — 
of  the  widows  in  llindostan  burning  themselves — of  the  Chinese,  their 
wall,  and  great  2)orcelain  tower,"  etc. 

They  sailed  along  the  southern  coast  of  Candia,  saw  Rhodes  at  a  great 
distance,  and  arrived  in  a  few  days  at  SataUa,  in  Caramania.  Here  the 
plague,  it  was  found,  was  raging  in  the  town ;  but  this  circumstance  did 
not  prevent  the  Tripoline  merchant  from  landing  and  disposing  of  his 
merchandise,  nor  the  captain  from  receivhig  lam  again  on  board.  When 
their  business  with  this  town  was  completed,  they  again  set  sail,  and  af- 
ter coasting  for  three  days  along  the  shore  of  Caramania,  arrived  in  the 
roads  of  Mersin,  from  wiienco  Burckhardt  and  several  of  his  companions 
jtroceeded  by  land  on  an  excursion  to  Tarsus.  Finding  here  a  ship  bound 
for  the  coast  of  Syria,  the  traveler  left,  the  Maltese  vessel  in  order  to  pro- 
ceed by  this  new  conveyance  :  "  In  taking  leave  of  the  Tripoline,"  says 
he,  "  I  took  oft' my  sash,  a  ^-ort  of  red  cambric  shawl,  of  Glasgow  numu- 
facture,  which  he  had  always  much  admired,  thinking  it  to  be  Indian 
sturt",  and  piesented  it  to  him  as  a  keepsake  or  reward  for  his  good  serv- 
ices, lie  inuuediately  unloosened  his  turban,  and  twisted  the  shawl  in 
its  stead  around  his  head :  making  me  many  professions  of  friendship, 
and  assuring  me  of  his  hospitality,  if  ever  the  chance  of  mercantile  ])ur- 
suits  should  again  engage  me  to  visit  the  Mediterranean,  and  perhaps 
Trijioli,  in  Barbary." 

Burckhardt  reached  the  coast  of  Syria  at  that  point  where  the  Aasi, 
the  ancient  Orontes,  falls  into  the  sea ;  and  immediately  prepared  to  dc- 
j)art  for  Aleppo  with  a  caravan.  Having  been  intrusted  with  several 
chests  for  the  British  consul  at  Aleppo,  his  baggage  appeared  considera- 
ble, and  he  was  consequently  sent  for  by  the  aga,  who  expected  a  hand- 
some })resent  for  permitting  it  to  pass.  When  questioned  by  .this  officer 
respecting  the  contents  of  the  chests,  he  replied  that  he  Avas  entirely  ig- 
nciantof  the  matter,  but  suspected  that  among  other  things  there  was  a 
sort  of  Frank  drink,  called  iter,  with  various  kuuls  of  eatables.  The  aga 
now  sent  an  ofticer  to  examine  them.  A  bottle  of  beer  having  been  bro- 
ken in  loading,  "  the  man  tasted  it  by  putting  his  finger  into  the  li(juor, 
and  found  it  abominably  bitter  ;  such  was  liis  report  to  the  aga.  As  a 
saiMj>le  of  the  eatables,  he  ])roduced  a  potato  which  he  liad  taken  out  of 
one  of  the  barrels,  and  that  noble  root  excited  general  laughter  in  the 
room.  '  It  is  well  worth  while,'  they  said,  '  to  send  such  stulf  to  such  a 
distance.'  The  aga  tasted  of  the  raw  potato,  and  spitting  it  out  again, 
swore  at  the  Frank's  stomach  which  could  bear  such  inod."  The  mean 
opinion  to  which  these  specimens  gave  rise,  inclined  the  aga  to  be  con- 
tent with  the  tritling  sum  often  piasters,  which  he  proba'  ^'oiight 
more  than  the  value  of  a  whole  ship'a  cargo  of  potatoes  and  beer. 


II 


RKSIDENCE    AT    ALEPPO. 


201 


fl 


Upon  the  arrival  of  the  caravan  at  ^Vntioih,  Burckhardt,  desirous  of 
studying  tlie  manners  of  all  ranks  of  men,  took  up  his  quarters  in  the  khan 
of  the  muleteers,  where,  from  a  suspicion  that  he  Avas  a  Frank  in  dis- 
guise, he  was  subjected  to  numerous  indignities.  The  aga's  dragoman, 
some  wretched  Frenchman,  or  I'iedmontese,  being  sent  by  his  master  to 
discover  the  truth,  and  failing  to  elfect  his  purpose  by  any  other  means, 
determined,  as  a  last  resource,  on  pulling  him  by  the  beard,  and  at  the 
same  time  asked  him  familiarly  why  he  had  suliered  such  a  thing  to  groAv? 
To  this  Burckhardt  replied  by  striking  him  on  the  face,  which  turned 
the  laugh  against  the  poor  dragoman,  and  was  an  argument  so  peculiarly 
Mohannncdam,  that  it  seems  to  have  couvinced  the  bystanders  of  the 
truth  of  his  assertions. 

After  a  delay  of  four  days  he  continued  his  journey  with  the  cara- 
van, with  the  motley  members  of  which  he  was  compelled  to  maintain 
an  unceasing  struggle  in  defense  of  his  assumed  character ;  a  circum- 
stance which  proves  one  of  two  things,  either  that  the  Sonnees  of  the 
west  have  by  intercourse  wath  Eurojieans  been  rendered  more  acute 
in  discovering  impostors,  than  the  Sheeahs  of  Afghanistan  and  nortliern 
Persia,  or  that  Burckhardt  was  hitherto  somewhat  unskillful  in  his  move, 
ments.  On  his  arrival  at  Aleppo,  he  deternnned,  in  pursuance  of  tlu 
advice  of  Mr.  Barker,  to  put  off  his  Muhamuiedan  disguise,  though  he 
still  retahied  the  Turkish  dress ;  and  "with  the  aid  of  an  able  master, 
recommenced  the  study  of  the  Arabic,  both  literal  and  a  ulgar.  lie 
was  attacked,  however,  shortly  after  his  arrival,  by  a  strong  inflam- 
matory fever,  which  lasted  a  fortnight ;  it  was  occasioned,  as  he  con- 
jectured, by  the  want  of  sleep,  of  which  blessmg  he  had  been  deprived 
by  the  prodigious  colonies  of  fleas  which  had  established  themselves  in 
his  garments  during  his  stay  at  the  khan  of  Antioch.  When  this  sea- 
soning was  over,  his  health  appeared  to  be  improved,  and  he  found  the 
chmate  finer,  and  more  salubrious  than  he  had  expected. 

During  his  stay  in  this  city,  which  was  a  very  protracted  one,  Burck- 
hardt labored  assiduously  in  fitting  himself  for  the  honorable  perform- 
ance of  the  task  he  had  undertaken.  Ilis  Aiabic  studies  were  uninter- 
rupted. Besides  seizing  eagerly  on  every  opportunity  of  improving 
himself  by  conversation  with  the  natives,  he  labored  at  an  attemj)!  to 
transt()rm  "Robinson  Crusoe"  into  an  Arabian  tale.  He  moreover  suc- 
ceeded in  making  the  acipiauitance  of  several  shekhs,  and  other  literary 
men,  who  honored  him  occasionally  with  a  visit;  a  favor,  he  says,  which 
he  owed  [)riiu'ipally  to  Mr.  Wilkius's  "Arabic  and  Persian  Dictionary." 
TIic  ordiiuiry  li'xicons  of  the  country  being  very  defective,  th(!  learned 
Turks  were  often  obliged  to  have  ri'eoursc  to  Wilkins,  Avhose  learning 
and  exactness  sometimes  compelled  them  to  exclaim,  "  How  wonder- 
ful that  a  Frank  t:hould  know  more  of  our  language  than  our  first 
ulemas !" 

In  the  month  of  July,  IHIO,  BurcUiiardt  departed  from  Aleppo  under 
the  protection  of  an  Arab  shekh,  of  the  Aneyzeh  tribe,  who  imdertook 


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202 


LIFE  AND  TRAVELS  0¥    BURCKnARDT. 


to  escort  him  to  Palmyra,  and  thence  through  the  Ilauran  to  Damascus. 
On  tlie  way  they  Avcre  attacked,  while  the  shckh  was  absent  at  a  water- 
ing-place, by  hostile  Arabs,  by  whom  our  traveler  was  robbed  of  hi.s 
Avatcli  and  compass ;  after  which  he  jiushed  on  into  the  desert  to  rejoin 
the  chiet".  Contrary  to  the  well-known  faith  of  tlie  Arabs,  this  man 
transferred  to  another  the  protection  of  liis  guest,  tliereby  exposing  him 
to  be  robbed  a  second  time,  at  Palmyra,  where  the  bandit  in  authority, 
finding  that  he  had  no  money,  contented  liimself  with  seizing  upon  his 
saddle,  lieturnhig  from  these  ruins,  he  found  at  Yebrud  a  letter  from 
the  shokh,  forbid<ling  him  to  proceed  toward  the  Ilauran,  because,  as 
the  writer  asserted,  the  invasion  of  the  AVahabees  liad  rendered  that 
portion  of  the  country  unsafe,  even  to  himsdf  and  liis  Arabs.  In  con- 
sequence of  this  fraudulent  conduct  of  the  shekh,  for  the  excuse  Avas  a 
fiction,  he  found  himself  necessitated  to  take  the  road  to  Damascus ; 
disappointed  in  part,  but  upon  the  whole  well  satisfied  with  having  be- 
held those  magnificent  ruins  in  the  desert  which  have  charmed  so  many 
strangers,  and  with  liavhig  at  the  same  time  enjoyed  so  many  occasions 
of  observing  tlie  liedouins  under  their  oAvn  tents,  where  he  was  every- 
where received  with  lios])italitj'  and  kindness. 

After  proceeding  southward  to  the  tenitory  of  the  Druses,  and 
Mount  Ilermon,  lie  returned  to  Damascus ;  whence,  after  a  short  stay, 
he  made  an  excursion  into  the  Ilauran,  the  ])atriinony  of  Abraham, 
which  tour  years  before  liad  been  in  part  visited  by  Dr.  Seetzen,  pre- 
vious to  his  tour  round  the  Dead  Sea.  "  During  a  fatiguing  journey 
of  twenty-six  days,"  says  liurckhardt,  "  I  explored  this  country  as  far 
as  five  days'  journey  to  the  south  and  south-east  of  Damascus;  I  went 
over  the  Avhole  of  the  Jebel  Ilauran,  or  mountain  of  the  Druses,  who 
have  in  these  parts  a  settlement  of  about  twenty  villages ;  I  passed 
I3ozra,  a  place  mentioned  in  the  books  of  jMoses,  and  not  to  be  con- 
foundeil  with  Boostra ;  1  then  entered  the  desert  to  the  south-east  of  it, 
and  returned  afterward  to  Damascus  through  the  rocky  district  on  the 
foot  of  the  Jebel  Ilauran,  called  El  Ltja,  At  every  step  I  found  ves- 
tiges of  ancient  cities;  saw  the  remains  of  many  teinj)les,  public  edifices, 
and  Greek  churches ;  met  at  Shohbc  with  a  Avell-preserved  amplii- 
theatre,  at  other  places  with  numbers  of  still  standing  columns,  and 
liad  opportunities  of  copying  many  (ireek  inscriptions,  which  may  servo 
to  throw  some  light  uj)on  the  history  of  this  almost  forgotten  corner. 
The  inscriptions  are,  for  the  greater  j)art,  of  the  lower  empire,  but  some 
of  the  most  elegant  nuns  have  their  inscrij)tions  dated  from  the  reigns 
of  Trajan,  and  M.  Aurelius.  The  Ilauvfin,  Avilh  its  adjacent  districts,  is 
the  spring  and  summer  rendezvous  of  most  of  the  Aral)  tribes,  who  in- 
habit in  winter-time  the  great  Syrian  desert,  called  by  them  El  Ilam- 
mad.  They  ajiproach  the  cultivated  lands  in  search  of  grass,  water, 
and  corn,  of  which  last  they  buy  up  in  the  Ilauran  their  yearly  i>ro- 
vision." 

Having  to  a  certain  extent  satisfied  his  curiosity  rcspectuig  this  ob- 


Ili 


EXCURSION    INTO    THE    SYRIAN    DESERT. 


203 


scurc  region,  he  returned  by  way  of  Iloms  and  Ilamah  toward  Aleppo, 
where  he  arrived  on  the  New-year's  day  of  1811.  He  now  meditated 
an  excursion  into  the  desert  toward  the  Eujjhratcs,  but  was  for  some 
time  prevented  from  putting  his  design  in  execution  by  tlie  troubled 
state  of  the  country,  two  powerful  Arab  tribes,  the  one  inimical,  the 
other  friendly  to  the  Aleppines,  having  been  for  many  months  at  war 
with  each  other.  Burckhurdt  at  length  succeeded,  however,  in  placing 
himself  under  the  protection  of  the  Shekh  of  Sukhne,  and  set  out  to- 
ward the  desert ;  but  his  own  account  of  this  journey  was  lost,  and  all 
that  can  now  be  known  of  it  is  to  bo  gathered  from  a  letter  from  Mr. 
Barker,  the  former  celebrated  British  consul  at  Aleppo.  "  One  hundred 
and  twenty,  or  one  hundred  and  lifty  miles  below  the  ruins  of  Membi- 
geh,  in  the  Zor,"  says  this  gentleman,  "  there  is  a  tract  on  the  banks  of 
the  Euphrates  jjossessed  by  a  tribe  of  very  savage  Arabs.  Not  far  from 
thorn  is  the  village  of  Sukhne,  at  the  distance  of  five  days  from  Aleppo, 
and  of  twelve  hours  from  Palmyra,  in  the  road  v/hich  Zenobia  in  her 
flight  took  to  gain  the  Euplu-ates.  The  people  of  Sukhne  are  sedentary 
Arabs,  of  a  breed  half  Fellah  and  half  Bedouin.  They  bring  to  Aleppo 
alkali  and  ostrich  feathers.  It  was  upon  one  of  these  visits  of  the  Shekh 
of  Sukhne  to  Ale[)po,  that  Burckhardt,  after  some  negotiation,  resolved 
to  accept  the  protection  of  the  shekh,  who  undertook,  upon  their  arrival 
at  his  village,  to  place  him  under  the  protection  of  a  IJedouin  of  suffi- 
cient influence  to  procure  him  a  safe  passage  through  the  tribes  of  the 
country  which  he  wished  to  explore.  Burckhardt  had  reason  to  be 
satisfled  both  with  the  Shekh  of  Sukhne,  and  with  the  Arab  whom  he 
procured  as  an  escort,  except  that,  in  the  end,  the  protection  of  the  lat- 
Icr  proved  insuflicient.  The  consequence  was  that  poor  Burckhardt  was 
stripped  to  the  skin,  and  he  returned  to  Sukhne,  his  body  blistered  with 
the  rays  of  the  sun,  and  without  having  accomplished  any  of  the  objects 
of  his  journey.  It  was  in  this  excursion  to  the  desert  that  Burck- 
liardt  had  so  hard  a  struggle  with  an  Arab  lady,  who  took  a  fancy  to 
the  only  gannent  Avhich  the  dehcacy  or  compassion  of  the  men  had 
left  him." 

After  his  return  from  this  unfortunate  journey,  Burckhardt  was  de- 
layed for  a  considerable  time  at  Aleppo  by  incessant  rains  ;  but  at  length, 
on  the  14th  of  February,  he  bade  this  city  a  fmal  adieu,  and  liasti-nod 
once  more  to  Damascus.  lie  was  desirous,  before  quitting  Syria,  of 
performing  another  journey  in  the  Ilauran.  This  he  completed,  and 
having  transmitte<l  to  P^ngland  an  account  of  his  discoveries  in  this  ex- 
traordinary region,  he  dejiarted  on  the  18th  of  June  for  the  Dead  Sea. 
Having  reaclu'il  Nazareth,  "  I  met  here,"  says  he,  "  a  couple  of  petty 
merchants  from  Szalt,  a  castle  in  the  mountains  of  Balka,  which  I  had 
not  been  able  to  see  during  my  late  tour,  and  which  lies  on  tlie  road  I 
had  pointed  out  to  myself  for  passing  into  the  Egyptian  deserts,  I 
joined  their  caravan;  after  eight  hours'  march,  we  descended  into  the 
valley  of  the  Jordan,  called  El  (ihor,  near  Bysan  ;  crossed  the  river,  and 


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LIFE    AND    TRAVELS   OF   BDRCKHARDT. 


continued  along  its  verdant  banks  for  about  ten  hours,  until  we  reached 
the  river  Zerka,  near  the  jjlace  Avhere  it  empties  itself  into  the  Jordan. 
Turning  then  to  our  left,  we  ascended  the  eastern  chain,  formerly  part  of 
the  district  of  Balka,  and  arrived  at  Szalt,  two  long  days'  journey  from 
Nazareth.  The  hihabitants  of  Szalt  arc  entirely  independent  of  the 
Turkish  government ;  they  cultivate  the  ground  for  a  considerable  dis- 
tance round  their  habitations,  and  part  of  them  live  the  whole  year  in 
tents,  to  watch  their  harvests  and  to  pasture  their  cattle.  Many  ruined 
]jlaces  and  mountains  in  the  district  of  Balka  preserve  the  names  of  the 
Old  Testament,  and  elucidate  the  topography  of  the  province  that  fell 
to  the  share  of  the  tribes  of  Gad  and  Reuben.  Szalt  is  at  present  the 
only  inhabited  place  in  the  Balka,  but  numerous  Arab  tribes  pasture 
there  their  camels  and  sheep.  I  visited  from  thence  the  ruins  of  Aman, 
or  Philadelphia,  five  hours  and  a  half  distant  from  Szalt.  They  are  sit- 
uated in  a  valley  on  both  sides  of  a  rivulet,  which  empties  itself  into 
the  Zerka.  A  large  amphitheater  is  the  most  remarkable  of  these  ruins, 
which  are  much  decayed,  and  in  every  respect  inferior  to  those  of  Jerash. 
At  four  or  five  hours  south-cast  of  Aman  arc  the  ruins  of  Om  Erresaa 
and  El  Kotif,  which  I  could  not  see,  but  which,  according  to  report,  are 
more  considerable  than  those  of  Philadelphia.  The  want  of  communi- 
cation  between  Szalt  and  the  southern  countries  delayed  my  departure 
for  upward  of  a  week.  I  found  at  last  a  guide,  and  we  reached  Kerek 
in  two  days  and  a  half,  after  having  passed  the  deep  beds  of  the  torrents 
El  Wale  and  El  Mojeb,  -which  I  su])pose  to  be  the  ZSTahaliel  and  Arnon. 
The  Mojeb  divides  the  district  of  Balka  from  that  of  Kerek,  as  it  for- 
merly divided  the  Moabites  from  the  Amorites.  To  the  south  of  the 
wild  torrent  Mojeb  I  found  the  considerable  ruins  of  Kabbah  Moab ; 
and,  three  hours'  distance  from  them,  the  town  of  Kerek,  situated  at 
about  twelve  hours'  distance  to  the  east  of  the  southern  extremity  of 
the  Dead  Sea.     *     *     * 

"  The  treachery  of  the  Shekh  of  Kerek,  to  whom  I  had  been  par- 
ticularly recommended  by  a  grandee  of  Damascus,  obliged  me  to  stay 
at  Kerek  above  twenty  days.  After  having  annoyed  me  in  different 
ways,  he  permitted  me  to  accompany  him  southward,  as  he  had  himself 
business  in  the  mountains  of  Djebal,  a  district  which  is  divided  from  that 
of  Kerek  by  the  deep  bed  of  the  torrent  El  Ahhsa,  or  El  Kahary,  eight 
hours'  distance  from  Kerek.  "We  remained  for  ten  days  in  the  villages 
to  the  north  and  south  of  El  Ansa,  which  are  inhabited  by  Arabs,  who 
have  become  cultivators,  and  who  sell  the  produce  of  their  fields  to  tho 
Bedouins.  The  shekh,  having  finished  his  bushicss,  left  me  at  Beszeyra, 
.1  village  about  sixteen  hours'  south  of  Kerek,  to  shift  for  myself,  after 
having  maliciously  recommended  me  to  the  care  of  a  Bedouin,  ^vith 
whose  cliaractcr  he  nuist  ha\  e  been  ac<iuainted,  and  who  nearly  stripped 
me  of  the  remainder  of  my  money.  I  encountered  here  many  ditticul- 
ties,  Avas  oljliged  to  Avalk  from  one  encampment  to  another,  until  I  found 
at  last  a  Bedouin  who  engaged  to  carry  me  to  Egy])t.     In  his  company 


i 


\PPROACII    TO    PETRA. 


205 


I  continued  sotithward,  in  tlio  mountains  of  Sliera,  which  are  divided 
to  the  north  from  Djebal  Ijy  the  broad  valley  called  Ghoseyr,  at  about 
five  hours'  distance  from  Boszoj-ra.  The  chief  place  in  Djebal  is  Tatyle, 
and  in  Shera  the  castle  of  iShobak." 


DISCOVERY    OF    PETRA. 

"  The  valley  of  Ghor  is  continued  to  tlio  south  of  the  Dead  Sea ;  at 
about  sixteen  hoxirs'  distance  from  the  extremity  of  the  Dead  Sea  its 
name  is  changed  into  that  of  Araba,  and  it  runs  in  almost  a  straight  line, 
declining  somcAvhat  to  the  west,  as  far  as  Akaba,  at  the  extremity  of  the 
eastern  branch  of  the  lied  Sea,  The  existence  of  this  valley  api)ears  to 
have  been  unknown  to  ancient  as  well  as  modern  geographers,  although 
it  is  a  very  remarkable  feature  in  the  geogra2)hy  of  Syria  and  Arabia 
Petraia,  and  is  still  more  interesting  for  its  productions.  In  this  valley 
the  manna  is  still  found  ;  it  drops  froni  the  s])rigs  of  several  trees,  but 
principally  from  the  Gbarrab.  It  is  collected  by  the  Arabs,  who  make 
cakes  of  it,  and  M-ho  cat  it  with  butter  ;  they  call  it  Assal  Beyrook,  or 
the  honey  of  Beyrook.  Indigo,  gum-arabic,  and  the  silk-tree,  called 
Asheyr,  whose  fruit  incloses  a  white  silky  substance,  of  wliich  the  Arabs 
twist  their  matches,  grow  in  this  valley." 

In  this  valley,  about  two  long  days'  journey  north-east  of  Akaba,  is 
a  small  rivulet,  near  the  banks  of  which  Burckhardt  discovered  the  ruins 
of  a  city,  which  he  rightly  conjectured  to  be  those  of  Petra,  the  capital 
of  Arabia  Petra^a.  No  other  European  traveler  had  ever  visited  the 
spot,  though  few  places  in  Western  Asia  are  more  curious  or  deserving 
of  examination.  The  difficulties  and  dangers  of  reaching  Petra,  a  city 
which  had  been  lost  to  the  world  for  fifteen  hundred  years,  are  thus 
described  by  the  traveler  :  "  I  was  particularly  desirous  of  visiting  Wady 
Moussa,  of  the  antiquities  of  which  I  had  heard  the  country  people 
speak  in  terms  of  great  admiration,  and  from  thonco  I  had  hoped  to 
cross  the  desert  in  a  straight  line  to  Cairo  ;  but  my  guide  was  afraid  of 
the  hazards  of  a  journey  through  the  desert,  and  insisted  upon  my  tak- 
ing the  road  to  Akaba,  the  ancient  E/.ion-gcber,  at  the  extremity  of  the 
eastern  branch  of  the  Red  Sea,  where,  he  said,  wo  might  join  some 
caravans,  and  continue  our  route  toward  Egypt.  I  wished,  on  the  con- 
trary, to  avoid  Akaba,  as  I  knew  that  the  Pasha  of  Egy))t  kept  there 
a  nmnerous  garrison  to  watch  the  movements  of  the  AValiabees  and  of 
his  ri\  al  the  Pasha  of  Damascus.  A  person,  therefore,  like  myself,  com- 
ing from  the  latter  place,  Avithout  any  ])ai)ers  to  show  who  I  was,  or  why 
I  had  taken  that  circuitous  route,  would  certainly  have  roused  the  sus- 
jncions  of  the  oflicer  conmianding  at  Akaba,  and  the  consequences  might 
have  been  dangerous  to  mo  among  the  savage  soldiery  of  that  garrison. 
The  road  from  Shobak  to  Akaba  lies  to  the  east  of  Wady  Moussa,  and 
to  have  quitted  it  out  of  mere  curiosity  to  see  the  Wady  would  have 


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LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OP    BURCKnARDT, 


looked  suspicious  in  the  eyes  of  the  Arabs :  I  tlioroforo  prctoiulcd  to  have 
made  a  vow  to  slaufi^htor  a  goat  in  honor  of  Ilarout;  (Aaron),  whose  tomb 
I  know  was  situated  at  the  extremity  of  the  valley,  and  by  this  strata- 
gem I  thought  that  I  should  have  the  means  of  seeing  the  valley  on  my 
Avay  to  till!  tomb.  To  this  my  guide  had  nothing  to  oppose  ;  the  dread 
of  drawing  down  upon  himself,  by  resistance,  the  Avrath  of  Ilaroun, 
completely  silenced  him. 

"  I  hired  a  guide  at  Eldjy,  to  conduct  me  to  ITaroim's  tomb,  and  paid 
liim  with  a  pair  of  old  horse-shoes.  He  carried  the  goat,  and  gave  mo 
a  skin  of  water  to  carry,  as  he  knew  there  was  no  water  in  the  wady 
below.  In  following  the  rivulet  of  Eldjy  westward,  the  valley  soon  nar- 
rows again,  and  it  is  here  that  the  anti(iuities  of  Wady  Moussa  (Petra) 
begin.  Of  these  T  regret  that  I  am  not  able  to  give  a  very  complete 
account ;  but  I  knew  Avell  the  character  of  the  people  around  me.  I 
was  without  protection  in  the  midst  of  a  desert,  where  no  traveler  had 
ever  before  been  seen,  and  a  close  examination  of  these  works  of  the 
inlidels,  as  they  are  called,  would  have  excited  suspicions  that  I  was  a 
magician  in  search  of  treasures.  I  should  at  least  have  been  detained 
and  prevented  from  prosecuting  my  journey  to  Egypt,  and  in  all  ])roba- 
bility  should  have  been  stripped  of  the  little  money  which  I  possessed, 
and,  Avhat  was  infinitely  more  valuable  to  me,  of  my  journal.  Future 
travelers  may  Aisit  tlie  spot  under  the  protection  of  an  armed  force  ;  the 
inhabitants  will  become  more  accustomed  to  the  researches  of  strangers, 
and  the  antiquities  of  Wady  Moussa  will  then  be  found  to  rank  among 
the  most  curious  remains  of  ancient  art." 

Burckhardt  gives  as  careful  a  description  as  hia  memory  afforded 
of  the  wonders  of  the  valley — the  hundreds  of  sepulchral  chambers, 
adorned  with  Grecian  sculpture,  excavated  in  the  red  sand-stone  rocks 
flanking  the  valley — of  the  mausolea,  some  in  the  Egyptian  style, 
with  obelisks,  some  in  the  chaste  architecture  of  the  Greeks — and 
especially  of  the  Khasneh,  or  "Treasury  of  Pharaoh,"  an  excavated 
edifice  of  Avonderful  beauty ;  but  his  accoimt  has  been  superseded  hy 
the  more  complete  and  elaborate  descriptions  of  Laborde  and  other  late 
travelers,  and  need  not  be  quoted  entire.  "  Near  the  west  end  of  Wady 
Moussa,"  he  continues,  "  are  the  remains  of  a  stately  edifice,  of  which 
jiart  of  the  wall  is  still  standing ;  the  inhabitants  call  it  ICasr  Hint 
J  }(raoun,  or  the  palace  of  Pharaoh's  daughter.  In  my  way  I  had  en- 
tered several  sepulchres,  to  the  suri^rise  of  my  guide,  but  when  he  saw 
me  turn  out  of  the  foot-path  toward  the  Kasr,  he  exclaimed:  'I  see  now 
clearly  that  you  are  an  infidel,  who  have  some  particular  business  among 
the  ruins  of  the  city  of  your  forefathers ;  but  depend  upon  it  that  we 
shall  not  suifer  you  to  take  out  a  single  para  of  all  the  treasures  hidden 
therein,  for  they  are  in  our  territory,  and  belong  to  us.'  I  replied  that 
it  was  mere  curiosity  which  prompted  me  to  look  at  the  ancient  works, 
and  that  I  had  no  other  view  in  coming  there  than  to  sacrifice  to 
Ilaroun  ;  but  he  was  not  easily  persuaded,  and  I  did  not  think  it  prudent 


I 


' 


n 


THE    SACRIFICK    TO    AARON. 


207 


to  irritate  him  by  too  close  an  ins2)ection  of  the  palace,  as  it  might  liavo 
led  him  to  doclare,  on  our  roturn,  liis  belief  that  I  liad  found  treasures, 
which  might  have  led  to  a  search  of  my  person,  and  to  the  detection  of 
my  journal,  which  would  most  certainly  have  been  taken  from  me,  as  a 
book  of  magic.  It  was  of  no  avail  to  tell  them  to  follow  me,  and  see 
whether  I  searched  for  money.  Their  reply  was, '  Of  course  you  will  not 
dare  to  take  it  out  before  us,  but  we  know  that  if  you  are  a  skillful  magi- 
cian you  will  order  it  to  follow  you  through  the  air  to  whatever  place 
you  please.' 

"  The  sun  had  already  set  when  we  arrived  on  the  jjlain.  It  was  too 
late  to  reach  the  tomb,  and  I  was  excessively  fatigued  ;  I  therefore  hast- 
ened to  kill  the  goat  in  sight  of  the  tomb,  at  a  spot  where  I  found  a 
number  of  heaps  of  stones,  placed  there  in  token  of  as  many  sacrilices  in 
honor  of  that  saint.  While  I  was  in  the  act  of  slaying  the  animal,  my 
guide  exclaimed  aloud:  '  O  Ilaroun,  look  ujjon  us  !  it  is  for  you  we  slaugh- 
ter this  victim.  O  Ilai'oun,  be  content  with  our  good  intentions,  for  it 
is  but  a  lean  goat.  O  Ilaroun,  smooth  our  paths ;  and  praise  bo  to  the 
Lord  of  all  creatures !'  This  he  repeated  several  times,  after  which  he 
covered  the  blood  that  had  fallen  to  the  ground  with  a  heap  of  stones  ; 
we  then  dressed  the  best  part  of  the  flesh  for  our  su})per,  as  expeditiously 
as  possible,  for  the  guide  was  afraid  of  the  fire  being  seen,  and  of  its 
attractmg  thither  some  robbers." 

In  proceeding  further  toward  Akaba,  Burckhardt  encountered  a  small 
party  of  Arabs  Avho  were  conducting  a  few  camels  for  sale  to  Cairo,  and 
uniting  himself  to  this  little  caravan,  jierformed  the  remainder  of  the 
journey  in  their  company.  "We  crossed  the  valley  of  Aral)a,"  says  he, 
"  ascended  on  the  other  side  of  it  the  barren  mountains  of  Doyane,  and 
entered  the  desert  called  El  Tih,  which  is  the  most  barren  and  horrid 
tract  of  country  I  have  ever  seen ;  black  flints  cover  the  clialky  or  sandy 
ground,  which  in  most  places  is  without  any  vegetation.  The  tree 
which  produces  the  gum-arabic  grows  in  some  spots  ;  and  the  tamarisk 
is  met  with  here  and  there ;  but  the  scarcity  of  water  forbids  much 
extent  of  vegetation,  and  the  hungry  camels  arc  obliged  to  go  in  the 
evening  for  Avhole  hours  out  of  the  road  in  order  to  find  some  withered 
shrubs  upon  Avhich  to  feed.  During  ten  days'  forced  marches  we 
passed  only  four  springs  or  wells,  of  which  one  only,  at  about  eight  hours 
cast  of  Suez,  was  of  sweet  water.  The  others  were  brackish  and  sul- 
phureous. We  passed  at  a  short  distance  to  the  north  of  Suez,  and 
arrived  at  Cairo  by  the  pilgiim  road." 


TRAVELS    IN    NUBIA    AND    ETIIIOriA. 

On  his  arrival  at  Cairo,  Burckhardt's  first  employment  was  to  draw 
up  a  detailed  account  of  his  journey  through  Arabia  Pctra;a :  he  then 
turned  his  attention  to  the  means  of  fulfilling  the  great  design  of  his  mis- 


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208 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF    BURCKKARDT. 


sion;  but  no  opportunity  of  i>onet  rating  into  tlio  interior  of  Africa  occur- 
ring, ho  inidortook,  in  ohUt  to  iill  up  tlio  interval  thus  croali'd,  ajouriiey 
into  Nubia.  iJuiing  his  rcsidonco  at  Cairo,  and  on  liis  journi'v  uj)  tlio 
Nile  to  Assouan,  ho  beliold  the  i)i'inoipal  ruins  of  Egypt.  Iliis  jtropara- 
tions  for  the  Nubian  exoursion  Avore  soon  made.  lie  purchased  two 
dromedaries,  one  for  himself  and  the  other  for  his  guide,  for  about  twen- 
ty-two i)ounds;  jn'ovided  himself  Avith  letters  of  reconmieiulation,  and  a 
firman  from  the  pasha ;  and  leaving  his  servant  and  baggage  at  Assouan, 
S(.'t  out  with  his  guide  on  the  14th  of  February,  1813,  carryhig  along 
with  hiin  nothing  but  liis  gun,  a  8aber,  a  pistol,  a  provision-bag,  and  a 
woolen  mantle,  which  served  by  day  for  a  carpet,  and  for  a  covering 
din'ing  the  night. 

Their  road  lay  along  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Nile;  they  passed 
Phihe,  and  then  pushed  on  Avith  ra]iidity  toward  Dorr,  the  capital  of 
Lower  Nubia.  The  jMameluke  chiets,  with  their  desperate  followers, 
were  at  this  period  roaming  about  Nubia,  indulging  their  imaginations 
in  vain  projects  for  the  recovery  of  Egypt.  Eviry  person  coming  from 
the  north  was  of  course  an  object  of  curiosity,  if  not  of  suspicion,  to 
these  bi\llled  soldiers,  as  it  was  possible  ho  might  be  the  bearer  of  tidings 
of  events  upon  the  results  of  •which  tlieir  tUte  depended.  Sucli  was  the 
state  of  things  when  Burckh.ardt  entered  Nubia. 

]>urckliardt  arrived  at  Dorr  on  the  1st  of  ]March,  and,  to  his  surprise, 
found  two  IMameluke  In-ys  at  the  palace  of  the  governor,  lie  liad  reck- 
oned wpou  their  utter  disa]ipcarance,  and  had  intended,  under  these  cir- 
cumstances, to  represent  himself  as  the  secret  agent  of  tlio  Pasha  of 
Egypt ;  but  learning,  upon  inquiry,  that  the  pasha  and  his  enemies  W'crc 
regarded  with  nearly  equal  dread  by  the  Nubian  princes,  he  changed  his 
7'esolution,  and  professed  to  be  guided  in  his  notions  by  no  other  motive 
than  pleasure.  Ignorant  persons  find  it  hard  to  conceive  that  men 
can  ex])ose  themselves  to  diflicultics  and  dangers  from  an  enthusiasm 
for  knowledge,  or  can  find  pleasure  in  encountering  hardships  and  fa- 
tigue; however,  a  concurrence  of  fortunate  circumstances  extorted  from 
the  governor  a  permission  to  proceed,  and  accordingly,  having  ])rovided 
himself  Avith  provisions  for  the  road,  Burokhardt  departed  for  Sukkot. 

Ilis  guide  on  the  present  occasion  was  an  old  Arab  of  the  Ababdeh 
tiibe.  The  branch  of  the  Ababdeh  to  Avhicli  this  man,  Avhose  name  was 
3Ii)li;immed,  belonged,  feed  their  lloekson  the  uninhabited  eastern  banks 
el'  the  river,  and  on  its  numerous  islands,  as  far  south  as  Dongola. 
Though  i)oor,  they  refuse  to  bestow  their  daugliters,  who  are  famed  for 
their  beauty,  in  marriage  on  the  rich  Nubians,  and  have  thus  ])reserved 
the  jiurity  of  their  race.  They  are,  moreover,  an  honest  and  hospitable 
race,  and  during  liis  journeys  in  Nubia,  Purckhardt  Avas  constantly  re- 
ceived and  treated  Avith  kindness  by  these  simi)le  people.* 

In  pursuing  his  coin-se  up  the  Nile,  he  passed  a  day  atlbrecm,  a  toAvn 

*  Durinpr  my  travel;;  \n  Africa  T  Iiml  cniis;idorablo  iiitcrooiirse  witli  tlio  Ababdehs,  and 
full}'  concur  iu  IjurekhardlV  ojiiiiiou  of  their  lioncsty  and  kindness. — B.  T. 


L 


=1  V 


MAKING   GRAVES. 


209 


inh.abitccl  by  Turks,  where,  though  «|uiirri'ls  aih!  hloodslied  wore  frequent, 
property  W!is  more  secure  than  in  any  other  toun  lie  had  vi.sitod  in  the 
eastern  world  ;  the  corn  was  left  all  night  in  the  field,  and  the  cattle  on 
the  banks  of  the  river,  unwatehcd,  and  even  the  greater  part  of  the 
household  furniture  remained  all  night  under  the  palni-ti'cis  around  their 
dwelhngs,  Indeeil,  theil  here  was  quite  unknow  i  I'roceeiling  a  short  dis- 
tance to  the  south  of  this  town,  lie  dismounted  from  his  dromedary,  and 
directing  his  guide  to  continue  liis  route  to  the  next  village,  struck  oft' 
into  a  narrow  footjiath  along  the  lofty,  precijiitous  shores  of  the  river. 
Pursuing  this  mountain-track,  he  arrived  at  an  ancient  tenq)le  hewn  out 
of  the  rock,  in  as  perfect  a  state  tif  preservation  as  when  iirst  tinished. 
Sepulchral  chambers  and  mystic  sculjitures,  the  usual  accompaniments 
of  Egyptian  temples,  were  found  here. 

The  receptioi:  which  the  traveler  and  his  guide  met  with  at  the 
Nubian  villages  was  generally  hospitable  ;  as  soon  as  they  alighted,  a 
mat  was  spread  for  them  upon  the  ground,  just  before  the  door  of  the 
house,  which  none  but  intimate  friends  are  permitted  to  enter  ;  dhourra 
bread,  milk,  and  sometimes  dates  were  placed  before  the  strangers,  and 
their  liost,  if  earnestly  pressed,  sat  down  with  tliem.  8traw,  when  plen- 
tiful, was  likewise  given  to  their  camels;  and  when  the  liost  desired  to 
be  partieulai-ly  hospitable,  a  breakfast  of  hot  milk  and  bread  was  served 
up  before  their  (lep;ut;ire  in  the  morning. 

At  length,  on  the  6th  of  March,  they  arrived  on  .1  sandy  plain, 
sprinkled  witii  rocky  points,  which  thrust  u])  their  heads  through  the 
sand  that  concealed  their  bases.  Here  they  encamped  in  the  evening 
near  one  of  the  islands  whicli  are  formed  by  the  river.  The  noise  of  the 
cataract  was  heard  in  the  night,  at  about  half  an  liour's  distance.  The 
l)lace  is  very  romantic  :  when  the  inuiuhitit)!!  subsides,  many  small  lakes 
are  Ictl  among  the  rocks  ;  and  the  banks  of  these,  overgrown  with  large 
tamarisks,  have  a  picturesque  a]ipearance  amid  the  black  and  green 
rocks ;  the  lakes  and  pools  thus  fornud  cover  a  space  of  uj^ward  of  two 
miles  hi  breadth. 

The  Arabs  who  serve  as  guides  through  these  Avild  districts,  "have 
devised,"  says  Burckhardt,  "a  singular  mode  of  extorting  small  presents 
from  the  traveler  :  they  alight  at  certain  spots,  and  beg  a  present ;  if  it 
is  refused,  they  collect  a  heap  of  sand,  and  mould  it  into  the  form  of 
a  diniumtive  tomb,  and  then  placing  a  stone  at  each  of  its  extremities, 
they  apjirize  the  traveler  that  his  tomb  is  made  ;  meiuiing  that  hencefor- 
ward there  will  be  no  seeni'ity  for  liim  in  this  rocky  wilderness.  Most 
persons  pay  a  trifling  contribution  rather  than  liave  their  graves  made 
before  their  eyes  ;  there  were,  however,  stiveral  tondjs  of  this  description 
disperseil  over  the  plain.  Being  satisfled  with  my  guide,  I  gave  him  one 
piaster,  with  which  he  was  content."  At  the  next  rocky  pass,  however, 
the  guide  repeated  the  process,  whereupon  Burckhardt  dismounted,  and 
makhig  another  tomb,  told  him  it  was  intended  for  his  own  sepulclire  ; 
for  that,  as  they  were  brethren,  it  was  but  just  they  should  be  buried  to- 
14 


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210 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF    BURCKIIARDT. 


gothor.  At  this,  the  guide  began  to  laugli ;  tluiy  then  mutually  de- 
stroyed each  other's  labors,  and  in  riding  along,  the  letter  exi-lainied,  from 
the  Koran,  "  No  mortal  knows  the  spot  upon  earth  where  his  grave  shall 
be  digged." 

On  his  arrival  in  the  territory  of  Sukkot,  he  presented  to  the  goA'er- 
nor  the  letter  of  which  he  was  the  bearer  ;  and  received  from  this  old 
savage  a  scrap  of  paper,  containing  an  introduction  to  his  son,  who  was 
thi^  chief  of  the  southern  part  of  the  district.  Here  the  guide,  who  had 
been  granted  him  at  Derr,  reached  the  extremity  of  his  commission,  and 
announced  his  uitention  of  returning  from  thence  ;  four  piasters,  how- 
ever, overcame  his  determination,  and  ho  agreed  to  proceed  to  Mahass : 
"  If  Hassan  Kashif,"  said  he,  "  ui)l»raids  me,  I  shall  tell  him  that  you  rode 
on,  notwithstanding  my  exhortations,  and  that  I  did  not  think  it  honora- 
ble to  leave  you  alone."  An  admirable  custom  prevails  in  this  and  every 
other  jiart  of  Nubia:  water-jars  are  placed  under  a  low  roof  at  short  dis- 
tances by  the  roadsi(h',  where  the  traveler  may  always  quench  his  thirst ; 
and  every  village  pays  a  small  mtrnthly  sum  to  sonu'  person  to  till  those 
jars  nu)rning  and  evening.  The  same  thing  is  practiced  \\\)on  a  nmch 
larger  scale  in  Upper  Egypt  and  in  Asia  3Tinor. 

rpon  Burckliardt's  reaching  the  Maliass  territory,  he  suddenly  found 
himself  in  the  midst  of  the  worst  description  of  savages.  The  i^ovi-rnor, 
a  ferocious  black,  received  him  in  a  hut,  furiously  intoxicated,  anil  sur- 
rounded by  numerous  followers  in  the  same  condition.  In  tiie  midst  of 
their  drunken  mirth  they  called  for  their  muskets,  and  amused  them- 
selves with  firing  in  the  hut.  Ibirckhardt  every  moment  exjjected  that 
a  random  ball  would  put  an  end  t(^  his  travels,  hut  the  palm  wine  at 
length  extended  the  whole  of  this  .".tiocious  rabble  upon  the  ground, 
and  next  morning,  when  slee;;  iiad  somewhat  restored  the  tone  of  the 
governor's  senses,  he  l!>".;jid  time  to  question  the  traveler  resj)i'cting  the 
motives  of  his  visit.  The  story  which  Ik;  related  to  them  was  not  be- 
lieved. "  You  are  an  agent  of  Mohannneil,"  said  they;  "b\it  at  Maluiss 
we  spit  ;it  ^loliannned  All's  beard,  and  cut  olf  the  heails  of  those  who 
are  enemies  to  the  ^Mamelukes."*  These  suspicions,  although  they  pro- 
tluced  no  immediate  injury  to  his  personal  safety,  entirely  j)ut  ;i  stop  to 
his  progress  further  south  ;  for  ho  Avas  now  within  two  days  and  a  half 
of  the  Hmits  of  Dongohi,  where  the  IMninelukes  wiTc  lords  paramount, 
aii(l  to  enter  their  territories  with  the  character  of  an  agent  of  ^b)liam- 
med  All,  would  be  to  court  certain  death.  lie  therel'ore  turned  his  liice 
toward  the  north,  and  traveled  with  all  |)ossible  celerity  along  the  east- 
ern bank  of  the  Nile,  until  he  arrived  at  Kolbe,  where  he  swam  across  the 

*  Tliirty-nino  yonrs  Inter,  in  tho  sprinj?  of  1 852,  T  paosed  nlone  throtigh  tho  countries 
of  DonKolii,  Maiiansi  ami  Sukkot,  with  tlio  most  pcrfcL-t  st-curity.  TIic  King  of  Maliass 
even  eiiihraoed  nie  affectionately  at  |)iirtin(?.  This  eontniHt  shows  how  readily  tho  mispi- 
eion  and  mistrust  wliicli  the  first  traveler?!  (generally  hivvo  to  encounter,  on  entering  a  now 
country,  gives  placo  to  contldeuco  and  kindness, — li.  T. 


M 


RETURN    TO    EGYPT. 


211 


river,  holding  by  his  camel's  tail  Avith  one  hand,  and  urging  on  the  beast 
with  the  other. 

Burckhardt  now  descended  the  Nile  to  Abou-Simbel,  the  vast  rocky 
temple  of  which  he  supposed  to  be  of  extremely  ancient  date.  lie  liere 
found  four  colossal  statues  of  enormous  magnitude,  which  had  been 
hewn  out  of  the  rock,  on  the  face  of  an  elevated  cliff,  with  their  backs 
adhering  to  the  precipice.  The  fine  sand  of  the  desert  had  been  blown 
up  into  mounds  agahist  the  rock,  and  covered  two  of  tliese  statues  al- 
most entirely ;  the  rest  rose  somewhat  above  the  surliice.  The  faces  of 
these  colossal  statues  are  turned  toward  the  north.  "  Tlie  head,  Avhich 
is  above  the  surface,"  says  he,  "  has  a  most  expressive  youthful  counte- 
nance, approaching  nearer  to  the  Grecian  model  of  beauty  than  that  of 
any  ancient  Egyptian  figure  I  have  seen ;  itideed,  were  it  not  for  a  thin, 
oblong  beard,  it  might  well  pass  for  a  head  of  Pallas." 

From  Abou-Simbel  he  continued  his  journey  to  Derr,  where  he  ))arted 
with  his  guide,  who,  on  taking  his  leave,  begged  as  a  present  the 
mellaye,  or  cloak,  which  the  traveler  usually  wore.  To  this  recpiest 
Burckhardt  replied,  "  May  God  smooth  your  path  !" — a  phrase  usually 
addressed  to  beggars  when  they  are  civilly  told  to  be  gone.  "  No,"' 
said  the  Arab,  who  had  often  employed  this  phrase  when  he  desired  to 
elude  the  questions  of  the  traveler,  "  for  once  I  Avill  beg  you  to  smootli 
it."  "So,"  says  Burckhardt,  "  I  gave  him  the  mellaye,  and  a  small  j)res- 
ent  in  money;  and  am  confident  that  Alton  Saad  will  never  forget  me." 

On  liis  return  to  Assouan,  Burckhardt's  first  care  was  to  repair,  by  re- 
pose, the  inroads  which  fatigue  had  made  upon  his  constitution.  lie 
then  repaired  to  Esne,  where  lu;  established  his  head-quarters.  It  being 
his  policy  to  excite  but  litvle  attention,  he  very  seldom  went  into  com- 
jiauy,  dressed  meanly,  and  reduced  his  expenditure  to  the  lowest  possible 
sum.  The  cheapness  of  provisions  was  incredible.  His  whole  exjtendi- 
ture  for  himself,  his  servant,  his  dromedary,  and  his  ass,  not  exceedhig 
tliirty-five  cents  j)er  day,  while  his  lu>rse  cost  him  no  more  than  thirty 
cents  j)er  month. 

Here  he  remained  until  the  2d  of  March,  1814,  when  he  joined  him- 
Holf,  as  a  petty  trader,  to  another  caravan,  which  was  ])roceeding  from 
Deraou  to  Berber.  The  caravan,  consisting  of  about  fifty  merchants, 
with  their  slaves  an<l  beasts,  moved  under  the  jtroti'ction  of  about  thirty 
Ababdeli  Arabs,  who,  though  no  heroes  or  piiilosophers,  were  not  re- 
markably deficient  either  in  courage  or  humanity.  Burckhardt,  on  this 
occjision,  possessed  no  connnaud  over  his  own  movement  ><.  lie  travi'led, 
halted,  ate,  slept,  in  obedience  to  the  fimtasy  of  the  caravan-leaders,  who 
were  ignorant,  however,  that  the  humble  trader,  whom  tlu-y  regarded 
at  most  with  eoinpassion,  was  at  that  monu'ut  forming  reflections  and 
hringing  observations  to  maturity,  ^\liich  were  destined  to  nfCvrX  the 
opinion  entc'-tained  by  the  civilized  world  of  their  character  and  pursuits. 
Meanwhile  ,!i;'  mercliants,  who  were  chiefly  engaged  in  the  debasinjj; 
traffic  of  siavos,  and,  as  may  be  supposed,  cherished  no  resjtect  for  any 


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212 


LIFE  AND  TRAVELS  OF  BURCKHARDT. 


thing  but  riches,  and  the  power  which  riclics  commands,  looked  upon 
their  humble  companion  with  undisguised  contempt.  They  constantly- 
treated  him  with  contumely,  though  he  professed  a  belief  in  the  same 
law  and  the  same  prophets;  plundered  his  water-skins,  or  obstructed  his 
tilling  them  at  the  wells,  thus  exposmg  him  to  the  danger  of  perishing 
of  thirst ;  circulated  in  the  towns  where  they  stopped  the  report  that  he 
was  a  spy ;  and,  in  short,  j)ut  in  practice  every  art  which  their  malice 
could  conceive  hi  order  to  disgust  him  with  the  trade,  and  thus  free 
themselves  from  a  new  competitor. 

At  the  end  of  a  week's  journey  the  caravan  arrived  at  the  celebrated 
wells  of  El  Ilaimar,  in  the  vicinity  of  which  they  found  the  tomb  of  a 
Mameluke  chief,  who  died  on  this  spot.  "  His  companions,  having 
inclosed  the  naked  corpse  within  low  walls  of  loose  stones,  had  covered 
it  over  with  a  large  block.  The  dryness  of  the  air  had  preserved  the 
corpse  in  the  most  perfect  state.  Looking  at  it  through  the  interstices 
of  the  stones  which  enveloped  it,  it  aj)j)eared  to  me  a  more  jjcrfect 
mummy  than  .my  I  had  seen  in  Egyj)t.  The  mouth  was  wiile  open,  and 
our  guide  related  that  the  man  had  died  for  want  of  water,  although  so 
near  the  wells."  Next  day  they  passed  Wady  Olluky,  a  line  valley  ex- 
tending east  and  west  from  the  Nile  to  the  lied  Sea.  Here  were  numer- 
ous trees  and  excellent  pasture,  advantages  which  caused  it  to  be  re- 
garded with  peculiar  veneration  by  the  Iknlouins ;  and  every  man,  us  lie 
traversed  it  on  his  ass  or  camel,  took  a  handful  of  dhoun-a  and  threw  it 
on  the  ground  as  a  kind  of  pious  ottering  to  the  good  genius  of  the 
Wady.  On  the  following  day,  in  crossing  Wady  El  Towashy,  or  the 
Valley  of  the  Eunuch,  JJurckhardt  saw  the  tomb  of  that  Mahomet  Tow- 
ash  whose  body  was  found  on  the  sands  by  IJruce  three  days  alter  he 
had  been  murdered  by  his  guides. 

Burcikhardt  gives  the  following  account  of  the  impositions  and  hard- 
ships which  he  was  obliged  to  endure  in  the  course  «)f  this  journey  :  "  I 
was  olK'ii  driven  fro'n  the  coolest  and  most  comfortable  berth  into  the 
burning  sun,  and  g(!nerally  ])assed  the  midday  hours  in  great  distress ; 
lor  beside  the  exposure  to  heat,  I  had  to  cook  my  dinner,  a  service  which 
I  could  never  prevail  u))on  any  of  my  companions,  even  the  poorest  serv- 
ants, to  jierform  for  me,  though  I  offered  to  let  them  share  my  homely 
fare.  In  the  evening  the  same  labor  occurred  again,  when  fatigued  by 
the  day's  journey,  during  which  I  always  walked  for  four  or  five  hours, 
in  order  to  spare  my  ass,  and  when  I  was  in  the  utmost  need  of  rej)ose. 
Hunger,  however,  always  prevailed  over  fatigue,  ami  I  was  obliged  to 
fetch  and  cut  wood,  to  light  a  fire,  to  cook,  to  feecl  the  ass,  and  finally 
to  nuike  coftee,  a  vm])  of  which,  ])resenteil  to  my  Daraou  com])anions, 
who  wore  extremely  eager  to  obtain  it,  was  the  only  means  I  possessed 
of  kee]»ing  them  in  tolerable  good-humor.  A  good  night's  rest,  however, 
always  repaired  my  strength,  and  I  Avas  never  in  belter  health  antl 
spirits  than  during  this  jounu-y,  altliough  its  fatigues  were  oertaiidy  very 
great,  and  much  beyond  my  expectation.     The  common  dish  of  all  the 


■, 


i 


i 


SCARCITY    OP    WATER. 


213 


travelers  at  noon  was  fetyre,  which  is  flour  mixed  up  vrith  water  into  a 
Hquid  paste,  and  then  baked  upon  the  sadj,  or  iron  plate  ;  butter  is  then 
poured  over  it,  or  lioney,  or  sometimes  a  sauce  is  made  of  butter  and 
dried  bamye.  In  the  evening  some  h^ntils  are  boiled,  or  some  bread  is 
baked  with  salt,  either  upon  the  sadj  or  in  ashes,  and  a  sauce  of  bamye, 
or  onion,  ])oured  over  lentils,  or  upon  the  bread,  alter  it  has  been  crum- 
bled into  small  pieces.  Early  in  the  moming  every  one  eats  a  piece  of 
dry  biscuit,  with  some  raw  onions  or  dates." 

On  the  14th  of  March,  on  arriving  at  the  Wady  el  Nabob,  they  found 
the  celebrated  wells  of  that  valley  iusuflicieiit  to  supply  the  caravan  until 
they  should  reach  the  rocks  of  8higre,  and  as  no  Avater  was  anywhere 
to  be  found  in  the  intervening  s[)ace,  they  were  reduced  to  the  greatest 
perplexity.  "  Upon  such  occasions  as  these,"  says  Burckhardt,  "  every 
man  gives  his  opinion :  and  mine  was,  that  avc  should  kill  our  thirty-five 
asses,  which  required  a  daily  supply  of  at  least  liftcen  water-skins,  that 
we  should  load  the  camels  to  the  xitmost  of  their  strength  with  water, 
and  strike  out  a  straight  way  through  the  d(>sert  toward  Berber,  with- 
out touching  at  Shigre  ;  hi  this  manner  we  might  perf()rm  the  journey  in 
five  forced  niju'chcs."  This  plan  the  Arabs  refused  to  follow.  They 
repaired  their  water-skins  and  their  sandals,  refreshed  themselves  with 
bathing  in  the  cool  wells,  and  then  set  out.  But  "  it  was  not  without 
great  apprehension,"  says  our  traveler,  "  that  I  departed  from  this  pliice. 
Our  camels  and  asses  carried  water  for  three  or  four  days  only,  and  I 
saw  nf)  ]iossibility  of  escajiing  from  the  dreadful  etVects  of  a  want  of 
water.  In  order  to  keep  my  ass  in  good  sjiirits,  I  took  off  the  two  small 
water-skins  with  Mhich  I  had  hitherto  loa<led  him,  ami  pai<l  one  of  the 
Abiibdehs  four  dollars  to  carry  four  small  water-skins  ns  far  as  lierber ; 
for  I  thought  that  if  the  ass  could  carrv  me,  I  might  bear  thirst  for  two 
davs  at  least,  but  that  if  he  should  break  down,  I  should  eertainlv  not 
hv  able  to  walk  one  whole  diiy  without  water  in  this  hot  season  of  the 
year." 

Notwithstanding  all  these  difficulties  and  sufferings,  Burckhaidt  con- 
sidered the  Nubian  desert,  at  least  as  far  south  as  Shigre,  flu*  less  ter- 
rible than  that  of  Syria  or  Tyh,  Trees  and  water  are  much  more  fre- 
(lucnt,  and  though  it  is  intersected  in  various  directions  by  moimtains 
of  nakecl  rock,  the  more  desolate  and  awful  appearance  which  it  ac(piires 
from  this  circumstance  is,  in  a  great  measure,  compensated  for  by  its 
cons('(iu('iif  grandeur  and  variety.  "  Here,"  says  he,  "(luring  the  whole 
(lay's  marcli,  we  were  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  lakes  of  the  mirage, 
called  by  the  Arabs  Serab.  Its  color  was  of  the  }iurest  azure,  and  so 
clear  that  the  shadows  of  the  nu>untains  that  bordered  the  horizon  were 
reflecteil  on  it  with  the  greatest  |)recisioii,  and  the  dcluMon  of  its  being 
a  sheet  of  water  was  thus  rendered  still  more  perfect."  This  appearance, 
however,  only  served  to  heighten  the  terrors  which  the  scarcity  of  real 
water  excite(l.  Kvery  man  now  began  to  attach  the  greati'st  imi)ortanco 
to  the  small  stock  he  jiossessed.     Burckhardt,  who  possessed  but  two 


1 

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214 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF    BURCKHARDT. 


I  I  ' 


1    I 
1    i 


draughts,  tlraiik  the  half  of  it  at  onco,  reserving  the  remainder  for  the 
next  day ;  but,  observing  the  general  scarcity,  shared  the  dejection  of 
his  companions.  At  length,  their  condition  liaving  become  nearly  des- 
perate, they  adopted  the  course  recommended  by  the  Ababdeh  chief, 
and  disitatched  ten  or  twelve  of  their  comj)anions,  mounted  on  as  many 
camels,  to  the  nearest  part  of  the  Nile,  which  was  not  more  than  live  or 
six  hours  distant ;  but  as  its  banks  were  inhabited  by  tierce  tribes,  noth- 
ing but  the  fear  of  instant  death  could  have  forced  them  to  this  step. 
They  timed  their  march  in  such  a  manner,  that  they  would  reach  the 
banks  lof  the  river  by  night ;  Avheu  they  were  directed  to  select  some 
uninhabited  sjjot,  and  liaving  there  loaded  their  camels,  to  return  with 
all  sjteed.  "  We  passed  the  evenhig,''  says  IJurckhardt,  "  in  the  greatest 
anxiety,  for  if  the  camels  should  not  return,  we  had  little  hopes  of  escape 
either  from  thirst  or  from  the  sword  of  our  enemies,  who,  if  they  had 
once  got  sight  of  our  camels,  would  have  followed  their  footsteps 
through  the  desert,  and  would  certainly  have  discovered  us,"  Many 
of  my  comi)anions  came  in  the  course  of  the  evening  to  beg  some  water 
of  me,  but  I  had  well  hidden  my  treasure,  and  answered  them  by  show- 
ing my  empty  skins.  We  remained  the  greater  part  of  the  night  in 
silent  and  sullen  expectation  of  the  result  of  our  desperate  mission.  At 
length,  about  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  we  heard  the  distant  halloo- 
ings  of  our  companions  ;  and  soon  after  refreshed  ourselves  with  copious 
draughts  of  the  delicious  water  of  the  Xile." 

This  was  the  last  of  their  sufferings  on  this  route ;  on  the  23d  of 
3Iarcli,  they  entered  on  a  ])lain  Avith  a  slight  slope  toward  the  river, 
which  was  felt  at  more  than  two  hours'  distance  by  the  greater  moisture 
of  the  air.  The  Arabs  exclaimed,  "God  be  praised,  we  again  smell  the 
Nile !"  and  about  ten  o'clock  at  night,  the  caravan  entered  the  town  of 
Ankheyreh,  or  El  ]Mekhcyref,  the  capital  of  the  country  of  Berber. 
Burckhardt's  residence  at  this  place  was  nothing  but  one  continued 
series  of  annoyances.  The  i)riin'ipal  delight  of  the  whole  jjopulation, 
among  whom  drunkemu'ss  and  debauchery  were  scarcely  accounted 
vices,  seemed  to  consist  in  deluding  and  plundering  travelers,  who  on 
all  the  envenomed  soil  of  Africa  could  scarcely  be  exposed  to  more  irri- 
tating uisults  or  extortion  than  on  this  spot. 

Tiu'  caravan,  now  reduced  to  about  two  thirds  of  its  original  mmiber, 
several  of  the  merchants  having  returned  to  Egyi)t,  while  others  re- 
mained at  Berber  to  dispose  of  their  goods,  again  put  itself  h»  motion  on 
the  7th  of  April.  Burckhardt,  who  had  liitherto  attached  himself  to  the 
merchant  portion  of  the  [mrty,  several  of  whom,  previous  to  their  leaving 
Egypt,  had  received  benefits  at  his  hands,  was  here  driven  by  abuse  and 
contumely  to  take  refuge  among  the  Ababdehs,  who  not  only  willingly 
received  liim  as  their  companion,  but  exercised  their  hifluence,  on  more 
than  one  occasion,  to  protect  him  from  violence.  Piirsuuig  a  southerly 
direction  liir  three  days,  tlu'V  arrived  at  the  town  of  Darner,  which, 
under  the  government  of  a  number  of  religious  men,  had  attained  a  very 


l'    ! 


i; 


'i   f 


ADVENTURE    AT    DAMER. 


215 


high  pitch  of  prosperity.  Their  suuctity,  indeed,  was  considerably  aided 
by  their  skill  in  magic,  which,  as  Burckhardt  was  credibly  informed, 
was  so  great  that,  on  one  occasion,  the  Faky  el  Kebir,  or  Great  Fakeer, 
caused  a  lamb  to  bleat  in  the  stomach  of  the  thief  mIio  had  stolen,  and 
atlerward  eaten  it.  As  Burckhardt  needed  a  few  measures  of  dhourra 
for  his  ass,  and  found  it  hupracticable  to  purchase  less  than  a  dollar's 
worth,  which  would  have  been  more  than  he  could  carry,  he  was  un- 
der the  necessity  of  imitating  his  companions,  and  went  from  house  to 
bouse  with  some  strings  of  beads  in  his  l:ands,  oifering  them  for  sale 
at  about  four  handfuls  of  dhourra  for  each  bead.  "  I  gained  at  this 
rate,"  says  he,  "about  sixty  per  cent,  above  the  prime  cost,  and  had  at 
the  same  time  an  opportunity  of  entcruig  many  private  houses.  I  re- 
peated these  walks  every  day  during  our  stay.  One  afternoon,  while 
crying  my  beads  for  sale,  I  was  accosted  by  a  faky,  who  asked  me  if  I 
could  read.  On  my  answering  in  the  affirmatiN  e,  he  desired  me  to  fol- 
low him  to  a  place  where,  he  said,  I  might  expect  to  get  a  good  dumer. 
He  then  led  me  to  a  house  where  I  fomid  a  great  munber  of  people, 
collected  to  celebrate  the  memory  of  some  relative  lately  deceased. 
Several  fakies  were  reading  the  Koran  in  a  low  tone  of  voice.  A  great 
faky  afterward  came  in,  whoso  arrival  was  the  signal  for  reciting  the 
Koran  in  loud  songs,  in  the  manner  customary  in  the  East,  in  which  I 
joined  them.  This  was  continued  for  about  half  an  hour,  until  dinner 
was  brought  in,  which  was  very  plentiful,  as  a  cow  had  been  killed  ujjon 
the  occasion.  After  a  hearty  meal,  we  reconmienced  our  reading.  One 
of  the  shekhs  i)roduced  a  basketful  of  white  pebbles,  over  -which  several 
prayers  were  read.  These  pebbles  were  destined  to  be  strewed  over 
the  tomb  of  the  deceased  in  the  manner  which  I  had  often  observed 
upon  tombs  freshly  made.  Upon  my  incpiiries  respecting  this  custom, 
which  I  confessed  to  have  never  before  seen  practiced  in  any  Moham- 
medan country,  the  taky  answered  that  it  was  a  mei'e  meritorious  action: 
that  there  was  no  absolute  necessity  for  it:  but  that  it  was  thought  that 
the  soul  of  the  deceased,  when  hereafter  visiting  the  tomb,  might  be 
glad  to  fmd  these  pebbles,  in  order  to  use  them  as  beads  in  addressing 
Its  prayers  to  the  Creator,  When  the  reading  was  over,  the  women  be- 
gan to  suig  and  liowl.  I  then  left  the  room,  and  on  taking  my  dei)art- 
uro  my  kind  host  put  some  bones  of  roasteil  meat  in  my  hand  to  si'rve 
for  my  supper." 

In  ])roceeding  from  this  place  to  Shendy  the  caravan  was  accom- 
panied by  several  fdvies,  whose  i>resence  was  found  to  be  a  sufhcient 
protection  against  the  Nubian  Bedouhis.  They  readied  Shendy  on  the 
17th  of  April,  and  this  being,  next  to  Semiaar  and  Kobbe,  the  largest 
town  in  eastern  Soudan,  they  remained  hi'te  a  whole  month,  during 
Avhich  tinm  Burckhardt  enjoyed  an  ample  opportimlty  of  collecting  mate- 
rials for  an  account  of  this  and  th(>  neighboring  coiuitries.  Crocodiles  are 
numerous  in  this  part  of  the  Nile.  They  are  mmli  drciided  by  the  in- 
habitants, who,  when  repairing  to  its  banks  for  water  or  to  wash  their 


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216 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF    BUllCKHARDT. 


linen,  are  in  constant  fear  of  these  creatures.  IJurckhardt  ato  of  the 
crocodile's  flesh,  which  he  found  of  a  dirty  white  color,  not  unlike  young 
veal,  witli  o,  slight  lishy  smell. 

At  Shendy  IJnrckhardt  ahandoned  all  idea  of  proceeding  further 
south ;  and,  in  order  to  ])rociu'c  himself  sonie  little  civility  from  his  former 
companions,  circulated  the  report  that  he  intended  to  return  directly  to 
Egypt,  Avhero,  l»y  describing  to  the  pasha  their  conduct  toward  hun 
during  the  journey,  he  might  do  them  considerable  injury.  This  strata- 
gem succeeded.  Their  civility  and  affected  friendship  now  surpassed 
their  former  insolence.  In  the  meanwhile,  understanding  that  a  caravan 
was  about  to  set  out  for  Souakin  on  the  Ked  Sea,  our  traveler  prevailed 
on  the  Ababdeh  chief  to  introduce  and  recommend  him  as  his  own  friend 
to  its  leader.  Here  he  disposed  of  his  merchandise,  and  ])urchased  a 
sla^e-boy  to  attend  upon  him  on  the  road  ;  and  having  laid  in  the  neces- 
sary quantity  of  provisions,  joined  the  Souakin  caravan,  and  departed 
from  Hhendy  on  the  1 7th  of  May.  "  After  all  my  accounts  Avere  settled," 
says  he,  "  I  had  four  dollars  left ;  but  the  smallness  of  the  sum  occasioned 
me  no  uneasiness,  for  I  calculated  on  selling  my  camel  on  the  coast  for 
as  much  as  would  defray  the  expenses  of  my  voyage  to  Jidda,  and  I  liad 
a  letter  of  credit  on  that  place  for  a  considerable  sum,  which  I  had  j^ro- 
cured  at  Cairo.'' 

The  road  noAV  traversed  by  the  caravan  crossed  the  Atbara,  the  As- 
taboras  of  the  ancients,  on  the  banks  of  Avhich  they  found  numerous 
groves  of  trees  and  the  most  luxuriant  vegetation.  At  the  sight  of 
this  the  imagination  even  of  the  slave-dealers  was  touched  with  enthu- 
siasm ;  .and  in  .'illudiiig  to  the  dreary  track  over  which  they  had  travele^y 
one  of  them  exclaimed,  "  After  death  comes  paradise  !"  "  There  was  a 
greater  variety  of  natural  vegetation  here  than  I  had  seen  anywhere  on 
the  banks  of  the  Nile,  in  Egypt.  I  observed  ditterent  species  of  the 
mimosa,  doom-trees  of  the  largest  size,  avIioso  luxuriant  clusters  of  fruit 
excited  the  wishes  of  the  slaves,  the  nebek-tree,  with  its  fruit  ripe  ;  the 
allobe,  of  the  size  of  the  nebek,  besides  a  great  number  of  others  un- 
kiu>wn  to  me ;  to  these  may  be  added  an  abimdauce  of  wild  herbage, 
gi'owing  on  a  rich,  tat  soil  similar  to  that  of  Egypt.  The  trees  wore  in- 
hiibited  by  great  numbers  of  the  feathered  tribe,  Avhose  song  travelers 
in  Egypt  veiy  rarely  hear.  I  saw  no  birds  with  rich  plumage,  but  ob- 
served small  ones  of  several  different  kinds.  Some  sweet  notes  struck 
my  ears,  which  I  had  never  before  heard,  and  the  amorous  cooings  of 
the  turtle-dove  were  unceasing.  W(!  h:istened  to  the  river  and  eagerly 
descended  its  lnw  banks  to  allay  our  thirst.  Several  camels,  .at  the  sight 
of  the  wiiter,  broke  the  halters  by  which  they  were  led,  .and  in  rushing 
or  stumbling  down  the  banks  threw  off  their  loads,  and  occasioned  great 
clamor  anil  disorder." 

In  tlit>  \ii-iiiity  of  <!'>z  I'ajeb,  on  the  Atl)ara,  liurckhardt  saw  on  the 
summit  of  a  hill  the  ruins  of  a  huge  fabric  of  ancient  tinu'S,  but  was  de- 
terred from  visiting  it  by  the  assertion  of  liis  companions  that  it  was  tlio 


i 


H 


JOURNEY    TIIROUGir    TAKKA. 


217 


haunt  of  banditti.  On  the  Sth  of  Juno,  Avhile  tho  caravan  lialted  at  an 
cncampmont  of  tho  Iladendoa  JJedoulus,  Burckhardt  beheld  the  eftccts 
of  a  desert  storm  :  "  Towai'd  evenincr  we  were  visited  l)v  another  hur- 
ricane,  the  most  tremendous  I  ever  remember  to  have  witnessed.  A 
dark  blue  cloud  first  ai)i)eared,  extending  to  about  25°  above  the  hori- 
zon ;  as  it  approached  nearer  and  increased  in  height,  it  assumed  an 
ash-gray  color,  with  a  tinge  of  yellow,  striking  every  person  in  the  cara- 
van who  had  not  been  accustomed  to  such  ])henomena  with  amazement 
at  its  magnificent  and  toiTitic  appearance  ;  as  tho  cloud  approached  still 
nearer  the  yellow  tinge  became  more  general,  while  the  horizon  presented 
the  brightest  azure.  At  last  it  burst  upon  us  in  its  rapid  course,  and  in- 
volved us  in  darkness  and  confusion  ;  nothing  could  be  distinguished  at 
tho  distance  of  five  or  six  feet ;  our  eyes  were  filled  with  dust ;  our  tem- 
porary sheds  Avero  blown  down  at  the  first  gust,  and  many  of  the  more 
firmly  fixed  tents  of  the  Iladendoa  followed  ;  the  largest  withstood  for 
a  time  the  eftects  of  tho  blast,  but  were  at  last  obliged  to  yield,  and  the 
whole  camp  was  leveled  with  the  ground.  In  tho  moan  time  the  terri- 
fied camels  arose,  broke  the  cords  by  which  they  were  llistened,  an<l  en- 
deavored to  escape  from  the  destruction  which  appeared  to  threaten 
them ;  thus  adding  not  a  little  to  our  embarrassment.  After  blowing 
about  half  an  hour  with  incessant  violence,  the  wind  suddenly  abated, 
and  when  the  atmosphere  became  clear,  the  tremendous  cloud  was  seen 
contuuiing  its  havoc  to  the  north-west." 

Xext  day  they  reached  Takka,  a  district  famous  for  its  fertility,  wliore 
hares,  gazelles,  wolves,  giraft'es,  and  lions,  as  largo,  it  was  said,  as  cows, 
were  found  hi  the  woods.  Ilenco,  allor  a  stay  of  several  days,  they  de- 
parted lor  Souakin,  and  after  a  not  unjileasant  journey  through  a  wild, 
picturesque  country,  approached  the  termination  of  their  toils.  On  the 
morning  of  the  last  day  they  started  before  sunrise.  "The  eastern 
hills,"'  says  IJiu'ckhardt,  "  terminate  in  this  latitude ;  and  the  sun  Avas 
just  rising  beyond  them  Avhen  Ave  descried  its  reflection  at  an  munense 
distance  in  the  sea,  affording  a  pleasing  sight  to  every  individual  in  the 
caravan,  but  most  of  all  to  me."  The  Avhole  of  the  route,  from  Shendy 
to  Souakin,  had  never  before  boon  traversed  by  a  European.  At  length, 
on  tho  20th  of  Juno,  they  reached  Souakhi,  and  pitched  their  little  sheds 
at  about  tAvonty  minutes'  Avalk  from  the  toAvn.  Next  day  tliey  Avere 
visited  by  the  emir,  Avho,  understanding  that  our  traveler's  camel  Avas 
an  excellent  animal,  determined  on  taking  it  as  a  part  of  the  caravan 
dues;  upon  which  liurckhardt  insisted  upon  referring  their  ditlerence 
to  the  Turkish  cvistom-house  officer.  Ilis  Avishes  Avere  (juickly  complied 
Avitli,  but  the  aga,  instead  of  interfering  to  ])roti'('t  the  stranger,  imme- 
diately conceived  the  idea  of  uniting  with  the  emir  in  seizing  upon  tho 
Avliole  of  his  property;  and,  therefore,  preteiuling  to  regard  him  as  a 
Mameluke  spy,  began  at  once  to  ovi'rwhelm  liitn  with  abuse.  To  all 
this  iiurckhardt  returned  no  rei)!y,  but  re(iues((d  the  aga  to  infitrm  him 
Avhethor  the  emir  was  entitled  to  his  camel.     ''Not  only  thy  canu'l,"  re- 


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218 


LI.'-^E    AND    TRAVELS    OP    BURCKIIARDT. 


plied  the  Turk,  "  hnt  thy  whole  baggage  must  be  taken  and  searched. 
We  shall  render  a  good  account  of  them  to  tlie  i)asha,  depend  upon  it. 
You  shall  not  impose  ujjon  us,  you  rascal ;  and  you  may  bo  thankful  if 
we  do  not  cut  off  your  liead !"  The  traveler  })rotested  that  lie  was  noth- 
ing but  an  unfortunate  merchant,  and  endeavored,  by  a  submissive  de- 
jiortnient,  to  pacify  his  anger  ;  but  "  ho  began  cursing  and  swearing  in 
Turkish,"  says  Bur ckhardt,  "and  then  calUng  an  old  cripple,  to  whom  he 
had  given  the  title  of  waly,  or  police  officer,  he  ordered  him  to  tie  my 
hands,  to  i)ut  me  in  prison,  and  to  bring  my  slave  and  baggage  into  his 
presence.  I  now  thought  it  high  time  to  jjroduce  my  lirmans,  which  I 
drew  from  a  secret  pocket  in  my  thaboot ;  one  of  them  Avas  written  in 
Turkish,  upon  a  piece  of  paper  two  feet  and  a  half  in  length,  and  ono 
foot  in  breadth,  and  was  sealed  with  the  great  seal  of  jMohammod  Ali ; 
the  other,  a  smaller  one,  was  Avritten  in  Arabic,  and  bore  the  soul  of 
Ibrahim  Pasha,  his  son,  in  which  Ibrahim  termed  me  '  Our  man,  Ibrahim, 
the  Syrian.'  When  Yemak  saw  the  firmans  unfolded,  he  became  com- 
pletely stupefied,  and  the  persons  present  looked  at  me  with  amazement. 
The  aga  could  read  the  Arabic  only,  but  he  kissed  them  both,  put  them 
to  his  Ibrehead,  and  then  protested  to  me,  in  the  most  submissive  terms, 
that  it  was  the  good  of  the  publii;  service  alone  that  had  led  him  to  treat 
mo  as  he  had  done,  and  for  which  he  begged  me  a  thousand  pardons. 
Xothhig  more  Avas  said  about  the  emir's  right  to  my  camel,  and  he  de- 
clared that  I  should  pay  no  duty  for  my  slave,  though  he  Avas  entitled 
to  it." 

Burckhardt  noAv  disposed  of  his  camel,  and  took  his  passage  to  Jidda 
in  one  of  the  country  vessels.  After  tossing  about  the  Red  Sea  for 
nearly  a  fortnight,  visiting  Mekouar,  and  several  i)oints  of  the  African 
coast,  he  arrived  at  Jidda  on  the  18th  of  July,  1814.  His  first  care  noAV 
Avas  to  present  his  letter  of  credit,  Avhich,  being  of  an  old  date,  he  Avas 
refused  payment,  though  the  merchant  ottered  him  a  lodging  at  his 
house.  This  he  accepted,  but  removed  tAVo  days  afterward  to  a  i)ublic 
khan,  Avhere  ho  Avas  attacked  by  a  fever,  in  AA-hich  he  lay  delirious  for 
several  days.  Ilis  recovery  from  this  violent  disorder,  Avhich  he  attributed 
to  his  indulging  in  the  fine  fruits  of  the  Jidda  market,  seems  to  have 
been  chiefly  oAving  to  the  kindness  of  a  Greek  captain,  Avho,  having  been 
liis  fellow-passenger  froin  Souakin,  attended  him  during  one  of  his  lucid 
intervals,  and,  ut  his  OAvn  request,  procured  a  barber,  Avho  bled  him 
copiously. 

JOURNEY    TO    MECCA    AND    MEDINA. 

At  Jidda  Burckhardt  Avas  reduced  to  the  hard  necessity  of  parting 
Avith  his  slaA'c,  for  Avliom  lie  obtained  forty-eight  dollars,  of  which  tliirty- 
tAVo  Avere  profit.  With  this  money  he  dressed  himself  in  the  guise  of  a 
reduced  Egyptian  gentleman,  and  determined  to  r^'main  in  the  Iledjaz 
until  the  tune  of  the  pilgrimage  in  the  Ibllowing  Xovember.     However, 


• 


_i    L 


VISIT    TO    MOHAMMED    ALL 


219 


as  his  funds  were  fUi"  too  low  to  enable  hiiii  to  live  indejjfndontly  until 
that  period,  he  began  to  turn  his  thoughts  toward  niaiuuil  labor ;  but 
first  determuied  upon  trying  the  effect  of  a  direct  aj)plic'ation  to  Moham- 
med Ali,  then  at  Tayf  lie  accordingly  wrote  to  his  highness's  Arme- 
nian physician,  who  was  hkewise  atTayf  with  his  master,  requesting  him 
to  learn  from  the  pasha  whether  he  would  accept  a  bill  u})on  Burck- 
hardt's  correspondent  at  Cairo,  and  order  his  treasurer  at  Jidda  to  pay 
the  amount  of  it.  Before  the  result  of  this  application  could  be  known, 
he  received  an  invitation  to  the  house  of  Toossoon  l*asha's  physician,  who, 
on  being  acquainted  with  the  state  of  his  iinances,  kindly  offered  him  the 
sum  of  three  thousand  piasters  (about  $150)  for  a  bill  upon  Caii'o  pay- 
able at  sight.  Mohammed  Ali,  to  whom  his  condition  was  accidentally 
made  known,  immediately  dispatched  a  messenger  with  two  dromeda- 
ries, an  order  for  fi\e  hundred  piasters,  and  a  re<|uest  that  he  would  re})air 
immediately  with  the  messenger  to  Tayf  With  this  invitation,  which 
was,  in  tiict,  equivalent  to  a  command,  he  thought  it  necessary  to  com- 
ply, and  accordhigly  set  off  on  the  same  afternoon  (24th  August)  tor  the 
interior  of  the  Iledjaz. 

They  were  accompanied  during  the  first  portion  of  the  way  by  about 
twenty  camel-drivers  of  the  tribe  of  Harb,  who  were  carrying  money  to 
Mecca  tor  the  ])asha's  treasury.  Tlie  road  at  first  lay  over  a  barren 
Bandy  plain,  ascending  slightly  as  it  receded  from  the  sea ;  it  then  en- 
tered the  narrow  gorges  of  a  mountainf»us  country,  where  they  overtook 
a  caravan  of  })ilgrims,  who  were  accomjjanying  a  quantity  of  goods  and 
provisions  destined  for  the  army.  The  pasha,  who,  no  doubt,  suspected 
the  sincerity  of  Jjurckhardt's  creed,  had  given  orders  to  the  guide  to  con- 
duct him  by  a  by-road  to  Tayf,  which  lay  to  the  north  of  Mecca :  "Just 
before  we  left  Hadda,"  says  Burckhardt,  "  my  guide,  who  knew  nothing 
further  respecting  me  than  that  I  had  bushiess  with  the  pasha  at  Tayf, 
that  I  performed  all  the  outward  observances  of  a  Moslem  pilgrim,  and 
that  I  had  been  liberal  to  him  before  our  departure,  asked  me  the  reason 
of  his  having  been  ordered  to  take  me  by  tlie  northern  road.  I  replied 
that  it  was  probably  thought  shorter  than  the  other.  '  That  is  a  mistake,' 
he  replied ;  '  the  Mecca  road  is  quite  as  short,  and  much  safer ;  and  if  you 
have  no  objection  we  will  proceed  by  it.'  This  was  just  what  I  wished, 
though  I  had  taken  care  not  to  betray  any  anxiety  on  the  subject ;  and 
we  accordingly  followed  the  great  road,  in  company  with  the  other  trav- 
elers." 

On  this  occasion,  however,  Burckhardt  saw  but  little  of  the  sacred 
city,  as  the  guide,  who  had  no  curiosity  to  gratify,  hurried  through  the 
streets  without  allowing  him  time  for  observation.  Continuing  their 
journey,  therefore,  toward  the  east,  they  arrived,  on  the  '27th  of  August, 
at  lias  el  Kor.a,  where  tiiey  ))assod  the  night.  "Tiiis,"  says  the  traveler, 
"is  the  most  beautiful  spot  hi  the  Iledjaz,  and  more  picturesque  and  de- 
lightful than  any  spot  I  had  seen  since  my  departure  from  Lebanon,  iu 
Syria.    TJie  toj)  of  Jebel  Kora  is  flat,  but  large  masses  of  granite  lie  scat- 


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220 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF    BURCKIIARDT. 


tcrcd  over  it,  the  siirllico  of  wliich,  like  that  of  the  granite  rocks  near  the 
second  cataract  of  the  Nile,  is  blackened  by  tlie  sun.  Several  small  rivu- 
lets descend  from  this  peak,  and  irrigate  the  plain,  which  is  covered  Avith 
verdant  fields  and  large  shady  trees,  on  the  side  of  the  granite  rocks. 
To  those  who  have  only  known  the  dreary  and  scorching  sands  oi'  the 
lower  country  of  the  Iledjaz,  this  scone  is  as  surprising  as  the  keen  air 
which  blows  here  is  refreshing.  Many  of  the  fruit-trees  of  Europe  are 
found  here ;  figs,  apricots,  peaches,  apples,  the  Egyptian  sycamore,  al- 
monds, pomegranates ;  but  particularly  vines,  the  })roduce  of  which  is  of 
the  best  quality.  Atler  having  passed  through  this  delightful  district 
for  about  half  an  hour,  just  as  the  sun  was  rising,  when  every  leaf  and 
blade  of  grass  was  covered  with  a  balmy  dew,  and  every  tree  and  shrub 
diffused  a  fragrance  as  delicious  to  the  smell  as  was  the  landscape  to  the 
eye,  I  halted  near  the  largest  of  the  rivulets,  which,  although  not  more 
than  two  paces  across,  nourishes  upon  its  banks  a  green  alpine  turf, 
such  as  the  mighty  Nile,  with  all  its  luxuriance,  can  never  produce  in 
Egpyt." 

Upon  reachhig  Tayf,  he  caused  his  anival  to  be  made  known  to  the 
pasha,who,  upon  learning  his  desire  to  visit  the  Holy  Cities,  expressed  a 
wish  to  see  him  late  in  the  evening  at  his  public  residence,  and  observed 
to  the  Kadi  of  Mecca,  who  happened  to  be  present,  "  It  is  not  the  beai'd 
alone  Avhich  proves  a  man  to  be  a  true  Moslem ;  but  you  are  a  better 
judge  in  such  matters  than  I  am."  Our  traveler,  on  learning  these  par- 
ticulars, affected  to  be  much  hurt  by  the  pasha's  suspicions,  and  let  the 
physician,  who  Avas  the  bearer  of  the  message,  know  that  he  should  not 
go  to  the  pasha's  public  audience  unless  he  was  received  as  a  Turk. 
When  the  physician  delivered  this  message,  JNIohammed  Ali  smiled,  and 
said  that  he  was  welcome,  whether  Turk  or  not.  On  this  occasion  he 
was  closely  catechized  by  two  experienced  teachers  of  the  IVIoslem  faith, 
Avho  declared  to  the  pasha  that  he  was  not  only  a  true  Mussulman,  but 
one  of  great  learning  and  piety.  The  audience  passed  off  well.  But 
Burckhardt  clearly  discovered  that  he  was  regarded  as  a  spy  of  the  En- 
glish government ;  that  his  conduct  was  narrowly  watched  ;  .and  that,  in 
being  made  the  guest  of  the  physician,  he  was  a  kind  of  prisoner,  whose 
words  and  actions  were  reported  to  the  pasha.  This  was  by  no  means 
an  agreeable  position.  He  therefore  determined  to  be  delivered  from  it ; 
and,  in  order  to  effect  his  purpose,  adopted  the;  most  prudent  plan  that 
could  have  been  imagi)ied  :  he  rendered  himself  so  troublesome  .and  ex- 
pensive to  his  host,  that  the  latter,  in  order  to  be  freed  fi'om  him,  repre- 
sented him  in  the  most  favorable  light  to  Mohammed  Ali,  and  contrived 
to  obtain  him  permission  to  spend  the  last  days  of  the  Ramadan  at  Mecca. 

Accordingly,  on  the  7th  of  September,  Burckhardt  departed  in  com- 
pany with  the  Kadi  for  the  Holy  City.  On  p.assing  Wady  Mohram,  he 
assumed  the  ■i/inrm,  the  dress  worn  by  all  pilgrims  during  the  Hadji,  and 
consisting  of  two  pieces  of  linen,  woolen,  or  cotton  cloth,  one  of  which  is 
wrapped  round  the  lohis,  while  the  other  is  thrown  over  the  neck  and 


mk 


residence:  at  mecca. 


221 


shoulders,  so  as  to  leave  part  of  the  right  arm  bare.  In  this  tlrcss  he 
arrived  at  Mecca,  on  the  9th  of  September  ;  and,  as  the  law  enjouis,  pro- 
ceeded immediately  to  visit  the  temple,  before  he  had  attended  to  any- 
worldly  concern  whatever.  The  ceremonies  practiced  on  this  occasion 
are  long  and  tedious.  Having  completed  these  performances,  he  hired 
a  ready-furnished  lodging  m  the  house  of  a  metowwaf,  or  guide  to  the 
holy  places  ;  who,  while  the  poor  Iladji  was  occupied  with  his  devotions, 
employed  his  spare  moments  industriously  in  steahng  whatever  he  could 
from  his  traveling-sack, 

Being  desirous  of  completing  his  traveling  equiimients  before  the 
commencement  of  the  Iladj  (pilgrimage),  Burckhardt  proceeded  to  Jidda, 
where  such  things  are  more  easily  procured  than  at  Mecca,  and  again 
returned  about  the  middle  of  October,  with  a  slave-boy  whom  he  pur- 
chased. He  hired  ajiartments  in  an  unfrequented  part  of  the  city, 
where  he  enjoyed  the  advantage  of  several  large  trees  growing  before 
his  w'indows,  "  the  verdure  of  which,"  says  he,  "  among  the  barren  and 
sunburnt  rocks  of  Mecca,  was  to  me  more  exhilarating  than  the  finest 
landscape  could  have  been  under  different  circumstances."  The  princi- 
pal curiosity  of  Mecca  is  the  belt  %illah,  or  House  of  God,  a  species  of 
quadrangle,  in  the  center  of  which  stands  the  Kaaba,  "  an  oblong  mass- 
ive structure,  eighteen  paces  in  length,  iburteen  in  breadth,  and  from 
thirty-five  to  forty  feet  in  height.  It  is  constructed  of  the  gray  Mecca 
stone,  in  large  blocks  of  different  sizes,  joined  together  in  a  very  rough 
manner,  and  with  bad  cement."  "  At  the  north-east  corner  of  the 
Kaaba,  near  the  door,  is  the  famous  '  Black  Stone  ;'  it  forms  a  part  of 
the  sharp  angle  of  the  building  at  four  or  five  feet  above  the  ground. 
It  is  an  irregular  oval  of  about  seven  inches  \n  diameter,  with  an  imdu- 
lating  surfiice,  composed  of  about  a  dozen  smaller  stones  of  difl'erent 
sizes  and  sliapes,  well  joined  together  with  a  snuxU  quantity  of  cement, 
and  ])erfectly  smoothed.  It  looks  as  if  the  whole  had  been  broken  into 
many  pieces  by  a  violent  blow,  and  then  united  again.  It  is  very  diffi- 
cult to  determhie  accurately  the  quality  of  this  stone,  which  has  been 
worn  to  its  present  surface  by  the  milli(jns  of  touches  and  kisses  it  has 
received.  It  appeared  to  me  like  a  lava,  containing  several  small  extra- 
neous particles,  of  a  whitish  and  of  a  yellowish  substance.  Its  cok)r  is 
now  a  deep  reddish  brown,  approaching  to  black.  It  is  surrounded  on 
all  sides  by  a  border,  composed  of  a  substance  which  I  took  to  be  a 
close  cement  of  jntch  and  gravel,  of  a  similar,  but  not  quite  the  same, 
brownish  color.  Tliis  border  serves  to  support  its  detached  ])ieces.  It 
is  two  or  liiree  inches  in  breadth,  and  risi's  a  little  above  the  surface 
of  the  st(me.  Both  the  border  and  the  stone  itself  are  encircled  by  a 
silver  band,  broader  below  than  above,  and  on  the  two  sides,  with  a 
considerable  swelling  below,  as  if  a  part  of  the  stone  were  liidden  under 
it.     The  lower  part  of  the  border  is  studded  with  silver  nails." 

On  the  iilst  of  November,  1B14,  the  approach  of  the  Syrian  caravan 
was  announced  by  a  messenger,  whoso  horse  dropped  down  dead  the 


^!:l:l 


!  ri 


i:i! 


:iii^ 


i 

^■1 

1 

% 

i          • 

i    ■ 

lilt 

111 


'■^       ■: 


i\U 


1 
1 

II 

'A 

I! 

.  li 

1 

i 

ij 

I    , 


222 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OP    BURCK-II ARDT. 


moment  lie  dismounted.  Several  otlier  persons  followed  in  about  two 
hours  after ;  and  during  the  night  the  main  body,  with  the  Pasha  of 
Damascus  at  its  liead,  came  up,  and  encamped  in  the  plain  of  Shekh 
Mahmoud.  Next  morning  the  Egj'ptian  caravan  likewise  arrived  ;  and 
at  the  same  time  Mohannned  AH,  who  desired  to.be  present  at  the  Hadj, 
appeared  unexpectedly  at  JMecca,  dressed  in  an  ihram  composed  of  two 
magnificent  shawls  of  Cashmere.  All  the  hadjis  residing  in  the  city  now 
assumed  the  ihram,  Avith  the  usual  ceremonies,  at  their  own  lodgings, 
jireparatory  to  their  setting  out  for  Mount  Arafat,  and  at  noon  heard  a 
short  sermon  in  the  mosque. 

The  city  was  now  full  of  movement  and  activity ;  all  the  pilgrims 
were  pre))aring  to  set  out  for  Arafat,  some  running  hither  and  thither  in 
search  of  lodgings,  others  visiting  the  markets  or  the  Kaaba.  ]Many 
Meccans,  engaged  in  petty  traffic,  were  hastening  to  establish  them- 
selves on  the  mountaiTi,  for  the  accommodation  of  the  pilgrims.  Camel- 
drivers  led  their  beasts  through  the  streets,  offering  them  to  the  pilgrims 
for  hire.  On  the  24th  of  NoAcmber  the  Syrian  caravan,  with  the  Mah- 
mal,  or  sacred  camel,  in  front,  ])assed  in  procession  through  the  city. 
The  majority  of  the  pilgrims  rode  in  a  species  of  palanquin,  ])laced  upon 
their  camels ;  but  the  Pasha  of  Damascus,  and  other  grandees,  were 
nunmted  in  splendid  litters,  Avhich  were  borne  by  two  camels.  The 
heads  of  these  picturesque  animals  Avere  decorated  Avith  feathers,  tassels, 
and  bells.  Crowds  of  people  of  all  classes  lined  the  streets,  and  greeted 
the  ])ilgrinis  as  they  passed  Avitli  loud  acclamations  and  praise.  The 
martial  music  of  the  pasha,  tAvclve  finely-caparisoned  horses  led  mi  front 
of  his  i)alan(juin,  and  tlie  rich  litters  in  AA'hich  liis  Avomen  rode,  particu- 
laijy  attracted  attention.  The  Egyptian  caravan  fblloA\'ed  soon  after, 
and,  consisting  entirely  of  military  ])ilgrims  in  the  splendid  Turkish  cos- 
tume, Avas  no  less  admired  than  its  predecessor.  Both  contuuied,  Avith- 
out  stojijiing,  their  march  to  Arafat,  and  Avere  almost  immediately  fol- 
loAved  by  the  other  pilgrims  in  the  city,  and  by  far  the  greater  proportion 
of  the  jmjmlation  of  Mecca  and  Jidda,  among  Avliom  Burckhardt  likcAA-ise 
proceeded  to  the  sacred  hill. 

lie  reached  the  canq>  about  three  hours  after  sunset.  The  pilgrims 
Avcre  still  Av.andering  about  the  plain,  and  among  the  tents,  in  search  of 
their  companions,  or  of  their  restuig-))lace,  and  many  did  not  arrive  until 
midnight.  Xumberless  fires  glimmered  uixmi  the  dark  plain  to  the  ex- 
tent of  several  miles  ;  and  high  and  brilliant  clusters  of  lamps  marked 
the  different  places  of  encampment 'of  Mohammed  Ali,  Soleyman  Pasha, 
and  the  Emir  el  Hadj  of  the  Egyjrtian  caravan.  Fcaa'  slejit :  "  the  de- 
votees set  up  praying,  and  their  loud  chants  Avere  particularly  distin- 
guished on  the  side  of  the  Syrian  encampment.  The  merry  Meccans 
tiirined  themselves  into  parties,  singing  jovial  songs,  accompanied  by 
cla)»ping  of  hands ;  and  the  coftee-houscs  scattered  over  the  ))lain  A\'ere 
eroAvded  all  night  Avith  customers.  The  night  Avas  dark  and  cold.  I 
had  formed  a  resting-place  lor  myself  by  means  of  a  large  carpet  tied 


to  the  bad 

part  of  the 

fired  by  tl 

dawn  of  tl 

lor  their  m 

The  set 

the  eye  of 

"  Every  ])il 

view  of  the 

up  as  bazan 

tian  cavalr) 

thousands  c 

all  round  tl 

whence  he 

an  isolated 

above  the  h 

tiiousand  te 

tents.     Tw( 

arate  group 

and  of  all 

"  The  Syria 

the  mountai 

the  Sherif,  ^ 

in  its  neighl 

Soleyman,  1 

very  handsr 

Avife  of  ]Mo 

Pasha,  Avho 

equipage,  fi\ 

from  Jidda 

of  a  dozen  t( 

inclosed  by 

single  entrai 

Around  this 

numerous  su 

palace,  Avith 

an  object  avI 

oftheThoib 

Among  t 

Srohammeda 

and  did  not  ^ 

the  atlcrnooi 

struck,  and  i 

fet,  and  cove 

his  stand  upc 

multitude. "  ' 


CERKMONIES  AT  MOUNT  ARAFAT. 


223 


to  the  back  of  a  3Ioccarra  tent ;  and  liaving  walked  about  for  tlie  greater 
part  of  the  night,  I  liad  just  disposed  myself  to  sleep,  when  two  guns, 
fired  by  the  Syrian  and  Egyptian  Ibvlj,  aimounced  the  approaching 
dawn  of  the  day  of  pilgrimage,  and  summoned  the  faithful  to  prepare 
for  their  morning  prayers." 

The  scene  which,  on  the  tmfolding  of  the  dawn,  presented  itself  to 
the  eye  of  the  traveler,  Avas  one  oi'  the  most  extraordinary  upon  earth. 
"  Every  pilgrim  issued  from  his  tmt  to  walkover  the  plains,  and  take  a 
view  of  the  busy  crowds  assembled  there.  Long  streets  of  tents,  fitted 
up  as  bazaars,  furnisbed  all  kinds  of  provisions.  The  Syrian  and  Egyp- 
tian cavalry  were  exercised  by  their  chiefs  early  in  the  morning,  while 
thousands  of  camels  were  seen  feeding  upon  the  dry  shrubs  of  the  plain 
all  round  the  cajup."  IJurckhardt  now  ascended  the  summit  of  Arafat, 
wheiu'e  he  could  enjoy  a  distant  view  of  the  whole,  <^he  mountain  being 
an  isolated  mass  of  granite,  reaching  to  the  lieight  of  two  hundred  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  i)lain.  From  this  pohit  lie  counted  about  three 
tiiousand  tents,  but  the  far  greater  number  were,  like  himself,  without 
tents.  Twenty  or  twenty-five  thousand  camels  were  dispersed,  in  sep- 
arate groups,  over  the  )>lain  ;  and  the  nund)er  of  jnlgrims  of  both  sexes, 
and  of  all  classes,  could  not  amount  to  less  than  seventy  thousand, 
"  The  Syrian  Iladj  was  encamped  on  the  south  and  south-west  side  of 
the  mountain  ;  the  Egyptian  on  the  south-east.  Around  the  house  of 
the  Sherif,  Yaliya  himself  was  encam])ed  with  his  IJedouin  troops,  and 
in  its  neighborhood  were  all  the  Hedjaz  ])eople.  Mohammed  Ali,  and 
Soleyman,  Pasha  of  Damascus,  as  well  as  sevei'al  of  their  officers,  had 
very  handsome  tents;  but  lliu  most  magnificent  of  all  was  that  of  the 
wife  of  3Iohamme(l  vVli,  the  mother  of  Toossoon  ]'asha  and  Ibrahim 
Pasha,  who  had  lately  arrived  at  Cairo  for  the  Iladj,  with  a  truly  royal 
equipage,  five  hundred  camels  being  necessary  to  transport  her  baggage 
from  Jidda  to  Mecca.  Iler  tent  Avas  in  fact  an  encampment,  consisting 
of  a  do7.en  tents  of  different  sizes,  inhabited  by  her  Avymen  ;  the  whole 
inclosed  by  a  wall  of  linen  cloth,  eight  hundred  paces  in  circuit,  the 
single  entrance  to  which  was  guarded  by  eunuchs  in  splendid  dresses. 
Around  this  inclosure  were  pitched  the  tents  of  the  men  who  formed  her 
numerous  suite.  The  beautiful  embroidery  on  the  exterior  of  this  linen 
palace,  with  the  various  colors  displa}ed  hi  every  part  of  it,  constituted 
an  object  which  reminded  me  of  some  descriptions  in  the  Arabian  Tales 
of  the  Thousand  and  One  Nights." 

Among  the  prodigious  crowd  were  persons  from  every  corner  of  the 
Mohammedan  world.  Burckhardt  counted  forty  different  languages, 
and  did  not  doubt  that  there  were  many  more.  About  three  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon,  the  pilgrims,  quitting  their  tents,  which  were  imnie(liately 
struck,  and  mountuig  their  camels,  pressed  forward  toward  ]\Iotuit  Ara- 
fet,  and  covered  its  sides  from  top  to  bottom.  The  preacher  now  took 
his  stand  upon  the  platform  on  the  mountain,  and  began  to  address  the 
multitude.     The  hearing  of  the  sermon,  whicli  lasts  till  sunset,  constitutes 


'M 


^   !P 


A 


ihl^ 


I 


li 


i 


s    i 


II 

li 


1  1 


!    ! 


lii 


224 


LIFE    AND    TKAVELS    OF    BURCKIIARDT. 


t 


the  lioly  ceremony  of  the  Iliulj,  and  without  beinuj  i)reseiit  at  it,  and  at 
least  appearing  to  hear,  no  ))ilgrini  is  entitled  to  tlie  name  ofhadjt.  "  TJio 
two  pashas,  with  their  whole  cavalry  drawn  up  in  two  squadrons  behind 
them,  took  their  post  in  the  rear  of  the  deep  line  of  camels  of  the  hadjis, 
to  which  those  of  the  people  of  the  Iledjaz  were  also  joined  :  and  here 
they  waited  in  solemn  and  respectful  silence  the  conclusion  of  the  sermon. 
Further  removed  from  the  preacher  was  the  Slierif  Yaliya,  with  his  small 
body  of  soldiers,  distinguished  by  several  green  standards  carried  before 
him.  The  two  Mahmals,  or  holy  camels,  which  carry  on  their  backs  the 
higli  structure  that  serves  as  the  banner  of  their  respective  caravans, 
made  way  with  difliculty  through  the.  ranks  of  camels  that  encircled  the 
southern  .and  eastern  sides  of  the  hill,  0]tposite  to  the  preacher,  and  took 
their  station,  surroinided  by  their  guards,  directly  under  the  platform  in 
front  of  him.  The  preacher,  or  kluityb,  who  is  usually  the  Kadi  of  Mecca, 
was  mounted  upon  a  finely-caparisoned  camel,  which  had  been  led  up  the 
steps ;  it  being  traditionally  said  that  jMohamnicd  was  always  seated 
when  he  addressed  his  followers,  a  ))ractice  in  winch  lie  was  inutated  by 
all  the  calijihs  who  came  to  the  IladJ,  and  who  from  hence  addressed 
their  subjects  in  person.  The  Turkish  gentleman  of  (,'onstantino])le, 
liowever,  umised  to  canu/l-riding,  could  not  keep  his  seat  so  wiAl 
as  the  hardy  IJedouin  ])rophet;  and  the  caniel  beconung  lun-uly,  he  was 
soon  obliged  to  alight  from  it.  He  read  liis  sermon  from  a  bouk  in 
Arabic,  which  he  held  in  his  hands.  At  intervals  of  every  fom-  or  live 
miuutt's  he  paused,  and  stretched  forth  his  arms  to  implore  blessings  Worn 
above;  while  the  assembled  nmltitudes  around  and  before  him  waved 
the  skirts  oi"  their  ihrams  over  their  heads,  and  rent  the  air  with  shouts 
of  L('h(!fk\  Allah,  hiona  Lihojk  ! — "  Here  we  are  at  thy  bidding,  0  C4od  I" 
Diu'ing  the  wavings  of  the  ihrams,  the  sides  of  the  nutuntain,  thickly 
crowded  as  it  was  by  the  peojile  in  their  white  garments,  had  the  appear- 
ance of  a  cataract  of  Wiaer  ;  while  the  green  undirellas,  with  which  seve- 
ral thousand  hajjis,  sitting  on  their  camels  below,  were  provided,  bore 
sonu'  rcsend)lance  to  a  verdant  jilal.i." 

Uiirckhardt  was  ])resent  at  all  the  remaining  ceremonies  of  the  Uadj, 
anil  after  observing  whatever  was  Avorthy  of  examination  both  at  Mecca 
and  .)i<lda,  he  Joined  a  small  caravan  of  ]iilgrims  who  were  going  to  visit 
till'  tondj  of  the  prophet,  and  set  out  l()r  Medina  on  the  ITitli  of  Januiiry, 
I  HIT).  During  this  journey  lu'  im]»rudently  advanced  btlnre  the  caravan, 
and  was  attacked  Ityfive  lii'douins,  from  whom  he  was  (piickly  delivered, 
iiowevt  r,  by  the  approach  of  his  companions.  They  reache(l  Medina  on 
the  '-'Mth  of  .Fanuary.  The  ceremonies  practiced  in  this  eity  were  mucli 
less  teilious  than  those  at  Mecca,  and  <lid  not  occujiy  him  more  than  .a 
(juarter  of  an  hour.  Here,  shortly  atler  liis  arrival,  he  was  attacked  Ijy 
an  intermittent  fever,  accompan'; d  by  extraonlinary  despondency.  His 
condition,  iuileeii,  was  Well  calculated  to  inspire  gloomy  thoughts ;  for 
ho  had  no  society,  and  but  one  book,  which  was,  however,  aa  he  observes. 


i  I 


VISIT    TO    MEDINA. 


225 


worth  a  wliolo  shelf  full  of  others.  This  \v;ij^,  a  pocket  edition  of  3Iilton, 
■which  he  had  borrowed  from  an  English  isliip  at  Jidda. 

Meduia,  it  is  well  known,  is  chietly  indebted  to  the  tomb  of  jNIoham- 
med  lor  its  celebrity.  This  mausoleum,  which  stands  on  the  south-east- 
ern corner  of  the  prmcipal  mosque,  is  protected  from  the  too  near  ajj- 
proaoh  of  visitors  by  an  iron  railing,  i)ainted  green,  about  two  thirds  the 
heiglit  of  the  pillars  of  the  colonnade  which  runs  round  the  interior  of 
the  mosque.  "The  raihng  is  of  good  Avorkmanship,  in  imitation  of  lili- 
grce,  and  is  mtcrwoven  Avith  open-worked  inscriptions  of  yellow  bronze, 
supposed  by  the  vulgar  to  be  of  gold,  and  of  so  close  a  texture,  that  no 
view  can  be  obtained  of  the  mterior  excejit  by  several  small  windows 
about  six  inches  square,  which  are  placed  in  the  four  sides  of  the  riiiling, 
about  five  feet  above  the  ground."  On  the  soutli  side,  Avhere  are  the  two 
principal  windows,  before  Avhich  the  devout  stand  when  jjraying,  the  rail- 
ing is  plated  with  silver,  and  the  common  inscription — ''  There  is  no  God 
but  God,  the  Evident  Truth" — is  wrought  hi  silver  letters  round  the 
wuidows.  The  tomb  itself,  as  well  as  that  of  Abu  Bekr  and  Omar,  which 
stand  close  to  it,  is  concealed  from  the  public  gaze  by  a  curtaui  of  rich 
silk  brocade  of  various  colors,  interwoven  Avith  silver  ilowers  and  ara- 
besques, Avith  inscriptions  in  characters  of  gold  runnhig  across  tlie  midst 
of  it,  hke  that  of  the  covering  of  the  Kaaba.  Behind  this  curtahi,  Avhich, 
according  to  t]u>  historian  of  the  city,  Avas  formerly  changed  every  six 
years,  and  is  now  reiicAvcd  by  the  Porte  Avhenever  the  old  one  is  decayed, 
or  Avhcn  a  new  sultan  ascends  the  throne,  none  but  the  chief  eunuchs, 
the  attendants  of  the  mosque,  are  permitted  to  enter.  This  lioly  sanc- 
tuary once  served,  as  the  temple  of  Delphi  diil  among  the  Greeks,  as  the 
public  treasury  of  the  nation.  Here  the  money,  jewels,  and  other  pre- 
cious articles  of  the  people  of  the  Iledjaz  Avere  kept  in  chests,  or  sus- 
jionded  on  silken  ropes.  Among  these  Avas  a  copy  of  the  Koran  in  Kullc 
characters;  a  brilliant  star  set  in  diamonds  and  jtearls,  Avhich  was  sus- 
pended directly  over  the  prophet's  tomb;  Avith  all  sorts  of  vessels  set 
with  jewels,  earrings,  liracelets,  necklaces,  and  other  ornaments,  sent  as 
presents  from  all  parts  of  the  empire.  Most  of  these  articles  were  car- 
rieil  away  by  the  ^Vahabees  Avheii  they  sacked  and  plundered  the  sacred 
cities. 

On  the  21st  of  April,  1815,  Ilurckhardt  (piitted  ^Medina  Avith  a  small 
caravan  bound  f)r  Yenibo,  on  the  sea-coa^l.  His  miml  was  still  exceed- 
ingly depressed  by  the  weak  state  of  his  body;  and  liis  gayety  and  ani- 
mal spirits,  Avhieli  had  supported  him  through  so  many  arduous  scenes, 
a])pear  to  lia\'e  deserted  him  at  last.  Tpon  his  arrival  at  Yembo,  de- 
jected and  melancholy,  to  add  to  his  despondeney,  he  foimd  the  plague 
I'agiug  hi  the  city.  The  air,  night  and  day,  was  filled  Avith  the  pierc- 
ing cries  of  tho><e  Avho  li:id  l)eiii  lt(M'(^aved  of  the  objects  of  tlu'ir  atVec- 
ti'>n  ;  yet,  as  no  vessel  was  ready  to  sail  for  Egypt,  he  Avas  constrained 
to  rein!iin  during  eighteen  day-  in  llie  midst  (  i"  the  dying  and  the  dead, 
centiiuially  exposed  to  infection  through  the  heedlessness  and  the  inipru- 

15^ 


1    ^  ''I 

■^1 


i 

1 
i 

■,■ 

1      ! 

i  ■; 

1 

i  : 
i  >■ 

1 

'     ■  ■ !; 


It 


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Hi 


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1 

1 ', 

i 

1  I 


f 


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VI    1  I 


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22G 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF    liURCKUARDT. 


(li'iioo  of  liis  slavo.  At  length,  liowcvi'r,  ]w  {irocurcil  a  passaj^c  in  an 
o|H'ii  boat  hound  tor  Cosseir,  many  of  tlio  jtasscngt  is  in  whirh  were  sirk 
of  a  chscasi'  which  appfaird  to  Ix'  tho  phiifuc,  tliout^h  only  two  of  thoni 
dii'd.  After  remaining;  tAventy  days  on  hoard,  he  was,  at  iiis  own  re- 
(juest,  put  on  slu)re  hi  the  harl)or  of  Slierin,  at  the  entrance  of  tlie  Ciulf 
of  Aliaha,  where  lie  agreed  with  some  IJedonins  to  transport  him  and  his 
slave  to  Tor  and  Suez.  Learning  on  the  way,  however,  that  the  plague 
was  at  Sue/,  he  remained  at  a  village  ui  the  vicinity  of  the  lonner  place, 
where  the  enjoyment  of  tran(|uiHity  and  a  bracing  mountain  air  soon  ru- 
st(»red  his  strength,  and  enahled  him,  though  still  enfeebled,  to  pursue 
his  journey  to  Cairo,  where  he  arrived  on  tho  'J4th  of  .Tune,  alter  an  ab- 
sence of  nearly  two  years  and  a  half.  As  his  health  was  not  yet  com- 
jtletely  recovered,  he  undertook  a  Journey  into  Lower  Kgypt  during  the 
fi)Ilowing  winti'r,  which,  as  he  seems  to  have  believed,  restored  his  con- 
stitution to  its  former  tone. 

His  tiuu>  was  now  entirely  occupii'd  in  writing  the  journal  of  his 
Nubian  and  Arabian  travels,  and  in  the  necessary  care  of  his  health, 
which,  notwithstanding  his  sanguine  exjteetation  to  the  contrary,  was 
still  in  a  somewhat  ecjuivocal  state.  Li  the  s|H'ing  of  isl(i,  the  plagu(( 
again  bioke  out  at  Cairo,  and  liurckhardt,  to  avoid  the  inli'ction,  under- 
took a  journey  to  Mount  Sinai,  intentUng  to  remain  among  the  Bedouins 
until  the  i>estilence  should  hi'  over.  During  this  excursion  he  traced 
the  course  of  the  eastern  branch  of  th(>  Ked  Sea  to  within  sight  of 
Akaba,  which  he  was  jtrevented  by  circumstances  from  visithig.  On 
his  return  to  Cairo,  he  nnite(l  with  Mr.  Salt  in  I'm'nishing  Helzoni  with 
nuiney  li)r  transporting  the  head  of  3Iemnon  from  (ioorneh  to  Alex- 
andria. The  sclienu',  it  would  seem,  originated  with  Uurckhardt  and 
Salt,  to  whom,  theretore,  the  r>ritish  Museum  is  cliielly  indebted  ll)r  the 
possession  of  that  remark;ible  specinu'U  of  ancient  art. 

On  the  1th  of  October,  1S17,  Uurckhardt,  who  had  so  long  waiteil 
in  vain  ll>r  an  opportunity  of  peiu'trating  with  a  MogLTi'ebin  caravan  to 
Timbuctoo,  by  way  of  l'ezz;m,  was  attacked  with  \  iolent  dysentery. 
The  best  nii'dical  adviiu'  which  an  emini'iit  Knglish  jthysician  (l)o(  tor 
Kichardson),  tlu'n  at  Cairo,  could  alVord  was  fomnl  unavailing.  Tho 
disease  prevailed,  and  on  the  ir)th  of  (he  haiui' month  thi'  able,  adven- 
tm'ous,  and  lamented  traveler  breathed  his  last  at  tlu-  early  age  of  thirty- 
thrcH'  years.  As  he  had  lived  while  in  the  E;ist  as  a  Muss\ilman,  the 
Turks,  he  l()resaw,  would  claim  his  body,  "and  jierhaps,"  said  he  to  INIr. 
Salt,  who  was  present  at  his  death-bed,  "ydu  had  better  let  them." — 
"The  funeral,  as  he  desired,"  says  this  gentleman,  "Mas  Mohannnedan, 
conducted  with  all  ]iroper  regard  to  the  respectable  rank  which  he  had 
held  in  the  evt'S  of  the  natives,"  This  was  homuable  to  his  Cairo 
friends;  and  to  ihose  wlio  are  interested  in  the  history  of  his  juanly 
career  it  is  gratitying  to  d'scover  how  highly  he  was  valued.  His  re- 
inains,  umnarked  by  any  memorial,  \w  somewhere  in  the  Moslem  bury- 
ing-gnumd  on  the  eastern  side  of  Cairo,  where  another  traveler  of  ecjual 


F 


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i 


TITS    GRAVE. 


227 


courage,  ciitliusiiism,  and  ciicrufy — ,\<>hn  Lcdyaid — was  buried  rnoro 
than  (wonty  years  hei'ore  liiiu.  Since  liurckliardt's  dcatli,  others  liavo 
walked  in  Iiis  steps,  and  many  of  the  places  whicli  he  visited  with  so 
luucli  difliculty  and  jieril,  are  now  accessilile  to  all  travelers,  ))ut  no  ono 
has  surpassed  liini  in  ])ru(h'nce  and  inf  ri'pidity,  no  one  has  lived  a  lii'e  of 
KHch  romantic  uiterest,  or  productive  of  more  rich  results. 


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B  ELZO  N  rS 


EXPLORATIONS     IN    EGYPT. 


This  enterprising  traveler  and  explorer,  descended  from  a  respectable 
Roman  family,  was  born  at  Padua,  whither  his  relations  had  many  years 
prenously  removed.  Being  designed  by  his  parents  for  some  monastic 
order,  he  was  at  a  very  early  age  sent  to  Rome,  the  original  abode  of 
his  ancestors,  where  he  received  his  education,  and  spent  the  greater 
part  of  his  youth.  Here  the  sciences  would  appear  to  have  obtained  a 
decided  preference  in  his  mind,  over  every  other  branch  of  study ;  par- 
ticularly hydraulics,  to  which  he  owed  much  of  the  reputation  which  ho 
afterward  acquired  in  the  world.  The  invasion  of  Italy,  and  the  capture 
of  Rome  by  the  French,  disturbed  the  peaceful  but  insignificant  plan  of 
life  which  he  had  traced  out  for  himself.  Instead  of  a  monk  he  be- 
came a  traveler.  Departing  from  Rome  in  the  year  1800,  he  for  some 
time  wandered  about  the  Continent,  deriving  his  subsistence,  as  he  him- 
self observes,  from  his  own  knowledge  and  industry,  and  occasional  re- 
mittances from  his  family,  who,  though  by  no  means  wealthy,  seem  to 
have  been  generously  disposed  to  afford  him  a  support,  which  he,  in  a 
short  time,  no  less  generously  refused  to  accept. 

In  the  year  180;3  ho  arrived  in  England,  where  he  not  long  afterward 
married.  In  that  country  he  supported  himself  by  performmg  in  jiublio 
feats  of  prodigious  strength,  and  by  scientific  exhibitions ;  still,  with  a 
manly  independence,  preferring  the  gaining  of  a  precarious  subsistence 
by  these  means  to  the  idea  of  draining  the  slender  resources  of  his  fam- 
ily, or  of  resorting  to  those  more  easy  but  less  reputable  sources  of 
gain  which  too  frequently  employ  the  talents  of  foreigners  in  England. 
Having  remained  nine  years  in  Groat  Britain,  Bekoni  conceived  the 
desire  of  visiting  the  south  of  Europe ;  and,  taking  his  wife  along  with 
him,  traveled  through  l»ortugal,  Spain,  and  Malta.  It  seems  to  have 
been  during  this  part  of  his  travels  that  he  learned,  from  what  ho  con- 
sidered unexceptionable  authority,  that  his  scientific  knowledge  might 
be  turned  to  good  account  in  Egypt,  where  an  hydrauUc  machine  would 


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230 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF    BELZONI. 


bo  of  the  greatest  utility  in  irrigating  the  fieltls,  which  iit'od  water  only 
to  make  them  produce  at  any  season  of  the  year, 

lie  accordingly  took  his  passage  on  board  of  a  ship  bound  for  Egypt, 
and  arrived  in  the  harbor  of  Alexandria  on  the  9th  of  Juno,  1815.  The 
plague,  he  learned,  was  then  prevailing  in  the  city,  but  gradually  de- 
creasing in  malignity.  St.  John's  day,  the  24th  of  Juno,  was  likewise 
at  hand,  on  which  it  usually  ceases  entirely,  through  the  intorforonce, 
as  the  vulgar  believe,  of  the  sauit,  but  in  reality  from  the  intense  heat 
of  the  sun,  which  has  by  that  time  exhaled  the  miasmata  which  are  the 
immediate  cause  of  the  plague.  Bolzoni,  Avho  was  accompanied  by  his 
wife  and  a  young  Irish  lad,  named  Curtain,  landed,  notwithstandhig  the 
disease  ;  and  having  remained  secluded  in  the  caravanserai,  mitil  after 
the  24th,  set  oft'  for  Cairo.  On  reaching  that  city,  where  he  meant  to 
make  an  oftor  of  his  services  to  the  pasha,  to  whose  prmcipal  interpreter 
lie  brought  letters  of  recommendation,  he  obtained  lodgings  in  an  old 
house  of  vast  size  and  ruinous  condition.  Though  antiquities,  as  he  ob- 
serves, were  not  at  that  time  his  object,  he  could  not  refrain  from  visit- 
ing the  Pyramids.  He  accord -ngly  accompanied  an  English  gentleman 
to  the  spot,  where  they  passed  the  night,  and  long  before  dawn  had 
ascended  the  suimnit  of  the  highest  pile,  to  behold  the  sun  rise  over  the 
land  of  Egypt. 

"  The  scene  here,"  says  he,  "  is  majestic  and  grand,  far  beyond  de- 
scription :  a  mist  over  the  plains  of  Egypt  formed  a  vail,  which  ascended 
and  vanished  gradually  as  the  sun  rose,  and  imvailod  to  the  view  that 
beautiful  land,  once  the  site  of  Memphis.  The  distant  view  of  the 
smaller  pyramids  on  the  south  marked  the  extension  of  that  vast  capital, 
while  the  solemn  endless  spectacle  of  the  desert  on  the  west  inspired  us 
with  reverence  for  the  all-powerful  Creator.  The  fertUe  lands  on  the 
north,  with  the  serpentine  course  of  the  Nile,  descending  toward  the  sea  ; 
the  rich  appearance  of  Cairo  and  its  minarets,  at  the  foot  of  the  Mokat- 
tam  mountain,  on  the  cast ;  tlie  beautiful  plam  which  extends  from  the 
Pyramids  to  that  city  ;  the  Nile,  which  flows  magniticently  through  the 
center  of  the  Saci'od  Valley ;  and  the  thick  groves  of  palm-trees  under 
our  eyes,  altogether  fonned  a  scene  of  which  a  very  imperfect  idea  can 
be  given  by  the  most  elaborate  description." 

A  few  days  after  his  return  to  Cairo  he  was  to  have  been  presented 
to  the  pasha,  but  on  the  way  to  the  citadel  was  attacked  and  wounded 
l>y  a  Turkish  soldier  in  such  a  maimer  that  he  was  compelled  to  defer 
his  presentation  for  thirty  days.  Mohammed  Ali  had  not  at  that  time 
properly  established  liis  power;  fx)r,  when  informed  of  the  mjury  wliich 
had  been  inflicted  on  his  guest,  lie  only  observed  that  such  accidents 
were  not  to  be  ])rovcnted  in  cities  fllled  with  troops.  This  point  was 
very  soon  made  still  clearer.  In  a  Caw  days  the  soldiers  burst  out  into 
open  rebellion,  })illaged  the  inhabitants,  committed  every  description  of 
atrocity,  and  j)ursued  liis  highness  himself  into  his  castle,  where  they 
for  some  timo  held  him  besieged.     When  this  storm  had  blown  over, 


REMOVAL  OF  THE  HEAD  OF  MEMNON. 


231 


Bolzoni,  Avhose  hydraulic  project  -was  highly  approved  of  by  the  pasha, 
commenced  the  construction  of  his  machine  iu  the  gardens  of  the  latter, 
at  Shoobra,  three  miles  from  Cairo.  As  ^Mohammed  Ali  was  not  bigot- 
edly  attached  to  oriental  fashions,  he  freely  permitted  Belzoni  to  be 
witness  of  his  amusements,  which  he  was  sometimes  even  called  upon 
to  multiply.  Durhig  his  stay  at  Shoobra,  business  frequently  required 
his  ])resence  at  Cairo,  where,  on  one  occasion,  he  narrowly  escaped 
being  shot  by  a  Turkish  soldier.  The  ruffian  having  struck  him  in  the 
street,  he  returned  the  blow ;  upon  wdiich  the  Turk  drew  liLs  pistol, 
tired  at  him,  singed  his  hair,  and  killed  one  of  his  own  comrades  who 
happened  to  be  standing  behind  the  traveler.  The  man  was  next  day 
apprehended  by  the  pasha,  and  never  more  heard  of.  When  the  hy- 
draulic machine  Avas  completed,  its  power  Avas  made  trial  of  in  the  pres- 
ence of  Mohammed  Ali,  who,  perceiving  that  as  an  innovation  it  was 
regarded  viiih.  extraordinary  dislike  by  the  Turkish  and  Arabic  cultiva- 
tors, abandoned  the  project  altogether,  w-ithout  even  remunerating  the 
traveler  for  the  loss  of  time  and  money  which  he  had  incurred. 

Xotwithstanding  these  circumstances,  Belzoni  found,  upon  calcula- 
tion, that  his  iinances  would  still  enable  him  to  ascend  the  Nile  as 
iiir  as  Assouan  ;  and  was  about  to  proceed  up  the  country  when  Burck- 
hardt  and  Mr.  Salt,  who  had  ])reviously  discussed  the  pohit  together, 
determined  u})on  the  removal  of  the  colossal  head  of  young  Menmon  to 
England,  for  the  ])urpose  of  being  jn-esented  to  the  British  Museum ; 
and  requested  Belzoni,  as  one  of  the  littest  persons  that  could  be  found, 
to  undertake  the  task.  The  expenses  Burckhardt  and  Mr.  Salt  were  to 
defray  between  them.  A  report  was,  it  seems,  circulated  even  during 
the  lifetime  of  Belzoni,  and  previous  to  the  publication  of  his  travels, 
that  in  this  aft'air  he  was  merely  the  paid  agent  of  Mr.  Salt  (for,  as  a 
professed  Moluunmedan,  liurokhardt  did  not  choose  to  appear).  This, 
liowever,  was  clearly  not  the  case.  In  a  letter  addressed  to  the  African 
Association,  dated  Cairo,  February  20th,  1817,  Burckhardt  says,  "You 
Avill  be  pleased  to  hear  that  the  colossal  liead  from  Thebes  has  at  last, 
after  many  difficulties,  safely  arrived  at  Alexandria.  Mr.  Belzoni,  who 
ortlred  himself  to  undertake  this  commission,  has  executed  it  with  great 
si)irit,  intelligence,  and  perseverance.  The  head  is  waiting  now  at 
Alexandria  for  a  ])roper  conveyance  to  Malta.  Mr.  Salt  and  myself 
have  borne  the  expenses  jointly ;  and  the  troul)lo  of  the  imdertaking 
has  devolved  upon  Mr.  Belzoni,  whose  name  I  wish  to  be  mentioned,  if 
ever  ours  shall,  on  this  occasion,  because  he  was  actuated  by  public 
spirit  fully  as  much  as  ourselves." 

Few  things  are  more  interesting  in  themselves,  or  less  ca))tivating  in 
description,  than  a  search  after  anticjuities.  lielzoni,  after  visiting  Iler- 
montis  and  Dendera,  arrived  at  Thebes,  which,  from  the  tinu'  of  Strabo 
to  the  jn'csent  moment,  has  excited  the  wonder  and  admiration  of  every 
traveler  who  has  beheld  it.  "  It  is  absolutely  impossible,"  says  Belzoni, 
"to  inuigine  the  scene  disjdayed,  without  seehig  it.     The  most  sublime 


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282 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OP    BELZONI. 


ideas  that  can  bo  fonned  from  the  most  magnificont  spcchnens  of  our 
present  architecture  would  give  a  very  incorrect  picture  of  tliese  ruins ; 
for  sudi  is  the  difference,  not  only  in  magnitude,  but  in  form,  propor- 
tion, and  construction,  that  even  the  pencil  can  convey  but  a  faint  idea 
of  the  whole.  It  appeared  to  mo  like  entering  a  city  of  giants,  who, 
after  a  long  conflict,  were  all  destroyed,  leaving  the  ruuis  of  their  va- 
rious temples  as  the  only  proof  of  their  existence." 

After  a  brief  examination  of  these  mighty  ruins,  ho  crossed  to  the 
western  bank  of  the  Nile,  where,  amid  the  vast  remains  of  the  Mem- 
nonium,  was  the  colossal  head  which  he  was  to  remove.  lie  found  it, 
he  says,  near  the  rem-iins  of  its  body  and  chair,  with  its  face  upward, 
and  apparently  smih.g  on  him  at  the  thouglit  of  being  taken  to  En- 
gland, The  implements  which  he  had  brought  from  Cairo  were  suffi- 
ciently simple:  fourteen  poles,  eight  of  which  were  employed  in  making 
a  sort  of  car  to  lay  the  bust  on,  four  ropes  of  i)alm-leaves,  and  four  rol- 
lers, without  tackle  of  any  sort.  Their  boat  lying  too  far  to  be  used 
as  a  lodging  every  night,  they  established  themselves  in  the  IMemnon- 
ium,  where,  as  the  traveler  remarks,  they  were  handsomely  lodged  in  a 
small  hut  formed  of  stones.  Mrs.  Belzoni  seems,  in  fact,  to  have  been 
as  enterprising  and  romantic  as  her  husband,  and  made  no  difiiculty 
about  the  rudeness  of  their  accommodation.  It  is  not  necessaiy  to  give 
a  detailed  account  of  his  laborious  exertions,  or  those  of  the  Arabs  in 
conveying  the  head  to  the  Nile.  It  will  be  suflicient  to  state,  that  after 
incredible  toil  and  perseverance,  it  was  at  length  brought  to  the  edge 
of  the  stream  on  the  12th  of  August,  181G. 

This  object  being  effected,  he  made  an  excursion  to  the  sepulchral  ex- 
cavations in  the  mountahi  of  Goorneh,  celebrated  for  the  quantity  of 
mummies  which  they  contain.  Into  this  vast  labyrinth  ho  entered  Avith 
two  Arabs  and  his  interpreter.  They  were  in  search  of  a  sarcophagus 
which  was  said  to  have  been  discovered  by  Drovetti,  the  French  Con- 
sul at  Alexandria ;  but,  in  roaming  about  amid  the  dreary  passages,  lost 
their  way,  which,  without  extraordinary  good  fortune,  might  have  been 
the  first  step  to  losing  their  lives.  In  laboring  to  find  a  passage  out, 
they  came  to  a  small  aperture,  through  which  the  interpreter  and  one  of 
the  Arabs  passed  easily,  but  Belzoni,  who  was  a  very  large  man,  found 
it  too  small.  "  One  of  the  Arabs,  however,  succeeded,  as  did  my  inter- 
])rcter;  and  it  was  then  agreed,"  says  he,  "that  I  and  the  other  Arab 
should  wait  till  their  return.  They  proceeded  evidently  to  a  great  dis- 
tance, for  the  light  disappeared,  and  only  a  murmuring  sound  from  their 
voices  could  be  distinguished  as  they  went  on.  After  a  few  moments  I 
heard  a  loud  noise,  and  the  interpreter  distinctly  crying,  '  O  mon  Dieu ! 
0  mon  Dieu  !  je  suis  perdu !'  after  which  a  profound  silence  ensued.  I 
asked  my  Arab  wliether  he  had  ever  been  in  that  place.  He  replied, 
'  Never.'  I  could  not  conceive  Avhat  could  have  happened,  and  thought 
the  best  ])lun  was  to  return  to  prociu-e  help  from  the  oilier  Arabs.  Ac- 
cordingly, I  told  my  man  to  show  me  the  way  out  aguhi ;  but,  staring 


>! 


.   i.    .1 

.      .1       V 


JOURNEY    INTO   NUBIA. 


233 


at  mo  like  an  idiot,  he  said  ho  did  not  know  the  road.  I  called  re- 
peatedly to  the  interpreter,  but  received  no  answer.  I  Avatched  a  long 
time,  but  no  one  returneil,  and  my  situation  was  no  very  pleasant 
one." 

At  length,  hoAvcver,  by  dint  of  laborious  perseverance,  they  issued 
into  the  upper  air ;  and  as  the  sarcophagus,  whi>  \  tuey  had  discovered, 
could  not  at  that  moment  be  removed,  Belzoni  conceived  the  design  of 
making  a  small  excursion  into  Nubia.  Accordingly,  he  proceeded  up 
the  river  to  Assouan,  where,  after  much  altercation,  he  procured  a  fresh 
boat  to  carry  him  to  the  second  cataract.  lie  admired,  in  passing,  the 
beautiful  island  of  Phila;,  rich  in  the  ruins  of  antiquity.  On  the  next  day 
several  natives,  armed  with  spears  and  shields  of  crocodile  skins,  came  in 
boats  to  attack  them  on  the  I'iver  ;  but  observing  tliem,  Mrs.  Belzoni  and 
all,  to  be  armed  with  pistols,  very  prudently  retired.  At  Derr,  the  capi- 
tal of  Lower  Nubia,  he  purchased,  with  a  small  lookmg-glass,  pemiission 
to  continue  his  voyage.  Previous  to  this,  many  of  the  people  of  the 
country  had  never  enjoyed  the  gratilication  of  contemplating  the  reflec- 
tion of  their  own  countenances.  On  arriving  at  Abou-Simbel,  he  saw, 
with  amazement,  the  great  rock-temple  noticetl  by  Burckhardt.  He  im- 
mediately conceived  the  design  of  clearing  away  the  sand  which  ob- 
structed the  entrance  into  tlie  temple,  and  made  the  proposal  to  the  vil- 
lagers, promising,  in  order  to  excite  them  to  the  task,  a  present  in 
money ;  but  soon  Ibimd  tliat  he  had  at  length  arrived  in  a  regit)n  where 
money  had  ceased  to  be  omnipotent.  The  people  stared  at  his  piasters 
as  they  would  have  stared  at  a  letter  hi  an  unknown  language,  and  in- 
quired who  would  give  them  any  thing  for  such  small  bits  of  metal  as 
those  ?  However,  he  by  degrees  succeeded  in  convincing  them  that 
money  possessed  over  civiUzed  men,  and  all  who  came  within  their  in- 
fluence, a  mysterious  jJOAver  which  they  could  not  resist.  This  seemed 
at  lirst  to  produce  a  good  efiect ;  but  the  love  of  money  once  excited, 
they  knew  not  where  to  stop ;  and  their  avarice,  which  he  had  reckoned 
his  best  ally,  soon  exhausted  his  means,  so  that  before  he  had  haU-com- 
pleted  his  undertaking  he  was  compelled  to  desist,  and  contuiue  his  voy- 
age up  the  Nile  to  the  second  cataract. 

Having  gratiried  his  curiosity  Avith  a  glance  at  these  celebrated  spots, 
Belzoni  returned  to  Assouan,  and  from  thence  proceeded  to  Thebes, 
where  lie  immediately  put  in  train  the  measures  necessary  for  conveying 
down  the  river  the  jMemnon's  head,  and  various  other  antiquities.  Tlio 
obstacles  which  were  thrown  in  his  Avay  by  the  obstinacy  of  the  natives, 
and  the  intrigues  of  Drovetti,  and  other  cctllectors  of  antiquities,  were 
numerous,  and  highly  disgraceful  to  their  originators.  Nevertheless,  on 
the  17th  of  November,  1810,  he  succeeded  in  jdacing  the  head  on  board  of 
a  boat,  in  which  he  set  sail  on  the  21st  for  Cairo,  where  he  arrived  on 
the  loth  of  December,  after  a  voyage  of  twenty-four  days. 

From  Cairo,  Belzoni  proceeded  with  the  bust  down  the  Nile  to  Ito- 
setta  and  ^Mexandria ;  from  whence,  after  having  placed  his  charge  in 


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234 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF    BELZONI. 


the  pasha's  warehouses,  he  quickly  returned,  for  tlic  purpose  of  proceed- 
ing on  u  second  voyage  up  the  Nile,  It  was  on  this  occasion  tliat  he  had 
tlic  good  fortune  to  become  knowii  to  Mr.  Briggs,  with  Avhoni  he  re- 
turned to  Cairo.  Captain  Caviglia  had  at  tliis  2)eriod  commenced  his  re- 
searches in  the  interior  of  the  tirst  ])yramid  of  Ghizoh,  but  was  about  to 
discontume  them  for  lack  of  means,  when  Mr.  Briggs  munificently  en- 
gaged to  furnish  funds  for  the  purpose,  in  which  he  Avas  seconded  by 
Mr.  Salt.  It  was  projwsed  by  tiiis  latter  gentleman  that  Belzoni  should 
join  Captain  Caviglia  m  his  researches  ;  but  the  traveler,  with  commenda- 
ble ambition,  preferred  some  undertaking  in  which  all  the  credit  should 
redound  to  himself;  and,  havuig  left  his  Avife  at  the  house  of  a  fricmd  at 
Cairo,  he  once  more  ascended  the  Nile,  accom])anied  by  3Ir.  Beechoy, 
to  Avhom  he  had  been  introduced  at  iVlexandria. 

At  Eraramoun,  Belzoni  obtained  iiitelligonce  that  two  agents  of  M. 
Drovetti  were  hurrying  on  toward  Thebes,  in  the  hope  of  forestalling  him 
in  the  purchase  of  antiquities  ;  upon  whicih  he  hired  two  asses,  and,  leaving 
Mr.  lieechey  to  come  up  slowly  with  the  bosit,  hurried  oif  by  night.  On 
reaching  the  ruins,  after  an  incredibly  fatiguing  journey  of  five  days,  he 
found  that,  although  the  agents  were  not  arrixed,  Mr.  Salt's  neglect,  in 
not  i)aving  the  way  with  a  handsome  })resent,  had  so  comjjletely  irritated 
the  bey,  that  he  had  appropriated  to  M.  Drovetti  the  very  ground  upon 
Avhich  Belzoni  had  commenced  his  excavations  during  his  first  journey. 
Into  the  details  of  these  quarrels,  which  continued  to  rage  during  Bel- 
zoni's  residence  in  Egypt,  it  is  not  necessary  to  enter. 

The  most  interesting  transaction,  perhaps,  in  Avhich  Belzoni  was  any- 
where engaged,  Avas  his  visit  to  the  Necropolis  of  Thebes,  in  the  mount- 
ain of  (ioorneh.  This  is  a  tract  of  about  two  miles  in  length,  at  the 
foot  of  the  Libyan  ridge.  Every  part  of  those  rocks  is  scooped  out  into 
a  sepulcher,  Avhich,  hoAvever  close  it  may  be  to  other  sepulchral  cham- 
bers, has  rarely  any  interior  communication  Avith  them.  It  is  impossible, 
as  Belzoni  observes,  to  convey  by  description  an  adequate  idea  of  these 
subterraneous  abodes  and  their  hihabitants.  No  other  sepulchers  in  the 
Avorld  resemble  them.  There  are  no  excavations  or  mines  that  can  be 
compared  with  those  astonishing  places,  Avhich,  Avhen  once  seen,  forever 
after  haunt  the  imagination,  like  a  glinqise  of  the  regions  beyond  the 
grave.  Fcav  traA'elers  see  more  of  these  catacombs  than  the  exterior 
chambers,  from  Avhich  the  dead  have  been  removed.  In  the  interior 
sepulchers  the  air  is  suftbcating,  and  frequently  causes  flihiting.  The 
dust  of  decayed  mummies,  AA'hich  is  so  fine  that  it  quickly  penetrates  in 
vast  quantities  to  the  lunj^r;,  and  causes  a  difficulty  of  respiration ;  the 
strong  cfHuvia  of  decomposed  bodies  ;  the  dark,  dismal,  lonesome  aspect 
of  the  place  ; — every  thing  tends  to  discourage  the  intruder.  Belzoni 
Avas  not,  hoAvever,  to  be  deterred.  In  describuig  the  difficulties  Avhich 
he  here  encountered,  he  observes,  "  In  some  places  there  is  not  more 
than  the  vacancy  of  a  foot  left,  Avhich  you  must  contrive  to  pass  through 
in  a  crcepuig  posture,  like  a  snail,  on  pohited  and  keen  stones  that  cut 


1.4M  \. 


RESEARCHES    IN    THE    TOMBS, 


235 


like  glass.  After  getting  tlu-ougli  those  passages,  some  of  tliem  two  or 
throe  hundred  yards  long,  you  generally  find  a  moro  commodious  place, 
perhaps  high  enough  to  sit.  But  what  a  place  of  rest !  surrounded  by 
bodies,  by  heaps  of  mummies,  in  all  directions,  which,  previous  to  my 
behig  accustomed  to  the  sight,  impressed  me  with  hoiTor.  The  black- 
ness of  the  wall ;  tlu;  fuhit  light  given  by  the  candles  or  torches  for  want 
of  air;  the  dillercnt  objects  that  wore  around  me  seeming  to  converse 
with  each  other ;  and  the  Arabs  with  the  candles  or  torches  hi  their 
hands,  naked  and  covered  with  dust,  themselves  resembling  livmg  mum- 
mies— absolutely  formed  a  scene  that  can  not  bo  described.  In  such  a 
situation  I  f(jund  mvself  several  times,  aiul  often  returned  exhausted 
and  faintuig,  tiU  at  last  I  becanuj  inui-ed  to  it,  and  indiiVerent  to  what  I 
suftered  exce])t  from  the  dust,  which  never  failed  to  choke  my  throat 
and  nose  ;  and  though  fortunately  I  am  destitute  of  the  sense  of  smell- 
ing, I  c(Mild  taste  that  the  mummies  were  rather  unpleasant  to  swallow. 
After  the  exertion  of  entering  into  such  a  place,  through  a  passage  of 
fifty,  a  hundred,  three  hundred,  or  perhaps  six  hundred  yards,  nearly 
overcome,  I  sought  a  resting-place,  found  one,  and  contrived  to  sit ;  but 
when  my  weight  bore  on  the  l)ody  of  an  Egyptiaii,  it  crushed  it  like  a 
bandbox.  I  naturally  had  recourse  to  my  hands  to  sustain  my  weight, 
but  they  found  no  better  support ;  so  that  I  sank  altogether  among  the 
broken  nnnmnies,  with  a  crash  of  bones,  rags,  and  wooden  cases,  which 
raised  such  a  dust  as  kept  me  motionless  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  wait- 
ing till  it  subsided  again.  I  could  not  move  from  the  i)lace,  however, 
without  increasing  it,  and  every  stop  I  took  crushed  a  mummy  in  some 
part  or  other.  Once  I  was  conducted  from  such  a  place  to  another  re- 
sembling it,  through  a  i)assagc  of  about  twenty  feet  in  length,  and  no 
wider  than  that  the  body  could  be  forced  through.  It  was  choked  with 
mununies,  and  I  could  not  pass  without  putting  my  face  in  contact  ^ith 
that  of  some  decayed  Egy2)tian  ;  but  as  the  passage  inclined  do'miward, 
my  own  weight  helped  me  on.  However,  I  could  not  help  being  cov- 
ered Avith  bones,  legs,  arms  and  heads,  rolhng  from  above.  Thus  I  pro- 
ceeded from  one  cave  to  another,  all  full  of  mummies,  piled  up  in  various 
ways,  some  standing,  some  lyhig,  and  some  on  their  heads.  The  pur- 
pose of  my  researches  was  to  rob  the  Egyptians  of  their  papyri,  of  which 
I  found  a  few  hidden  in  their  breasts,  under  their  arras,  and  hi  the  space 
above  'he  knees,  or  on  the  legs,  and  covered  by  the  numerous  folds  of 
cloth  that  envelop  the  mummy." 

Belzoni  continued  inde+atigably  making  new  researches  both  at 
Goorneh  and  Karnak,  but  was  at  length  put  to  llight  by  the  machina- 
tions of  the  French,  who  had  succeeded  in  gauiing  over  to  their  party 
the  boy  of  the  ])iovince.  lie  then  resolved  once  more  to  ascend  the 
Nile  to  Ab(ju-Simbel,  and  was  fiirtunate  enough  to  meet  with  two  En- 
glish travelers,  Captains  Irby  and  ]\rangles,  \\ho  W(!re  desirous  of  per- 
forming the  same  voyage.  They  hired  a  boat  between  them  at  Philro, 
and  setting  out  together  in  high  spirits,  visited  the  second  cataract,  and 


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286 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OF   BELZONI. 


then  returned  to  Abou-Sirabcl.  Here  the  wrong-headedness  and  quar- 
relsome disposition  of  the  Nubians  considerably  obstructed  their  labors 
in  clearing  away  the  entrance  to  the  temple.  But  at  length,  having  dis- 
missed the  native  laborers,  and  undertaken  the  task  themselves,  they 
succeeded,  and  enjoyed  the  satisfaction  of  beholding  one  of  the  most 
perfect  and  beautilul  rock-temples  in  the  world.* 

*  "  About  two  hours  after  midnight,  I  wa.s  awakened  from  a  deep  sleep  by  the  shock 
of  the  boat  striking  tlie  shore.  I  opened  my  eyes  and  saw,  as  I  lay,  without  moving  my 
lioad,  a  huge  wall  of  rock  beforo  me,  against  which  six  enormous  statues  leaned  as  they 
looked  from  deep  niches  cut  in  its  front.  Their  solemn  faces  were  touched  by  the  moon, 
wliich  shone  full  on  the  cliff,  and  only  their  feet  were  wrapped  in  shadow.  The  lines  of 
deep-cut  hieroglyphics  over  the  portal  of  this  rocky  temple  were  also  filled  with  shadow 
and  painted  legibly  on  the  gray,  moonlit  rock.  Below  them  yawned  the  door — a  square 
of  complete  darkness.  A  little  to  the  left,  over  a  long  drift  of  sand  that  sloped  from  tho 
summit  of  tlic  cUff  nearly  to  the  water's  edge,  peered  the  mitered  head  of  a  statue  of  still 
more  colossal  proportions.  I  gazed  on  this  broad,  dim,  and  wonderful  picture  for  a  mo- 
ment, so  awed  by  its  majesty  that  I  did  not  ask  myself  whore  or  what  it  was.  This  is 
some  grand  Egyptian  dream,  was  my  first  thought,  and  1  closed  my  eyes  for  a  few  sec- 
onds, to  see  whether  it  would  vanish.  But  it  stood  fast  and  silent  as  ever,  and  I  knew  it 
to  bo  Abou-Sirabel.  My  servants  all  slept,  and  tho  rais  and  boys  noiselessly  moored  the 
boat  to  the  shore,  and  then  lay  down  and  slept  also.  Still  I  lay,  and  the  great  statues 
looked  solcmly  down  upon  me,  and  the  moon  painted  tlieir  kingly  nomens  and  banners 
witli  yet  darker  distinctness  on  the  gray  rock.  The  river  made  no  sound  below,  tho  long 
grass  stirred  not  a  blade  at  tho  foot  of  the  crags,  and  the  slopes  of  sand  were  white  and 
dumb  as  snow.  I  lay  in  too  deep  a  repose  for  thought,  and  was  not  then  conscious  how 
grateful  was  such  a  silence  in  Nature,  while  tho  moon  held  up  that  picture  beforo  me.  It 
might  have  been  two  minutes  or  twenty,  beforo  the  current  slowly  swung  tho  stern  of 
the  boat  around,  and  the  picture  as  slowly  shifted  from  ray  view,  leaving  instead  tho 
Southern  Cross  in  its  shrine  of  stars. 

'•  The  front  of  tho  great  temple  is  not  parallel  to  that  of  tho  other,  nor  does  it  face  the 
river,  which  here  flows  in  a  north-cast  course.  Tho  line  of  the  cliDT  is  broken  between  tho 
two,  so  that  the  figures  of  the  great  Remescs,  seated  on  each  side  of  the  door,  look  to  the 
east,  the  direction  of  the  line  of  tho  face  being  nearly  north.  Through  the  gap  in  front, 
tho  sands  have  poured  down  from  the  Desert  behind,  almost  wholly  filling  up  tho  space 
between  the  two  cliffs;  and  though  since  the  temple  was  first  opened,  by  Belzoni,  in 
1817,  it  has  been  cleared  nearly  to  tho  base  moro  than  once,  the  rapid  accumulation  of 
sand  has  again  almost  closed  tho  entrance.  The  southern  colossus  is  only  buried  about 
half  way  to  tho  knee,  but  of  tho  two  northern  ones  there  is  little  else  to  bo  seen  except 
the  heads.  Obscured  aa  is  the  effect  of  this  grand  front,  it  is  still  without  parallel  in  the 
■world.  I  had  not  thought  it  possible  that  in  statues  of  such  enormous  magnitude  there 
could  be  such  singular  beauty  of  expression.  Tho  foce  of  Remeses,  the  same  in  each,  is 
undoubtedly  a  portrait,  as  it  resembles  the  faces  of  tho  statues  in  the  interior,  and  those 
of  the  King  in  other  places.  Besides,  there  is  an  individuality  in  some  of  tho  features 
which  is  too  marked  to  represent  any  general  type  of  the  Egyptian  head.  The  fullness 
of  the  drooping  eyelid,  which  yet  does  not  cover  the  large,  oblong  Egyptian  eye ;  tho 
nose,  at  first  slightly  inclining  to  the  aquiline,  but  curving  to  tho  round,  broad  nostrils; 
the  generous  breadth  of  the  calm  hpn,  and  tho  placid,  serene  expression  of  the  face,  are 
worthy  of  the  conqueror  of  Africa  and  the  builder  of  Karnak  and  Medeenet  Abou. 

"  The  great  doorway  of  the  temple  is  so  choked  up  with  sand  that  I  was  obliged  to 
creep  in  on  my  knees.  Tho  sun  by  this  time  had  risen  exactly  to  the  only  point  where  it 
can  illumine  the  interior,  and  tho  mys,  taking  a  more  yellow  hue  from  the  rock  and  sand 
on  which  they  fell,  shone  down  tho  long  drift  between  tho  double  row  of  colossal  statues, 


41 


'HI 


TUE   TEMPLE   OP   ABOU-SIMBAL. 


237 


Having  completed  this  laborious  operation,  Belzoni  returned  to  his 
old  station  at  Thebes,  where  he  continued  his  researches  m  the  valley 
of  the  Tomba  of  the  Kings.  Here,  among  other  remarkable  antiquities, 
ho  discovered  one  relic  of  the  ancient  world,  which  certainly  appears  to 
rank  among  the  most  beautiful  that  have  ever  been  exhumed.  "  It  is," 
says  he,  "  a  sarcophagus  of  the  finest  oriental  alabaster,  nine  feet  five 
inches  long,  and  three  feet  seven  inches  wide.  Its  thickness  ia  only  two 
inches,  and  it  is  transparent  Avhen  a  light  is  placed  inside  it.  It  is  mi- 
nutely sculptured  within  and  without  ■with  several  hundred  figures 
which  do  not  exceed  two  inches  in  lieight,  and  represent,  as  I  suppose, 
the  whole  of  the  funeral  procession  and  ceremonies  relatuig  to  the  de- 
ceased, united  with  several  emblems,  etc.     I  can  not  give  an  adequate 

and  lighted  up  tho  entrance  to  the  second  hall  of  the  temple.  I  sat  down  in  the  sand, 
awed  and  half  frightened  by  tho  singular  appearance  of  tho  place.  The  sunshine,  falling 
obliquely  on  tho  sands,  struck  a  dim  reflection  against  tlio  sculptured  roof,  and  even 
lighted  up  tho  furthest  recesses  of  tho  grand  hall  sufQciently  to  shov/  its  imposing  dimen- 
sions. Eight  square  pillars — four  on  either  side  of  tho  central  aisle — seem  to  uphold  tlio 
roof]  and  on  their  inner  sides,  facing  each  other,  are  eight  statutes  of  tho  king.  The  fea- 
tures of  all  aro  preserved,  and  have  something  of  tho  graco  and  serenity,  though  not  tho 
majesty  of  tho  great  statues  outside.  They  look  into  eacli  otlier's  eyes,  with  an  eternal 
question  on  their  fixed  countenances,  but  none  can  give  answer.  Thero  was  something 
so  stern  and  strange  in  these  eight  faces,  that  I  felt  a  shudder  of  fear  creep  over  mo.  Tho 
strong  arms  are  all  crossed  on  their  breasts,  and  tho  hand  hold  various  sacred  and  regal 
symbols,  conspicuous  among  which  is  something  resembling  a  flail,  which  one  sees  often 
in  Egyptian  sculpture.  I  thought  of  a  marvelous  story  I  once  read,  in  which  a  genie, 
armed  with  a  brazen  flaU,  stands  at  tho  entranco  of  an  enchanted  castle,  crushing  with  tho 
stroke  of  his  terrible  weapon  all  wlio  como  to  seek  tho  treasure  within.  For  a  moment 
tho  childish  faith  in  tho  supernatural  was  as  strong  as  ever,  and  I  looked  at  tlie  gloomy 
entranco  beyond,  wishing  to  enter,  but  fearing  tho  stony  flails  of  the  terrible  Remesi  on 
either  hand.  Tho  faces  were  once  partially  colored,  and  tho  black  eyo:ialI,  still  remaining 
on  the  blank  eye  of  stone,  gives  them  an  expression  of  stupor,  of  death-in-lifo,  which  ac- 
couQted  to  me  for  the  nervous  shock  I  experienced  on  entering. 

"  Thero  is  nothing  in  Egypt  whicli  can  bo  likened  to  tho  great  temple  of  Abou-Simbel. 
Kamak  is  grander,  but  its  grandeur  is  human.  This  belongs  rather  to  tho  superhuman 
fancies  of  the  East — tho  halls  of  tho  Afrites — or  to  the  realm  of  the  dethroned  Titans,  of 
e^rly  Greek  mythology.  This  impression  is  not  diminished,  on  passing  tho  second  hall 
and  corridor,  and  entering  the  adytum,  or  sacred  chamber  of  tho  temple.  Thero  tho  gran- 
ite altar  yet  stands  in  the  center,  before  tho  undestroyed  figures  of  tho  gods,  who,  seated 
side  by  side,  calmly  await  tho  offerings  of  their  worshipers.  Tho  peculiar  individuality 
of  each  deity  is  strikingly  shown  in  these  large  statues,  and  their  attitude  is  much  less 
constrained  than  in  tho  sitting  statues  in  tho  tombs  of  Thebes.  Tliose  look  as  if  they  could 
rise,  if  they  would.  Tho  walls  aro  covered  with  sculptures  of  them  and  of  thecontemplar 
deities,  in  tho  grand,  bold  stylo  of  tho  ago  of  Remeses.  Some  visitors  had  left  a  supply 
of  dry  palm  branches  near  tho  entrance,  and  of  those  I  mado  torches,  which  blazed  and 
crackled  fiercely,  flaring  with  a  rich  red  light  on  tho  sculptured  and  painted  walls.  Thero 
was  sufficient  to  enable  me  to  examine  all  tho  smaller  chambers,  of  which  thero  are  eight 
or  nine,  cut  laterally  into  the  rock,  without  any  attempt  at  symmetry  of  form,  or  regularity 
of  arrangement.  Several  of  them  have  seats  running  around  three  siiles,  exactly  like  tho 
divans  in  modern  Egyptian  houses.  They  were  probably  designed  for  the  apartments  of 
priests  or  servants  connected  with  the  temple." — Bayard  Taylor's  "  Journey  to  Cenirai 
Africa,'^ 


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238 


LIFE    AND    TRAVELS    OP    BELZONI. 


idoa  of  this  beautiful  and  invaluable  piece  of  antiquity,  and  can  only  say, 
that  nothing  has  been  brought  into  Euroi)o  from  Kgypt  tliat  can  bo  com- 
pared to  it.  The  cover  was  not  there ;  it  had  been  taken  out  and 
broken  into  several  pieces," 

Of  the  tomb  in  which  this  extraordinary  monument  was  found  a 
irujdel  was  many  years  afterward  exhibited  in  London,  and  so  exceed- 
ingly well  executed  was  the  representation,  that  had  it  not  been  for  the 
crowds  of  visitors,  one  might  easily  have  imagined  one's  self  in  the  sep- 
iilchers  of  the  Egyptian  kings.  The  original  tomb  at  Thebes,  which 
was  first  opened  by  Belzoni,  bears  his  name  to  this  day.  It  had  been 
entered  and  i)lundered,  probably  during  the  Roman  occupation,  but 
again  closed  in  so  careful  a  manner,  that  it  had  remained  undiscovered 
for  nearly  two  thousand  years.  Belzoni  wanted  but  one  thing  to  ren- 
der liim  one  of  the  greatest  antiquarian  collectors  in  the  Avorld :  this  o!io 
thing  was  money.  From  the  lack  of  this,  many  of  his  most  arduous 
and  W(ll-]>lanned  enterprises  came  to  nothing. 

From  Thebes,  with  which  he  Avas  now  as  familiar  as  he  was  with 
London,  he  son\e  time  after  this  proceeded  to  Cairo,  lie  Jiad  by  tliis 
time  ac(pured  (piite  a  passion  for  excavations,  tomb-opening,  and  all  those 
otliei'  jiursuits  by  which  travelers  aim  at  diving  into  the  mysteries  of 
Egyptian  manners  and  arts ;  and  reflecting  upon  the  success  of  Cajitnin 
Caviglia  in  descending  into  the  Avell  of  L'le  (Ireat  I'yramid,  the  project 
of  attempting  the  opening  of  the  second  orcmTe<l  to  him.  There  is  nut 
space  to  describe  the  difliculties  which  he  encountered  ai'd  overcame  in 
the  execution  of  this  design.  Ilis  labors  were  incessant;  his  expenses 
considerable  ;  but,  at  length,  after  success  had  frecpiently  a])pearcd  hope- 
less, the  entrance  to  the  Ulterior  chambers  was  found.  "After  thirty 
days'  exertion,"  says  he,  "I  had  the  pleasure  of  llnding  myself  in  the 
way  to  the  central  chandu'r  of  one  of  the  two  great  pyramids  of  Egypt, 
which  have  long  been  the  adniiratitm  of  Ix-holders  !" 

This  object  having  been  hajipily  effected,  Belzoni  again  set  out  for 
Thebes,  lliere  he  M'as  made  acquainted  with  the  history  of  a  pretended 
discovery,  which  Itecame  a  nu»tive  for  a  journey  to  the  coast  of  the  Ked 
Sea.  The  history  of  this  expedition  is  given  in  a  vi'ry  few  Avonls  by  a 
writer  in  the  (Quarterly  Review.  "A  French  mineralogist,  of  the  name 
<)('  ("ailliaud,  had  accompanied  some  Arab  soldiers  sent  by  the  ]tasha  of 
Ilg-vjit  in  search  of  emeralds  aniong  the  mountains  between  the  Nile,'  and 
the  Bed  Sea.  On  their  return,  Calliaud  gave  out  that  in  this  expedition 
lie  had  discovered  the  ancient  city  of  the  Ptolemies,  the  celebrated  Ber- 
nice,  the  great  emporium  of  Europe  and  the  Indies,  of  which  lie  gave  a 
mngnilicent  di'script'tn.  ^Mr.  Uelzoni,  dotibtftil  of  the  accuracy  of  the 
story,  set  out  from  Kdfoo,  Avith  one  of  the  litrnier  party,  to  visit  tlio 
supposed  Bernice  ;  where,  instead  of  the  ruins  of  eight  liundred  houses 
and  thii'C  teinph's,  as  stated  by  31.  Calliaud,  he  could  find  no  more  than 
ciLrhty  se\  ell  scatten'il  houses,  ur  rather  cells;  the  greater  number  of 
which  did  not  exceed  (ta  J'nt  ^'jm/rt,  built  with  unhewn  stones,  and 


JOURNEY    TO   THE    OASIS. 


239 


witliont  cement ;  and  the  only  appoaranco  of  a  temple  was  a  niche  in  a 
rock,  without  inscription  or  sculpture  of  any  kind  ;  there  was  no  land 
for  cultivation,  nor  any  water  within  twenty-tour  miles;  no  communica- 
tion ^vith  the  sea  but  by  a  rough  road  over  the  mountains,  of  twenty- 
four  miles;  and  the  shore  was  so  covered  with  projecting  I'ocks  for 
twenty  or  thirty  miles  on  each  side,  that  there  was  no  security  even  for 
the  smallest  boats,  much  less  for  ships  trading  to  India.  These,  there- 
fore, he  was  quite  certain,  could  not  be  the  remains  of  Bernice. 

As,  however,  the  site  of  this  celebrated  city  had  been  fully  described 
by  the  ancient  writers,  Mr.  Belzoni  determined  to  prosecute  his  researcli- 
es ;  and  at  the  end  of  twenty  days  he  discovered,  close  to  the  shore,  the 
extensive  ruins  of  an  ancient  city  near  the  Cape  Lepte  Extrema,  the  Kas 
el  Anf  (Cape  Nose)  of  the  present  day ;  the  j)rojection  of  Avhich  forms 
an  ample  bay  (now  named  Foul  Hay),  having  at  the  bottom  an  excel- 
lent harbor  for  vessels  of  small  burden.  These  ruins,  which  are  beyond 
dispute  those  of  the  celebrated  emporium  founded  by  Ptolemy  Phila- 
delphus,  were  four  days'  journey  from  the  rude  cells  of  the  quarrymeu 
or  miners,  which  Mr.  Cailliaud  is  stated  to  have  so  strangely  mistaken 
for  the  magnificent  vestiges  of  the  anci-'nt  Bernice.  Several  wells  of 
bitter  water  were  found  among  the  ruins  ;  and  between  them  and  the 
mountains  was  an  extensive  ]>lain  tit  for  cultivation.  The  remains  of 
more  than  three  thousand  houses  were  counted,  about  the  center  of 
which  were  thosu  of  a  temple  \vith  sculptured  figui'cs  and  hieroglyph- 
ics." 

Having  made  this  discovery,  be  again  returned  to  the  valley  of  the 
Kile,  where  he  was  for  some  time  occupied  in  the  removal  of  various 
anticjuities.  lie  then  descended  to  the  swi-coast,  and  on  the  20th  of 
April,  1819,  pet  out  from  IJosctta,  on  an  excursion  to  the  district  of 
Fayoum,  and  the  Oasis  of  Jupiter  Amnion.  Al\er  I'oasning  about  the 
shores  of  Liike  Mteris  for  some  time,  for  he  had  no  leisiu'c  for  making 
researches,  he  visited  the  ruins  of  Areoude,  consisting  of  a  lew  granite 
e(>lunnis,  and  fragments,  and  moumls  oi'  burneil  briek'<.  lie  tlu'U  pre- 
pared to  cross  the  desert  to  the  Oasis,  which  was  an  a*Vair  of  some  dilH- 
culty.  Nevertheless,  he  at  length  succeeded  in  coinpleiin  r  lii'^  prepma- 
tioiis,  and  connnenceil  his  joiuney,  aeeoinpanied  by  ;>  >iedouiii  guiile, 
and  three  or  four  other  jtersons.  Even  here,  in  the  desert,  ruins  of 
Egyptian  edifices,  beautifully  sculptured  with  hieroglyphics,  were  lliuml. 
The  sci'ue  at  first  lay  among  low  rocks,  sandy  hills,  and  barri'ii  valleys, 
\vliich  were  gradually  exchanged  for  a  i)lain  of  sand,  as  level  as  the  sen, 
and  thickly  strewed  with  brown  ami  black  pebbles.  They  continui-d 
during  five  days  their  journey  over  this  dreary  waste,  at  the  end  of 
•which  time  they  percelve(l  tlie  rocks  of  th,'  Oasis,  and  beheld  two  crows 
coming,  as  it  were,  to  nuct  them.  In  the  afternoon  they  entere(l  the 
valley,  which  is  surroumled  by  high  rocks,  ami  forms  in  the  midst  a 
spacious  plain,  about  twelve  or  fourteen  miles  long,  niid  about  six  in 
breailtli,     "There  is  only  a  very  small  portion  of  the  valley  eultivated 


!  I 


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240 


LIFE   AND   TRAVELS   OF   BELZONI. 


on  the  opposite  side  to  that  which  we  reached,  and  it  can  only  be  dis- 
tinguished by  the  woods  of  palm-trees  which  cover  it.  The  rest  of  the 
valley  is  wholly  covered  with  tracts  of  sand,  but  it  is  evident  it  has  once 
been  cultivated  everywhere.  Many  tracts  of  land  are  of  a  clayey  sub- 
stance, which  could  be  brought  into  use  even  now.  There  are  several 
small  hills  scattered  about,  some  with  a  natural  spring  at  the  top,  and 
covered  with  rushes  and  small  plants.  We  advanced  toward  a  forest 
of  date-trees,  and  before  evening  we  reached  within  a  mile  of  a  village 
named  Zaboo,  all  of  us  exceedingly  thirsty :  here  we  observed  some 
cultivation,  several  beds  of  rice  and  some  sunt-trees,  etc.  Before  the 
camels  arrived,  they  scented  the  water  at  a  distance ;  and  as  they  had 
not  drank  since  they  left  Rejan,  they  set  off  at  full  gallop,  and  did  not 
stop  till  they  reached  a  rivulet,  which  was  quite  sweet,  although  the  soil 
was  almost  impregnated  with  salt.  I  observed  here  a  great  many  wild 
birds,  particularly  wUd  ducks,  in  greater  abundance  than  any  other." 

The  first  man  who  perceived  them  after  their  entrance  into  the  val- 
ley evinced  a  disposition  to  shoot  Belzoni ;  but,  upon  the  explanation  of 
the  Bedouin  guide,  consented  to  conduct  them  to  the  villftge.  "We 
advanced,"  says  the  traveler,  "  and  entered  a  iane  ;  and  as  we  penetrated 
further,  we  entered  a  most  beautiful  place,  full  of  dates,  intermixed  with 
other  trees,  some  in  blossom  and  others  in  fruit ;  there  were  apricots, 
figs,  almonds,  plums,  and  some  grapes.  The  apricots  were  in  greater 
abundance  than  the  rest,  and  the  figs  were  very  fine.  The  soil  was 
covered  with  verdure  of  grass  and  rice,  and  the  whole  formed  a  most 
pleasing  recess,  particularly  after  the  barren  scenes  of  the  desert." 

His  reception  at  this  village  was  equivocal:  there  being  several 
fihekhs,  each  of  whom  made  pretensions  to  authority.  Some  were  dis- 
posed to  treat  him  kindly,  while  others,  more  morose,  kept  at  a  dis- 
tance ;  but  a  few  cups  of  coffee,  judiciously  distributed,  and  followed  by  a 
sheep  boiled  in  rice,  reconciled  the  whole ;  although  they  next  morninr, 
when  I  hey  were  again  hungry,  relapsed  into  their  former  rude  manners. 
Like  all  other  ignorant  people,  they  supposed  that  he  must  necessarily 
be  in  search  of  treasure,  and  for  some  time  refused  to  conduct  him  to 
the  ruins  of  which  he  was  in  search;  but  upon  being  assured  that 
whatever  treasures  might  be  discovered  should  flill  to  their  share,  while 
.ill  he  stipulated  for  were  a  few  f  tones,  they  consented  to  accompany 
him.  The  rums,  which  he  sui^jioscd  to  be  those  of  the  temple  of 
Jupiter  Ainmon,  now  served,  he  found,  as  a  basement  for  nearly  a 
whole  village,  in  the  vicinity  of  which  he  discovered,  as  he  thought,  the 
famous  "Fountain  of  the  Sun,"  which  is  warm  at  inidiiight  and  cold  at 
tiuon.'"    This  is  a  well  of  sixty  feet  deep  by  eight  sipiare,  which,  over- 

*  III  l)()tli  tlioso  Rupiiositidhi,  'Relznni  was  mistaken.  The  Oiumh  whii'li  lio  visited  wi\H 
not  tint  of  Jiiiiitcr  Aiiiinoii,  now  known  under  tho  niinio  of  Siuidi,  Imt  was  in  reality 
I  lie  Onsii  Pari'a.  or  Little  Oaain,  callcil  by  tho  Arab-t  tho  Wah  El-lhihrycJi  (Northern 
Oasis)  The  Tcrnplc  of  .rnpitcr  .\ininnn,  and  till'  Ftiiuiliiiii  of  the  Sun.  are  to  lie  found 
iu  tho  Oasis  SiwJih,  which  ia  Kevcn  or  eijUt  diiysjouruey  north-west  of  the  latter. 


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HIS     DEATH. 


241 


flowing  in  a  considerable  rivulet,  serves  to  irrigate  some  cultivated 
lands.  All  around  it  is  a  grove  of  palm  and  other  trees.  The  temper- 
ature of  the  water,  however,  continues  at  all  times  the  same  ;  all  its  ap- 
parent changes  being  accounted  for  by  the  greater  or  less  degree  of  heat 
in  the  atmosphere. 

From  this  excursion  Belzoni  returned  to  Egypt,  from  whence  he  em- 
harked  for  Europe  about  the  middle  of  September,  1819.  After  an 
absence  of  twenty  years  he  visited  his  family  in  Italy,  whence  he  de- 
parted for  England,  where  he  comj)leted  and  published  his  travels.  A 
few  years  afterward  this  enterprising  and  able  traveler  fell  in  an  attempt 
to  penetrate  into  the  interior  of  AfHca. 

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C  A  I  L  L  I  A  U  D'S 


JOURNEY     TO     THE 


B 


N     OASES, 


ETHIOPIA,    AND    SEN.>AAR, 


FuEUEiuc  Cailliaud,  the  first  modt?i'n  traveler  who  made  a  com- 
plete exploration  of  the  nuns  of  Ethiopia,  was  a  native  of  Nantes.  His 
taste  for  archaeology  and  for  the  natural  sciences  led  him  to  travel,  and 
on  visiting  Egypt  he  found  so  much  to  interest  and  fascinate  him,  that 
ho  remained  four  years.  Early  in  1816  he  ascended  the  Nile  as  far  as 
Wady  Haifa,  at  the  second  cataract,  followhig  in  the  steps  of  Burck- 
hardt,  and  preceding  Belzoni  by  a  few  months.  He  also  visited  the 
Great  Oasis  m  the  Libyan  Desert,  west  of  Thebes,  and  crossed  from 
the  Nile  to  the  Red  8oa,  where  he  discovenxl  ruins  which  he  sup- 
posed to  be  those  of  Berenice — a  mistake  afterward  corrected  l)y 
Belzoni. 

Returning  to  France  in  February,  1810,  after  an  absence  of  nhie 
years,  Cailliaud  immediately  applied  to  the  F'rench  government,  to  bo 
ugam  dispatched  to  Egypt  for  the  purpose  of  making  more  extensive 
explorations.  His  application  was  warmly  seconded  by  the  French 
Institute,  and  in  two  months  he  received  the  appointment,  and  his 
instructions  from  the  Minister  of  the  Interior.  After  passing  a  month 
with  his  parents  at  Nantes,  he  set  out  for  Marseilles,  accompanied  by 
M.  Letorzec,  a  cadet  of  the  French  navy,  who  desired  to  accompany 
luni.  Embarking  on  the  10th  of  September,  he  landed  at  Alexandria 
on  the  1st  of  October,  after  a  very  stormy  passage.  His  plan  was, 
first  to  penetrate  to  the  Oasis  of  Siwah,  or  Jupiter  Annnon,  in  the  Lib- 
yan Desert,  a  spot  which  few  travelers  had  ever  reached,  and  which 
none  had  ever  thoroughly  explored.  The  failure  of  a  recent  attempt 
did  not  discoiu'aixe  him  :  he  ]>ro('eeded  to  Cairo,  and  after  visiting  some 
new  nnnnmy  pits  which  had  lu'cn  opened  at  Sakkara,  made  his  prepara- 
tions and  set  out  on  the  1st  of  November,  accompanied  by  Letorzec, 
and  Ismail,  a  French  Mameluke. 

Ascending  the  Nile  to  Benisouef  Cailliaud  proceeded  to  the  district 


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2-16 


CAILLIAUD'S    JOURNEY    TO    ETHIOPIA. 


of  the  Fyoom,  lying  a  day's  journey  to  the  west,  and  was  so  fortunate 
as  to  find  the  governor,  who  had  just  returned  from  a  successful  foray 
among  some  rebellious  desert  tribes.  The  latter  sent  for  an  Arab  chief 
named  Koroom,  and  an  inhabitant  of  Siwah,  named  Youssef,  who  hap- 
pened to  be  in  the  Fyoom,  and  requested  them  to  conduct  Cailliaud  to 
tlie  Oasis,  They  made  serious  objections  to  the  plan,  but  finally  yielded, 
on  condition  that  the  travelers  would  neither  write  nor  draw,  dotho 
themselves  as  Egyptians,  and  assume  the  character  of  natives  of  Cairo. 
The  governor  of  the  Fyoom  gave  Cailliaud  a  letter  to  the  chiefs  of 
Siwah,  in  which  he  declared  that  the  traveler  was  sent  by  Mohammed 
Ali,  and  should  be  treated  with  the  same  respect  which  they  owed  to 
the  i)asha.  The  camels  were  brought,  and  after  lialtuig  two  days  at  the 
encampment  of  Koroom,  they  commenced  their  march  into  the  desert. 
"  Tlie  two  eldest  daughters  of  Shekh  Koroom,"  says  Cailliaud,  "  accom- 
jianied  us  for  half  a  league,  wisiuiig  us  all  sorts  of  benedictions,  for  the 
success  of  our  journey.  I  saw  them  collect  the  dust  from  the  places 
where  the  feet  of  the  Arabs  who  accompanied  us  had  left  their  imprint; 
this  dust  they  placed  in  a  takia,  or  small  Arab  cap,  which  they  held  in 
the  hand.  I  was  told  that  this  was  done  to  preserve  us  from  accidents ; 
that  they  were  required  to  collect  some  dust  from  the  steps  of  each  man 
and  each  camel ;  that,  on  returning  to  their  tent,  they  would  make  a 
little  hole  in  the  top  of  the  caj),  and  suspend  it,  in  the  manner  of  an 
hoiu'-gliiss ;  and  that  they  would  consult  it  every  day  to  notice  the  dura- 
tion of  our  absence,  and  calculate  the  time  of  our  return." 

At  a  village  called  El  Gharak,  on  the  borders  of  the  desert,  they 
were  joined  by  a  caravan  of  inhabitants  of  the  Fyoom,  with  one  hun- 
dred camels,  bound  for  Siwah.  Some  of  the  native  merchants  refused 
to  go,  through  the  fear  of  being  compromised  1)y  the  presence  of  Cail- 
liaud's  party.  The  travelers  were  obliged  to  reliu(piish  the  idea  of  taking 
meridian  altitudes,  and  could  not  make  the  least  observation,  even  by 
the  barometer,  except  by  stealth.  They  were  also  exceedingly  circum- 
spect in  their  conversation,  taking  care  to  make  no  remark  which  might 
excite  the  suspicion  of  the  Arabs.  In  two  days  they  arrived  at  a 
mountain  called  Rayan  el  Kasr,  at  the  foot  of  which,  in  a  little  valley, 
they  found  a  curious  Avell.  "Tiie  principal  sj)ring  is  a  fuimel-shaped 
hole,  two  feet  in  diameter  at  the  bottom.  Shekh  Koroom  descended 
into  this  hole,  and  plunged  hito  the  center  a  stout  piece  of  wood,  which 
he  moved  around  in  the  clay,  ojjcning  a  passage  fur  the  water,  which 
uistantly  began  to  rise.  The  shekh  then  jilaced  his  legs  in  the  orifice, 
and  by  twistuig  liimself,  succeeded  in  thrusting  his  body  down  to  the 
arm-pits.  Another  man  mounted  on  his  shoulders  to  retain  him  there, 
and  when  the  latter  quitted  his  hold  the  shekh  was  thrown  out  of  the 
water  by  the  force  of  the  si)ring,  which  is  very  abundant.  The  Arabs 
have  the  habit  of  crying  aloiul  during  this  oi)eration,  which  appears  to 
them  miraculous :  they  pretend  that  without  doing  bo,  the  water  would 
not  come." 


!1 


i  I 


APPROACU    TO    SIWAH. 


247 


The  caravan  continued  its  march  over  phiins  of  sand,  alternating 
with  hard  tracts  covered  with  agates,  and  occasionally  the  remains  of 
petrified  forests,  among  which  Cailliaud  found  the  trunk  of  a  sycamore 
eleven  feet  in  circumference  and  fifteen  feet  in  length.  As  they  a|)- 
proached  Siwah  the  earth  became  covered  with  a  crystalization  of  salt, 
iorming  vast  incrusted  plahis.  Finally,  on  the  fifteenth  day,  they  saw 
in  the  distance  a  valley  fertile  in  palms  and  acacias,  in  the  midst  of  which 
was  a  village  tributary  to  Siwah,  and  distant  from  it  about  twenty 
leagues.  The  village,  called  El-Garah,  was  built  on  the  sunnnit  of  a 
steep  rock,  and  appeared  to  consist  partly  of  the  renuiins  of  ancient 
edifices.  A  curious  superstition  prevails  in  this  ])lace.  A  former  shekh 
predicted  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  village — men,  women,  and  children 
— would  never  exceed  forty.  The  people  declared  that  the  number  had 
sometimes  a  little  exceeded  that  Ihnit,  but  that  the  balance  was  always 
speedily  restored  by  the  death  of  the  surplus  population.  When  a  child 
is  born,  they  expect  a  death  among  the  older  inhabitants,  to  make  room 
for  it.  Cailliaud  was  not  allowed  to  enter  the  village  on  the  first  day, 
and  on  climbuig  the  rock  the  next  morning,  the  people  cried  "  Chris- 
tian !" — whence  he  knew  that  some  of  the  Arabs  of  the  caravan  liad  be- 
trayed his  true  character.  Youssef  of  .Siwah  finally  declared  that  the 
traveler  would  instantly  write  to  Mohanmied  Ali,  who  was  his  friend,  if 
they  did  not  admit  him,  whereupon  they  allowed  hhu  to  enter,  and 
presented  him  with  gome  fine  dates. 

"  On  the  night  of  December  8,  •  says  Cailliaud,  "  Shekh  Koroom  and 
Youssef  came  into  my  tent,  and  said  to  me  with  a  very  mysterious  air, 
that  now  was  the  moment  to  make  use  of  my  sorcery  in  order  to  mod- 
erate the  anger  of  the  people  of  Siwah.  '  I  have  had  several  occasions,' 
said  Koroom,  '  of  knowing  how  experienced  are  the  Christians  in  this 
art.  Signor  Belzoni,  whom  I  conducted  to  the  Little  Oasis,  finding 
himself  annoyed  by  the  hihabitants  and  by  a  caravan  of  Siwah  which  op- 
posed his  researches,  suddenly  began  to  write  mysterious  notes ;  and 
immediately  those  who  designed  to  injm-e  him,  humiliated  themselves 
be'  >?e  him  and  kissed  his  hands,  which  j)roved  his  great  power !'  I  was 
at  iirst  tempted  to  convince  hira  of  his  error,  but  I  reflected  that  in  or- 
der to  encourage  hhn  to  serve  me,  I  ought,  on  the  contrary,  to  assure 
him  that  I  was  as  skillful  as  Belzoni,  and  he  might  depend  on  the  succi'ss 
of  my  magical  arts."  On  the  evening  of  the  9th,  they  discovered  in  the 
west  the  palm-groves  of  Siwah,  and  encamped  near  an  old  well.  Koroom 
and  Youssef  set  out  by  night  to  announce  their  ap])roach  to  the  shekhs, 
and  Cailliaud  was  so  excited  with  anxiety  and  expectation,  that  he  found 
it  impossible  to  sleep. 

"  After  marching  three  hours,  tlie  next  morning,  m'o  reached  the  first 
grove  of  date-palms,  and  the  Arabs  firt'd  a  volley  fo  signalize  our  ap- 
proach. Yous.sef  came  to  me,  crying  out  with  joy  that  we  had  <^  jintid 
permission  to  enter  the  oasis.  We  jtroceeded  onward  by  paths  shaded 
by  munerous  palm-groves  ;  olive,  pomegranate,  peach,  apricot,  and  fig- 


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248 


CAILLIAUD'S    JOURNEY    TO    ETHIOPIA. 


trees  eiiiic'ho(l  the  laii'lscapc,  T!»o  froslincss  of  tlie  verdure  is  preserved 
by  tanks  and  abundant  fsj>rings ;  brooks  liow  in  all  directions.  These 
gardens  appeared  to  us  delicious,  and  the  happiness  of  having  Ijeen  able 
to  penetrate  into  this  district,  separated  from  the  world  by  a  hundred 
leagues  of  sand,  enchanted  nie.  Every  stej)  brought  me  nearer  to  a  spot 
almost  unknown,  and  perhaps  to  the  long-sought  temple  of  Jupiter  Am- 
nion. Youssef  presented  me  to  three  chiefs,  who  saluted  me  after  the 
maimer  of  the  country.  They  made  us  encamp  in  a  court  under  the 
walls  of  the  town,  near  a  i)lace  where  dates  were  exposed  for  sale.  The 
Avhidows  of  the  houses  were  crowded  with  women,  curious  to  see  us. 
The  i)eople  came  in  crowds  around  our  tent ;  there  was  an  excitement 
in  all  Siwah.  In  order  to  disperse  the  assembly,  the  shekhs  were  obliged 
to  prohibit  the  inhabitants  of  the  plate,  Youssef  excepted,  from  ap- 
proaching us,  undi'r  penalty  of  a  line  of  a  hundred  and  sixty  Ijaskets 
of  dates.  A  much  more  severe  fine  Mas  imposed  on  those  who  addressed 
hisulting  remarks  to  us.  This  circumstance  gave  rae  an  oj)portunity  of 
judging  of  the  power  of  the  shekhs  over  the  people,  for  the  latter  re- 
tired suddenly,  and  we  remained  entirely  isolated." 

Soon  afti'rwurd  Cailliaud  was  called  bi'fore  a  grand  coiuu'il  of  the 
shekhs  and  jieople,  and  asked  by  what  authority  he  came.  He  replied 
that  he  was  sent  by  ]Mi>haiiuned  Ali.  They  then  demanded  the  firman, 
which  he  had  not  been  able  to  procure,  as  the  I'asha  m  as  absent  in  Nu- 
bia ;  but  he  had  an  old  firman,  given  to  him  for  the  purpose  of  visiting 
Souakin,  on  the  Red  Sea,  which  he  presented.  The  only  shekh  who 
could  read,  understood  "  Souakin"  to  mean  "  Siwah,"  and  ridiculed  the 
secretai'ies  of  Cairo,  who  could  not  spell  the  name  correctly.  The  final 
decision  of  the  coimcil  was  that  the  traveler  should  bo  jiermitted  to  see 
the  antiipiities  of  the  oasis,  and  on  the  third  day  he  v,as  furnished  \vith 
a  guide.  He  was  first  conducted  to  the  Mountain  of  the  Dead,  a  small 
hill  of  limi'stone,  hollowed  out  with  the  sepulchers  of  the  ancient  inhab- 
itants. Two  leagues  west  of  the  town  he  found  the  remains  of  a 
building,  apparently  of  the  Lower  Emi)ire,  another  hill  of  catacombs, 
and  a  beautiful  little  Roman  temple,  of  the  Doric  order,  in  a  good  state 
of  preservation.  Xear  the  latter,  on  the  i)lain,  were  the  remains  of 
houses,  broken  columns,  and  heaps  of  cut  stones,  indicating  a  former 
town  or  fortress.  The  Arabs  called  the  jdace  beled  er-Jioom,  or  the 
I !  reek  town. 

(\ailliaud  now  solicited  the  chiefs  to  allow  him  to  visit  the  ruins  of 
Om  JJeydah,  the  nuist  hnportant  of  all,  which  he  conjectured  to  be 
those  of  the  t<'mj)le  of  Jupiter  Amnion.  He  tried  both  entrefities  and 
presents,  but  they  refused,  giving  as  a  reason  that  liis  jn'csence  there 
would  cause  the  great  fijuntain  to  dry  up.  They  st.ated  that  imi.uHliately 
after  the  visit  of  ]>rowne  and  Hornemann  to  Om  Beytlah,  the  lountain 
becaiiu^  dry.  The  inhabitants  wen*  struck  with  terror,  and  attributed 
the  circiuustance  to  the  fiut  of  the  Christians  having  gazed  upon  it. 
The  next  day,  on  ascending  the  mountuiii  of  Drar-Abou-13eryk,  Cailliaud 


THE    OASIS    AND    ITS    INHABITANTS. 


249 


overlooked  all  the  province  of  Siwali,  and,  by  the  aid  of  a  good  tole- 
Hcope,  saw  the  ruins  of  Oni  JJeydah  rising  above  the  tufted  palms. 
They  appeared  to  him  of  gigantic  size,  and  the  desire  to  visit  tlu'Ui  be- 
came stronger  than  ever.  "  The  sun  was  on  the  horizon  ;  my  guides  had 
descended.  I  followed  them,  but  at  a  distance,  feeling  myself  unable  to 
converse  with  them.  I  pondered  in  my  mind  what  stratagem  I  could 
devise  in  order  to  visit  the  temple.  I  let  them  all  pass  on — guides, 
Ar;d)!>,  interpreter — and  remained  in  the  rear.  Ucflccting  that  I  was  but 
a  quarter  of  a  league  from  the  spot,  I  determined  to  make  an  sittempt 
to  reach  it.  Enveloping  myself  in  my  bornous,  I  approached  the  palm- 
grove,  but  seeing  that  I  was  watched  by  the  spies,  I  felt  the  impossibility 
of  accomplishing  my  object,  and  returned." 

During  his  short  stay  at  the  oasis,  Cai'liaud  collected  some  informa- 
tion regarding  the  place  and  people.  The  principal  trade  is  in  dates, 
which  are  produced  in  great  numbers,  and  of  excellent  quality.  The 
government  consists  of  twelve  shekhs,  six  of  Avhom  are  elected  for  life, 
and  the  remaining  six  from  year  to  year.  Their  deliberations  are  public, 
and  the  ])eople  all  take  part  in  them.  Theft  and  other  minor  offenses 
are  punished  by  a  fine  of  dates ;  those  v!iO  are  nui,  able  to  pay,  are  con- 
ducted out  of  the  town,  placed  upo)\  the  ground  face  downward,  and 
bastinadoed  on  the  naked  luins.  If  a  murderer  is  taken,  he  is  given  into 
the  hands  of  the  relatives  (jf  his  victim,  to  whom  he  belongs.  Accord- 
ing to  their  cajirice  they  may  kill  him,  torture  him,  or  set  him  free.  The 
amoimt  received  in  fines  is  appropriated  to  keei>ing  the  mosques  in  re- 
pair, to  supporting  the  saints,  or  holy  men,  and  to  assisting  strangers 
who  have  been  pillaged  in  the  desert.  As  soon  as  the  boys  have  at- 
tained the  age  of  puberty,  they  nn'.  obliged  to  leave  the  town  and  live  in 
a  separate  village  outside  of  the  walls.  I'^ach  widower  is  also  obliged  to 
leave  his  house  and  join  the  young  bachelors  ;  if  he  marries  agahi,  he  is 
allowed  to  return  home.  They  are  permitted  to  enter  the  town  during 
the  day,  to  see  their  relatives  and  friends,  but  tlu'y  m\ist  retire  before 
sunsel.  In  spite  of  their  mistrust,  oblinacy  and  superstition,  the  hihab- 
itants  of  Siwah  are  very  liospitable.  The  poor,  or  strangers,  may  go  to 
the  market  of  dates  and  eat  to  satiety ;  each  one  leaves  liis  goods  cx- 
l)osed  in  public  with  the  i)erfect  assurance  that  no  one  will  touch  them. 

At  last,  by  means  of  presents  judiciously  distributed  by  the  mame- 
luke  Ismail,  Shekh  Ali  was  induced  to  second  Cailliau<l's  applii;ation  to 
visit  Om  IJoydah.  But  the  other  shekhs  and  the  ]»oople  still  refused, 
mitil,  on  the  evening  of  the  21st,  the  traveler  offered  to  be  conducted  to 

the  temple  with  his  eyes  bandaged,  seeing  neither  the  iiitry  nor  the 

great  fountain.  On  the  same  day  news  had  been  receivi'il  of  the  ap 
proach  of  a  large  caravan  coming  from  Hengazi,  in  Harca — a  circum- 
stance which  Avould  oblige  Shekh  Kor«)om  to  l(!ave  with  his  camels,  as 
there  was  not  pasturage  for  :ill  in  the  oa^is.  In  the  evening,  Shekh  Ali 
came  with  the  permission  t()  visit  Om  Beychih,  but  counseled  the  trav- 
«'ler  to  act  with  prudence,  and  to  depart  with  Koroom  inunediately  at- 


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250 


CAILLIAUD'S    JOUKNEY    TO    ETHIOPIA. 


toiwaitl.  These  were  also  his  intentions,  and  the  next  morning,  at  day- 
liglit,  aceonipanied  by  M.  Letorzec,  Ismail,  and  ibur  of  tlie  shekhs  of  Si- 
wah,  mounted  on  asses,  he  set  out.  Threading  the  woods  of  date-|)alm8, 
Avatered  by  little  brooks,  for  half  an  hour,  they  emerged  from  the  shade 
at  the  foot  of  the  temple.  "  The  ruin,  although  not  extensive,  ajtiteaied 
to  me  imposing  from  its  grand  masses,  eonstrueted  in  the  Egyptian  style. 
The  remendjranee  of  the  voyage  of  Alexander  eaused  me  to  apj)roa(h  it 
with  a  sort  ol"  religious  respeet.  My  attention  was  directed  to  the  walls 
of  the  temple;  I  looked  for  some  vestiges  of  the  presenee  of  the  Mace- 
donian hero;  but  I  Ibund  no  inscription,  no  word  in  his  language.  All 
was  mute ;  his  name  even  was  unknown  to  the  inhabitants,  and  buried 
ui  profound  oblivion." 

The  temple  consisted  of  a  mass  of  ruhis  about  tliree  hundred  and 
sixty  feet  in  length  by  three  hundred  in  breadth.  The  walls  were  not 
more  than  eighteen  feet  high,  and  the  roof,  a  portion  of  which  remained, 
was  composed  of  blocks  twenty-six  feet  long.  After  liaving  measured 
and  iiisjtected  these  ruins,  Cailliaud  began  to  make  a  sketch  of  them. 
The  people  of  Siwali,  who  accompanied  him,  approached  in  order  to  dis- 
cover what  he  was  doing ;  but  as  they  saw  he  drew  nothing  but  stones, 
omitting  the  fountains  .nd  date-trees,  they  allowed  liim  to  proceed. 
During  this  operation,  Ismail  amused  them  by  })laying  with  a  fragment 
of  India-rubber  ;  tiiey  could  not  comprehend  ho.v  so  small  a  body  could 
prolong  itself  to  such  an  extent,  nor  how  it  could  efface  the  writing  on 
paper.  The  guides  now  urged  the  traveler  to  depart,  and  on  reaching 
the  town,  he  learned  that  the  caravan  from  Barca  had  arrived.  Shekli 
Koroom  was  very  anxious  to  set  out,  and  the  order  was  accordingly 
given  to  load  the  camels.  They  left  in  the  afternoon  for  the  Little  Oasis, 
several  days'  journey  to  the  south,  whither  the  shekh  had  promised  to 
conduct  them ;  but  this  intention  was  kept  secret  from  the  rest  of  the 
caravan.  During  the  next  day's  march,  they  were  surprised  l)y  the  ap- 
pearance of  another  caravan,  coming  toward  them.  The  camels  were 
arranged  in  order  of  battle,  powder  distributed,  guns  loaded,  and  every 
preparation  made  to  repel  an  attack,  but  the  strangers  fortunately 
proved  to  be  friends.  Shekh  Koroom,  with  two  Arabs,  and  Cailliaud 
and  his  party  here  left  the  caravan,  in  spite  of  the  remonstrances  of  the 
other  Arabs,  and  set  out  for  the  Little  Oasis.  Their  route  led  th(!in 
through  tracks  of  salt  desert,  alternatinij;  with  mountains  of  naked  rock 
and  sand.  On  the  27th,  they  came  upon  a  salt  lake,  the  existence  of 
which  had  been  hitherto  unknown.  The  Arabs  called  it  ICl-hahreyn  (the 
Two  Lakes) ;  it  was  nearly  two  leagues  in  length  from  east  to  west,  by 
lialf  a  league  in  breadth,  bordered  on  the  north  by  a  long,  rocky  mount- 
ain, and  on  the  south  by  a  great  bank  of  sand,  behind  which  was  a  grove 
of  date  and  donm-palms, 

"On  the  1st  of  January,  1820,  we  started  at  half-past  nine,  following 
the  valley  toward  the  East,  The  grass,  the  asclepias,  the  tamarisks, 
and  some  little  marshes  which  we  passed,  announced  to  us  the  proximity 


\w 


RESIDENCE    IN    THE    LITTLE    OASIS. 


251 


of  the  oasis.  In  a  short  time  we  perceived  the  date-groves.  With  what 
pleasure  we  discovered  this  rich  verdure,  in  the  midst  of  the  sands  of  the 
desert,  after  having  undergone  so  many  fatigues,  so  much  care  and  pri- 
vation!  The  vegetation  appeared  to  me  still  more  beautiful  when  I 
thor,:,!:*  of  the  signs  of  winter  then  prevailing  in  Europe.  At  noon,  we 
arrived  at  El-Kasr,  the  largest  village  of  the  oasis.  On  approaching  it, 
we  met  the  shekh,  who  came  to  ofi'er  us  the  use  of  his  house,  whither  we 
repaired."  The  travelers  were  very  hospitably  entertained.  Having 
expressed  a  wish  to  visit  the  antiquities  of  the  i)lace,  they  were  next  day 
conducted  to  the  ruins  of  a  triumphal  arch,  of  Roman  time,  small,  but  of 
graceful  design.  Near  the  village  of  Mendysh  were  numerous  catacombs, 
and  the  remains  of  an  old  Coptic  village,  but  Cailliaud  failed  to  discover 
any  thing  of  special  interest.  There  was  also  a  warm  sjjring,  probably 
the  same  mistaken  by  IJelzoni  for  the  Fountain  of  the  Sun,  as  the  latter 
sii])posed  this  oasis,  which  he  visited,  to  be  that  of  Jupiter  jVmmon. 

On  the  10th,  a  small  caravan  arrived  from  ]Minych,  on  the  Nile,  and 
Cailliaud  took  the  oj)])ortunity  to  send  back  with  it  one  of  liis  servants 
in  charge  of  all  his  unnecessary  baggage,  and  the  minerals,  shells,  and 
curiosities  which  he  had  collected.  His  contract  with  Koroom  being  at 
an  end,  he  asked  the  shekh  of  the  oasis  to  procure  him  camels  for  his 
further  journey,  and  in  the  mean  time  employed  himself  in  making  a 
topographical  plan  of  the  oasis.  In  this  he  was  soon  embarrassed  by  the 
inhabitants,  some  of  whom  declared  that  he  was  jiutting  their  country 
Uj)(>n  paper,  in  order  to  show  it  to  the  pasha,  and  thereby  increase  their 
tribute  ;  while  others  imagined  it  to  be  a  work  of  magic,  which  would 
cause  their  springs  to  dry  up.  In  spite  of  the  firman  of  Mohammed 
Ali,  which  the  shekh  read  aloud,  ])ublicly,  the  opposition  was  so  great 
that  the  travelers  were  obliged  to  make  tlieir  observations  secretly,  but 
as  they  were  detained  se\  eral  weeks,  waiting  for  camels,  they  finally  suc- 
ceeded in  making  a  very  correct  map. 

On  the  2d  of  February,  liowever,  a  complaint  was  made  before  the 
cadi,  and  the  principal  inliabitants  of  the  vi]la<.^e  assembled  around  Cail- 
haud's  liouse.  The  travelers  were  formally  arraigned,  and  the  most 
profound  silence  ensued,  when  an  Arab  stepped  into  the  circle  t'>  de- 
nounce them.  "I  have  seen  him,"  said  he,  j)ohiting  to  Cailliaud,  "  :-U:^} 
at  a  fountam  and  jtlunge  therein  an  instrument  of  glass  and  of  silver. 
After  having  withdrawn  it,  he  immediately  began  to  write."  These 
magical  proceedings,  he  said,  were  made  to  alarm  the  in!  abitants. 
There  was  then  a  general  demand  to  behold  the  instrument  of  sorcery. 
The  thermometer  was  jjroduced,  and  Cailliaud  endeavored,  but  in  vain, 
to  explain  its  properties.  When  he  made  the  column  of  mercury  rise 
or  fall,  by  applying  or  withdrawing  the  l)all  of  his  thumb,  they  looked 
on  with  terror,  calling  the  Prophet  to  their  aid.  He  then  showed  them 
a  telescope  and  repeating  watcli,  and  exploded  some  fulminating  silver; 
all  of  which  all  the  more  firmly  convhiced  them  of  his  magical  powers. 
They  appointed  a  man  to  watch  him  day  and  night,  but  the  spy  found 


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252 


CAILLIAUD'S    JOURNEY    TO    ETHIOPIA. 


the  sorcerer's  table  so  much  better  tlian  his  owii,  that  lie  soon  became 
a  firm  frieiul.  Meanwhile  the  inhabitants  busied  themselves  hi  pro- 
curing camels,  in  order  that  the  dangerous  visitor  might  be  enabled  to 
leave  as  soon  as  jjossible. 

The  departure  took  place  on  the  10th  of  February.  The  inhabitants 
assembled  in  a  crowd  to  witness  it,  and  Cailliaud  judged  it  prudent  to 
distribute  a  tew  parting  gitls  among  them.  The  cadi  gave  him  a  letter 
of  reconnnendation  to  the  shekhs  of  the  Oasis  of  Farafreh,  which  no 
European  had  ever  visited,  and  where,  consequently,  difficulties  were  to 
be  aiitici])ated.  Passing  a  range  of  sand-stone  mountains,  and  plains  of 
gravel  dotted  with  isolated  peaks,  the  caravan  reached  a  village  called 
El-IIayz,  a  dependency  of  the  Little  Oasis,  after  ten  hours'  march.  Near 
this  ])lace  are  the  remains  of  an  ancient  Christian  church,  on  the  wall 
of  which  the  travelers  noticed  a  mutilated  fresco  of  St.  George  and  the 
dragon.  After  live  days'  journey  over  barren  deserts,  passing  many  an- 
cient oases  Avhich  the  sajids  have  now  completely  imindated,  they  a\>- 
proached  Farafreh.  "  An  accident,  which  might  have  proved  fatal, 
broke  the  monotony  of  our  journey.  Our  camels  had  been  bitten  and 
friglitoned  by  a  vicious  he-camel  of  the  caravan,  and  my  interpreter  and 
m\  sclt"  were  thrown  upon  the  bare  rock.  This  livU  was  terrible  ;  it  was 
impossible  for  me  to  rise  ;  my  interpreter  fell  upon  his  head,  and  I  suf- 
fered intense  jtains  in  the  loins.  liut  we  were  near  Farafreh.  The  de- 
sire of  arriving  there  gave  us  strength,  and  at  tlu'  end  of  an  hour  our 
Arabs  assisted  us  to  remount  our  dromedaries. 

"Toward  evening  we  discovered  the  ])alms  of  Farafreh,  aiul  arrived 
there  after  a  march  of  ten  hours.  On  seeing  us,  the  Arabs  flew  to 
arms,  and  Jissend)le(l  at  the  g.ate  of  their  village  ;  most  of  them  mounted 
on  the  towers  of  the  Kasr,  and  all  had  nmskets.  These  ])reparation3 
made  us  fe.ir  that  ihey  would  not  receive  us.  Seeing  us  advance,  they 
sent  two  nu'ti  to  p.irley  with  us.  The  greeting  of  these  men  was  un- 
friendly ;  tlu'V  offered  us  water  and  every  thing  else  which  we  wanti'd, 
on  condition  that  we  would  not  appro.ach  the  vill:ige,  adding  that  they 
had  orders  to  make  us  continue  our  route.  Our  reputation  hi  the  Little 
Oasis  had  precedeil  us,  and  it  wiis  known  that  we  were  Christiuis  ;  but 
I  was  not  in  a  condition  to  go  further,  and  my  intiMpreter  was  scarcely 
able  to  speak.  I  toM  them  I  had  a  lirinan  from  the  I'asha,  which  they 
sliould  see  next  morning,  at  the  same  time  ordering  the  camels  to  bo 
luiloaded,  ami  the  tents  pitcheil  near  the  village.  They  still  insistetl  that 
we  shoiihl  !ea\  (',  but  I  threw  jnyseif  on  my  carpet,  and  listened  to  no 
one.  When  they  had  been  informed  of  our  accident  they  took  pity  on 
us,  and  allowed  us  to  pass  the  night  tran(|nilly." 

The  next  day  the  shekhs  of  the  |.laee  came  to  visit  Cailliaud.  They 
paid  no  atlenlion  to  the  lirnian  of  JMohauinied  Ali,  nor  to  the  letter  of 
the  sliekh  of  thi'  l-ittle  Oasis;  but  a  dish  of  crows  cooked  with  rice, 
which  was  otVereil  to  them,  secured  th' n*  good  graces — nothing  muro 
was  said  of  forcing  the  tnivelers  to  !;  .ivc.  although  they  were  denied  en- 


Il 


4. 

D 


THE    OASES    OF    FAllAFliEII    AND    DAKHEL. 


253 


trance  into  the  village.  Cailliaiul,  during  the  two  following  days,  suc- 
ceeded in  making  a  plan  of  the  oasis,  and  in  taking  a  sketch  of  the  vil- 
lage by  means  of  a  camera  obscura.  While  he  was  thus  employed  the 
natives  thronged  around,  curious  to  know  what  he  was  doing.  lie  di- 
rected M.  Letorzec  to  take  a  telescope  and  point  it  to  the  sun ;  the 
interpreter  made  the  people  sit  on  the  groimd  and  observe  profound 
silence.  After  the  magical  operation  was  tinished  the  chiefs  were  allowed 
to  look  through  the  telescope,  and  they  cried  out  in  astonishment  at 
seeing  the  sun  (through  the  colored  lens)  as  a  ball  of  ]»urple  lire.  The 
people  were  then  allowed  to  look,  and  in  their  gratitication,  they  gave 
the  travelers  permission  to  enter  their  village.  Contrary  to  Cailliaud's 
expectation,  there  Avere  no  ruins  of  importance.  The  principal  building 
was  the  Kasr,  or  Castle,  which  was  about  three  hundred  feet  in  circuit, 
and  thirty-five  feet  in  height,  built  of  stone  and  burned  bricks.  The 
Oasis  of  Farafreh  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  which  was  concpiered 
by  the  Moslems  from  the  Christians  who  formerly  inhabited  these  des- 
erts. 

After  a  stay  of  four  days,  Cailliaud  set  out  for  the  Oasis  of  Dakhel, 
which  he  reached  after  a  jom-ney  of  three  days.  On  approaching  the 
largest  village,  called  also  the  Kasr,  the  principal  inhabitants  came  out 
to  receivv  him.  Af\er  he  had  encamped  in  a  garden  of  dates  and 
olive-trees,  outside  of  the  wall,  the  shekhs  came,  bringing  a  ])rescnt  of 
dates  and  dried  ajiricots.  When  he  informed  them  that  lu-  desired  to 
see  the  antiipiities  of  the  oasis,  they  willingly  (»tli're(l  U)  show  them  to 
him.  These  antiijuities,  however,  are  of  little  importance,  consisting  of 
some  catacombs,  several  brick  edifices  of  Konian  construction,  and  a 
smiill  Kgyptiaii  temple  which  ajtjK'ars  to  belong  to  the  era  of  the  Ptole- 
mies. Near  the  town  there  is  a  natural  warm  spring,  which  the  inhabit- 
ants have  conducted  into  baths  cut  in  the  rock,  where  they  bathe  every 
morning. 

Some  Arabs,  coming  from  Siout,  brought  the  news  that  the  pasha 
was  ])ri'paring  an  expedition  against  Dongola,  and  this  m-ws  excited  in 
Cailliaud  the  desire  to  profit  by  the  occasion,  to  visit  Kthiopia  and 
Meroe.  Besides  this,  his  fuinls  were  getting  low  mid  his  party  were 
exhausted  by  the  filigiU'S  of  ilesert  travel.  Inste.id,  therefore,  of  re- 
niaining  to  make  a  «'areful  survey  of  the  oasis,  he  <letermined  to  make  a 
hasty  visit  to  the  (ireat  Oasis  of  Kl-Kharm-h  (sometimi's  called  the 
Oasis  of  Thebes),  and  then  return  to  the  Nile.  AOer  a  st;iy  of  only  two 
days  at  Kasr-Dakhi'l,  he  set  out,  journeying  through  the  oasis  for  the 
first  day  or  two;  the  path  then  led  over  an  elevated  de>ieit  plateau, 
<T()sseil  by  detached  niount.iin  chains.  "On  the  morning  of  the  1st  of 
March,  we  reached  a  mo\intain  of  sandstone,  whe*)ee  we  had  the  satis- 
•iiction  of  discovering,  in  tl>e  south-east,  the  palms  of  El-Khargeh,  two 
ml  a  half  leagues  distant.  It  would  have  been  more  ai^reeable  to  UH 
t(t  have  seen  the  palms  of  the  Nile;  my  Arabs,  above  all,  wo\>ld  have 
desired  it,  as  two  of  them  were  sufTering  severely  with  fever,  but  wc 


'     :  I 


U!  ■  I 


^! 


i;il 


i       n' 


254 


CAILLIAUD'S    JOURNEY    TO    ETniOPIA. 


wore  all  delighted  to  reach  El-Kharj^ch,  where  we  shouUl  have  two  days 
rest.  We  soon  descended  into  the  valley,  and  encamped  near  a  fine 
fountain,  under  some  superb  acacias.  It  was  a  lively  pleasinv  to  nie  to 
behold  auain  the  ruins  which  had  excited  my  surprise  and  a(hniration  in 
April,  1818.  The  shekh  of  Kl-Khargeh,  wlio  was  soon  aj)i>rised  of  the 
arrival  of  f^uropeans,  ran  to  meet  me.  What  was  his  sur{)rise  when  ho 
reco<4niz('<l  me,  after  an  absence  of  two  years  !  He  no  longer  considered 
me  as  a  fool,  and  was  more  than  ever  convinced  that  I  had  discovered 
treasures  amoncf  the  ruins,  which  I  ha<l  now  come  to  carry  away." 

Cailliauil  only  remained  two  days,  to  examine  the  great  temple, 
which  is  one  liundred  and  ninety-five  feet  in  length,  and  then  took  the 
direct  rojid  to  Siout,  in  I'pper  Egypt.  The  journey  was  very  rough  and 
fatiguing;  they  exi)ected  to  reach  the  Nile  by  tlie  end  of  the  fourth  day, 
but  the  camels  were  too  much  fatigued.  The  next  morning  "  the  camels 
were  very  lively ;  they  seemed  already  to  smell  the  air  of  flu- Nile-val- 
ley. At  the  end  of  an  hour,  we  reached  tlie  crest  of  a  mountain,  and  all 
at  once  discovered  at  our  feet  the  shores  of  the  Nile,  which  we  had 
(juitted  fcuir  mouths  before.  Then,  suffering  our  glances  to  wander 
alternately  over  the  desert  we  had  travcrsetl,  and  the  smiling  perspective 
before  us,  we  admired  at  our  leisure  this  interesting  contrast.  On  one 
side,  tlie  river  presented  to  us,  as  far  as  our  vision  extended,  its  banks 
covered  with  verdure,  with  flowers,  and  with  harvests;  the  palms  of  the 
NiU',  tlie  numerous  barks  upon  the  water,  and  the  animals  which  grazed 
upon  the  shores,  animated  the  lovely  landscape:  on  the  other  hand,  the 
desert  still  saddened  us  with  tlie  appearance  of  its  vast  sea  of  arid  and 
Ijurning  sands." 

"On  reaching  the  cultivateil  lands,  we  encountered  a  ne(h)uin 
woman,  carrying  a  jar  of  water  u|)on  her  liead,  and  begged  her  to  stop. 
She  contemplated  our  caravan,  exhausted  with  fatigue;  our  camels, 
hagirard  and  marching  painfully  ;  our  own  pale  faces,  our  Arabs  covered 
with  dust,  depressed  and  shaking  with  fever — these  olyects  at  once  told 
her  how  much  we  needed  water,  an<l  she  h.astene(|  to  ofl'er  us  all  that 
her  jiir  ermtaiiuMl,  with  some  dates.  The  young  woman  asked  if  it  had 
been  a  long  time  since  we  had  left  the  Nile.  '  Four  months,'  replied 
the  Arabs.  '  Four  months  I'  she  exclaimed,  fixing  upon  us  Iut  beautiftd 
dark  eyes,  with  a  touching  expression  of  tenderness  .and  pity.  Then, 
by  a  spontaiH'ons  njovement,  she  «'Xtendeil  her  arms  toward  us,  adding 
ill  a  plaiiitixc  voice.  'Omy  friends,  ()  my  unt(»rtunate  brothers!'  T 
preseiilcd  this  charitab C  cn'ature  with  asilvi  i  coin,  and  we  left  her  with 
our  beneilictir)ns." 

I)i>«appointed  in  finding  letters  from  Europe  at  Siout,  Cailliaud  re- 
solved to  proceed  imiiiediiitely  to  Cairo,  where  he  arrived  on  the  iHth. 
He  was  not  .able  to  see  .Mohammed  Ali,  fitr  the  plague  had  broken  out 
in  the  citadel,  and  the  pasha  had  shut  himself  up  in  his  palace  at  Slioo- 
bra.  The  French  (^1ns^ll,  Drovetti,  however,  presented  him  to  Ismail 
Pnshn,  wlio  was  about  Betting  out  for  Upper  Egypt,  to  take  eonunand 


! 


N 


THE    EXPEDITION    OF    ISMAIL    PASHA. 


255 


of  the  expedition  against  Dongola.  This  prince  assurcil  the  traveler 
of  his  protection,  and  offered  to  assist  him  in  the  execution  of  his 
l>latis.  As  it  was  difficnlt  to  hire  a  vessel  for  the  ascent  of  the  Nile, 
Cailliand  purchased  a  boat  about  twenty-live  feet  long,  with  a  cabin 
large  enough  for  three  persons,  and  sailed  for  Upper  Egypt  on  the 
22d  of  April,  accompanied  by  M.  Letorzcc,  an  interpreter,  and  two 
Arab  servants.  On  reaching  Siout,  he  learned  that  the  expedition  to 
Dongola  had  been  retarded,  and  therefore  proceeded  to  Thebes,  where 
he  arrived  on  the  14th  of  May,  designing  to  occupy  himself  with 
arclueological  studies  during  the  delay.  lie  had  a  temporary  dwelling 
made  from  the  stones  of  a  ruined  temple,  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain 
of  Goorneh ;  the  roof  was  composed  of  the  lids  of  nunnmy-coflins. 
Here  he  occupied  himself  in  copying  the  repri'sentations  in  the  adjoin- 
ing tombs ;  but  the  continued  delay  of  the  expediticm  led  him  to  be- 
lieve that  he  would  ha\e  ti?ne  to  return  to  Cairo,  and  make  an  excur- 
sion to  the  ruins  of  Cyrene  on  the  Libyan  coast,  before  the  departure  of 
Ismail  Pasha  for  Dongola. 

In  eonsecpienco  of  this,  he  departed  from  Thebes  or.  the  6th  of  June, 
and  arrived  at  Cairo  atU-r  a  voyage  of  twenty  d-iys.  Here  he  visited 
Ismail  Pasha,  who  renewed  to  him  the  ])r()mise  of  his  assistance  and  pro- 
tection, but  added  that  he  intended  to  set  out  with  the  expedition  in 
titteen  days.  Cniiliaud's  voyage  was  thcefore  useless,  and  after  visiting 
the  petrified  forests  near  Cairo,  he  started  on  his  return  tol'^pper  Egypt 
on  the  ^Tth  of  .lulv.  After  a  tedious  vi)va<'e  of  twentv-two  davs  he 
again  reached  Thebes,  but  cotitinue(l  his  journey  without  halt — except 
to  purchase  four  dromediirics  at  Daraou — to  Assouan,  where  Ismail 
Pasha  was  then  encamped,  on  tlie  left  bank  of  the  Nile.  "Theslmres 
were  crowded  with  barks,  and  covered  with  troops,  tents,  camels,  cav- 
alry, baggagi-,  aumiuiiition,  and  artillery;  every  thing  aimouneed  the 
Mar  which  was  soon  to  be  carried  on  in  Nubia.  These  preparations  had 
an  important  aspect:  the  cries  of  the  animals,  th(>  acclamations  of  the 
]u'()pK',  the  songs  of  tic  Albanians,  the  iinisic,  of  the  cymbals  and  flutes, 
and  the  roll  of  the  drums — all  contributed  to  excite  the  imaginiitioii. 
The  camp  jiresented  a  picture  of  mirth  ;  each  one  gave  himself  up  to 
joy  ;  the  soldii'is  saw  pillage  in  persjM'ctive;  the  pasha  flattered  him><elf 
with  tlu'  idea  of  capturing  f()rty  thousand  negroes;  the  Kuropeaiis  were 
ambitious  of  reaching  Meroe,  and  in  that  ambition,  exposed  themselves 
to  the  dangerH  and  chances  of  an  unjust  war." 

Soon  a.fter  his  arrival,  Cailliaud  paid  a  visit  to  Ismail  Pasha,  and 
fumd  him  still  favorably  disjiosed.  He  offered  the  traveh'r  a  tent,  and 
the  usual  daily  ration,  whicii  the  latter  declined.  Soon  af\er\vanl,  how- 
ever, he  leariKHl  that  the  (ireek  physicians  in  the  ]>asha's  senice  were 
intriguing  to  prevent  him  from  going;  reports  were  spread  that  h«>  had 
a  secret  commission  from  the  French  government  to  seairh  (or  gold 
mines.  ( )n  visiting  (he  pasha  a  second  time,  two  «Iays  afterward,  Cailliaud 
caw  that  thcso  intrigueij  were  likely  to  prove  HUi^'cssful.    lie  was  coldly 


t 

1 
■ 

i'l'i  i' 

!.' 

ii 

1 

;  i\'    .• 

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1 

1     : '    1 

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Jlv 


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]    :, 


<    M  i 


256 


CAILLIAUD'S    JOUKNEY    TO    ETHIOPIA. 


received,  and  tlie  pasha  stated  that,  since  reflecting  upon  the  subject,  he 
helieved  that  it  would  be  useh'ss  for  liini  to  accompany  the  expedition, 
which  was  wholly  warlike,  and  would  trive  him  no  opportunity  of 
examinincf  the  antiquities  of  the  country.  The  traveler  presented  to 
liim  three  lirmans,  wliich  he  had  received  from  Mohammed  Ali,  but  as 
the  name  of  Donijola  was  not  mentioned  in  ihem,  the  j)asha  made  this  a 
pretext  for  persisting  in  his  refusal,  stating  that  a  new  iirman  would  be 
nece>sary. 

Cailliaud  had  already  gone  to  considerable  exi)enso  in  jneparing  for 
the  journey,  and  rather  than  give  up  his  hoj)es  at  this  j)oint,  l)e  deter- 
mined to  return  at  once  to  Cairo.  The  country  was  inundated  by  the 
rise  of  the  Nile  ;  his  progress  was  tedious  and  delayed  by  accidents,  and 
he  did  not  reach  Cairo  until  the  20th  of  8eptenii»er.  Mohammed  Ali 
had  gone  to  Alexancb'ia,  whither  the  traveler  followed  him.  He  lost  no 
time  in  being  presented  to  the  pasha,  who  demanded  news  of  his  son  Is- 
mail and  the  army.  Cailliaud  gave  him  the  desired  information,  then 
spoke  of  Seimaar  and  the  gold-mines  which  were  said  to  exist  in  the 
mountains  beyond  that  country,  jnomising  to  exaniiiu;  them  and  report 
to  lum  whether  they  could  be  profitid)ly  worked.  This  proposition  was 
■well  received,  and  the  pasha  promised  new  lirmans  for  Sennaar  and  the 
gold-mines,  which  were  nuide  out  anil  delivered  two  days  afterward. 
The  return  voyage  was  innnediately  connni'iiced ;  four  days  more  were 
spetit  at  Cairo,  in  procuring  additional  supplies,  and  the  party,  after  en- 
countering a  violi'iit  hurricane  in  pa.ising  Djebel  Silsileh,  did  not  reach 
Daraou  until  the  19th  of  November.  Jlere  he  obtaiiunl  a  guide  ft)r  l)on- 
gola,  and  learned,  from  messengers  descending  the  Nile,  that  Ismail 
I'asha  had  gained  a  victory  over  the  Shygheeas,  in  Southern  Nubia.  TJie 
niessengers  carri«'d  with  them  the  heads  of  six  shekhs,  and  the  oars  of 
several  lumdred  warriors,  which  the  pasha  was  stnding  to  JMohannned 
Ali. 

Cailliaud's  caravan,  consisting  of  eight  persons — including  himself, 
M.  Letorzec,  and  the  captahi  of  liis  bark,  a  Maltese — left  Assouan  on  the 
J")th  of  November.  They  ascendeil  the  western  bank  of  the  Nile,  de- 
voting very  little  time  to  the  examination  of  the  Egyptian  temples  in 
Nubia,  in  their  haste  to  overtake  the  army,  and  reached  Wadi  Ilalfii 
(the  second  cataract)  on  the  8th  of  December.  After  being  detained  in 
this  neighborhood  tur  some  days  by  vexatious  <lisputes  in  relation  to 
guides  and  camels,  which  it  is  not  necessary  to  describe,  they  resumed 
their  journey  through  the  Batn  el-llailjar,  Sukkot,  and  Mahass,  taking 
nearly  the  same  route  followed  by  Jbirckhardt  in  his  return  from  the  lat- 
ter country.  The  track  sonu'times  followetl  the  course  of  the  river, 
sometimes  swervi'(l  to  the  right,  into  the  desert,  to  avoid  its  windings. 
On  tlie  .Id  of  January,  IH'JI,  they  reached  the  temjile  of  Soleb,  the  most 
beautiful  of  the  Egyptian  monuments  in  Nu])ia,  above  the  second  cata- 
ract, and  n'maiiw  (1  several  days  to  examine  it.  Cailliaud  considered  it 
of  similar  style  to  llie  Memnonimu  at  Tiiebes ;  he  gives  its  length  at  three 


I 


MEFTING    WITH    KNGLISII    TRAVELKRS. 


257 


hundred  and  fifty  feet,  and  counted  the  remains  of  more  than  ninety  <'ol- 
umns,  some  of  whicli,  thirty-two  feet  high,  are  still  standing  on  their 
pedestals.* 

On  the  11th  of  January,  the  caravan  reached  the  frontier  of  Dongola. 
"  Our  route  was  bordered  by  a  grove  of  tufted  acacias,  which  hid  from 
our  view  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river.  At  a  quarter  of  a  league  to  the 
west,  we  saw  otlier  acacias,  with  cultivated  fields  and  the  habitations  of 
the  Arabs.  There,  only,  I  felt  that  I  had  quitted  Egypt.  In  Lowcsr 
Nubia,  as  in  Egypt,  the  monotonous  aspect  of  the  palms,  the  burning 
rocks,  the  sands  which  threaten  to  engulf  the  valley  of  the  Nile,  occasion 
a  profound  feeling  of  melancholy ;  but  the  region  I  had  reached  pre- 
sented a  very  different  aspect — the  palms  were  the'e  replaciid  by  thick 
woods  of  acacias  and  of  nebbuks.  This  verdure  recalled  France  to  my 
mind  ;  I  felt  the  liveliest  emotion  in  traversing  this  smiling  country.  In 
th(  aft,ernoon  we  encamped  at  the  village  of  Hafyr,  where  we  remained 
a  day,  and  met  with  Messrs.  Waddington  and  Ilanbury,  who  came  from 
the  province  of  Shygheea,  the  limit  of  their  journey,  and  were  returning 
to  Cairo.  I  flattered  myself  that  this  unexpected  meeting  would  pro- 
cure me  the  advantage  of  learning  what  the  anticpiities  were  which,  the 
Arabs  had  told  me,  existed  in  Shygheca;  but  Mr.  Waddington,  whom  I 
questioned  on  the  subject,  was  by  no  means  indiscreet.  He  suflered  inc 
to  remain  in  the  most  profound  ignorance,  and  my  surprise  was  there- 
fore extreme,  when,  on  arriving  at  Berkel,  I  first  beheld  the  grand  monu- 
I    ments  there.'' 

A  few  days  after  this,  the  caravan  began  to  suff(?r  from  a  scarcity  of 
provisions.  Sheej)  were  to  be  had,  and  the  travelers  shot  doves  and 
partridges,  but  the  army  of  Ismail  Pasha  had  swept  away  all  the  grain, 
so  that  they  had  neither  bread  for  themselves,  nor  food  for  their  camels. 
Opposite  the  island  of  Argo,  Callliaud  learned  that  there  was  a  depot  of 
army  supplies,  but  on  visiting  it,  found  that  nothing  was  to  be  had  except 
some  dourra  (a  coarse  grain  resembling  broom-corn),  and  dried  beans, 
and  to  obtain  even  these  he  must  first  procure  an  order  from  King  Tom- 
bdul,  who  lived  on  an  adjoining  island.  Kafiz  Efiendi,  the  conunissary, 
nevertheless  received  the  traveler  kindly,  invited  him  to  dhmer,  and  ot 
fered  to  .allow  his  caravan  to  accomjiany  a  smi'll  military  party  of  his 
own,  which  was  to  leave  for  Ismael  Paslia's  camp  in  a  few  days.  This 
oH'cr  was  accepted  ;  a  visit  to  King  Tomboul  procured  two  bags  of 
dotu-ra  and  beam^;  and  Cailliaud  then  set  to  work  to  examine  the  anti- 
quities of  the  island. 

"  We  were  obliged,"  he  says,  "  to  traverse  plains  covered  with  thick 
woods,  where  it  was  often  necessary  to  descend  from  our  horses  in  order 

*  Tlic  T('in|ilo  of  Sdli'l),  cituiitLvl  iit  tlio  niiclst  of  i\  luiidMCiipo  wliidi  prospiitH  tlio  most 
liuntitii^  rDrinx,  stiiiuls  in  ;i  litilo  b;iy  of  vi'nlunv  iiii'losi-il  on  tlireu  siiloH  by  tlit'  rocks 


one 


'iiPM  unox- 


of  till'  licsiTt,      Whcilirr  tlif  travi'Ior  iipproiu'lu  :^  it  IVoin  iioilli  or  south,  it  ii]>p<'!i 

pirlrilly,  and  tin-  surpriso  vt  tlii.'  lirsl  viuw  tunils  tu  lu'ightt'ii  tho  inijirussion  of  its  nym- 
nii'try  ami  inujosty.— B.  T. 


17 


It  i 


l"i! 


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f- 


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258 


CAILLIAUD'S   JOURNEY    TO    ETHIOPIA. 


|!i! 


to  penetrate  the  little  paths,  bordered  with  acacia  and  arbutus.  The 
charms  of  these  delicious  patlis  made  us  disregard  the  obstacles  we  en- 
countered. Vegetation,  on  this  island,  breatiies  of  freshness  and  life : 
the  trees  which  have  been  dried  up  by  age,  or  choked  by  the  violent 
embraces  of  the  parasitic  vines,  ijitill  present  the  appearance  of  vigor  and 
youth,  under  the  tissue  of  verdure,  witii  which  these  gigantic  plants  em- 
brace them,  forming  arbors  Avhich  no  art  can  imitate.  We  at  haigth  ar- 
rived at  the  spot,  where  lie  the  two  colossal  statues  of  ^lemnon.  A  bare 
space,  covered  with  fragments  of  sandstone,  .and  two  hundred  and  iitly 
by  one  lumdred  and  seventy  feet,  indicates  the  extent  of  the  temple,  the 
materials  of  which  have  entirely  disaj)peared.  Xot  a  single  stone  of  any 
size,  which  might  have  formed  2>art  of  it,  can  now  lie  recognized.  At 
the  eastern  extremity  are  the  statues,  overthrown  nj)on  the  earth.  They 
are  of  gray  granite,  and  about  twenty-two  feet  higli.  The  execution  is 
not  of  a  very  good  style  ;  the  bodies  arc  too  flat,  and  the  nose  too  de- 
])ressed;  one  does  not  see  the  correct  and  beautiful  workmanshijt  of  the 
head  of  the  young  Memnon,  shipped  to  England  by  lielzoni — whence  I 
infer  that  the  latter  is  a  more  recent  Avork  than  the  colossi  of  Argos." 

After  several  days'  detention  on  the  island,  Cailliaud  joined  a  caravan 
of  a  hundred  and  fifty  camels,  and  accomp.inied  it  to  Old  Dongola,  wliich 
he  reached  in  five  days.  Here  he  liad  his  own  camels  and  baggage  trans- 
jiortcd  to  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Nile,  which  was  considered  iiKire  safe, 
and  then  devoted  two  days  to  an  inspection  of  the  town.  He  found  little 
to  interest  him  except  an  ancient  Coptic  convent,  built  of  burned  bricks. 
On  the  terrace  over  the  upper  story  were  still  to  be  seen  the  remains  of 
the  belfry,  while  pillars  of  granite,  with  the  lotus  capital,  supported  the 
interior.  The  Miissuhnen,  although  knowing  the  building  to  have  been 
erected  by  the  Christians,  had  nevertheless  converted  it  into  a  mosque. 
Dongola,  formerly  a  tlourishing  city,  had  been  ruined  by  the  incursions 
of  the  Shygheeas,  and  in  travershig  the  streets,  Cailliaud  only  met  with 
two  half-naked  women,  shivering  with  cold;  for  the  wind  was  l)lowing 
strongly  from  the  north,  and  the  place  was  enveloped  in  clouds  of  sand. 

Leaving  Dongola  on  the  3d  of  February,  the  caravan  continued  to 
ascend  the  Nile,  linding  traces  of  the  war  in  wounded  men  and  devas- 
tati'd  villages.  In  three  days  they  reached  tlie  frontier  of  the  Shygheea 
country,  at  the  village  of  Karafat.  While  resting  there  three-quarters 
of  an  hour  under  a  large  acacia,  they  were  accosted  by  several  Shygheeas, 
who  spoki'  Arabic.  One  of  (hem  liad  lost  his  ears  at  ihe  battle  of 
Korti,  and  ri'laled  to  Cailliaud  an  exciting  story  of  his  sulferiiigs  and 
escape.  JJeyond  this  were  many  abandoned  villages  and  deserted  fields. 
In  two  more  days  tliey  arrived  at  ]\[erawe,  "and  it  was  not  without  siir- 
jirise,*' says  Cailliaiiil,  "  that  I  found  here  a  jilace  of  this  name.  I  iii- 
(piired  carefully  whether  thert;  were  any  antiquities  in  tlie  neighborliood, 
and  was  informed  tliat  at  ^fount  IJerkel,  a  sliort  distance  oflT,  there  was 
a  'city  of  the  infidels.'  There  were  the  monuments  whose  existence  Mr. 
Waddington  wished  to  conceal  from  me.     The  next  morning  we  set  out 


I. 


i    • 


A    NIGHT    VISIT. 


259 


to  visit  ihom,  across  the  cultiAaldl  fioMs.  Passinj;  (lie  grand  pyramidal 
mansions  of  the  Sheklis  of  Hhygheea,  after  a  short  march,  we  reached  a 
little  village  called  Shibat.  What  was  my  joy,  when  I  discovered  pyra- 
mids to  the  north,  and  soon  a  great  extent  of  rnins  at  the  foot  of  Mount 
Berkel !  Impatient  to  arrive,  I  urged  on  my  dromedary.  I  then  ad- 
vanced on  foot  into  the  midst  of  those  immense  ruins ;  here,  the  remains 
of  a  beautiful  temple  were  exposed  to  my  gaze ;  there,  jiiled  together 
confusedly,  the  debris  c.f  pillars,  temples,  and  pyramids.  Where  shall 
I  direct  ni}'  steps  ?  To  which  shall  I  give  the  preference  ?  I  desired 
to  see  every  thing  at  once.  To  the  east,  on  the  other  bank,  I  saw  the 
summits  of  several  other  pyramids,  I  ran  rapidly  around  the  ancient 
iuclosurc  of  eight  temples,  and  the  pyramids  ;  but  the  day  passed  away, 
and  I  could  take  but  a  superficial  view  of  the  crowd  of  objects  which 
surrounded  me,  before  the  night  constrained  us  to  retire.  A  Shygheean 
family  gave  us  lodgings  for  tho  night,  in  a  little  village  near  the  river. 
The  women  oidy  were  at  home;  their  husbands,  in  order  to  escape 
from  the  Turks,  to  whom  they  had  not  yet  submitted,  were  concealed 
somewhere  in  the  desert." 

In  the  night,  while  Cailliaud  was  dreaming  of  the  anti«piities  he  had 
seen,  he  was  aroused  by  the  trampling  of  horses,  and  tlu>  voices  of  men. 
"I  arose,  and  as  our  chamber  had  no  door,  in  an  instant  I  was  in  the 
court,  where  I  saw  five  Shygheeans  on  horseback.  It  was  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  house,  accompanied  by  four  friends,  who  had  (piitted 
their  retreat,  to  visit  their  wives  under  cover  of  the  night.  One  of 
these  men  accosted  me  in  an  angry  voice,  demanding  why  the  pasha  did 
not  choose  some  other  mode  of  punishment  than  imj)alcinent.  I  was 
astoimvled  at  this  question,  the  purport  of  which  I  couUl  not  conceive ; 
but  his  friends  called  the  man  and  he  entered  with  them.  The  rest  of 
my  party  wre  already  awakened  bj'  the  noise.  The  Shygheeans  began 
to  drink  mareesa,  a  liquor  which  sometimes  bewilders  the  liead.  A 
slave  finally  gave  me  llie  key  to  the  sanguinaiy  remark  which  had  been 
ad<lrcssed  to  me.  The  bodies  of  five  cf  tho  hihabitants  of  the  place 
were  at  that  moment  exposed  near  our  lodging,  upon  the  stakes  of  their 
impalement ;  they  were  malefactors,  wlu)  had  been  executed  in  this 
manner  on  account  of  their  murders  and  robberies.  This  execution, 
horrible  as  it  was,  no  doubt  contributed  to  our  own  siifety.  We  kept 
guard  the  rest  of  the  night,  but  before  morning  the  five  Shygheeans 
hasteiunl  to  regain  the  desert." 

The  next  day  Cailliaud  set  out  on  avisit  to  Ismail  Pasha,  whose  camp 
he  r  !ied  after  a  march  of  five  hours.  The  prince  was  ill,  but  he  was 
ver\  kindly  received  by  Abdin  I5ey,  to  whom  he  delivered  his  new  fir- 
mans, and  wlio,  after  perusing  them,  made  profuse  offers  of  his  services. 
The  army  was  to  set  out  fi)r  IJerber  and  Shendy  in  three  days,  and  the 
traveler  immediately  sent  for  his  companion,  M.  lA'torzec,  and  the  rest 
of  his  baggage,  in  order  to  be  in  readiness.  IMeanwhile,  he  took  occa- 
sion to  visit  the  ]>yramids  of  Noori,  which  he  had  first  seen  at  a  distance, 


w\ 


i  !  h    ' 


I  ,    t  1  II 


HiH 


iii1!!i 


■  (   ■,  :  ; 


iH 


f 


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I'.'i.! 


KP«i 


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ir 


V] 


I ' 


260 


CAILLIAUD'S    JOURNEY    TO    ETHIOPIA 


I 


from  the  foot  of  Mount  Bcrkcl.  Those  jiyrainitls  arc  fifli'cn  in  nunibor, 
ofnvodoriitc  size,  tlio  base  of  tlio  larLftfst  measuring  one  liundred  anil 
sixty  feet,  l)Ut  curious  from  the  resemblance  of  some  of  them  to  the  ter- 
raced pyramids  of  Sakkara. 

On  the  18th,  Ismail  Pasha  having  recovered  from  his  feigned  indis- 
position, Cailliaud  ■vvas  admitted  to  see  him.  II(i  was  received  with  all 
the  political  cunning  of  the  Tiukish  race,  hut  it  was  decided  that  ho 
should  he  allowed  to  accompany  the  expedition,  although,  previous  to 
this  interview,  it  Avas  known  that  the  prince  was  strongly  opposed  to  it, 
imder  the  pretense  that  the  tirmans  of  his  father  were  not  addressed  to 
him.  He  liad  even,  as  Cailliaud  afterward  leanied,  sent  a  dispatch  to 
the  governor  at  Wady  Haifa,  to  prevent  the  traveler  from  going  beyond 
tliat  point,  but  the  messenger,  fortunately,  did  not  arrive  in  time.  The 
army  at  that  time  consisted  of  fom*  thousand  men,  of  whom  one  thou- 
sand eight  hundred  were  cavalry,  besides  two  thousand  servants,  and 
three  thousand  camels.  There  Avere  also  twenty-four  pieces  of  artillery. 
The  pasha  had  a  body-guard  of  twenty  Mamelukes.  The  dijjlomatic 
functions  were  exerciseil  by  three  iileinas,  wlio  made  great  efforts  to 
subjugate  the  j)eoplo  by  moral  suasion,  and  avoid  the  effusion  of  blood. 
They  often  succeeth'd  in  this  Innnane  intent,  and  were  rewarded  with 
robes  of  honor,  and  a  sum  equal  to  about  one  thousand  two  hundred 
dollars  each. 

The  camp  was  broken  up  on  the  21st  of  February,  and  the  army 
commenced  the  march  to  Berber.  One  third  of  the  troops  were  left 
with  the  boats,  which  were  obliged  to  wait  for  the  rise  of  the  Nile,  to 
pass  the  cataiacts ;  the  remainder,  headed  by  the  pasha,  took  a  south- 
east course  across  the  desert,  to  avoid  the  great  curve  of  the  Nile.  At 
nine  o'clock  a  gun  gave  the  signal  for  loading  the  camels,  and  the  march 
began  two  houis  afterward,  with  the  roll  of  drums.  The  route  was 
difficult,  on  account  of  the  rocky  ranges  which  it  was  necessary  to  cross. 
In  order  to  avoid  the  mid-day  heats,  the  army  traveled  mostly  by  night ; 
fires  were  lighted  .along  the  route,  as  landmarks,  and  the  troops  amused 
themselves  by  kindling  the  dry  foliage  of  the  doum-palms.  On  the  fifth 
night  a  violent  wind  arose,  which  drove  the  flames  among  tlie  baggage- 
camels,  and  several  of  Abdin  Bey's  tents  were  burned.  The  ammunition 
was  fortunately  in  the  rear,  and  escaped.  The  night-journey  was  so 
fiitiguing,  as  it  was  almost  impossible  to  obtain  sleep  during  the  day, 
that  Cailliaud  couM  Mith  difllculty  keep  his  se.at  on  his  camel.  In  the 
morning  the  rocky  valley  they  had  been  following,  became  more  nar- 
row ;  tlu;  j)resence  of  palms  and  acacias  Avas  liailed  with  delight,  for  it 
announced  the  proximity  of  the  Nile.  Finally,  iitter  amarcli  of  tburtoen 
hours,  worn  out  Avith  fatigue,  they  reached  the  river.  "Like  the  rest," 
says  the  traveler,  "  I  rendered  liomage  to  him,  in  (]uenching  my  thirst. 
In  the  twinklinir  of  an  eve,  the  banks  Avere  covered  with  soldiers;  all 
desired  to  drink  the  Avater  of  tlie  river,  or  to  i)lungo  into  it.  The  army 
appeared  to  have  regained  a  new  existence.     The  Nile,  in  fact,  gives 


-,i 


m 


I 


I 


I 


VISIT    OF    KING    LEOPARD. 


261 


life  to  every  thing  which  breatlics  or  vegotatt-s  in  thcf^^e  countries,  and 
the  Egyptian  who  is  afar  from  its  creative  waters  seems  to  have  lost  the 
essential  part  of  his  vitaHty," 

The  day  after  the  pasha's  arrival,  a  courier  brought  news  that  the 
Shygheeans  had  rallied  and  united  themselves  with  the  forces  of  Shcndy. 
Berber  was  but  two  days'  journey  distant,  but  the  cannon  liad  not  yet 
arrived,  and  a  further  halt  was  ordered,  until  it  should  come  up.  Three 
days  afterward,  another  courier  brought  a  contradiction  of  the  fust  mes- 
sage, which,  it  was  subsequently  ascertained,  was  only  a  iiisc  of  the 
]>asha,  in  order  to  encourage  his  troops  with  the  prospect  of  a  battle. 
The  march  was  resumed  at  midnight  on  the  4th  of  March,  "  Many  of 
the  camels,  overcome  with  fatigue,  dropped  by  the  way,  and  the  order 
was  given  to  slaughter  them  for  provisions.  One  of  my  own,  lying  upon 
the  ground,  was  unable  to  rise  ;  it  was  loaded  with  dhourra,  and  I  should 
have  willingly  lost  the  load  if  I  could  have  preserved  the  animal.  Tiie 
final  stimulant,  which  consists  in  applying  a  burning  torch  to  the  flanks, 
was  then  administered ;  the  poor  brute  rose  and  ran,  but  only  to  fall 
again,  further  on." 

In  approaching  El-Mekheyref,  the  chief  city  of  Berber,  the  pasha,  in 
order  to  make  a  strong  impression  on  the  inhabitants,  disposed  his  army 
in  order  of  battle.  The  brilliant  array  of  the  troops,  their  rich  dresses, 
and  the  splendor  of  the  pasha's  staff,  filled  the  people  with  astonishment 
and  admiration  ;  and  the  chiefs  of  the  country  came  at  once  with  offers 
of  submission.  In  order  to  proceed  further,  it  was  necessary  first  to  pro- 
cure a  great  number  of  baggage  camels,  and  expeditions  were  sent  among 
tlie  Arabs  of  the  surrounding  deserts  for  this  puriioso.  Soon  after  his 
arrival,  Cailliaud  paid  a  visit  to  the  King  of  Berber,  Xasr  ed-Deen,  whom 
he  found  lying  upon  his  bed,  sufferuig  irom  some  wounds  Avhich  he  had 
received  in  his  wars  with  the  Shygheeans.  A  low  stool,  exactly  similar 
to  those  which  are  represented  in  the  tombs  of  Thebes,  was  offered  to 
the  traveler,  who  Avas  also  furnished  Avith  coffee,  a  pipe,  and  some  other 
refreshments.  Five  shekhs,  tall,  athletic  men,  of  noble  figure,  were 
seated  around  the  king. 

"  On  the  12th  of  jMarcli,  a  son  of  Mek  Nomr  (King  Leopard),  the 
King  of  Shendy,  brought  to  Ismail  Pasha  the  news  of  the  submission  of 
that  coiuitry.  The  latter  desired  a  visit  from  the  ]\Iek  himself,  who 
reached  the  camp  on  the  22d.  lie  was  in  a  sort  of  pahuupiin,  carried  by 
two  camels.  His  costume,  of  an  elegant  simjjlicily,  consisted  of  two  robes 
of  great  fineness  ;  the  under  one  Avas  Avliite,  and  the  other  of  a  rich  In- 
dian stuff;  a  sort  of  mantle  hung  from  his  shoulders,  and  upon  liis  head 
was  a  pointed  cap,  with  long,  falling  ends.  His  guard  Avas  composed  of 
fifty  men  armed  Avith  lances,  shields,  and  sabers,  some  of  Avhich  Avero 
adorned  Avith  silver;  behii  him  marched  two  men  arme(i  Avitli  lances, 
and  two  others  carrying  long  Avands,  tipjted  with  balls  of  silver.  After 
having  several  times  ])rostrated  himsilf,  Avith  a  sad  and  lunniliated  air, 
tile  unhappy  king,  on  being  invited  thereto,  seated  himself  upon  a  carpet 


ri 


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262 


CAILLIAUD'S    JOURNEY    TO    P^TIIIOPIA. 


1 

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in  front  of  Ismail  Pasha.  lie  took  the  hand  of  the  hitter,  kissed  it  above 
and  below,  and  placed  it  upon  his  head  in  token  of  submission.  Tho 
pasha  gave  him  to  understand  that  liis  visit  was  tardy,  and  the  kin<if  luim- 
bly  replied  that  he  was  his  servant.  Neither  pipe  nor  coffee  was  pre- 
sented to  liiin.  At  the  end  of  ti'U  niiinitos  of  silence,  he  took  his  leave, 
all  the  intpnetude  of  his  soul  jiainted  cii  his  countenance.  The  next  day 
the  pasha  showi'd  liini  more  attention,  sending  him  a  horse  richly  capar- 
isoned, a  (b'ess,  a  green  tent,  and  some  dishes  from  his  own  table." 

Keintbrcemonts  having  arrived  from  Egypt,  the  army  was  obliged  to 
delay  its  march  from  the  want  of  provisions.  Cailliaud  was  very  impa- 
tient, but  made  the  most  of  his  time  in  endeavoring  to  ascertain  from  the 
inhabitants  whether  there  were  any  ancient  ruins  in  the  province.  On 
the  I'Jth  of  April,  being  in  the  pasha's  tent,  the  conversation  turned  upon 
gold  mines.  The  pasha  exhibited  a  large  diamond  which  liis  father  liad 
sent  him,  and  asked  Cailliaud  in  what  country  such  stones  were  found. 
The  latter  answered  that  all  the  diamond  mines  heretofore  discovered 
■were  situated  about  tho  18th  parallel  of  latitude.  lie  took  occasion  to 
say,  also,  that  in  order  to  discover  the  true  diamond  soil,  it  would  be  ad- 
visable to  make  excursions  out  of  the  regular  track  of  the  army,  and 
added  that  the  anticpiarian  explorations  Avhich  he  desired  to  make  in 
Shendy  might  be  turned  to  good  account,  in  this  manner.  After  tho 
subject  had  been  fully  explained,  tho  pasha  stated  that  as  the  rainy  sea- 
son would  soon  commence,  the  army  would  not  halt  at  Shciidy,  but,  to 
Cailliauil's  great  <lelight,  gave  him  permission  to  set  out  in  advance,  with 
a  small  ocort.  He  insisted,  however,  that  the  travelers  should  pass  for 
Turks,  ami  assume  Turkish  names,  giving  to  Cailliaud  the  name  of  Murad 
Etfendi,  and  to  M.  Letorzec  that  of  Abdallah  El-Fakeer.  When  the  two 
conversed  in  French,  the  natives  supposed  the  language  to  be  Turkish 
(and,  in  fact,  there  is  some  resemblance  in  tho  sound  of  tho  two  lan- 
guages), while  their  Turkish  dresses,  their  bare  legs,  their  long  beards, 
their  shaven  heads,  and  their  tanned  complexions,  made  the  disguise  com- 
plete, and  caused  them  to  be  taken  everywhere  for  good  Mussulmen. 

Having  received  iirmans  from  tho  pasha,  they  set  out  two  days  after- 
ward, and  after  passing  the  mouth  of  tho  Atbara  (the  ancient  Astiv 
boras),  the  most  northern  tributary  of  the  Nile,  contiiuied  their  journey 
for  two  days,  and  then  ci(jssed  to  tho  eastern  bank  of  the  Nile,  at  tho 
village  of  El-Iiagheyr.  Here,  Cailliaud  had  already  passed  the  latitude 
assigned  by  the  French  geograjjlier,  D'Anville,  to  the  ancient  city  of 
Meroe,  and  was  imcertaui  what  course  to  take.  After  sweeping  tho 
liorizon  in  vain,  for  some  trace  of  rnius,  he  proceeded  southward,  enter- 
ing the  territory  of  Mek  Nemr,  of  Shendy.  Their  appearance  called  to- 
gether a  crowd  of  peoi)le  ;  the  envoys  sent  by  the  pasha  to  Shendy  had 
followed  the  western  bank  of  the  Nil(>,  and  they  were  tho  first  Turka 
Avhom  the  natives  had  ever  seen.  They  judged  it  prudent  to  say  that 
they  were  only  a  little  in  advaiu-e  of  tlu'  jtasha's  army.  After  the  inhab- 
itants had  retiri  .,  Cailliaud  took  his  guide  apart,  and  began  to  question 


^..ijJ 


DISCOVERY    OF    MEllOK. 


263 


L 


him  conccrninj^  what  he  htiil  lioard  iti  Berber,  that  one  day's  journey 
nortli  of  Sliendy  there  were  a  cjreat  many  tarabcclx,  or  heaps  of  hewn 
stones.  The  latter,  supjKishi^  that  tlie  traveler  was  Miit  by  the  pasha 
to  discover  hichlen  treasures,  Hrst  asked  him  whether,  if  lu'  foiind  a  great 
quantity  of  gold,  he  would  give  him  a  little,  that  he  might  get  married. 
To  this  Cailliaud  eot)sented,  and  he  then  verilied  the  stateinent,  adding 
that  the  tarabceh  w<ve  only  four  or  five  leagues  distant ;  that  there  were 
a  hundred  of  the.ii,  and  that  it  was  poss'lle  to  climb  to  their  summits. 

Cailliaud  feared  that  these  tarabeels  were  simply  heaps  of  granito 
boulders,  such  as  are  seen  at  Assouan.  Ilis  excitement  was  so  great  that 
he  could  not  sleep ;  rousing  liis  party  at  one  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
much  to  their  ast>'iushment,  he  set  out.  Mek  Xemr  had  i)assed  along 
the  day  before,  on  his  return  to  Shendy  ;  his  convoy  had  plundered  'ho 
mhabitants  of  the  villages  through  which  they  j)assed,  and  the  people 
were  awake  and  lamenting  over  their  loss.  The  travelers  feared  a  ro- 
])ri.sal  under  cover  of  the  night,  and  did  not  consider  themselves  safe,  un- 
til the  dawn  api)eared,  when  they  entereil  an  open  desert  plain  three 
miles  in  length.  "The  guide  then  announced  to  me  that  we  should  soon 
see  the  tarahecb-i.  Imagine  the  joy  A\hich  I  felt  on  beholding  a  crowd 
of  j)yramids,  the  summits  of  which  were  splendidly  gilded  by  the  rays  of 
the  sun,  then  just  above  the  horizon  !  Never  did  he  ilhunine  a  spectacle 
more  delightful  to  me  !  I  lu'ged  on  my  dromedary ;  I  would  have  anni- 
hilated the  space  of  a  lenLTue  or  two  which  still  separated  me  from  the 
ruins  of  the  ancient  capital  of  Ethio])ia.  At  last,  I  arrived  ;  my  first  aim 
was  to  mount  an  eminence  that  I  might  embrace  at  one  glance  the  whole 
extent  of  the  ruins.  I  remained  motionless  with  pleasure  and  admiration 
at  the  sight  of  this  imposing  spectacle.  I  then  ascended  the  most  ele- 
vated of  the  momuneiits.  There,  wishing  to  pay  a  tribute  of  homage  to 
the  illustrious  geoLrrapher  whose  genius  had  directed  my  steps,  I  carved 
upon  the  stone  the  name  of  D'Anville.  Again  casting  my  eyes  around 
nie,  I  discovered  in  the  west  a  .second  group  of  i)yramids,  and,  a  short 
di.stance  from  the  river,  a  vast  space  covered  with  ruins  and  rubbish,  an- 
nouncing the  situation  of  the  ancient  city.  When  the  rest  of  my  i)arty 
arrived,  I  descended  to  examine  the  little  sanctuaries  attached  to  the 
tombs  ;  silence  and  solitiuh^  prevailed  everywhere.  I  saw,  to  my  great 
regret,  the  imj)o.«sibiIity  of  establishing  my  residence  in  one  ci  these  fii- 
ncreal  chambers,  and  therefore  sought  an  abo(h'  in  the  litde  village  of 
Assour,  near  the  river.  In  repairing  thither,  I  jassed  aniong  the  otlier 
pyramids  and  the  ruins  which  I  had  seen,  and  <listinguished  there  the 
remains  of  several  temples,  with  an  avenue  adorned  with  colossal  rams." 

('ailliaud  found  that  the  letters  of  the  ))asha  were  not  respected  by 
the  I  hicfs  of  the  village.  He  therefore  adopted  the  more  prudent  ]ilati 
of  inviting  them  to  dinner,  and  distributing  some  beads  and  other  trink- 
ets among  the  people.  Tliis  course  soon  established  him  in  their  goo<l 
graces,  and  he  was  allowed  to  continue  his  explorations  undisturbed, 
during  the  fourteen  days  which  intervened  before  the  arrival  of  the 


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264 


CAILLIAUU'S    JOUUNEY    TO    ETHIOPIA. 


l)asha  and  liis  army.  The  group  of  pyriimuls  wliioli  lie  hail  first  seen  be- 
longed to  the  necropolis  of  the  ancient  city.  They  stand  upon  a  low 
ridge  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  of  Mogran.  They  are  all  built  of  fine 
red  sandstone,  in  regular  courses  of  masonry,  the  sjjaces  of  which  are  not 
filled,  or  cased,  as  in  the  Egyptian  pyrannds,  except  at  the  corners,  which 
are  covered  with  a  narrow  hem,  or  molding.  The  stones  are  about 
eighteen  inches  high,  and  the  recession  of  each  course  varies  from  two 
to  foi.r  inches,  so  that  the  height  of  the  structure  is  always  mudi  greater 
than  the  breadth  of  the  base.  A  j)eculiarity  of  these  pyramids  is,  that 
the  sides  are  not  straight  but  curved  lines,  of  different  degrees  of  convex- 
ity, and  the  breadth  of  the  courses  of  stonc!  is  adjusted  with  the  utmost 
nicety,  to  ])roduce  this  form.  The  largest  of  these  pyramids  has  a  base 
of  fifty-eight,  with  an  elevation  of  eighty-five  feet.  There  are  twenty-ono 
in  all,  besides  the  substructiu'es  of  sixteen  others.  To  the  east  are  twenty 
others,  more  or  less  ruined,  and  on  the  plain  nearer  the  Nile,  the  remains 
of  a  group  of  forty-six,  some  of  which  are  very  small,  having  leases  of 
from  fifteen  to  twenty  feet.  The  sites  of  one  himdnd  (Did  nitiety-tiix 
pyramids,  in  all,  have  been  discovered.  Of  this  city,  nothing  remains 
except  mounds  of  pottery  and  broken  l)ricks,  the  foundations  f)f  stono 
walls,  fragments  of  columns  and  statues,  and  occasionally  the  outlines  of 
temples  and  other  public  edifices,  covering  an  extent  of  nearly  two  miles. 
From  the  more  recent  researches  of  Lepsius,  the  age  of  these  rums  !=« 
fixed  at  from  two  thousand  to  tAventy-two  hundred  years. 

During  his  stay,  Cailliaud  was  not  without  considerable  anxiety  for 
the  safety  of  his  party.  Wishing  to  forAvard  news  of  his  discoveries  to 
Europe,  he  determined  to  send  one  of  his  Arabs  to  Egypt,  with  letters, 
and  engaged  one  of  the  men  of  Assour  to  accompany  him  as  far  as  the 
arm}'.  On  the  return  of  the  latter  he  learned  that  his  messenger  had 
been  waylaid  and  robbed  by  the  country  people,  who  had  destroyed  all 
the  letters.  The  shehh  of  a  neighboring  village,  who  had  become  liis 
friend,  informed  hint  that  the  soldiers  of  JNIek  Nemr  intended  to  seizo 
him,  and  oflx'red  him  an  asylum  in  his  own  house.  liut  the  A'ery  next 
day,  foitunately,  the  first  of  the  pasha's  boats  appeared  on  the  Nile,  an- 
nouncing the  immediate  approach  of  the  Egyptian  army,  Avhich  arrived 
two  days  afterward,  on  the  8th  of  May.  Cailliaud  was  now  safe,  and 
luuing  completed  liis  drawings  and  measurements,  he  followed  the 
(roops,  and  arrived  next  day  at  Shendy.  On  crossing  the  Nile  to  visit 
the  ])asha,  who  was  cncamjjcd  uj)on  the  western  bank,  he  was  informed 
by  the  latter  that  the  army  would  continue  its  march  to  Sennaar — a  cir- 
cinnstanco  which  obliged  him  to  postpone  an  ex(un'sion  to  the  valleys 
of  ]\lesowurat  and  Naga,  south-east  of  Shendy,  where,  lie  was  informed, 
there  were  many  ruined  temples. 

On  the  15th  of  May,  the  king  of  Shygheea  came  to  render  his  sub- 
mission to  the  pasha.  He  expressed  a  desire  to  enter  a  military  life,  and 
was  accordingly  attached  to  the  army,  at  the  head  of  four  hundred  men 
of  his  tribe.     The  same  day  the  camp  was  broken  up,  and  the  army 


L_ 


1^  n 


I'M 


CROSSING    THE    WHITE    NILE. 


265 


comnK'nccd  its  iiiiircli  for  IIuHUy  a»J  Sennaiir.  As  tlio  disposition  of 
tho  inliabitants  of  tlioso  countnes  was  not  known,  ("listril)utions  of  aiu- 
nuuiition  were  made,  and  every  one  required  to  be  on  tlie  alert.  The 
journey  was  very  painful  jind  fatiguing  ;  there  were  not  enoiigli  bag- 
gage-eauiels  to  carry  a  sutKeient  8Uj)ply  of  grain,  and  .as  the  eountry  wad 
thinly  inhabited,  both  men  and  beasts  suffered  severely  from  hiuiger. 
Many  camels  perished ;  the  soldiers  Avere  reduced  to  eating  the  nuts  of 
the  doum-pahn,  and  pillage  became  the  order  of  the  day.  Aller  ten 
days  tlu!  .army  arrived  opposite  Ilalfay,  the  king  of  which  liad  announced 
his  submission  two  days  beforel  iind,  Cailliaud  crossed  the  Xile  in  a 
canoe  and  visited  the  town,  which  he  found  .almost  deserted.  lie  had 
great  difficulty  in  procuring  provisions,  as  the  udiabitants  had  concealed 
their  supplies.  Finding  it  impossible  to  return  the  same  night,  he  was 
obliged  to  ask  the  kuig's  hosjiitality,  which  was  cheerfully  extended 
to  him. 

It  was  Ismail  Pasha's  intention  to  make  a  halt  at  Ilalfay,  but  on  ar- 
rivuig  there  he  learned  that  Sennaiir  Avas  in  a  state  of  revolution,  the 
legitimate  king,  who  liad  been  held  cai)tivc  for  a  long  time  by  two 
usurpers,  having  succeeded  in  establishuig  a  party,  Avhile  a  third  usurper, 
who  had  arisen,  was  hostile  to  both.  These  intestine  troubles  seemed 
to  the  pasha  to  furnish  a  fovorable  opportunity  for  the  accomplishment 
of  his  own  i)lans,  and  lie  hastened  to  profit  by  it.  Continuing  the 
march,  the  army  reached  the  confluence  of  the  Blue  and  White  Niles 
on  the  ^Tth,  and  encamped  on  the  banks  of  the  latter,  at  a  place  called 
Onidurman,  near  a  wood  of  large  acacias.  Here  commenced  the  king- 
doms of  Sennaar  on  the  eastern  b.ank,  and  of  Kordofan,  on  the  western. 
3Iany  of  the  slaves,  who  were  natives  of  the  latter  country,  and  of  Dar- 
Fur,  which  lies  beyond  it,  took  occasion  to  escajie  from  the  fatigues  and 
brutal  treatment  to  Avhich  they  had  been  subjected :  among  them  was 
one  which  Cailliaud  had  purchased  in  Berber  for  the  moderate  price  of 
seventy-tive  francs. 

The  passage  of  the  river  commenced  on  the  following  day.  There 
were  only  five  small  boats  to  be  had,  which  were  employed  to  transport 
the  artillery,  baggage,  and  ammunition.  The  prospect  of  approaching 
battle,  pillage,  and  booty,  and  the  confidence  of  victory  with  which  their 
pre\  ious  successes  had  inspired  them,  excited  the  soldiers  to  the  highest 
pitch.  "During  three  days,  the  surface  of  the  river  Avas  covered  Avith 
camels,  horses,  Turks,  and  Arabs,  Avho  cast  themselves  into  it,  some  pup- 
porting  themselves  by  empty  jars,  or  j)ieces  of  Avood,  others  clinging  to 
the  tails  of  horses,  or  the  humps  of  camels.  In  this  manner  piissed  the 
army,  consisting,  Avith  the  slaves,  of  five  thousan<l  five  hundred  men,  and 
three  thousand  camels  and  horses.  It  avouW  be  difKcult  to  describe  the 
tumult,  the  confusion,  the  cries  of  men  and  beasts,  and  the  sound  of  the 
blows  Avith  which  the  poor  beasts  AA'cre  forced  into  the  flood  :  one  Avould 
have  said  that  it  Avas  a  retreating  host,  pursued  Avith  the  sAVord,  rather 
than  troops  rushing  confidently  to  victory.     Unhappily,  this  excessive 


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266 


CAILLIAUD'S    JOURNEY    TO    ETHIOPIA 


zc'.il  ocr'.isioiiod  the  loss  of  thirty  nion,  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  camels 
and  horses." 

'riio  point  of  land  between  the  two  rivei-s,  fornunjr  the  northern  ex- 
trenr.y  of  the  peninsula  of  Sennaar,  was  called  Ttrr.s*  (Cape)  d-Khartoum. 
Haifa  league  to  the  eastward,  on  the  bank  of  the  Blue  Nile,  were  the 
first  habitations  of  Sennaar.*  At  the  sight  of  the  army  the  inhabitants 
took  to  iliglit.  The  embassadors  whom  the  i)asha  had  sent  to  deinaml 
the  sidjmission  of  those  who  held  the  reins  of  government,  returned 
witli  the  information  that  a  large  army  had  collected  near  the  caj)ital, 
with  several  pieces  of  cannon  ;  and  the  kings  had  replied  that  they  would 
wait  to  see  the  pasha's  army  before  they  decide<l  what  they  would  do. 
The  order  was  given  to  continue  the  march,  l)ut  as  Cailliaud  liad  heard 
at  HalOiy  that  there  were  ruins  at  a  place  called  Sobah,  on  the  Hluo 
Nile,  he  applied  ♦o  the  pasha  for  a  boat  to  ascend  the  river,  while  M. 
Letorzec  follo>-.  cd  the  army  with  the  camels  and  baggage. 

Cailliaud  set  sail  on  the  1st  of  Juuf,  and  arrived  next  day  at  a  town 
called  Kid^lylfim,  near  Sobah.  At  his  appearance,  a  crowd  of  ))eoj)le 
collected,  astonished  at  his  Osmanli  costunu',  which  they  had  never  be- 
fore seen.  In  the  habit  of  touching  all  that  they  saw,  they  passed  their 
hands  over  his  garments ;  the  shawl  and  shoes  attracted  them,  especially 
the  latter,  with  tlu'  red  color  of  which  they  were  delighted.  At\er 
having  thus  exa'iined  him  tlu-y  ('(nulucteil  him  to  the  shekh,  where  a 
second  inspection  took  place.  The  shekh,  iiir  irom  suspecting  that  ho 
was  a  Christian,  receiveil  him  in  tlu^  mos(iue.  He  asked  many  (juestions 
conceining  tiu'  Kgyjitian  army,  but  as  Cailliimd  was  very  desirous  of 
visiting  the  ruins,  he  gave  him  a  Spanish  dollar,  and  received  a  horse 
and  guide.  The  slu'kh  infornu'd  him  that  he  had  done  well  to  tra\el  in 
a  boat,  for  the  gouer.il  opinion  in  the  country  was  that  the  jiasha's  army 
would  be  cut  to  pieces  at  Sennnar,  where  there  were  four  large  cannon, 
and  eight  or  ten  thousand  warriors.  Soliah  Avas  reached  al'ler  a  ride  of 
an  hour  and  a  iialii  and  the  traveler  saw  distinctly  that  an  ancient  city 
hiid  once  stood  there;  but,  to  his  great  mortitication,  nothing  Avas  to  bo 
foimd  e\<epl  heajis  of  eiuth  and  gravel — not  a  single  stoiu'  of  any  size, 
nor  the  slightest  trace  of  a  wall,  'i'hi'  only  object,  which  gave  any  evi- 
di'uei'  of  the  ancient  character  of  the  i)lace,  was  a  mutilatcil  ram-headed 
S])hinx,  about  live  fee*  in  length. 

I  )uring  the  I'ollowiiig  week  the  wind  was  adxcrse,  and  the  voyngo 
was  very  slow  and  tiresome,  but  the  desire  of  ascertaining  the  points  of 
jinu'tion  of  the  Haliad  and  the  Dender,  .Vbyssinian  tributaries  of  tlio 
lilue  Nile,  induced  Cailliaud  to  contimm  his  journey  by  water.  He  had 
learned,  from  a  courier,  that  the  pasha's  army  was  marching  forward 
Avitl'out  resistance,  jm  I  soon  alhrward  heard  that  the  king  of  SennaAr 

♦  Now  tlio  fity  of  Klmrtomn,  a  iilatv  of  from  tliirty  to  forty  thousand  iiilml)it.-\titH, 
which  )iii.H  been  built  uj)  entirely  uiKlor  tlio  I'Vyptian  (ioniinution.  It  hiw  lu-oonio  tho 
((nut  tniiliiii;  iniirt  <<f  ("iMt<'rii  Huudaii,  aud  ita  ri^iu  Lua  tUurufuro  buoa  tho  ruin  uf  both 
Shundy  uud  Suuuuur.^H.  T. 


I 


SCENERY    ON    THE    BLUE    NILE. 


267 


had  submitted  qiiit'tly ;  that  lio  had  como  in  great  state  to  visit  the 
pasha,  accompanied  by  his  minister.'^,  the  piincii)al  inliabitants  of  the 
capital,  and  an  escort  of  two  lumdred  men  ;  that  he  and  tlie  paslia  liad 
exchanged  gifts,  and  tlie  latter  had  taken  possession  of  the  capital. 
After  passing  the  mouth  of  the  Ilahad,  Cailliand,  on  the  I'Jth,  reached 
the  village  of  Kourdkcyleh,  where  the  scenery  began  to  assume  a  very 
different  aspect.  "At  the  dawn  of  day,"  says  he,  "T  eiulcavored  to 
enter  the  forest  of  Kourdkeyleh  to  siu'prise  some  wild  annuals.  I  saw 
there  many  monkeys,  the  fresh  tracks  of  the  elephants,  guinea  fowls, 
and  birds  of  brilliant  plumage,  which  uttered  harsh  cries.  Since  the 
Pharaohs,  perhaps,  no  bark  had  spread  its  sail  on  the  river  which  I 
navigated,  and  it  was  not  without  a  keen  satisfaclion  that  I  saw  mine 
.advancing  be^'jre  all  others,  tighting  with  the  winds  in  (piarters  where 
the  gaze  of  a  European  had  never  before  penetrateil.  I  fl'lt  an  invol- 
untary emotion  in  contemplating  those  trees,  conqiurors  of  Time,  which 
age  had  not  bent ;  those  thick  woods,  whose  eternal  i'oliage  never 
8j)read  for  the  traveler  a  protecting  shade  agauist  *he  buining  sun; 
tliose  iiuiccessible  thickets  where  the  shepherd  never  !i'd  his  tlocks. 
Savage  nature  alone  breathed  amid  this  constantly  renewed  vegetation  ; 
the  acacias,  the  nebbuks,  the  dead  trees  tluinselves,  were  enlaci-d  in  the 
ine.vtricable  convolutions  of  the  parasitic  vines,  thus  ibrming  a  compact 
mass  of  verdure,  through  which  a  few  almost  impracticable  paths  allowed 
the  light  to  enter.  The  shock  of  our  (kus  and  the  sound  of  the  water 
against  our  bark  alarmed  the  inhabitants  of  the  tlood  ;  the  cnn  o<lil(>s 
forsook  the  solitary  shores,  and  the  frightened  hippoj)otami,  swimming 
in  hi'rds  around  us,  sei'ined  by  their  bellowings  to  reproach  us  fir 
having  invaded  their  domain.  The  river  was  bonb-red  with  the  bam- 
boo, the  ebony,  ami  other  new  and  ]irecious  woods;  we  saw  tret'S, 
plants,  insects,  and  shells  of  unknown  kinds,  and  rejoiced  in  the  dis- 
tinctive, yet  hitherto  unknown  physiognomy  of  this  virgin  soil." 

The  traveler  passi'd  the  mouth  of  the  lliver  Dender,  .and  continued 
slowly  to  advance  until  the  '21st,  when,  having  arrivecl  within  three 
leagues  of  Sennaar,  he  finished  the  journey  by  land.  The  army  had 
already  been  encanijicd  there  eight  days.  M.  Letorzec  and  the  rest  of 
the  party  were  comfortably  estabiishi'd.  Cailiiaud  imme(li;itely  i-alled 
'ipon  the  pasha,  whom  he  found  greatly  elated  with  his  rapid  suc'csses. 
lie  at  once  began  to  speak  of  Ka/.ogl  and  its  rich  mines  of  gold,  believ- 
ing that  it  was  in  his  power  to  aild  still  richer  and  more  fertile  regions 
to  those  which  he  had  already  brought  under  tlu'  Egyptian  rule.  .Mean- 
while, it  was  necessary  first  to  arrange  the  internal  affairs  of  Sennaar. 
King  Hady,  the  legitimate  monarch,  was  reinstated,  and  name<l  shekh 
of  the  kingdo!n  ;  one  of  the  two  usurpers  had  fled  info  ,\l»yssinia,  af\er 
having  triacheroiisly  murdered  the  other.  Cailiiaud  employeil  his  timo 
in  seeking  for  ancient  remains,  and  having  heard  that  there  was  a  great 
figure  in  stone  at  Dji'bel-^Iouyl,  seven  leagues  from  Sennaar,  persuadecl 
the  pasha  to  furnish  him  with  an  escort  for  a  journey  thither,     llo 


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268 


CAILLIAUD'S    JOURNEY    TO    ETHIOPIA. 


found,  however,  that  this  statue  was  nothing  more  than  a  heap  of  rough 
granite  boulders,  Avhieh  bore  a  faint  resenibhince  to  a  human  figure. 

"  On  the  '2i.'d  of  July,"  says  Cailliaud,  "  I  j»aid  a  visit  to  the  former 
king,  Bady.  I  found  him  seated  on  a  stool,  in  one  of  the  eourts  of  his 
residence,  wher(>  he  enjoyeu  the  fresh  air,  with  his  mijiisters  and  some 
persons  of  his  suite  at  his  side.  He  ordered  a  straw  mat  to  be  brought, 
on  whieh  I  placed  myself  He  was  <lressed  in  a  broad  shirt  of  white 
linen  ;  his  legs  were  bare,  liis  feet  covered  with  long  sandals,  and  the 
rt)yal  cap  upon  his  head.  A  servant  brouglit  him  a  pipe  of  the  com- 
monest kind  xiscd  in  the  comitry.  Bady  is  a  man  of  about  forty  years 
old,  of  middling  lieight,  robust,  of  an  agreeable  ligure,  with  crisp  hair 
and  a  cop])ery  eomjilexion,  which  is  that  of  the  race  of  Foungi,  to  which 
he  belongs.  He  asked  me  what  difference  1  found  between  my  country 
and  his,  believing  me  to  be  from  Constantinople,  antl  I  drew  a  j)icturo 
whicii  threw  liis  own  eajtital  (piite  into  the  sliade.  '  At  present,' said 
he,  '  Scmiaar  is  no  longer  to  bo  recognized;  it  is  very  different  from 
wliat  it  was  in  the  times  of  my  ancestors.'  Then,  with  a  visible  emotion, 
lie  bade  me  see  all  aroimd  him  the  ruins  of  the  palace  of  his  father, 
Avhich  still  overlooks  the  whole  city.  '  These  ruins,'  said  he,  '  are  the 
remains  of  the  power  of  my  ancestors,  the  limits  of  whose  kiiigdom 
once  reached  to  the  conlines  of  Dongola.'  Having  nothing  M'orthy  of 
his  rank  to  otVer  him,  I  gave  him  one  of  my  boxes  of  oxygenated 
ma.trlics.  "When  he  saw  one  of  them  ignite  in  the  sulphuric  acid,  ho 
called  upon  the  name  vt'  the  I'rophet,  and  exhibited  the  greatest  sur- 
prise." 

In  the  beginning  of  August,  the  }>asha,  in  a  conversation  with  (\'iil- 
liaud,  praised  the  clinuite  of  Sennaar,  and  declareil  that  the  contrary 
a'vounts  given  by  Briu'e  were  totally  false.  Only  one  month  of  the 
ramy  season  Iiad  passed;  the  rain  liad  not  been  fre(|uent  nor  the  heat 
excessive,  and  there  was  no  sickness  among  the  troops.  "  The  rains 
Cease  at  the  end  of  September.  The  soil,  prof'oiuidly  saturated,  retains 
here  and  there  j)ools  of  stagnant  water,  which,  ferment ing  by  the  siul- 
den  action  of  the  heat,  exhale  putrid  miasma.  These,  joined  to  the  not 
less  jiernicious  vapors  of  the  earth,  vitiate  the  air,  and  engender  a  liost 
of  mal.idies  ;  the  fevers,  above  all,  prevail  until  Janu:uy.  At  the  ap- 
proach of  this  disastrous  seas<m,  tlie  inhabitants  of  tlio  banks  of  the 
river  inusten  to  desert  tht>  villages  with  their  beasts,  an<l  to  fly  I'rom  tho 
pestiferous  atmosphere."  Twenty  days  al\<  r  this  convt-rsatioii  with  the 
pasha,  malignant  fevers,  dysenteries,  and  alVi'ctions  of  the  liver,  threat- 
ening an  epidemic,  prevailed  among  the  troops.  iSf.  TiCtorzcc,  the  in- 
terpreter, and  two  of  C'ailliaud's  Arab  servants,  became  very  ill,  and  si.T 
ofthe(treek  and  Italian  iihvsici.'uis  of  the  arrnv  died.  '' Bv  the 'J'ith 
of  September,  tliere  were  six  huinired  deaths  and  two  thousand  sick,  in 
an  army  of  three  thousand  men,  and  the  number  increased  every  day. 
During  the  w1k)1i)  campaign,  the  army  liad  never  before  been  in  so 
pitiable  u  comUtion.     The  j>asi»i,  in  despair,  drew  up  an  account  of  his 


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MORTALITY    AT    SENNAAR. 


2G9 


situation,  and  sent  it  to  liis  ilitlu-r.  Tlic  soldiers  were  oblij^cd  to  cat 
dourra  of  a  very  inferior  <niaiiry,  Mhich  was  \  cry  uiuvholcsonie  for  thoni ; 
destitute  of  clothes,  almost  half-naked,  they  slept  on  the  danij*  earth  ; 
there  were  neither  physicians  nor  medicine  of  t'le  proper  kind.  Jlorscs 
and  camels  died  in  all  parts  of  tiie  city  and  its  cTivirons,  :!m<1  the  police 
were  not  sufficiently  careful  to  remove  the  carcases,  wliich  soon  infected 
the  air.  All  these  causes  contributed  to  augment  the  number  and  in- 
tensity of  the  diseases." 

Ibrahim  Pasha  arrived  at  Sennai'ir  on  the  night  of  the  'J.'d  of  Oc- 
tober, to  the  surprise  of  his  brother,  who  did  not  expect  him  so  sunn. 
Fearing  the  contagion  with  which  the  city  was  infecteil,  he  only  remained 
tlierc  two  hoin-s,  and  encamped  about  a  league  to  tlie  southward.  Tlie 
arrival  of  tliis  prince,  who  was  a  general  favorite,  rallied  the  spirits  of 
the  troops.  lie  hastened  to  supi)Iy  the  sick  with  rice,  Hour,  and  other 
articles  from  his  own  stores,  paid  the  tr()()|»s  tlieir  arrears,  and  funiislie(l 
them  with  clothes.  His  ]i]iysieian  conceived  the  ha])py  idea  of  trans- 
porting the  sick  several  leagues  hito  the  interior,  and  the  change  of  air, 
with  the  more  careful  treatmi-nt  which  they  experienced,  soon  ])roduced 
a  rapid  diminution  of  their  number.  "  For  my  part,"  says  Caiili.iud,  "I 
have  experienced  many  tribulations.  The  state  of  M.  Letorzec.  and  my 
interpriiter  gave  mc  the  greatest  anxiety,  and  my  Arabs  were  devoured 
with  fever.  For  two  months,  I  had  been  obhge(l  to  take  care  of  all  the 
))ers()ns  who  were  attaehecl  to  me,  attend  t(t  all  our  wants,  prepare  our 
food,  wash  my  own  clothes,  look  af\er  my  sick  e;unels,  and  seek  in  all 
directions  for  the  necessaries  of  life.  When  I  <'ould  obtain  a  little  wheat, 
paying  for  it  at  the  rate  of  a  franc  }»er  jiound,  T  mixed  it  with  three 
parts  of  dourra,  and  made  cakes  which  served  us  instead  of  br(^ad. 
Noi\e  of  the  natives  would  si'rv(!  >is  at  any  price,  and  it  was  impossible 
to  fmd  other  domestics.  All  the  otlicers  of  the  army  were  in  the  same 
case.  My  interjtreter  gave  me  the  greatest  trouble;  he  became  insane, 
and  I  was  ol\en  obliged  to  bind  him  fist,  ujioii  his  bed.  This  state 
was  followed  by  complete  eiLJiauslion,  and  the  unfjrlunate  man  at  last 
died." 

Cailliaud  visited  Ibrahim  Pasha  soon  arter  his  arrival.  lie  was  very 
kindly  received  by  the  prince,  who,  atler  the  traveler  hail  expressed  to 
him  his  desire  ti>  explore  the  Wiiite  Nile,  an<l  to  pent  trate  to  liornoii 
and  Tmibuctoo,  sent  for  his  maps — a  fme  colhn'tifm  of  which  he  carried 
with  him — and  explained  the  jilan  of  his  campaign.  Ismail  Pasha,  with 
half  of  thc!  troops,  Avas  to  follow  the  course  of  the  IMue  Nile  as  fir  as 
FazogI  :  Il)ralnm  advancing  toward  the  south-wi'sf,  would  reach  the 
Wiiite  Nile  somewhere  in  the  territories  of  the  Dinkas.  The  ton  i<m-, 
turning  westward,  was  to  visit  the  pretentieil  gold  mines  of  (lamamyl, 
and  then  proceed  in  the  same  direction,  where  tlxt  abundant  r.ains  fur- 
nish a  number  of  wells  and  natural  cisterns.  Ibrahim  would  approach 
his  brotlier  imtil  the  junction  of  the  two  nrtnies  should  take  place,  and 
they  would  retuni  northward  on  a  route  parallel  to  the  two  rivers.     Af- 


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270 


CAILLIAUD'S    JOURNEY    TO    ETHIOPIA. 


tor  this  Avas  acooniplished,  Ibrahim's  magnificent  plan  was  to  explore  the 
White  Xile  with  well-armed  barks  and  canoes,  to  its  very  sources.  If 
the  river  should  coimnunicate  with  the  Niger,  the  fleet  would  enter  the 
latter  stream  ;  otherwise  it  would  return,  and  after  being  reinforced, 
would  march  upon  Kordoflin,  Dar-Fur  and  Jiornou,  and  return  to  Egypt 
by  way  of  Tripoli.  Such  was  the  ambitious  plan  of  the  avenger  of  Mecca, 
and  the  conqueror  of  the  Wahabees;  but  it  was  not  destined  to  be  car- 
ried into  effect. 

The  jirospcct  of  exploring  the  White  Nile  induced  CailHaud  to  apply 
to  Ismail  Pasha  to  accompany  his  brother  Ibrahim,  but  the  pasha  objected 
to  it  on  account  of  his  desire  that  the  traveler  should  examine  the  gold 
mines  of  Gamamvl.  In  order  to  induce  liim  to  remain,  he  offered  hini 
the  use  of  an  armed  barque  in  which  he  might  ascend  the  Bhr.'  Nile,  and 
added  that  he  also  intended  to  make  a  campaign  on  the  White  Nile,  at 
a  later  day.  Relying  on  these  promises,  Cailliaud  decided  to  follow  him. 
On  tlie  5th  of  December,  Ibrahim  Pasha  set  out  for  vhe  country  of  the 
Dinkas,  with  an  army  of  fltleen  hundred  men.  The  expedition  of  Ismail 
was  to  consist  of  fifteen  humlrcd  ;  as  many  more,  the  lialf  of  whom  were 
ill,  were  lell  at  Sennaar.  Cailliaud  was  greatly  embarrassed  by  the  want 
of  serN-ants.  Some  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  country  liad  promised  to  go 
with  him,  but  on  tlie  day  of  his  departure,  they  were  not  to  be  found. 
In  a<ldition  to  this,  the  man  who  had  charge  of  his  camels,  ran  off  with 
four  of  them,  but  the  loss  was  made  good  by  Ismail  Pasha,  who  ]»resented 
him  with  eight  others. 

The  pasha  Ictl  Smnaar  on  iho  fith,  and  commenced  his  inarch  up  the 
we«<ti'rn  bank  of  the  Bhu;  Nile.  The  country  became  more  rough  and 
savage  as  they  ajjiiroached  the  mountains  of  FazogI,  the  vegetation  was 
more  dense,  and  the  journey  more  dldicult  and  fatiguing.  On  the  after- 
no  »n  of  the  1 1th,  "  while  we  were  travrsing  a  district  covered  with 
trees  partly  deail,  and  thickets  of  vines  and  brush-wood  half  dry,  a  con- 
flagration broke  out,  spreading  terror  through  the  army,  across  the  track 
of  which  a  strong  north- west  wuid  drove  tlie  flatnes.  Nothing  was  heard 
but  confused  cries  ;  the  disorder  was  at  its  lu'ight ;  the  <lispute  was,  who 
shduld  save  himself  most  speedily;  the  frightened  ciiuiels  no  longer  re- 
garding the  voices  of  their  masters,  broke  into  a  gallop,  cast  off'  their 
load*,  and  often  blindly  ran  to  seek  their  own  destruction.  It  was  not 
\\I;I.  ut  tnnibliiig  that  I  saw  myself  obliged  to  ])ass  this  gulf  of  fire, 
wliieh  sodu  exteii'led  <iver  a  distance  of  half  a  league.  Our  first  idea 
wa-<  that  the  natives  Iiad  maliciously  set  the  w<»ods  on  fire,  but  we  learned 
that  it  W!us  entirely  the  fault  of  some  Btragglers  of  the  army,  who,  in 
lighting  their  pipes,  amused  theni>elves  with  igniting  the  trees.*'  The 
Hanie  scenes  were  repeated  from  day  1;>  '"'y  ami  the  jiasha  did  iu)t  dare 
to  punish  the  culprits,  on  account  of  the  mutinous  spirit  of  the  troops. 
There  had  been  no  distributicm  of  grain  suice  leaving  Seiinaur,  and  in 
order  to  keep  themselves  from  starving,  the  soldiers  wen-  driven  t.)  pil- 
I'lge.     "  All  ihu  ^  illaj^us  which  we  saw,"  say  s  C'ailliuml,  "  were  mt'rcilvssi/ 


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THEY  ENTER  THE  NEGRO  COUNTRY. 


271 


plundered  by  tlio  troops,  and  I  was  obliged  to  follow  tlioir  cxaniplo  in 
order  to  obtain  a  little  doiirra,  some  Ibwls,  the  fruit  of  tlie  baobab,  and 
the  fresh  pods  of  the  tamarind — the  only  things  left  behind  Ity  the  inhab- 
itants, who  fled  at  our  approaeh." 

On  the  17th,  after  passing  through  a  legion  abounding  in  wild  ele- 
phants an<l  giralfes,  they  r-.aehed  a  village  called  Kl-Iverebeen,  a  dej)end- 
eney  of  Sennaar,  situated  at  the  conunenL-einent  of  the  mountains.  The 
village  is  built  hi  a  group  of  granite  hills,  from  si.v  to  eight  hundred  I'eet 
high.  Ibraliim  Pasha  was  at  this  time  eneamped  four  or  five  miles  fur- 
ther to  tlie  west,  (-ailliaud,  who  went  to  visit  him.  found  him  laboring 
under  an  attack  of  dysentery,  and  very  nuieh  dejected.  He  said  to  his 
brother  Is.Miail,  who  was  present,  that  if  he  did  not  find  himself  better  h\ 
a  lew  days,  he  would  return  to  Egypt.  "  Thus  was  dissipated,  as  I  could 
j»lainly  see,  tlie  splendid  \)\im  of  a  voyage  u])  the  White  Nile,  and  into 
the  interior  of  Africa  !  In  the  evening  I  returned  to  my  tent  with  I'rince 
Ismail,  who  obliged  me  to  din{>  with  him  every  day.  I  w.is  the  only 
stranger  who  had  accompanied  him  in  his  last  campaign;  I  only  could 
write  and  make  known  his  exploits  in  Kiirojie  ;  and  I  could  si'c  that  he 
was  as  ambitious  of  trlorv,  as  are  the  Turks  ordinarily."  On  the  same 
(lay,  envoys  arrived  from  the  King  of  FazogI,  to  announce  thai  he  was 
ready  to  give  hi  his  sulimission.  There  then  only  remained  tlu'  I'agan 
negroes  to  be  conquered,  whom  the  pasha  designed  to  capture  miuI  cany 
oil"  for  slaves. 

As  the  army  approaclied  Fazogl  the  country  became  more  densely 
wooded,  and  it  was  a  matter  of  great  diHieulty  to  pass  throiigli  the 
forests  of  thorny  mimosas.  After  two  days  thiy  reached  a  group  of 
mountains  called  Agady,  on  the  summit  of  one  of  Avhich  was  a  negro 
village.  Many  of  the  inhabitants  liad  flt'd  during  the  night  ;  the  re- 
mainder were  called  upon  to  jtay  tribute,  ^vllich  they  refused,  saying  the 
paslui  might  do  wliat  he  pleased  with  them.  The  troojis  were  eager  for 
ail  attack,  and  the  order  was  at  once  given.  Three  liundred  men 
mounted  to  the  village,  which  became  the  scene  of  fire,  slaughter,  and 
pillage.  One  hundred  and  seventy  negroes,  mostly  women,  Avcre  taken 
prisoners,  and  coiicbicted  to  the  ri'ar  of  the  pacha's  tents,  with  yokes 
of  wood  aroinnl  their  necks. 

On  the  Ui'd,  aflcr  a  ditlicult  march  of  eight  hours  ihrougli  the  woods, 
the  expedition  reached  the  mountains  of  Kilgou,  where  there  was  an- 
other large  negro  village.  "  Ismail  ordered  the  advance-guard  to  march 
rapidly  upon  the  place,  surprise  tlii'  inhabitants  and  p  •event  their  fiiglit. 
This  order  was  promptly  executed ;  the  rocks  were  scahd,  antl  a  large 
body  of  negroes  surroundeil,  who,  ne\ertheless,  defended  themselves 
with  unexpecteil  obstinacy.  The  troops  had  spread  llii'ir  lines  in  climb- 
ing the  hill,  in  order  to  surround  as  large  a  nunibi  r  as  ])ossible.  IJut 
soon  the  ditHeullies  of  the  ground  broke  up  the  onler  of  march  ;  they 
could  not  keep  their  titoting  on  the  inasses  of  slippery  granite  which 
barred  their  path.     Finally,  taking  oft'  their  slippers,  which  they  stuck 


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272 


CAILLIATTD'S    JOURNEY    TO    ETHIOPIA. 


into  tlioir  belts,  tlicy  readied  tlie  first  huts,  wliore  they  found  several 
Avoiiun,  Avlio  r('fus('(l  to  lollow  tlieni,  iind  were  killed.  The  men,  on  the 
suiiiiiiit  of  the  mountains,  rolled  down  masses  of  stone  lind  logs  of  Mood 
upon  their  enemies.  They  dashed  hither  and  thither  witli  surprising 
agility.  The  Turks  compared  them  to  l»irds,  for  tlu'ir  feet  hardly  seemed 
to  touch  lh(  surface  of  the  rocks.  Many  of  them  hurled  their  lances 
from  behind  trees  or  masses  of  granite,  and  pierced  the  first  troops  who 
ascended  the  hill.  ^leanwhile  the  pasha,  tired  of  the  prolonged  re- 
sistance, mounte<l  the  hill  with  seven  of  his  Mamelukes  and  some  Al- 
baiiian^,  but  soon  liad  reason  to  repent  his  imprudence:  the  negroes 
suddenly  sallied  out  of  their  retreat,  and  hurled  their  lances,  killing  one 
of  the  ^Mamelukes.  After  firing  a  volley  into  them,  the  pasha  returned 
to  the  camp.  l>y  this  time  the  negroes  had  cast  away  all  their  lances, 
and  sought  safety  in  llight.  One  fourth  of  thom  escaped,  and  the  rest 
were  taken.  In  this  ailair  the  j)asha  had  twelve  men  killed  and  forty 
Avotmded  ;  of  the  ui^uioes  one  hunJrcd  and  eighty  were  killed,  and  five 
hundred  and  seventy-five  taken  prisoners.  The  latter  had  crisp  hair, 
thick  lips,  and  pn  inent  cheek-bones;  a  few  of  them  had  flat  noses. 
The  men  wo-c  o;iIy  ,  jiece  of  goat-skin  tied  aroimd  the  loins,  aiul  the 
women  a  p  .c-  <.t"  cifi.on  which  reached  to  the  middle  of  the  thigh. 
niere  were  1  nin  ann  l;"  them  avIio  unders<;ood  Arabic.  The  pasha  al- 
lowed me  to  t:il  J  tvo  who  aj)peared  hitelligent  and  good-tempered,  and 
an  Arab  ot  Fazoi.'.'  . :  >  knew  a  little  of  their  language,  served  me  as 
interpreter." 

After  a  rest  of  three  days,  tlie  army  resumed  its  march.  Onthe2(')th 
it  entired  a  narrow,  rocky  valley,  on  either  side  of  which  were  many 
deserted  villages.  The  pasha  determined  to  put  himself  at  the  head 
of  the  expedition,  and  asked  Cailliaud  to  accompany  him.  The  latter 
exciiscil  ",  iniself  on  account  of  his  fatigued  dromedary,  but  the  offer  of  a 
horse  obliged  him  to  acce[)t,  and  havhig  armed  himself  to  the  teeth,  he 
followed  the  conunaiulcr.  "  We  entered  a  little  valley  hujlosed  between 
two  chains  of  high  hills  and  overlooked  by  a  mountain,  which  we  pro- 
posed to  scale,  in  the  hope  of  surprising  the  negroes  <m  the  oj)posito 
siili'.  It  was  necessary  to  break  a  passage;  through  the  mimosas  and 
the  nebbuks,  the  thorny  branches  of  which  tore  our  clothes  into  shreds. 
The  jiasha  had  recommended  me,  for  my  own  safi'ty,  to  keep  close  to 
him,  but  this  benevolent  consideration  lu'arly  ])roved  fatal  tome.  After 
two  hours'  march,  we  had  made  two  thirds  of  the  mountahi  which  was 
the  aim  of  our  expedition.  We  advanced  tip  r  :')Ugli  "id  uneven  path, 
with  tlie  brink  of  a  precipice  on  the  right,  whii.  Jie  i)eaked  summit  of 
the  mountain  arose  on  the  left.  A  part  of  th<  i  roops  were  in  rl-  nee; 
the  |)asha  fi)Ilow(Ml  them,  having  behind  him  oi'.  ■  of  his  slaves,  who  car- 
ried his  narghileli  ;  T  came  innnediately  after,  so  near  that  the  head  of 
my  horse  touched  his,  and  the  Mamelukes  after  me,  fi)r  the  path  was  so 
narrow  that  we  were  obligeil  to  march  in  single  lile.  All  at  once  a 
rock,  three  leet  in  dianu-ter,  fell  between   Ismail  and  myself,  hurling 


M 


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earth 
S. 
count  I 
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route 
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Cailliii 
ImisIic- 
with 
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banks 
who  w 
On 


A    NIGHT    ATTACK. 


273 


(lowTi  the  precipice  the  slave  who  separated  ns.  Without  doubt  the 
blow  was  intLudeJ  for  the  pasha,  wlio  was  distinguished  by  his  rich 
costume  ;  but  one  step  more,  and  I  sliould  have  received  it  I  Ismail 
turned  immediately,  and  I  could  perceive  his  fright  in  the  pallor  of  his 
countenance  ;  I  confess,  however,  that  he  could  justly  have  made  the 
same  remark  concerning  me.  We  dismounted,  ui  oi'der  to  avoiil  more 
readily  the  rocks  and  pieces  of  wood  which  the  negroes  continued  to 
Imrl  down  upon  us.  We  descended  the  mountain  much  faster  than  we 
went  up,  and,  having  reached  a  level  spot,  the  pasha  played  a  piece  of 
cannon  against  the  summit ;  but  the  balls,  pasi^ing  l)(.'yond,  almost  reached 
the  troops  commanded  by  liis  physician,  who  returned  in  great  fear, 
without  having  achieved  any  more  Aalorous  exploits  than  ourselves." 

Durujg  the  next  day's  march,  they  saw  several  enormous  bauhnh- 
trees,  one  of  whicli  measured  sixty-two  feet  in  circumference.  The 
country  became  more  open,  but  a  new  range  of  mountains  ajipeared  in 
the  south.  Although  he  knew  that  his  army  was  'surrounded  by  a  body 
of  five  or  six  thousand  negroes,  the  pasha  neglected  to  place  any  sen- 
tinels around  iiis  camp  that  night.  Favored  by  this  carelessness,  the 
negroes  cautiously  descended  from  the  mountains :  the  thickness  of  the 
I'oji.igc,  the  darkness  of  the  night,  and  the  color  of  their  skins,  even, 
contributed  to  conceal  their  march.  They  were  but  a  pistol-shot  dis- 
tant, when,  owing  no  doubt  to  a  custom  of  theirs  on  attacking,  they 
began  to  utter  loud  cries,  liinTmg  their  lances  at  the  same  time.  The 
alarm  and  confusion  was  general ;  no  one  knew  from  which  side  the 
attack  came.  The  soldiers,  hurrying  otit  of  their  tents,  s<ipposed  that 
the  negroes  were  already  masters  of  the  camp.  A  tew  discharges  of 
musketry  sufliced  to  drive  otf  the  foes,  and  the  tumult  finally  ceased. 
Ddviug  the  confusion  several  cannon  were  tired,  but  so  much  at  random, 
that  one  of  the  balls  passed  over  Cailliaud's  tent,  and  another  struck  the 
earth  about  fitleen  paces  off. 

Seeing  that  little  was  to  be  accompli.>*he(l  against  the  negroes,  in  a 
country  where  every  mountain  or  tlircst  v.as  an  almost  im])regnable  Ibrt- 
ri'ss,  tlu^  ]i{isha  determined  to  return  to  Kilgou,  and  take  ihe  direct 
route  to  Fa/.o<rl.  The  wav  was  verv  laborious  and  ditficult :  tt.ere  was 
no  water,  e\ce[it  some  pools  which  were  corrupt  antl  stagnant,  deep, 
rocky  ravines  crossed  the  path,  and  the  army  was  beginning  to  suIVit 
greatly  from  thirst,  when  a  little  walv'r  was  obtained  by  digjing  in  the 
dry  bed  of  the  torrent  "  Having  passed  these  dry  water-courses,"  says 
Cailliaud,  "  we  made  ■  "  "lainful  wav  through  a  dense  thicket  of  gigantic 
liushcs,  acacias  and  iie'  -mks  ;  our  faces,  our  harnb".  and.  foet,  were  scarred 
with  severe  and  inevitable  scratches,  and  our  clotlies  were  iiangiiig  in 
shreds.  At  last,  toward  evening,  we  fi>und  ourselves  all  at  once  on  the 
banks  of  the  Nile.  The  sight  of  the  water  restored  ipiiet  to  the  troops, 
who  were  becoming  <lisconteiit(  d  and  mutinous.'" 

On  the  1st  of  laiuiary,  lHi-2,  they  set  out  for  the  great  mountain  of 
Fa/.i»gi,  which  they  saw  in  the  so\ith-east.     The  country  was  covered 

18 


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274 


CAILLIAUD'S    JOURNEY    TO    ETHIOPIA. 


with  tliick  woods ;  hero  and  there  grew  taniarmds  and  doum-palms  of 
iniioh  grander  proportions  than  those  of  Kgypt.  "  This  day  was  for  us 
a  day  of  misfortune.  At  first  I  abandoned  one  of  ray  camels,  which  died 
on  the  route  ;  toward  evening  two  otliers  fell  hito  a  ravine,  and  it  was 
necessary  to  unload  and  reload,  Avliich  consumed  much  time,  besides 
obliging  me  to  throw  away  a  i)art  of  our  dourra.  Meanwhile  the  night 
cauie,  and  we  were  enveloped  in  gloom.  Wc  ceased  to  !'"ar  the  foot- 
steps of  some  stragglers  who  hurried  on  to  reach  Fazogl ;  the  whole 
army  Avas  in  advance,  and  we  sought  vainly,  in  the  obscurity,  to  find  a 
trace  of  its  path.  M.  Letorzec  and  myself  were  greatly  fliiigued  and 
depressed.  I  went  to  take  a  drink  of  water,  but,  alas !  the  water-skin 
had  been  burst  by  the  full  of  the  camel.  It  seemed  now  that  we  must 
pass  the  night  in  the  woods,  exjiosed  to  the  danger  of  being  attacked  by 
wild  beasts,  or  by  the  negroes,  in  case  we  should  light  a  fire  to  frighten 
away  the  fonner.  Such  Avas  our  perplexity,  when  our  Arab  said  to  mo 
tiiat  he  jjcrceived  a  light  in  the  distance;  "we  looked  but  discovered 
nothiiig,  but  finally  it  increased  and  wc  saw  it  also.  Tiiis  sight  revived 
our  c<)ura<j;e.  AVe  hastened  toward  it,  but  cautiouslv,  not  kuowmc: 
wlu'tiier  wo  were  approaching  friends  or  foes.  I  sent  the  Arab  in  ad- 
vance to  make  a  stealthy  inspection,  and  in  a  short  time  we  were 
agreeably  startled  by  his  cries  of  joy.  At  the  same  time  several  soldiers, 
lost  like  ourselves,  apjiroaclied,  begging  us  for  water.  A  single  bottle 
of  wine,  wliich  I  had  always  preserved  in  case  of  misfortune,  could  not 
be  better  employed  :  we  drank  the  half  of  it,  and  then  resigned  otuselves 
to  jiass  the  night  Avith  our  companions  in  niisfortune.  This  was  the  time 
Avlien  ]\r.  Letorzec  was  seized  with  a  fever,  which  lasted  several  months. 
Kaily  tile  next  morning  we  set  out  to  rejoin  the  army,  Avhicii  we  found 
at  two  hours'  distance,  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile,  near  the  village  of 
Yara,  a  di-pendency  of  Fazogl,  Avhere  we  remained  several  days." 

On  approacliiiig  the  village  of  Fazogl,  the  pasha  was  received  by  Has- 
san, king  of  th((  jtrovince,  who  went  in  advance,  accompanied  by  his 
ministers,  mounted  on  fine  Abyssinian  horses,  and  surrounded  by  a 
guard  of  a  hundred  nu'n,  armed  with  lances.  They  met  Ismail  at  five 
leagues'  distance  ;  the  king  and  his  ministers  dismounted  when  they  j)er- 
ccivi'd  him,  a<lvanced  on  toot  and  prostrated  themselves  bilorc  him. 
Hassan  presented  him  with  two  splendid  horses ;  the  guards,  approach- 
ing, ranged  nUMUselves  in  a  liiu\  kiu'It  and  reversed  the  points  of  their 
lauci's  in  token  of  submission.  In  recognition  of  his  reception,  Ismail 
])rohil)itcd  his  troops  from  passing  threugh  the  villages,  in  order  that  they 
might  not  be  devastated  ;  for  it  was  not  always  in  his  poM  er  to  j)reserve 
good  oriler.  On  the  nth,  the  exjtedition  advanced  to  a  village  called 
Tourmoga.  lla\ing  learne<l  tiiat  King  Ilassim  was  there,  Cailliaud  paid 
him  a  visit.  "  I  entered  into  an  ordinary  hut,  Avhere  I  lound  the  king 
sitting  cross-legged  ui)on  a  mat.  lii'  was  a  haiidsoMH'  man,  yotmg,  and 
of  an  agreeable  figure.  His  costume  was  similar  to  tiiat  of  the  kings 
of  Setuia.ir,  but  I  remarked  with  surprise  that  his  sandals  terminated  in 


THE   FIGHT   OP  AGARO. 


275 


curved  points,  exactly  similar  to  those  reprcsciitecl  iji  the  Tombs  of  the 
Kings,  at  Thebes.  On  his  knees  he  held  his  saber,  in  which  seemed  to 
consist  all  his  magnificence.  The  scabbard  and  hilt  were  of  silver ; 
several  heavy  silver  rings  adorned  his  fingers,  and  around  his  neck  ho 
wore  little  leather  cases  containing  verses  from  the  Koran." 

The  amount  of  trilnite  to  be  i)aid  by  Fazogl,  was  at  last  fixed  at  ono 
thousand  ounces  of  gold  and  two  thousand  male  slaves,  and  the  ])asha 
set  out  on  the  12th  for  the  gold  mines  of  Kasau,  lying  two  or  three 
days'  journey  to  the  south-west.  To  Cailliaud,  whoso  camels  wore 
nearly  exhausted,  he  gave  a  horse,  and  to  M.  Letorzec  a  mule,  Avhich 
enabled  them  to  travel  with  more  ease  and  rapidity.  On  approaching 
the  mountain  of  Agaro,  the  road  was  crossed  by  a  precipitous  gulley 
thirty-five  feet  deep,  in  passing  which  many  of  the  camels  were  hurled 
to  the  bottom  with  their  riders,  and  perished.  The  next  foi-enoon  the 
army  reached  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  and  encamped.  The  negroes, 
full  of  audacity,  on  account  of  their  number  and  the  strength  of  their 
position,  had  sent  word  to  Ismail,  before  he  left  Fazogl,  that  if  he  came 
into  their  mountains,  they  Avould  break  his  legs.  But,  at  the  sight  of 
the  army,  they  began  to  change  their  tune ;  they  sent  word  to  him  that 
they  would  submit  and  pay  tribute  to  him.  Ismail  entered  into  nego- 
tiations with  them,  in  order  to  gain  time  imtil  his  troops  had  surrounded 
the  mountain.  When  the  negroes  perceived  this  desigji,  they  took  to 
flight.  The  signal  was  then  given  for  attack,  and  after  a  short  struggle 
the  soldiers  reached  the  top  of  the  mountahi,  where  they  at  once  set  tiro 
to  the  village.  The  inhabitants  numbered  about  three  thousand,  of 
•whom  only  about  a  hundred,  mostly  women,  were  taken,  at  the  cost  of 
fifteen  lives. 

The  pasha  then  determined  to  make  another  assault  on  the  eastern 
part  of  the  mountain,  with  eight  hundred  men  and  a  piece  of  cannon. 
"  This  tinie,"  says  Cailliaud,  "  I  was  tempted  to  accompany  him.  The 
troops  dispersed  themselves  over  the  mountain  in  the  hope  of  blockading 
the  village,  and  arrived  there  without  trouble  or  resistance  :  it  was  de- 
serted. In  an  instant  the  torch  was  applied,  and  five  hundred  huts  were 
reduced  to  ashes.  Old  persons  of  both  sexes,  whom  age  or  infirmity 
prevented  from  flying,  were  buried  under  their  blazing  roofs ;  others 
Avere  conducted  to  tlie  pasha,  who,  not  knowing  what  to  do  with  them, 
allowed  them  freely  to  behold  the  horrible  lesson  which  a  more  civilized 
peoi)le  than  they  came  to  teach  them."  On  the  IGth  the  army  crossed 
a  river  called  tin;  Toumat,  contiruiing  its  course  in  a  south-western  direc- 
tion, and  reached  the  mountains  of  Khasinkaro,  where  a  de]nitation  of 
negroes  came  to  meet  the  jjasha.  They  said  that  if  he  wouM  continue 
his  journey  without  doing  them  any  harm,  they  would  be  able  to  pay 
him  tribute  on  his  return.  He  placed  little  fiiitli  in  their  promises,  but 
as  he  was  impatient  to  reach  the  gold  mines,  agreed  to  what  they 
asked. 

Following  the  course  of  the  Tomnat,  which  furnished  an  ample  sup- 


1 1 


'f  »"i 


il'-, 


i* 


H 

•f' 

_ 

J 

;  \: 

I  ': 


!  ^ ! 


276 


CAILLIAUD'S    JOURNI'IY    TO    ETUIOriA. 


j)ly  of  water,  tho  cxi)C'(lition  skirted  the  mountain  of  Kasan  on  the  18th. 
The  inhabitants  of  a  hirgo  village;  on  its  summil  proniisecl  tln'  pasha  iivo 
hundred  male  slaves,  as  their  tribute,  Soon  afterward  they  enti'red  the 
territory  of  CJamaniyl,  and  discovered  in  the  west  a  long  chain  of  mount- 
ains called  Obeli.  The  road  heii'  was  continually  crossed  by  small 
affluents  of  the  Toumat,  whii-h  had  Morn  (()r  themselves  deep  beds  in 
the  soil,  nuiking  the  traveling  more  liiHcult  than  any  which  the  army 
had  yet  encountered.  "The  i)as.sage  of  these  ravines,"  says  Cailliaud, 
"  was  fatal  to  the  camels ;  the  route  was  strewn  with  abandoned  animals 
and  baggage.  The  pasha  hims(  If  had  but  a  single  good  horse  remain- 
ing. We  were  constrained  to  leave  behind  us  a  camel,  ))art  of  its  load, 
and  the  nude  of  31.  Letorzc  •,  Avho  then  mounted  the  u,  unedary  which 
carried  my  papers  and  drawings;  but  the  poor  animal,  exhausted  with 
fatigue,  lay  down.  In  vain  did  .vo  employ  ever\  means  to  raise  it,  we 
could  not  succeed.  That  ])art  of  tlie  forest  in  Mhich  we  were  was  full 
of  small  dead  trees  and  dry  brush-wood,  which  was  imprudently  set  on 
lire  by  tho  soldiers  ai  a  short  distance  from  us.  Soon  the  flames  were 
ready  to  envelop  \is ;  I  resolved  to  lose  the  dromedary,  but  I  wished 
to  save  its  load,  Avhieh  contained  .all  my  ])aiK'rs.  We  had  nothing  at 
hand  to  cut  the  cords  and  strajts  which  liound  it,  and  in  our  an.xiety 
made  useless  eftbrts  to  untie  them.  All  was  over :  tho  fruit  of  so  much 
trouble  ai\d  j)eril  was  about  to  become  the  prey  of  the  flames.  They 
cried  out  to  us  to  save  ourselves,  but  I  could  not  resign  myself  to  sacri- 
fice my  ireasures.  Already  the  heat  scorched  lis,  we  felt  the  api)roach 
of  the  fire;  we  must  leave — I  uttered  a  cry  of  despair.  Meanwhile  our 
canu'l,  feeling  the  flames,  rose,  darted  forward  a  little  distance,  and  fell 
again.  AVe  ran  to  it,  t-re  away  the  pre  i.ms  load,  and  placed  it  on  my 
horse,  Avhich  I  drew  by  tho  b'-iJle,  Avliilu  ]M.  Letorzec  urged  it  in  the 
rear.  But  the  wind  drov;^  tho  ilames  tokvard  us  ;  they  advanced  nearer 
and  nearer;  we  were  almost  cvercome  witli  terror,  when,  oh,  joy!  tho 
trees  became  scattering,  and  we  issued  i'com  the  wood.'' 

Having  esca))ed  this  danger,  the  '.ravel'Ts  found  that  they  liad  lost 

way,  and  were  in  almost  equal  peril,  until  they  encountered  some 

ng  soldiers.     On  reaching  the  c:'.mi)  Cailliaud  t()und  that  his  bag- 

.  d  not  arrived,  and  was  indebteit  to  tho  charity  of  some  soldiers 

!>■.       .ike  of  dourra,  arte  r  eating  wliich  he  slept  upon  his  saddle-cloth, 

in  ihe  oj>en  air.     The  place  Avhere  they  were  encami)ed  was  called  Ab- 

koulgui,  situated,  .according  to  Cailliaud's  observations,  ir.  latitude   10° 

;i8'  north.     "The  village  consists  of  a  icw  scattered  habitations,  on  an 

elevated  slope,  whence  tho  A'iew  extends  over  several  other  hills  more 

or  less  wooded,  and  covered  with  isolated  habitations.     In  the  south 

one  sees  the  distant  mcnmtain  of  Mafis,  and  in  the  west  the  long  ridge 

of  Obeli.     Abkoulgui  apjiears  to  be  the  cenir.al  point  of  the  province  of 

(Jamamyl,  which  is  two  days'  journey  in  extent.     It  is  watered  by  the 

Toumat  and  a  great  quantity  <»f  its  tributary  torrents ;  the  soil  is  a  clay, 

full  of  sand  and  pebbles,  ami  showing  every  where  traces  of  oxyd  of  iron. 


I 

H 


1 


t 


EXPERIMENTS    IN    GOLD    WASHING. 


277 


This  province  is  rc'initcil  to  l)o  the  richest  in  .luriforous  substanoos, 
where  the  negroes  liavc  been  most  successful  in  collecting  gold  dust." 

The  pfisha,  inii»atient  to  test  the  value  of  the  gold  wasliings,  sent 
Cailliaud  the  next  ilay  to  examine  them.  The  negroes  liad  sunk  pits 
eigliteen  or  twenty  feet  deep,  in  the  Ited  and  banks  of  the  river,  and 
washed  out  in  wooden  bowls  the  I'arth  whicili  thoy  took  from  tlieso 
places.  The  traveler  succeeded  in  getting  a  few  very  small  grains  of 
fine  gold,  after  washing  for  some  time,  but  the  result  was  very  unsatis- 
factory to  the  ])asha,  who  next  day  sent  him  to  another  gold-washing, 
with  several  miners  and  an  escort  of  thirty  men.  Here  he  opened  new 
pits,  and  carefully  washed  the  eartli,  but  the  gold  was  found  in  <[uanti- 
ties  so  small  as  scarcely  to  rejtay  the  lal)or.  Finally,  in  the  hope  that 
the  uiitives  knew  of  richer  deposits,  Ismail  sent  out  an  expedition  take 
some  prisoners.  Among  those  cajttured  Avas  a  chief,  wlio  informed  liim 
that  during  the  rainy  season,  the  fioods  sometimes  washed  ■'  ^licces 

of  gold  as  large  as  beans,  but  that  at  the  present  time,  it  wa^  'und 

in  dust  and  snuill  grains.     He  indicated  several  of  the  most  a'«lo 

[ilaces  in  the  country,  and  otlered  to  conduct  the  pasha  to  them.  Two 
or  three  excursions  Avere  made  in  different  directions,  under  a  strong 
armed  escort,  and  the  washing  carried  on  vigorously  for  several  d.ays, 
but  with  no  better  success.  The  pasha  at  last  became  disgusted,  and 
gave  up  the  search  entirely. 

Meanwhile,  liis  situation  was  becoming  insecure.  Tlie  Gallas,  who 
liave  overrun  .'ill  the  soutli-western  ])art  of  Abyssinia,  an<l  who  an-  also 
enemies  of  the  wild  negro  tribes,  were  only  five  or  six  hours  distant  from 
him;  the  negroes  were  collecting  for  a  new  assault,  and  he  received 
Avord  that  a  convoy  of  jiowder  and  other  munitions  had  been  taken  by 
the  natives  near  Fazogl,  and  an  escort  of  twenty-five  men  killed.  How- 
ever, being  re-enforced  by  a  company  of  four  hundred  men  Avho  arrived 
from  Semiaar,  he  continued  to  send  out  parties  against  the  neighboring 
villages  for  the  purpose  of  increasing  his  harvest  of  slaves.  All  this 
region  has  the  general  name  of  iiertat  ;  tlie  inhabit.ants  are  of  ]iure  negro 
blood,  and  Avholly  savage  in  their  character  and  habits.  Their  ordy 
religion  consists  in  the  worshij)  of  large  trees,  especially  the  baob.al),  un- 
der which  they  sometimes  sacrifice  sheep  or  goats.  Their  clothing  is 
scarcely  sufiicieiit  for  description  ;  tlu'ir  bodies  are  long,  and  nim1)le 
rather  than  athletic,  and  they  are  not  AViuiting  in  courage,  as  the  Egyp- 
tian troops  had  already  learned. 

"Seventeen  days,"  says  Cailliaud,  "had  elapsed  since  oiu*  arrival  at 
(iamamyl.  I  had  uiulergone  many  fatigues,  and  yet  my  health  had 
improved.  p]very  day  I  moimted  my  horse  to  go  on  the  hunt  of  auri- 
li'rous  sands.  "We  multii)lied  our  trials,  Aveighed  the  earth,  calculated 
the  'iroportion  of  the  (piantity  of  gold,  but  never  attained  any  result 
wiiioh  could  give  ns  the  least  hope.  Those  mountains  of  gold  upon 
Avhieh  the  pasha  counted  so  strongly,  A'anished  lik'^  smoke:  the  thirty 
thousand  negroes,  Avhich  he  intended  to  capture  dinilnished  to  a  few 


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278 


CAILLIAUD'S    JOURNEY    TO    ETHIOPIA. 


hundreds.  It  became  necessary  to  try  our  luck  elsewhere,  and  he  gave 
tiie  order  for  our  departure.  From  the  want  of  camels  I  was  obliged  to 
leave  behind  a  fine  collection  of  minerals  which  I  had  gathered  together. 
M.  Letorzec,  weighed  down  by  fever,  remained  in  bed  during  oiu'  stay ; 
his  strength  visibly  diminished,  day  after  day.  When  he  learned  that 
wo  were  about  to  set  out  for  the  purpose  of  penetrating  still  further 
southward,  his  chagrin  increased  his  illness,  and  he  was  haunted  by  the 
idea  that  he  would  never  see  his  native  country  again.  We  set  out 
on  the  5th  of  February.  Most  of  the  soldiers  could  not  restrain  their 
sin-prise  at  seeing  that  we  Avere  still  nuu-ohing  to  the  south.  Tlie  Shy- 
gheeans  luxd  made  a  mannikin  resembling  a  man  and  dressed  in  the 
fashion  of  their  tribe ;  it  is  an  established  cust(jm  with  them  to  inter  a 
similar  mannikin  at  the  extreme  limit  which  their  hostile  expeditions 
reach,  in  an  enemy's  country.  Some  of  them  walked  in  order  to  allow 
this  ridiculous  figure  to  ride  on  a  camel ;  at  which  the  Turks  wej'e 
greatly  amused." 

The  army  encamped  near  the  village  of  Siiiguo,  which  was  inhabited 
by  Mussulmen.  Moussa,  their  chief,  had  sent  AV(n-d  that  ho  was  disposed 
to  pay  a  tribute,  in  consequence  of  which,  tlie  ])asha  prevented  his  troops 
from  approaching  the  village,  fearing  they  might  conmiit  depredations. 
Cailliaud  visited  the  place  next  morning,  and  found  it  tt)  consist  of  five 
or  six  hundred  houses,  scattered  along  a  riilge  three  or  four  miles  in 
length.  It  was  almost  deserti'd,  and  the  traveler  did  not  judge  it  })ru- 
dent  to  remain  long.  The  village  Avas  sacked  by  tlie  troops  the  same 
day.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  Ttli,  while  the  greater  part  of  the  Turkish 
soldiers  were  asleep,  according  to  their  custom,  a  body  of  about  a  thou- 
sand negroes  descended  from  the  hills  to  the  westward.  Iiieywere 
finally  jterceived,  and  the  pasha  and  his  artillery -men  aroused  ;  but  before 
the  gmis  could  be  brought  to  bear  on  them,  they  had  a<lvanced  near 
enough  to  kill  some  straggling  soMiers.  The  fear  of  the  cannon  caused 
them  to  retreat  j)recipitately  to  the  mountains.  Five  hundred  men  were 
sent  after  them,  but  not  being  able  to  reach  them,  burned  their  houses. 
The  negroes  renewed  their  attacks  next  day,  and  succeeded  hi  carrying 
otr  eight  of  the  pasha's  finest  horses.  Oiu^  of  the  savage  chiefs  who  had 
been  taken  prisoner,  was  ofiered  his  liberty  if  he  wouM  obtain  the  ani- 
mals and  ri'sttu'e  them  ;  this  ho  swore  by  the  Koran  to  do,  and  was  ac- 
cordingly liberated,  but  neither  chief  nor  horses  were  ever  seen  again. 

The  situation  of  the  Egyptian  army  A.ns  now  very  critical.  There 
was  a  general  league  among  all  the  negro  tribes,  to  rejiel  the  invaders. 
The  ammunition  was  almost  exhausted;  provisions  were  rapidly  dimin- 
ishing, and  tht!  latest  news  from  Sennaar  stated  that  the  j)eople,  persuaded 
that  the  pisha  and  his  troo]»s  Avould  perish  among  the  mountains,  wi-ro 
already  beginning  to  Ibment  a  rebellion  against  the  Egyptian  rule.  The 
pasha  at  last  nuide  up  his  mind  to  submit  to  circun,  Ranees,  and  order  a 
retreat.  "Tht^  ni'xt  day,  February  II th,"  says  Cailliaud,  "was  fixed 
u])on  for  our  departure.     Before  quitting  Singue,  I  wished  to  overlook 


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RETREAT    TO    SENNAAR. 


279 


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at  least,  as  far  as  my  vision  miglit  rcacli,  tho  i-egioug  wliich  an  inexorable 
fate  ])reveutcil  us  from  traversing.  I  climbed  a  liill,  and  there,  armed 
with  a  telescope,  I  sought  to  discover  the  regions  -where  my  imagination 
had  placed  the  source  of  the  White  Nile.  Vain  effort !  I  only  convinced 
myself  anew  how  limited  is  the  space  which  the  human  eye  can  embrace. 
Ceasing  to  gaze  at  a  liorizon  which  exhibited  only  vai)ory  and  confused 
outlines,  I  carved  deeply  on  the  rock  the  name  of  France,  and  transj)orted 
myself,  in  thought,  to  that  beloved  land.  The  army  slowly  debouched 
from  tho  labyrinth  of  hills  which  surrounds  Singue,  cutting  for  itself  a 
path  to  the  west  of  that  which  it  liad  followed  in  coming.  AVe  were 
still  surrouiuled  with  enemies,  and  observed  an  order  of  march  more 
regular  than  usual.  This  retrograde  movement  inspired  all  the  men  with 
new  energy  ;  even  the  anhn;ils  seemed  to  understand  that  we  were  re- 
turning, and  marched  more  firmly  and  rai)idly.  Joy  was  pahitt.'d  on  the 
faces  of  all ;  the  Bedouins  and  the  Albanians  manifested  theirs  by  songs; 
the  remembrance  of  past  hardships  was  banished  from  memory,  and  all 
hopes  Avere  turned  tov/ard  Egypt." 

After  a  toilsome  march  of  four  days,  the  army  reached  Adassy,  on 
the  Xiie.  The  troojis  ruslied  to  the  bank,  and  precipitated  themselves 
into  the  river,  each  anxious  to  be  tho  first  to  drink  of  its  waters.  M. 
Letorzec  was  in  such  a  weak  state,  that  Cailliaud  applied  to  the  pasha  for 
a  boat,  in  order  to  descend  tho  river  to  Sennaar,  and  the  latter  was  so 
obliging  as  to  give  up  his  own  banjue,  as  he  uitended  returning  by  laiul 
with  the  army,  lie  sent  A\ith  the  travelers  a  courier  to  his  father,  who 
was  intrusted  with  two  tpiintals  of  the  auriferous  sands  of  Gamamyl,  and 
a  r('i)ort  on  the  gold  region,  containing  the  results  of  tlie  experiments 
made  imder  Cailliaud's  direction.  The  banjue  left  for  Sennaar  on  the 
isth.  '•  For  a  long  time  we  had  not  enjoyed  so  much  ease  and  traiujuil- 
lity.  AVe  experienced  an  inexpressible  feeling  of  pleasure  in  sleejiing, 
without  being  suddenly  called  up  by  the  drum-beat ;  in  havuig  to  sutler 
no  more  from  lumger,  thirst,  watchfulness,  alarms  ;  in  being  relieved  from 
ti'iidmg,  feeding,  loading  and  unloading  camels;  and,  instead  of  running 
the  risk  of  being  buried  in  torrents,  torn  by  tho  thorns  of  mimosas  and 
nebbuks,  or  swept  by  the  Hanu's  of  burning  forests,  in  lying  i)eacefully 
upon  a  thick  carpet  in  the  shade,  all  t'ay  long.  Ah,  this  new  life  was  too 
lixurious — it  was  the  height  <»f  felichy  !'' 

In  i)assing  the  cataract  of  El-Kerr,  tlie  boat  struck  a  rock  and  damaged 
the  bow,  occasioning  a  dangerous  leak.  It  was  on  the  jioint  of  sinking  ; 
all  was  terror  and  eontitsion  ;  Cailliaud  seized  his  packages  of  notes  and 
drawings,  and  leaped  upon  a  roi'k,  and  for  awliile  a  complete  shipwreck 
threatenc(l  tlu'in.  I'^nally,  however,  tlie  li'ak  was  found  and  stopped,  tho 
bout  temporarily  calked,  and  th>'  travt'lers  continual  their  voyage  to 
Sennaar,  where  they  arrived  without  finther  misluip,  on  the  'Jtltli.  Cail- 
liaud innnediately  went  to  his  old  residiMice,  where  lie  was  received  with 
jTieat  joy  by  his  former  hosts.  In  delivering  to  Divan  KtVendi,  the  com- 
mander of  the  garrison,  the  letters  of  Ismail  I'asha,  he  learned  that  tho 


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280 


CAILLIAUD'S   JOURNEY    TO    ETHIOPIA. 


latter  had  ordered  that  he  should  be  furnished  Avith  camels,  and  with  the 
funds  necessary  for  the  exi)enses  of  his  journey  to  Egypt.  As  he  ex- 
pected to  receive  some  money  in  Dongola,  he  took  but  five  thousand 
piasters  (sj^SSO).  As  there  wero  symptoms  of  insurrections  in  the  prov- 
inces of  Ilalfay  and  Shendy,  he  determined  to  make  no  stay  in  Scnnaar, 
but  to  push  forward  and  examine  the  reported  ruins  of  Mesowurat  and 
Naga,  before  the  country  should  become  insecure.  He  had  desired  to 
explore  Kordofan,  but  the  state  of  M.  Letorzec's  health  was  such  that 
he  could  not  have  sujiported  the  journey.  This  circumstance,  which 
seemed  so  unfortunate  at  the  time,  Avas  in  reality  the  salvation  of  the 
travelers.  Had  they  remained  longer  they  would  probably  have  become 
involved  in  the  same  fate  which  overtook  Ismail  Pasha  and  a  great  part 
of  his  army. 

Cailliaud  left  Sonnaar  on  the  1st  of  ]\[arch,  and  reached  Halfay  on 
the  9th.  M.  Lctorzec  was  so  ill  that  ho  Avas  obliged  to  travel  in  a  lit- 
ter, fastened  on  the  back  of  a  camel.  After  resting  a  day  they  resumed 
the  route  to  Sliondy,  following  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Nile.  "  On  the 
14th,"  says  Cailliaud,  "  after  having  traveled  for  an  liour  over  a  plain 
thinly  covered  Avith  small  acacias,  I  reached  some  ruins  Avhich  had  at- 
tracted my  attention  at  a  distance  ;  I  recognized  the  site  of  an  ancient 
city  by  the  enormous  mounds  of  burneil  brick,  scA'cral  of  Avhich  still  in- 
dicated the  outlines  of  buildings.  The  place  is  known  by  the  name  of 
Xaga.  The  most  remarkable  ruins  are  those  of  a  typhonium,  or  temple 
to  the  Evil  Principle,  Avhich  is  about  eighty-seven  feet  in  length."  On 
the  1 5th  they  passed  a  groat  many  villages,  amiouncing  their  approach 
to  Shendy,  Avhere  they  arrived  at  noon.  They  immediately  visited  the 
Turkish  goA'ornor,  Avho  procured  them  a  liouso,  as  they  intended  remain- 
ing some  days.  M.  Linant,  Avho  had  returned  from  Sonnaar  Avith  Ibrahim 
Pasha,  Avas  at  ShendA'. 

liefore  sotting  out  on  his  return  to  Egypt,  Cailliaud  desired  to  visit 
the  ruins  of  Naga  near  Djebel  Ardan,  and  those  of  MesoAvurat.  His 
comi)anion,  although  conA'alescent,  Avas  not  able  to  support  the  fatigue. 
It  Avas,  therefore,  agreed  that  he  should  leave  for  Egypt  in  a  few  days, 
aiul  journey  by  short  stages  until  (nortaken  by  Cailliaud.  The  latter 
sot  out  on  the  22d,  accompanied  by  two  guides  and  tAVO  servants. 
AOor  join-iu-yiiig  all  day  down  a  long  v.alley  extending  to  the  south,  he 
reached  the  extremity  of  t'  Muitains,  Avhoro  the  ruins  Avere  said  to 
exist,  "  It  Avas  already  nir  bo  Avrites,  "  and  my  guides  did  not  con- 
sider it  jirudent  to  go  furthoi,  fijr  foar  of  mooting  Avith  the  Shukorees, 
Avho  Avoro  in  open  revolt.  We  unloaded  our  camels  cautiously,  and  lay 
down  under  the  acacias  Avhich  surrounded  us.  Wrapped  in  a  quilt,  Avith 
my  head  on  a  bundle  of  papers,  I  slept  soundly,  my  Arabs  Avatching  by 
turns  through  the  night.  I  awoke  at  (hiwn,  and  finding  every  thing 
quiet,  adA'anced  through  the  trees  toward  the  ruins,  which  I  discovered 
near  at  hand.  The  llrst  object  Avhich  I  saw  Avas  a  tom]»Ie  covered  Avith 
Egyptian  sculptures,  Avith  its  pylon,  and  u  portico  of  Greco-Uoman  ar- 


Til 
iUl 

!ir- 


RUINS    AT    NAGA    AND    MESOWURAT. 


281 


chitecture,  with  Egyptian  ornaments.  Still  further  were  the  ruins  of 
another  gi*and  temple,  with  finely  sculptured  decorations,  and  preceded 
by  an  avenue  of  sjihuixos ;  the  substructions  of  several  other  edifices, 
and  those  of  a  public  tank.  I  recognized  bore  the  ruins  of  an  ancient 
city,  the  importance  of  which  was  attested  by  the  nature  of  the  remains 
which  still  existed,  and  by  the  extent  of  territory  which  they  occupied. 
*  *  *  My  guides  arrived,  and  in  order  that  we  might  not  be  seen 
by  the  rebel  Arabs,  we  established  our  residence  in  the  western  temple. 
I  then  began,  assisted  by  my  two  servants,  to  nuike  a  more  careful  ex- 
amination of  the  monuments." 

Cailliaud  found  the  largest  temple  to  be  two  hundred  and  seventy 
feet  in  length,  inclmluig  the  pylon  and  avenue  of  sphinxes.  "  The 
sculptures  of  the  Ulterior  are  almost  entirely  destroyed.  This  state  of 
degradation  is  owing,  I  sui)pose,  to  the  insignificant  height  of  the  walls 
and  the  action  of  the  tropical  rains.  The  figures  are  without  the  indi- 
cation of  a  beard,  so  common  in  the  sculptures  of  the  l]gyptian  temjjles. 
The  peculiar  character  of  their  costume,  and  the  enibon2}oint  of  their 
figures,  give  evidence  of  a  people  quite  distinct  from  the  ancient  Egyp- 
tians, but  who,  nevertheless,  appear  to  have  had  the  same  symbolic 
writinsr  and  the  same  religious  ideas."  For  three  days  and  a  half  the 
traveler  remained  among  these  ruins,  sketching  by  day  an-l  writing  by 
night ;  but  his  supply  of  water  was  getting  low,  and  the  desire  of  exam- 
hiing  El-Mesowurat  before  returning  to  tShendy,  obliged  him  to  leave. 

The  ruins  of  Mesowiu-at  are  about  six  hours'  travel  north-east  of 
Naga.  "  I  was  struck  with  astonishment,"  writes  Cailliaud,  "  on  ajv 
proaching  the  immense  ruins  which  were  exhibited  to  my  gaze.  I  wan- 
dered from  court  to  court,  from  temple  to  temple,  from  one  chamber  to 
another,  traversing  the  corridors  and  galleries  which  connect  the  dift'er- 
ent  structures.  In  this  rapid  survey  I  counted  eight  temples  or  sanctu- 
aries, forty-one  chambers,  twenty-four  courts,  and  three  galleries,  all 
surrounded  with  walls,  and  occupying  a  space  two  thousand  five  lumdred 
feet  in  circumference.  On  returning  to  my  guides,  I  discovered  that  wc 
had  only  Avater  eno\igh  for  twenty-four  hours.  My  intention  M'as  to 
remain  here  five  or  six  days.  I  propositi  to  the  men  to  go  to  the  Nile 
and  replenish  the  stock,  but  was  obliged  to  pay  them  extravagantly 
before  they  would  consent.  I  mounted  on  the  most  elevated  wall  of 
the  central  edifice,  Avhere  my  eye  overlooked  all  the  ruins.  There,  carc>- 
fully  studying  the  distribution  of  the  diflerent  edifices  around  me,  I 
became  convinced  that  they  fijrmerly  belonged  to  a  college.  Were  these 
silent  solitudes,  I  asked  myself,  ever  animated  by  the  boisterous  sports 
of  youth  ?  Have  these  ruins  evei*  ri'souudcd  with  the  voices  of  the  i)ro- 
fessors  ?  Ves,  these  rude  figures  of  birds  and  animals  traced  on  the 
walls,  are  the  work  ofcliildish  hands;  tlu'se  names,  engraved  in  Ethio- 
pian characters,  are  those  of  students  ;  and  these  others,  in  Greek,  are 
without  doubt  those  of  strangers,  whom  the  celebrity  of  the  institution 
has  attracted. 


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282 


CAILLIAUD'S   JOURNEY    TO    ETHIOPIA. 


"  However  extensive  are  tliese  ruins  of  Mosowurat,  nothing  had  led 
me  to  conjecture  that  the  i)lace  could  ever  have  been  the  site  of  a  city. 
I  found  neither  tombs  nor  any  great  number  of  ordinary  habitations, 
A  matter  Morthy  of  notice  is  the  small  size  of  the  stones  employed  in 
the  construction  of  the  temples.  Takhig  into  consideration  this  want  of 
strength  and  solidity  in  the  materials,  in  a  climate  where  the  rain  falls 
for  three  months  ui  the  year,  one  is  led  to  believe  that  the  ruins  which 
remahi  have  not,  like  those  of  Thebes,  resisted  the  injuries  of  time  dur- 
ing a  long  course  of  ages.  They  evidently  do  not  possess  a  very  great 
antiquity.  Tlio  tradition  of  the  country  is  that  the  name  of  El-Mesow- 
urat  was  that  of  the  ancient  fakeers  Avho  inhabited  these  vast  edifices. 
This  tradition  confirms  the  opinion  that  the  place  was  devoted  to  edu- 
cation." 

CaiUiaud  returned  to  Shendy  on  the  2d  of  April,  where  he  found 
that  M.  Letorzcc  had  set  out  for  Egypt  ten  days  beforehand.  lie  im- 
mediately followed,  by  way  of  the  Pyramids  of  Meroe  and  Darner,  and 
reached  El-Mekheyref,  in  Berber,  after  a  journey  of  five  days.  Find- 
ing that  his  companion  was  still  six  days  in  advance,  and  hurrying 
toward  Egypt,  he  halted  but  a  day  to  i>rocure  some  provisions  from  the 
governor  (the  province  havnig  been  completely  stripped  by  the  army), 
and  then  continued  liis  course  through  the  country  of  Robatat,  to  Dje- 
bel  Berkel.  Passing  Abou-IIannned,  at  the  northern  extremity  of  the 
great  bend  of  the  Kile,  and  the  long  island  of  Mokrat,  he  at  last  over- 
took M.  Letorzec  on  the  18th,  at  a  2ilace  called  El-Kab.  The  la^  er  was 
very  nnich  exhausted  by  the  fever,  which  obliged  them  to  travel  with 
loss  rajtidity,  and  they  were  therefore  eight  days  more  in  reaching 
Mount  Berkel. 

Cailliaud  remained  at  this  place  more  than  two  weeks,  in  order  to 
make  a  complete  survey  of  the  ruins.  "  Every  morning,  at  sunrise,"  ho 
says,  '■  I  repaired  to  the  ruins,  and  I  did  not  leave  them  until  night.  In 
the  middle  of  the  day,  I  occupied  myself  in  drawhig  the  interior  sculpt- 
ures of  the  typhonium,  and  the  sanctuaries  of  the  pyramids,  where  I 
sought  a  shelter  against  the  excessive  heat,  which  was  often  105°  in  the 
shade.  Mount  Berkel,  isolated  on  the  desert  plain,  is  a  mass  of  sand- 
stone about  three  quarters  of  a  mile  in  circumference.  Its  southern  side 
is  a  naked  precipice  two  hundred  feet  high,  at  the  base  of  which  are 
the  temples,  all  facing  the  river.  Among  the  sculptures  are  two  car- 
touches, which,  according  to  Champollion,  contain  the  name  of  Tirhaka, 
the  first  king  of  the  Ethioj)ian  dynasty  who  invaded  Egyj>t,  in  the  eighth 
century  before  the  Christian  era.  The  style  of  the  figures  and  orna- 
ments is  the  p\ire  style  of  the  mommu'iits  of  Egypt  and  Lower  Nubia. 
Tliiit  jtart  of  the  temple  whicli  is  excavated  in  the  moimtain,  is  hi  a  good 
state  of  preservation.  East  of  the  typhoniinn  there  are  many  remauis 
of  walls  and  fragments  of  columns,  extendhig  tor  some  distance.  Among 
those  I  discovered  two  lions  of  rose-colored  granite,  of  Egyptian  style 
and  boautiful  form.     *     *     *     Kvery  thing  goes  to  prove  tiiat  the  vast 


f 


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'*!■:   .!i 


CBOSSING    THE   NUBIAN    DESERT. 


283 


ruins  of  Mount  Bcrkel  are  those  of  the  city  of  Napata,  the  ancient 
capital  of  Ethiopia,  of  which  the  pyramids  of  Noori  were  the  necro- 
polis. 

"On  the  12th  of  May,  my  designs  and  observations  being  finished, 
I  made  preparations  for  my  do])arture.  Knowing  that  I  should  find 
no  more  antiquities  on  either  bank  of  the  Nile,  I  resolved  to  cross  the 
desert  in  a  north-western  course,  hoi)ing  that  on  the  line  of  communica- 
tion between  Napata  and  the  island  of  Argo  there  might  be  something 
worthy  of  notice.  We  ^aid  in  a  large  sujiply  of  water,  and  on  the 
evening  of  the  l?.th  struck  into  the  desert.  There  was  no  path  across 
the  arid  plains  ;  the  night  came,  and  our  guide  regulated  his  march  by 
the  stars.  About  one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  not  being  able  to  conquer 
our  drowsiness,  we  halted  and  t(jok  two  hours'  rest.  At  nine  o'clock, 
the  thermometer  stood  at  108°.  We  pitched  our  tent  and  tried  to  sleep, 
but  in  vain ;  the  intense  heat  obliged  us  to  drink  a  little  water  and 
bathe  our  laces  every  half  hour.  At  one  o'clock  the  temperature  inside 
of  the  tent  was  117°.  The  desert  was  an  immense  plain  of  naked  sand 
and  sandstone  rock  ;  some  fragments  of  petritied  palms,  scattered  here 
anil  there,  seemed  to  attest  that  nature  was  for  ever  dead  in  these  fright- 
ful solitudes,  and  the  rays  of  a  burning  sun,  reflected  from  the  incan- 
descent sands,  pierced  our  eyes  with  their  terrible  power." 

The  next  night  they  stopped  to  take  two  hours'  sleep,  but  were  so 
fatigued  that  they  slejjt  four  and  a  half,  which  obliged  them  to  travel 
until  eleven  o'clock,  at  which  time  the  thermometer  stood  at  118°  in  tho 
.  !>hade.  The  Kharnseet),  or  desert-wind,  began  to  blow ;  the  atmosphere 
Avas  charged  with  clouds  of  sand,  and  the  sun  gave  but  a  dim  and  lurid 
light.  This  i)lace  was  called  by  the  Arabs  the  Salamdt  (Welcome). 
Tlioy  left  in  the  afternoon  and  made  a  mardi  of  seventeen  hours,  during 
which  they  found  it  almost  im])ossib]e  to  keep  their  seats  on  the  camels, 
from  drowsiness  and  fatigue.  Owing  to  the  great  evaporation  and  tho 
thirst  of  the  party,  the  water  had  diminished  so  rapidly,  that  Cailliaud 
jiut  the  Arabs  on  allowance,  "but  this  precaution  Avas  hardly  neces- 
sary," says  he,  "  for  we  were  near  the  Nile.  Presently  we  perceived, 
in  the  distance,  a  zone  of  vei'dure  along  the  horizon,  and  at  seven  in 
the  evening  we  had  completed  this  inconsiderate  journey,  for  tliere  was 
no  monument  of  any  kind  to  repay  us  for  our  toil  and  danger.  We 
found  ourselves  in  the  province  of  Dongola,  opposite  tho  island  of  Argo, 
and  had  thus,  at  least,  shortened  our  journey  six  days." 

After  passing  Tombos,  Avhere  lie  found  a  granite  colossus  of  Egyptian 
Avorkmanshij),  Cailliaud  conceived  the  idea  of  visiting  the  Oasis  of  Seli- 
mch,  Avhich  lies  in  the  Libyan  Desert,  three  days' journey  west  of  tho 
Nile,  on  the  caravan  route  from  Egypt  to  Dar-Eur.  He  set  out  on  tho 
L'Sth  of  May,  accompanit'd  by  M.  Letorzoe  and  two  Arabs.  They  had 
a  pahiful  journey  of  thirty  hours  o\er  the  liurning  desert,  and  at  last 
came  in  sight  of  Selimeh.  "  Iiefore  descending  into  tho  valley,"  says 
tho  traveler,  "  I  gazed  eagerly  over  the  beautiful  verdure  of  the  palms, 


I        ! 


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284 


CAILLIAUD'S   JOtJRNEY   TO   ETHIOPIA. 


1   ' 


which  contrasted  so  strikingly  with  the  .aridity  of  the  sands  around 
them ;  but  I  sought  in  vain  for  any  trace  of  tliat  beautiful  temple,  be- 
fore which,  the  Arabs  said,  I  should  stand  in  ecstasy.  With  what  bit- 
terness I  cursed  my  blind  confidence  in  men,  whom,  from  long  ex- 
perience, I  ought  to  have  known  better !"  After  this  disappointment 
CaiUiaud  remained  two  days  at  the  oasis  to  rest,  and  then,  returning  by 
forced  marches,  reached  the  Nile  again  on  the  31st  of  May. 

He  paid  another  visit  to  the  temple  of  Solcb,  examined  the  insignifi- 
cant ruins  at  Amarah,  and  then  continued  his  route  to  Wadi  Haifa, 
where  he  arrived  on  the  13th  of  June.  While  descending  the  Nile,  a 
week  afterward,  ho  met  a  bark  coming  up  the  river,  on  board  of  Avhich 
was  Captain  Gordon,  an  English  traveler,  on  his  Avay  to  Bongola.  "  His 
project,  like  mine,  was  to  explore  the  White  Nile.  Ilu  was  a  robust 
mariner,  firmly  resolved  to  imdertake  this  perilous  enterprise  alone  ;  but 
he  perished  like  so  many  others.  He  began,  rather  imprudently,  too 
soon  to  adopt  the  hard  life  and  customs  of  the  Arabs  ;  like  them,  a  pair 
of  drawers  and  a  shirt  were  all  his  clothing ;  he  plunged  into  the  water 
and  swam  every  hour  of  the  day ;  he  abstained  scrupulously  from  all 
nourishing  food,  in  order  that  he  might  accustom  himself  to  support  the 
privations  and  fatigues  which  he  expected  to  undergo.  Such  devotion 
and  resolution  were  not  rev/arded  with  success.  He  fell  ill,  and  died  be- 
fore reaching  Sennair." 

On  reaching  Assouan,  Cailliaud  sent  M.  Letorzec  with  the  baggage 
and  collections  in  a  boat  to  Thebes,  and  continued  his  own  journey  with 
his  camels,  in  order  to  visit  the  rums  of  El-Kab,  Edfoo,  and  Esneh  by 
the  way.  Ho  did  not  tarry  long  at  any  of  these  places :  "  On  the  6th 
of  July,"  he  writes,  "I  found  myself  in  the  midst  of  the  splendid  remains 
of  Mcdeenet-Abou.  With  what  pleasure  and  admiration  I  again  beheld 
those  propylons,  those  immense  porticoes  and  colonnades,  which  thirty- 
five  centuries  have  respected !  In  the  afternoon  I  reached  Goorneh, 
where  I  found  M.  Letorzec,  quite  restored  by  the  air  of  Egypt.  Nothing 
in  my  house  had  been  damaged ;  the  Arabs  seemed  dehghted  to  see  us 
again  safe  and  sound  after  a  journey  in  which  so  many  others  had  lost 
their  lives.  Thebes  was  in  our  eyes  almost  a  French  port ;  no  obstacle 
now  separated  us  from  our  country." 

Cailliaud  remained  at  Thebes  until  the  15th  of  September,  employing 
himself  m  copying  the  sculptures  on  the  walls  of  Memnon's  tomb.  He 
also  made  excursions  to  Ekhmin,  Abydos,  and  other  ruins  which  he  had 
not  previously  visited,  and  Avas  about  setting  out  on  another  trip  to  the 
Great  Oasis,  for  the  purpose  of  examining  more  carefully  the  ruined  tem- 
ple there,  Avhen  some  ^rab  burglars,  who  entered  his  house  at  night, 
carried  off  all  his  ready  money,  and  obliged  him  to  give  up  the  under- 
taking. Leaving  Thebes,  finally,  with  his  companion,  ho  descended  the 
Nile  rapidly  and  reached  Cairo  on  the  27th.  The  travelers  sailed  from 
Alexandria  on  the  30th  of  October,  in  a  Genoese  brig  bound  for  Mar- 
seilles.   The  passage  was  very  stormy,  and  the  brig  narrowly  escaped 


si 
in 

E; 

an 
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bu 
thi 
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coi 

in 

has 


RETURN    TO    FRANCE, 


285 


shipwreck  off  the  Sardinian  coast,  l)ut  on  the  1 1th  of  December  anchored 
in  the  harbor  of  Marseilles.  Tlie  very  next  vessel  Avhich  arrived  from 
Egypt  brought  the  news  of  the  terrible  fate  of  Ismail  Pasha,  his  staff, 
and  fifty  of  his  troops,  in  Shendy.  Mek  Neml",  who  had  sworn  venge- 
ance against  him,  persuaded  him  to  attend  a  festival  lield  in  a  large 
building  some  distance  from  the  Egyptian  camp,  and  haA'ing  surrounded 
the  place  in  the  night  with  combustible  materials,  set  fire  to  it  and 
burned  to  death  all  who  were  withm. 

Cailliaud's  account  of  his  journey,  m  four  octavo  volumes,  with  an  ac- 
companying folio  containing  maps,  plans,  and  engravings,  was  published 
in  Paris  in  1820.  It  is  from  this  edition  that  the  present  abridgement 
has  been  prepared. 


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BRITISH     AMERICA, 

WITH 

TRilXliTiTS'S  -ROr'lT. 

TO  THB 
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Trmihtinx  Uniifi' 


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F  R  A  N  K  L  I  N'S 


OVERLAND  JOURNEY  TO  THE  POLAR  SEA. 


Ix  the  year  1819,  the  British  Govoniinent  determined  to  send  an  ex- 
pedition l)y  land  from  Hudson's  Bay  to  explore  the  northern  coast  of 
America  from  the  mouth  of  the  Coppermine  Kivcr  eastward.  Captain, 
afterward  Sir  John  Franklin,  was  appointed  to  the  eonnnand,  with  Dr. 
John  Richardson,  and  Messrs.  George  Back  and  Robert  Hood,  midship- 
men, as  associates.  Captain  Franklin  also  took  with  him  .lohn  Hepburn, 
an  English  .eaman ;  the  rest  of  the  party  were  to  consist  of  Canadian 
hunters  and  voyageurs.  They  embarked  at  Gravesend  on  the  23d  of 
May,  1819,  on  board  the  Hudson's  Bay  (company's  ship  Prince  of  Waks^ 
and  after  touching  at  Stromness,  in  the  Orkney  Islands,  where  they  pro- 
cured four  skillful  boatmen,  i-eached  York  Factory,  in  Hudson's  Bay,  on 
the  30th  of  August,  after  a  very  stormy  and  perilous  voyage. 

According  to  the  advice  of  the  officers  at  the  Factory,  franklin  de- 
termined to  take  the  route  by  Cumberland  House,  and  through  the 
chain  of  trading-posts  to  Great  Slave  Lake.  Havhig  procured  a  boat, 
with  a  steersman  who  acted  also  as  guide,  the  party  commenced  their 
march  into  the  interior  on  the  9th  of  Septeml^cr.  They  made  the  jour- 
ney up  Hayes  and  Hill  Rivers  very  slowly,  owing  to  the  strength  of  the 
current,  and  were  finally  obliged  to  leave  part  of  their  supplies  behind,  in 
the  charge  of  some  of  the  Company's  traders,  who  promised  to  forward 
them  the  next  spring.  On  passing  the  White  Fall,  Franklin  slipped  into 
the  river  and  was  on  the  point  of  being  carried  over,  when  he  happened 
to  seize  a  willow  branch  strong  enough  to  sustain  him.  They  arrived  at 
Norway  House,  on  Lake  Wiimipeg,  on  the  6th  of  October,  after  Avhich 
they  traveled  with  more  rapidity,  and  reached  Cumberland  House,  on 
the  Saskatchawan,  on  the  23d  of  the  same  month. 

By  this  time  the  ice  was  forming  in  the  rivers,  and  it  was  impossible 
to  proceed  further  by  boats.  The  whole  party  remamed  at  Cumberland 
House  mitil  the  middle  of  January,  accustoming  themselves  to  the  life 
they  were  thenceforth  to  lead,  and  making  preparations  for  the  journey 

19 


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290 


FRAXKLIN'S    JOURNEY    TO    T  If  K    POLAR    SEA. 


to  Slave  Lako.  Thoy  had  also  an  oj)j)ortuiiity  of  wilnos.sini;  the  habits 
of  the  Creo  Iiidmns,  who  hail  assi'inhled  aromul  the  Fort.  These  jieople 
were  dissipated  in  their  habits,  but  iiniisiially  honest,  and  very  super- 
stitious. Ti»ey  have  anionic  them  professed  eonjurors,  who  lake  advan- 
tage of  their  fears  to  tyrainii/.e  over  them  and  procure  a  good  living  at 
their  expense.  One  of  these  conjurors  came  to  Cumberland  House 
duruig  Frankhn'd  residence  there.  "  lie  inuuediately  began  to  trumpet 
forth  his  powers,  boasting,  among  other  things,  that  altliough  liis  Iiand3 
and  feet  were  tied  ad  secuicly  as  possible,  yet,  when  placed  in  a  conjm*- 
ing-housc,  he  woidd  speedily  chsengage  himself  by  the  a'd  of  two  or 
three  familiar  spirits  who  were  attendant  on  liis  call.  lie  wa.:.  instantly 
taken  at  his  w  ord,  and,  that  his  exertions  might  not  be  without  an  aim, 
a  vajjot  or  great-coat  was  promised  as  the  reward  of  his  success.  A  con- 
Juringdiouse  having  been  erected  in  the  usual  form,  that  is,  by  sticking 
fotu'  Avillows  in  the  ground  and  t}ing  their  tops  to  a  hoop  at  the  height 
of  six  or  eight  feet,  he  was  fettered  completely  by  whiding  several 
fathoms  of  rope  arouml  his  Ijody  and  extremities,  and  placed  in  its  nar- 
row apartment,  not  exceeding  two  feet  in  diameter.  A  moose-skin 
behig  then  thrown  over  the  frame,  secluded  hhn  from  our  view.  IIo 
forthwith  began  to  chant  a  kind  of  hynm  in  a  very  monotonous  tone. 
The  rest  of  the  Imlians,  who  seemed  in  some  doubt  respecting  the 
powers  of  a  devil  when  put  in  competition  with  those  of  a  white  man, 
ranged  themselves  around  and  watched  the  result  with  anxiety.  In  this 
maimer  an  hour  ami  a  half  elapsed;  but  at  length  our  attention,  which 
had  begun  to  tlag,  was  roused  by  the  violent  shaking  of  the  conjuring- 
house.  It  was  instantly  wliispered  around  the  circle,  that  at  least  one 
devil  had  crei)t  under  the  moose-skin.  Ilut  it  proved  to  be  only  the 
"God-like  man  "  (as  he  called  himsell),  trembling  with  cold.  He  had 
entered  the  lists  stripped  to  the  skin,  and  the  thermometer  .stood  very 
low  that  evening.  Ilis  attemjits  were  continued,  however,  with  con- 
siderabli'  resolution  for  half  an  hour  longer,  when  he  reluctantly  gave 
hi.  He  had  found  no  ditTlculty  in  slipping  through  the  noose  when  it 
was  formed  by  his  countrymen ;  but,  in  the  present  instance,  the  knot 
was  tied  by  Ciovernor  Williams,  who  is  an  exjiert  sailor.  Atler  this  im- 
successful  exhibition  his  credit  sank  amazingly,  and  he  took  the  earliest 
opportunity  of  sneaking  away  frc/ni  the  Fort."' 

Franklin  divideil  his  comi)any,  leaving  Dr.  Richardson  .and  !Mr.  Ilood 
at  Ciunberlaud  House  \mtil  the  spiing,  and  taking  with  him  only  3Ir. 
Back  and  Hepburn.  He  set  out  on  the  18th  of  January,  18'20,  furnished 
•with  two  dog-sleds  by  the  C'otnpany's  agents,  and  some  Canadians  whom 
he  had  taken  into  his  service.  He  reached  Carlton  House  utler  a  walk 
of  fourteen  days,  during  which  (he  three  Englishmen  suffered  gre.atly 
from  the  unaccustomed  rhating  of  the  snow-shoes.  TIk;  Ave.ather  was 
intensely  cold:  "Our  tea,"  says  Franklin,  "froze  in  the  tin  j)ots  before 
we  could  drink  it,  and  oven  a  mixture  of  spirits  and  water  became  quite 
thick  by  congelation  ;  yet,  atler  we  lay  down  to  rest,  wo  felt  no  uicou- 


L  .: 


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An 


'*(  * 


1.1 


PREPARATION'S    AT    FORT    CHIPEWYAN'. 


291 


venienco.'"  Tho  daj'  Lcforo  /eaohing  Carlton  House,  they  consumed 
their  last  i)rovisions.  Hero  they  took  a  ftjw  <hiys'  rest,  in  order  to  re- 
cover from  their  fatip;ne,  and  procure  suitplies  for  the  further  journey. 

They  started  again  on  tho  8th  of  Feijruary,  and,  with  the  exci'ittion 
of  a  short  rest  at  Fort  La  Crosse,  continued  their  journey  to  Fort  Chipe- 
wyan,  on  Athabasca  Lake,  where  they  arrived  on  the  2Gth  of  March. 
"Tims,"  says  Franklin,  "terminated  a  winter  journey  of  eiglit  hundred 
and  fifty-seven  miles,  hi  the  progress  of  which  there  was  a  great  amount 
of  agreeable  and  disagreeable  circumstances:  couM  the  amount  of  each 
be  balanced,  I  suspect  the  latter  would  much  2)rej)onderate.  Among 
these,  the  initiation  into  walking  on  snow-shoes  nmst  be  considered  as 
prominent.  The  next  evil  is  the  being  constantly  exposed  to  witness 
the  wanton  and  unnecessary  cruelty  of  the  men  to  their  dogs,  especially 
those  of  the  Canadians,  who  beat  them  unmercifully.  There  are  other 
inconveniences,  which,  though  keenly  felt  during  the  day's  journey,  are 
speedily  forgotten,  when,  stretched  out  in  the  encampment  l)efore  a 
large  fire,  you  enjoy  the  social  mirth  of  your  comj)ani()ns,  who  usually 
pass  the  evening  in  recounting  their  former  feats  in  traveling." 

As  Dr.  Ilichardson  and  Mr.  Hood  were  to  wait  at  Cund)erland  House 
until  the  opening  of  river  navigation  in  the  spring,  Franklin  was  obliged 
to  Mait  at  Chij)ewyan  House  for  their  arrival,  Avhich  did  not  take  place 
until  the  l:Uh  of  July.  He  made  use  of  the  intervening  time  in  sending 
iiu'ss;ig('s  to  the  ehief  of  the  Coppermine  Lidians,  who  professed  his  will- 
higness  to  assist  him  in  his  cxphn-ations,  in  engaging  boatmen  and  in- 
terpi'cters,  and  building  canoes,  and  in  preparing  dispatches  for  England. 
Ilichardson  and  Hood  brought  along  two  canoes,  but  the  pennnican 
with  which  they  had  been  supplied  by  the  agents  of  the  Hudson's  IJay 
Company  ])roved  to  be  so  moldy,  that  they  threw  it  away,  and  they  luvd 
but  provisions  for  one  day  on  arriving  at  Fort  Chij)ewyan.  Franklin 
obtaiiu'd  all  the  supplies  that  could  be  spared  from  the  fort,  but  could 
obtain  neither  anmiimition  nor  spirits,  and  but  little  tobacco.  He  says: 
"  We  then  made  a  final  arrangement  respecting  the  voyagcurs  who  were 
to  accompar.y  the  party  ;  and  fortunately  there  was  no  difiiculty  in  doing 
this,  as  Dr.  I'ichardson  and  Mr.  Hood  liad  taken  the  very  judicious 
lirecaulion  of  bringing  up  ten  men  from  Ciunberland,  who  were  engaged 
to  proceed  forward  if  their  seruces  were  required.  These  men  were 
most  desirous  of  being  continued,  and  we  felt  sincere  pleasure  in  l)eing 
able  to  keep  men  who  were  so  zealous  in  tho,  cause,  and  who  had  given 
]irn(ifs  of  their  activity  on  their  recent  j)assage  to  this  place,  by  discharg- 
ing those  men  who  were  less  willing  to  undertake  tlie  journey.  When 
the  numbers  were  comjileted  which  we  had  been  recommended  by  tho 
traders  to  take  rs  a  protection  against  the  Esquimaux,  we  had  sixteen 
Canadian  voyageurs,  and  oiu-  worthy  and  only  English  attendant,  John 
Hepburn,  l)esides  the  two  interpreters  whom  wo  were  to  receive  at  the 
<^ireat  Slave  Lake  ;  we  were  also  accompanied  by  a  Cliipewyan  woman. 
An  eipiipment  of  goo<ls  was  given  to  each  of  the  men;  and  when  this 


;  f 


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292 


FRANKLIN'S    JOURNEY    TO    TIIK    POLAR    SEA. 


distribution  li;ul  been  made,  the  rcinaimli'r  were  iii;i(lo  up  into  bales, 
pre))ar:itory  to  our  departure  on  the  followiiiu;  day,  tlu'  18th  of  July." 

Their  stock  of  provisions  was  only  sulli(;ieat  for  one  day's  consump- 
tion, exclusive  of  two  barrels  of  flour,  three  cases  of  preserved  meats, 
with  some  chocolate,  arrow-root,  and  portable  soup,  -which  they  had 
brought  from  England  and  intended  to  reserve  for  their  ex])]()ring  tour 
along  the  coast  next  sununer.  The  scarcity  of  food  did  not  in  the  least 
depress  the  Canadians,  who  paddled  otf,  singing,  into  the  Slave  liiver. 
Tills  is  a  magniiicent  stream,  three  quarters  of  a  mile  Avide,  Init  inter- 
rupted by  occasional  rapids.  Their  voyage  down  it  was  without  incident, 
and  in  six  days  they  reached  the  trading  post  on  ]\Ioosc  Deer  Island,  in 
Great  Slave  Lake.  Here  Franklin  engaged  St.  Germain,  an  interpreter 
for  the  Copper  Indians,  and  obtained  five  hundred  and  ilfty  pounds  of 
dried  meat,  lie  then  crossed  the  lake  to  Fort  I'rovidence,  on  the 
northern  side,  wliere  lie  found  Mr.  AVentzel,  one  of  the  (Company's 
clerks,  who  intended  to  accompany  the  expedition  to  the  Coppermine 
Kiver,  together  with  Adam,  an  interpreter,  and  one  of  tlu;  Indian 
guides.  The  chief  of  the  tribe,  who  was  encamped  in  the  neighb(U"hood, 
was  at  once  sent  for,  and  a  grand  council  was  held  on  his  arrival,  a\  hicli 
terminated  in  liis  agreeing  to  accompany  Franklin.  His  name  was 
Akaiteho,  or  Big-loot.  Afler  the  council  was  over,  presents  were  dis- 
tributed to  him  and  his  braves,  and  the  ceremonies  terminated  with  an 
Indian  dance. 

The  l>arty  left  Fort  Providence  on  the  '2d  of  August.  "  Our  stores," 
says  Franklin,  "  consisted  of  two  barrels  of  guni)Owder,  one  hundred 
and  forty  pounds  of  balls  and  small  shot,  four  fowling-pieces,  a  few  old 
tr;iding-guns,  eight  ])istols,  twenty-four  Indian  daggers,  some  packages 
of  knives,  chisels,  axes,  nails,  and  fastenings  for  a  boat,  a  few  yards  of 
cloth,  some  blardicts,  needles,  looking-glasses,  and  beads,  together  with 
nine  iishing-nets,  having  meshes  of  diflerent  sizes."  There  were  twenty- 
eight  persons  in  all,  including  the  wives  of  three  of  the  voyageurs,  who 
went  along  for  the  purpose  of  making  shoes  and  clothes  fur  the  men  in 
their  winter  cpiarters.  Fort  Providence  is  the  last  trading  establisinnent, 
and  the  country  beyond  it  had  never  before  been  visited  by  any  Euro- 
})ean.  They  ascendeil  Vellow-knife  Iliver,  whicli  flows  in^»  (treat  Slave 
Lake  from  the  north-east,  a  distance  of  oiu'  hundred  and  iifty-six  miles, 
j)assing  through  a  chain  of  lakes,  between  which  there  were  many  rapids, 
recpiiring  portage  ol'tho  canoes.  They  then  crossed  a  barren  water-shed 
for  thirty  miles,  carrying  their  canoes  frr)m  lake  to  lake,  imtil,  on  the 
20th,  they  reached  a  river  running  to  the  north-west,  on  tlie  baid<s  of 
which  tiio  chief,  Ak.'iitdio,  proposed  they  should  establish  their  winter 
quarters.  "  We  found  that  the  situation  they  had  chosen  possessed  all 
the  advantages  we  could  desire.  The  trees  were  nmnerous,  and  of  a  fir 
greater  si/e  than  wo  had  su))]iosed  them  to  be  on  a  distant  view,  soino 
of  the  pinea  being  thirty  or  forty  fltet  hiirh,  and  two  feet  in  diameter  at 
the  root.     Wc  determined  on  placing  the  house  on  the  sunitnit  of  the 


J      I, 


TM'i'- 


vi 

Icr 
111 
llir 

■no 
lut 
Iho 


WINTER    QUARTERS. 


293 


bank,  •vvliich  commands  a  hcautiful  jirospoct  of  the  sniTounding  country. 
li.  lie  aftcnioon  avo  read  divine  service,  and  oli'ered  our  tlianksgiviniij  to 
t'       \lmiu-}ity  for  Ids  goodness  in  liavinij  brought  us  thus  fur  on  our 

^Vkaitclio,  however,  broke  his  promise  of  accompanying  Fraid<lin  to 
tl>o  Coppermine  IJiver,  alk'ging  that  the  season  was  now  too  tlir  ad- 
vanced, and  his  tribe  were  obliged  to  procure  deer-skins  for  the  winter. 
Ko  persuasion  cuiild  indiu'c  him  to  change  his  decision  ;  so,  after  mature 
deliberation,  k'lanklin  gave  nj)  the  idea  of  reaching  the  sea  until  the 
next  sunnner.  lie  thought  it  prudent,  however,  to  send  a  party  to  ex- 
plore the  upper  wati'rs  of  the  Coppermine,  and  ascertain  its  rapids,  etc., 
and  disi)atched  l)ack  and  Ilood,  with  St.  Germain,  the  interj)reter,  ;nid 
eight  Canadians,  on  this  duty.  Soon  after  they  left,  he  left  3Ir.  Went- 
zel  to  superintend  the  l)uilding  of  the  fort,  and  started  with  Dr.  Kich- 
ardson  on  a  pedestrian  journey  to  the  Coppermine,  lioth  parties  were 
only  al'x'ut  abiii:!  ten  days,  and  on  their  return  found  that  the  Avinter- 
hou.se,  which  they  named  Fort  Knter2)rise,  was  already  roofed  in. 


Fonr  ENTKRrnisE. 


;i^^^0^ 


"On  the  nth  of  October,"  says  Franklin,  "the  house  being  com- 
pleted, we  strtu'k  our  tents,  and  moved  into  it.  It  was  merely  a  log 
buildinLC,  fifiv  f.ct  lonu'  and  twenty-four  wide,  divided  into  a  hall,  three 
bed-rooms,  and  a  kitchen.  The  walls  and  roof  were  i)lastored  with  clay, 
the  floors  laid  with  ]il:uiks  rudely  squared  with  the  hatchet,  :Hid  the 
windows  ehwcl  with  panhment  of  deer-skin."  They  now  went  to  W(trk 
to  securi'  a  L'i'od  supply  of  provisions  for  th.e  winter,  and,  with  the  as- 
Bistunco  of  the  Indians,"had  stored  away,  by  the  middU'  of  October,  ono 


L_ 


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(   .'    i 


I       I     i 


294         FRANKLIN'S    JOURNEY    TO    THE    POLAR    SEA. 

hundred  and  eighty  deer,  together  with  one  thousand  pounds  of  suet, 
and  some  dried  meat.  On  the  18th,  Messrs.  Back  and  Weutzel  set  out 
for  Fort  Providence,  with  two  Canadians  and  two  Indians,  to  attend  to 
the  transportuig  of  the  stores  which  Franklin  expected  to  receive  irom 
Cumberland  House.  In  the  following  month  one  of  the  Canadians  re- 
turned, stating  that  the  supplies  had  not  arrived ;  that  Mr.  Weeks, 
the  company's  agent  at  Fort  Providence,  was  endeavoring  to  prejudice 
the  Indians  against  them,  and  that  Mr.  Back  would  probably  be  obliged 
to  continue  his  journey  to  Fort  Chipewyan  to  obtain  supplies.  All  these 
disappointments  were  very  embarrassing  to  Franklin,  and  they  no  doubt 
had  an  effect  on  the  fortunes  of  the  expedition. 

The  weather  during  December  was  the  coldest  they  experienced. 
"The  thermometer  sank  on  one  occasion  to  57°  below  zero,  and  never 
rose  beyond  C°  above  it ;  the  mean  for  the  month  was  — 29°. 7.  Duiing 
these  intense  colds,  however,  the  atmosphere  was  generally  calm,  and 
the  wood-cutters  and  others  went  about  their  ordinary  occupations  with- 
out using  any  extraordinary  precautions,  yet  without  feeling  any  bad 
effects.  They  liad  their  reindeer-shirts  on,  leathern  mittens  lined  with 
blankets,  and  furred  caps  ;  but  none  of  them  used  any  defense  for  the 
face,  or  needed  any.  The  intense  colds  were,  nevertheless,  detrimental 
to  us  in  another  way.  The  trees  froze  to  their  very  centers  and  became 
as  hard  as  stones,  and  more  difficult  to  cut.  Some  of  the  axes  were 
broken  daily,  and  by  the  end  of  the  month  we  iiad  only  one  left  that 
was  fit  for  felling  ti-ees.  A  thermometer,  liung  m  our  bed-room  at  the 
distance  of  sixteen  feet  from  the  fire,  but  exposed  to  its  direct  radiation, 
stood  even  in  the  day-time  occasionally  at  15°  below  zero,  and  was  ob- 
served more  than  once,  previous  to  the  kuidling  of  the  lire  in  the  morn- 
ing, to  be  as  low  as  40°  below  zero. 

"  A  considerable  ])ortion  of  our  thno  was  occupied  in  writing  up 
our  journals.  Some  newspapers  and  magazines,  that  we  had  received 
from  England  Avith  our  letters,  were  read  agaui  and  again,  and  com- 
mented upon  at  our  meals ;  and  we  often  exercised  ourselves  with  con- 
jecturhig  the  changes  that  might  take  place  in  the  world  before  we 
could  hear  from  it  again.  We  occasionally  paid  the  woodmen  a  visit, 
or  took  a  walk  fur  a  mile  or  two  on  the  river.  In  the  evenings  we  joined 
llie  men  in  the  hall,  and  took  a  part  in  their  games,  which  generally 
continued  till  a  late  hour;  in  short,  we  never  found  the  time  to  hang 
heavy  on  our  hands;  and  the  peculiar  occupations  of  each  of  the  officers 
afforded  tlu'm  more  employment  than  might  at  first  be  supposed.  Our 
diet  consisted  almost  entirely  of  reuideer  meat,  varied  twice  a  week  by 
fish,  and  occasionally  by  a  little  flour,  but  we  had  no  vegetables  of  any 
description.  On  Sunday  mornings  we  drank  a  cup  of  chocolate,  but  our 
greatest  luxury  was  tea  (without  sugar),  of  which  we  regularly  partook 
twice  a  day.  With  reindeer's  fat,  and  strips  of  cotton  shirts,  we  formed 
candles  ;  and  Hepburn  'M'<\\  '  ons'derable  skill  in  the  manufacture  of 
soap,  from  tiio  wood-ashes,  fat,  and  salt." 


:  -I 


1 


DESCENDING  THE  COPPERMINE. 


295 


Thus  the  Avintor  passed  away,  ami  on  the  17tli  of  Marcli,  1821,  Lieu- 
tenant Back  returned,  after  an  absence  of  live  months,  during  which 
tinae  lie  had  traveled  eleven  hundred  and  four  miles  on  snow-shoes,  with 
no  other  covering  at  night  twan  a  blanket  and  deer-skin,  with  the  ther- 
mometer frequently  at  40°,  and  once  57",  below  zero.  Their  provisions 
now  gave  out,  and  the  months  of  Ai)ril  and  3Iay  Avere  spent  principally 
in  replenishing  their  supplies,  in  negotiations  with  the  Indians,  who, 
from  the  refusal  of  ]Mr.  Weeks  to  pay  Franklin's  orders,  had  become 
unruly  and  discontented,  and  in  procuring  goods  and  ammunition  for 
the  summer  voyage.  The  season  was  later  tlum  usual,  and  the  expedi- 
tion was  not  ready  to  leave  before  the  beginning  of  June,  Dr.  Richard- 
son was  sent  forward  in  advance,  with  part  of  the  stores,  to  Point  Lake 
on  the  Coppermine  Kiver,  and  on  the  14th  of  the  same  month  Franklin 
set  out  with  the  remainder  of  the  party.  lie  took  the  precaution  of 
sending,  previously,  all  his  journals,  dispatches,  and  other  writings,  to 
England,  by  way  of  Fort  Providence  and  the  other  trading  posts. 

The  first  part  of  the  journey  was  very  fitiguing,  as  the  ic(!  on  the 
smaller  lakes  was  rotten,  and  the  men  In'oke  through  frerpiently.  They 
traveled  thus,  without  any  serious  accident,  for  seven  days,  when  they 
reached  Dr.  Richardson's  encamjunent  on  Point  Lake,  Here  the  ice 
was  still  six  or  seven  feet  thick,  with  no  appearance  of  melting,  and  they 
were  therefore  obliged  to  drag  the  canoes  and  stores  over  its  surtace. 
The  canoes  were  mounted  on  sledges,  and  drawn  along  by  the  combined 
efforts  of  dogs  and  men.  Four  days  were  re(piired  to  cross  I'oint  Lake, 
as  they  did  not  make  more  than  ten  miles  a  day,  and  when  this  lake  was 
]>assed,  a  short  ra})id  condu(;ted  them  to  another,  frozen  in  like  manner. 
They  were  not  able  to  launch  the  canoes  on  the  Coj)permine  until  the  2d 
of  July,  after  which  their  voyage  Avas  less  flitiguing,  but  much  more 
dangerous,  from  the  rapids  in  the  stream  and  the  masses  of  drift-ice. 
Their  supplies  of  meat,  however,  which  were  (juite  exhausted,  were  now 
replenished  from  the  herd  of  musk-oxen  which  they  met  \\ith.  On  the 
9th  they  passed  safely  through  the  Xarrows  of  the  Coi>pernune,  a  place 
where  the  river,  for  three  quarters  of  !i  mile,  is  confmed  between  prec- 
ipices two  hundred  feet  high,  and  shoots  along  in  an  arrowy  nuiss  of 
foam. 

As  they  approached  the  mouth  of  the  river,  they  kept  a  good  look- 
out for  the  Esquimaux,  whom  they  exjx'cted  to  lind  in  that  neighbor- 
hood. In  order  to  secure  a  friendly  recej»tion  from  them,  one  of  tho 
Indian  interpreters,  named  Augustus,  was  sent  forward  to  connnunicato 
with  them.  He  foiuid  some  of  them  near  the  fills  of  the  Coppermine, 
and  as  they  seemed  cotisiderably  alarmed  at  the  news,  the  boats  of  tho 
expedition  halted  a  little  short  of  that  jioiut  on  the  14th.  "After  supper 
Dr.  Richardson  ascended  a  lofty  hill  about  three  miles  from  the  en- 
ciunpmcnt,  and  obtained  the  first  view  of  the  sea;  it  ajipeared  to  be 
covered  with  ice.  A  large  promojitory,  which  I  named  Cape  Ilearne, 
bore  north-east,  and  its  Iol\y  mountains  provjil  to  be  the  blue  land  wo 


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29G 


FRANKLIN'S  JOURNEY  TO  TUB  POLAR  SEA. 


had  seen  in  the  forenoon,  ami  whidi  had  led  us  to  believe  the  sea  was 
still  far  distant." 

They  succeeded  in  estaLlisliing  some  intoroourso  ■with  the  Esqui- 
maux, but  found  them  rather  shy  and  suspicious.  They  were  at  last 
able,  however,  to  get  ujjon  a  friendly  footing  with  an  old  man  named 
Terregaimccuck,  who  had  a  fresh,  ruddy  face,  a  prominent  nose,  and  a 
snow-white  beard,  two  inches  long.  Upon  showing  him  his  face  in  a 
mirror  for  the  first  time,  he  exclaimed,  "  I  shall  never  kill  deer  any 
more,"  and  immediately  i)ut  the  mirror  down.  Here  Akaitcho  and  his 
j)arty  left,  to  return  to  the  grounds  of  their  tribe.  The  expedition 
reached  the  sea  on  the  19th  of  July,  when  IMr.  "Wentzel  left;  with  four 
Canadians,  to  return  to  Fort  Providence.  The  remainder  of  the  party, 
including  olllcers,  now  amounted  to  twenty  men.  Mr.  Wentzel  took 
Franklin's  last  disp.atches  to  be  forwarded  to  England,  and  was  instruct- 
ed to  take  charge  of  all  the  journals  and  collections  left,  at  Fort  Enter- 
prise, as  well  as  to  deposit  there  a  quantity  of  supplies  for  Franklin's 
party,  in  case  they  should  return  by  the  same  route.  When  his  party 
had  been  supjjlied  with  ammunition,  the  remaining  stock  consisted  of  one 
thousand  balls,  with  ratlier  more  than  the  requisite  quantity  of  ]wwder. 

From  this  point  their  discoveries  commenced.  They  embarked  on 
the  Polar  Sea  on  the  '21st,  and  turned  their  canoes  eastward,  hoping  in 
these  frail  l)arks,  to  solve  the  problem  of  a  north-west  passage.  Pad- 
dling along  th(!  coast,  on  the  inside  of  a  crowded  range  of  islands,  they 
encamped  on  shore  after  a  run  of  thirty-seven  miles,  in  which  they  ex- 
perienced little  interruption,  and  saw  only  a  small  iceberg  in  the  dis- 
tance, though  that  beautiful  luminous  eifulgence  emitted  from  the  con- 
gregated ices,  and  distinguished  by  the  name  of  the  ice-blink,  was  dis- 
tinctly visible  to  the  northward.  The  coast  was  found  of  moderate 
heiglit,  easy  of  access,  ami  covered  with  vegetation  ;  but  the  islands 
were  rocky  and  barren,  presenting  high  clift's  of  a  cohnnnar  structure. 
In  continuing  their  voyage,  the  dangers  which  beset  a  navigator  in  these 
dreadful  polar  solitudes  thickened  gloomily  around  them.  The  coast 
became  broken  and  sterile,  and  at  length  rose  into  a  high  and  rugged 
promontory,  against  which  some  larj^e  masses  of  ice  had  drifted,  threat- 
ening destruction  to  their  slendt'r  canoes.  In  attempting  to  round  this 
caj)e  the  wind  rose,  an  awful  gloom  involved  the  sky,  and  the  thunder 
burst  over  their  heads,  com])elling  them  to  encamp  till  the  storm  sub- 
sided. They  then,  at  the  innninent  risk  of  having  the  canoes  crushed 
by  the  floating  ice,  doubled  the  dreary  ])romontory,  which  they  denomi- 
nated Cape  Barrow,  and  entered  Detention  Harbor,  M'here  they  landed. 
Around  them  the  land  consisted  of  mountains  of  granite,  rishig  abruptly 
from  the  water's  edge,  destitute  of  vegetation,  and  attaining  an  elevation 
of  fourteen  or  fifteen  Jnmdred  feet;  seals  and  small  deer  were  the  only 
animals  seen,  and  the  former  were  so  shy  that  all  attempts  to  approach 
within  shot  Avere  unsuccessful.  With  the  deer  the  hunters  were  more 
fortunate,  but  these  were  not  nunxerous ;  and  while  the  ice  closed  grad- 


EXPLORATION  OF  THE  ARCTIC  COAST. 


297 


ually  around  tlioin,  nnd  thoir  little  stock  of  provisions,  consisting  of 
pomniican  and  cured  beef,  every  day  diminished,  it  was  impossible  not 
to  regard  their  situation  with  uneasiness.  Hounding  Cape  Kater,  they 
entered  Arctic  Sound,  and  send  a  party  to  explore  a  river  upon  the 
banks  of  which  they  expected  to  find  an  Esquimaux  encampment.  All, 
however,  was  silent,  desolate,  and  deserted ;  even  these  Iiardy  natives, 
bred  amid  the  polar  ices,  had  removed  from  so  barren  a  spot,  and  the 
hunters  returned  with  two  small  deer  and  a  brown  bear,  the  latter  ani- 
mal so  lean  and  sickly  looking,  that  the  men  declined  eating  it ;  but  the 
officers  boiled  its  paws,  and  found  them  excellent. 

Proceeding  along  the  eastern  shore  of  Arctic  Sound,  to  which  they 
gave  the  name  of  Batd^es'  Peninsula,  the  expedition  made  its  2)ainfid  way 
along  a  coast  indented  by  bays,  and  in  many  places  studded  with  islands, 
till,  on  the  10th  of  August,  they  reached  the  open  sea  ;  and  sailing,  as 
they  imagined,  between  the  continent  and  a  large  island,  found  to  their 
deep  disappointment  that,  instead  of  an  open  channel,  they  were  in  the 
center  of  a  vast  bay.  The  state  of  the  expedition  now  called  for  the 
most  serious  consideration  upon  the  jjart  of  their  connnander.  So  much 
time  had  already  been  si)ent  in  exploiing  the  sounds  tmd  inlets,  that  all 
hope  of  reaching  Repulse  Bay  was  vain  ;  both  canoes  had  sustained  ma- 
terial injury  ;  the  fuel  was  expended  ;  their  provisions  were  sufficient 
only  for  three  days ;  the  appearances  of  the  setting  in  of  the  arctic 
winter  were  too  unequivocal  to  be  mistaken  ;  the  deer,  which  had  liith- 
erto  siqi})lied  them  with  fresh  meat,  would,  it  was  well  known,  soon 
disappear  ;  the  geese  and  other  aquatic  birds  were  already  seen  Avmging 
their  way  to  the  southward ;  while  the  men,  avIio  had  up  to  this  mo- 
ment displayed  the  utmost  courage,  began  to  look  dislieartenr.'d,  and  to 
entertain  serious  apj)rehensions  for  their  safety.  Under  these  circum- 
stances, Franklin,  with  the  concurrence  of  his  officers,  determined  not 
to  endanger  the  lives  of  his  people  by  a  further  advance  ;  and  after 
spending  four  days  in  a  minute  survey  of  the  bay,  it  was  resolved  to 
return  by  Hood's  lliver  to  Fort  I'^nterprise.  Franklin's  researches,  as 
far  as  prosecuted  at  this  time,  favored  the  opinion  of  those  who  con- 
tended for  the  practicability  of  a  north-west  passage.  It  ajjpeared 
])robable  that  the  coast  ran  east  and  west  in  the  latitude  assigned  to 
Mackenzie's  River,  and  little  doubt  could,  hi  his  opinion,  be  entertained 
regarding  the  existence  of  a  contiiuied  sea  in  that  direction.  The  por- 
tion over  which  they  passed  was  navigable  for  vessels  of  any  size  ;  and 
the  ice  met  with  after  (putting  Detention  Harbor  would  not  have  arrested 
a  strong  boat,  while  the  chain  of  islands  affin-ded  shelter  from  all  heavy 
seas,  and  there  were  good  harbors  at  convenient  distances.  Having, 
with  much  severe  privation,  completed  their  course,  from  Point  Turn- 
again,  in  Melville  Bay,  to  the  entrance  of  Hood's  River,  they  ascended  as 
high  as  the  first  rapid,  and  encamj)ed,  terminating  liere  their  voyage  on 
the  Arctic  Sea,  dining  which  they  had  gone  over  six  hundred  and  fifty 
geograi)hical  miles. 


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298 


FllANKLIN'S    JOURNEY    TO    THE    POLAR    SEA. 


On  the  prospect  of  commencing  their  land  journey,  the  Canadians 
could  not  conceal  their  satisfaction ;  and  the  evening  previous  to  their 
departure  Avas  passed  in  talking  over  their  jiast  adventures,  and  con- 
gratulating each  other  in  having  at  length  turned  their  backs  upon  the 
sea,  little  anticipating  that  the  most  pauitid  and  hazardous  portion  of  the 
expedition  was  yet  to  come.  Before  setting  off,  an  assortment  of  iron 
matei'ials,  beads,  looking-glasses,  and  other  articles,  was  put  up  in  a 


WILBKRFORCE   FALLS. 


li  ill  \\       ii 


conspicuous  situation  for  the  Esciuimaux,  and  the  English  union  was 
planted  on  the  loftiest  sand-hill,  where  it  might  be  seen  by  any  ships 
passing  in  the  offing.  Here  also  was  deposited  in  a  tin  box  a  letter  con- 
taining an  outline  of  the  proceedhigs  of  the  expedition,  the  latitude  and 
longitude  of  the  principal  i)laces,  and  the  course  intended  to  be  pursued 
toward  Slave  Lake.  They  now  jtroceeded  up  the  river  in  their  canoes, 
and  though  upon  a  Bhort  allowance  of  jjrovisions,  the  produce  of  their 
nets  and  fowling-pieces  furnished  for  a  few  days  enough  to  ward  off  ab- 
solute want ;  but  they  were  often  on  the  very  brmk  of  it.    Their  i)ro- 


i 


THE    COMMENCEMENT    OF    SUPFERINa, 


299 


gross  was  much  interruptod  ]>y  slioals  and  rapids,  and  one  ovoning  thuy 
oncainpod  at  the  lowor  end  of  a  narrow  chasm,  the  Avails  of  which  were 
upward  of  two  hundred  feet  higli,  and  in  some  places  only  a  few  yard? 
apart.  Into  this  the  river  precipitates  itself,  forming  two  magnilicent 
cascades,  to  'wliieli  they  gave  the  name  of  "Wilberforce  Fulls,  and  the 
combined  height  of  which  they  estimated  at  two  hundred  and  seventy- 
five  feet. 

On  taking  a  survey  of  its  further  course  from  a  neighboring  hill,  (lie 
river  was  discovered  to  be  so  rapid  and  shallow,  that  all  progress  in  the 
large  canoes  seemed  impossible.  Two  smaller  boats  were  tliereiore  con- 
structed ;  and  on  the  1st  of  September  they  set  off,  with  the  intention  of 
proceeding  in  as  direct  a  line  as  possible  to  the  part  of  Point  Lake  ojjposite 
their  si)ring  encampment — a  distance  which  appeared  comparatively 
trifling,  being  only  one  hundred  and  forty-nine  miles.  Their  luggage 
consisted  of  ammunition,  nets,  hatchets,  ice-chisels,  astronomical  instru- 
ments, clothing-blankets,  three  kettles,  and  the  two  canoes,  each  so  light 
as  to  be  carried  easily  by  a  single  man.  But  disaster  attacked  them  in 
their  very  first  stage.  A  storm  of  snow  came  on,  accompanied  by  a  high 
wind,  against  which  it  was  difficult  to  carry  the  canoes,  which  were  dam- 
aged by  the  falls  of  those  who  bore  them.  The  ground  was  covered  with 
small  stones,  and  mucli  paui  was  endured  by  the  carriers,  whose  soft 
moose-skin  shoes  were  soon  cut  througli.  The  cold  was  intense  ;  and  on 
encamping  they  looked  in  vain  for  wood ;  a  fire  of  moss  was  all  they 
could  procure,  which  served  them  to  cook  their  supper,  but  gave  so  little 
heat  that  they  were  glad  to  creep  under  their  blankets. 

Having  ascended  next  morning  one  of  the  highest  hills,  they  ascer- 
tained that  the  river  took  a  westerly  course,  and  Franklin,  tliinking  that 
to  follow  it  further  would  lead  to  a  more  tedious  journey  than  their  ex- 
hausted strength  could  endure,  determined  to  quit  its  banks  and  make 
dux'Ctly  for  Point  Lake.  Emerging,  therefore,  from  the  valli'y,  they 
crossed  a  barren  country,  varied  only  by  marshy  levels  and  small  lakes. 
The  weather  was  fine,  but  unfortunately  no  berry -bearing  plants  were 
found,  the  surface  behig  covered  in  the  more  humid  spots  with  a  few 
grasses,  and  in  other  places  with  some  gray  melancho'iy  lichens.  On  en- 
camping, the  last  piece  of  pcmmican,  or  pounded  flesh,  was  distributed, 
with  a  little  arroAV-root,  for  sujiper.  The  evening  was  warm  ;  but  dark 
clouds  overspread  the  sky,  and  they  experienced  those  sudden  alterna- 
tions of  climate  which  occur  m  the  polar  latitudes  at  this  season.  At 
midnight  it  rained  in  torrents  ;  but  toward  morning  a  snow-storm  arose, 
accompanied  by  a  violent  gale.  During  the  whole  day  the  storm  con- 
tinued, and  not  having  the  comfort  of  a  fire  the  men  remained  in  bed, 
but  the  tents  were  frozen  ;  around  them  the  snow  had  drifted  to  the 
depth  of  three  feet,  and  even  within  lay  several  inches  thick  on  their 
blankets.  Though  the  storm  had  not  abated,  any  longer  delay  was  im- 
possible, for  they  knew  every  hour  would  increase  the  intensity  of  an 
arctic  winter ;  and  though  faint  from  fasting,  and  A\dth  their  clothes  stiff- 


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300 


FRANKLIN'S    JOURNEY    TO    THE    POLAR    SEA. 


cncd  by  frost,  it  was  absolutely  necessary  to  push  forward.  They  suf- 
fered much  in  packing  the  frozen  tents  and  bed(;lothes,  and  could  hardly 
keep  their  liands  out  of  their  fur  mittens.  On  attempting  to  n\ove, 
Franklin  was  seized  with  a  fointing  tit,  occasioned  by  Imnger  and  ex- 
haustion, and  on  recovering  refused  to  eat  a  morsel  of  i)ortable  soup, 
"which  was  immediately  prepared  for  him,  as  it  had  to  be  drawn  from 
the  only  remainhig  meal  of  the  party.  The  people,  however,  kindly 
crowdcil  round,  and  overcame  his  reluctance.  The  effect  of  eating  was 
his  rapid  recovery  ;  and  the  expedition  moved  on. 

Disaster  now  crowded  on  disaster.  The  wind  rose  so  liigh  that  those 
Avho  carried  the  canoes  were  frequently  blown  down,  aiul  one  of  the 
boats  was  so  much  shattered  as  to  l)e  rendered  unserviceable.  The 
ground  was  (covered  with  snow  ;  and  though  the  swamps  were  frozen, 
yet  the  ice  "was  often  not  sufficiently  strong ;  so  th;it  they  plunged  in 
knee-deep.  A  fire,  however,  was  made  of  the  bark  and  timbers  of  the 
broken  canoe  ;  and,  after  having  fasted  three  days,  their  last  meal  of 
portable  soup  and  arrow-root  was  cooked.  Each  man's  allowance  at  this 
melancholy  dinner  was  exceedingly  scanty ;  but  it  allayed  the  pangs  of 
hunger,  and  encouraged  them  to  |)ress  forward  at  a  quicker  rate.  They 
liad  now  reached  a  more  hilly  country,  strewed  with  large  stones,  and 
covered  Avith  gray  lichen,  avcU  known  to  the  Cana<lians  by  its  name, 
tn'pe  de  roche.  In  cases  of  extremity,  it  is  boiled  and  oaten ;  but  its 
taste  is  nauseous,  its  cpiality  purgative,  and  it  sometimes  produces  an  in- 
tolerable gri2)ing  and  loathing.  The  party  not  being  aware  of  this, 
gathered  a  considerable  quantity.  A  few  partridges  also  had  been  shot ; 
and  at  night  some  willows  were  dug  up  from  under  the  snow,  Avith  which 
they  lighted  a  lire  and  cooked  tlu'ir  supper. 

Next  day  they  came  to  Cracroft's  Kiver,  flowing  to  the  Avestward  over 
a  clianncl  of  large  stones,  Avhich  rendered  it  impossible  to  cross  in  the 
canoe.  No  alternative  Avas  left  but  to  attempt  a  precarious  passage  oA^er 
some  rocks  at  a  rapid ;  and  in  effecting  this,  some  of  the  men,  losing 
their  balance,  slipped  into  the  Avater.  They  Avere  instantly  rescued  by  their 
cominmions ;  but  so  intense  Avas  the  frost,  that  their  drenched  clothes 
became  caked  Avith  ice,  and  they  suffered  much  during  the  remainder  of 
the  day's  march.  The  hunters  had  fallen  in  Avitli  some  partridges,  Avhich 
they  shot;  and  they  found  enoug-h  of  roots  to  make  a  fire  ;  so  that  their 
supper,  though  scanty,  Avas  comparatively  comfortable.  Next  morning 
they  pushed  forward  Avith  ardor,  and  passed  the  Kiver  CongecathaAvha- 
chaga  of  Mr,  Ilearne.  The  country  which  lay  before  them  Avas  liilly, 
and  covered  Avith  snow  to  a  great  depth.  The  sides  of  the  hills  Avere 
traversed  by  sharp  angular  rocks,  Avhere  the  drifted  snoA\",  filling  up  the 
interstices,  presented  a  smooth  but  fixllacious  surface,  AA'hich  often  gave 
Avay  and  precij/itated  them  into  the  chasms  Avith  their  heavy  loads.  In 
this  painful  and  arduous  manner  they  struggled  forward  several  days, 
feeding  on  the  tripe  de  roche,  Avhich  was  so  frozen  to  the  rocks  that 
their  hands  Avere  benumbed  before  a  meal  could  be  collected,  and  so 


I 


PROVIDENTIAL    RELIEF. 


301 


destitute  of  nutritive  juices,  that  it  alluyeil  luuigci-  only  for  a  very  short 
time. 

At  Icngtli  reaching  the  Rvnnniit  of  a  liill,  tlioy,  to  tlicir  great  dcliglit, 
beheld  a  herd  of  niusk-oxen  feeding  in  the  valley  below  ;  an  instant  halt 
was  made,  the  best  hunters  were  called  out,  and  while  tliey  proceeded 
with  extreme  caution  in  a  circuitous  route,  their  companions  watched 
their  proceedings  with  hitense  anxiety.  When  near  enough  to  open 
their  iire,  the  report  reverberated  through  the  hills,  and  one  of  the 
largest  cows  was  seen  to  fall.  "  This  success,"  says  Franklin,  in  that 
Bimple  account  of  liis  journey  which  any  change  of  language  would  only 
weaken,  "  infused  spirit  into  our  starving  [tarty.  The  contents  of  its 
stomai'h  were  dcivoured  upon  the  spot ;  and  the  raw  intestines,  which 
were  next  attacked,  Avere  pronounced  by  the  most  delicate  of  the  party 
to  be  excellent.  A  few  willows,  Avhosc  tops  were  seen  ])eeping  through 
the  snow  in  the  bottom  of  the  valley,  were  quickly  grubbed,  the  tents 
pitched,  and  supper  cooked  and  devoured  with  avidity.  It  Avas  the 
sixth  day  since  we  had  had  a  good  meal.  I  do  not  think  that  we  wit- 
nessed, through  the  course  of  our  journey,  a  more  striking  proof  of  the 
wise  disj)ensation  of  tlie  Almighty,  and  of  the  weakness  of  our  own 
judgment,  than  on  this  day.  We  had  considered  the  dense  fog  which 
prevailed  throughout  tlie  morning  as  almost  tlu'  greatest  inconvenience 
which  could  have  l)ofa]len  us,  since  it  rendered  the  air  extremely  cold, 
and  prevented  us  from  distinguishing  any  distant  object  toward  which 
our  course  could  be  directed.  Yet  this  very  darkness  enabled  the  jiarty 
to  get  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  which  l)0unded  the  valley  wherein  the 
musk-oxen  were  grazing,  without  being  perceived.  Had  the  herd  dis- 
covered us  and  taken  alarm,  our  hunters,  in  their  present  state  of  de- 
bility, would,  in  all  probability,  have  failed  in  ajtproaching  them." 

On  the  following  day  a  strong  southerly  wind  blowing  with  a  snow- 
drift, they  took  a  day's  rest,  and  as  only  enough  remained  of  the  nuisk- 
ox  to  serve  for  two  days,  they  contented  themselves  with  a  single  meal. 
Next  morning,  though  the  gale  had  not  diminished,  they  pushed  for- 
ward, and  notwithstanding  their  rest  and  recent  supply  of  animal  food, 
the  whole  party  felt  greater  weakness  than  they  had  hitherto  expe- 
rienced. The  weather  was  hazy,  but  after  an  hour's  march  the  sky 
cleared,  and  they  found  themselves  on  the  borders  of  a  lake,  of  which 
they  could  not  discern  the  termination  in  eitJier  direction.  In  these  cir- 
cumstances they  traveled  along  its  banks  to  the  westward,  in  search  of 
a  crossing-place.  Credit,  one  of  the  Canadians,  left  the  party  hi  liopos 
of  falling  in  with  deer,  but  did  not  return  ;  and  on  encam})ing  in  the 
evening,  hungry  and  fatigued,  they  liad  to  divide  for  supper  a  single 
partridge  and  some  tripe  <le  roeJir.  This  weed  from  the  first  liad  been 
unpalatable,  but  noAv  became  iusujtportably  nauseous,  and  began  in  many 
to  produce  severe  p.ains  and  bowel-complaints,  especially  in  Mr.  Hood. 
This  solitary  partridge  was  the  last  morsel  of  .animal  foo<l  th.at  remained; 
and  they  turned  with  deep  anxiety  to  the  hope  of  catcliing  some  fish  in 


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302         FRANKLIN'S    JOURNEY    TO    THE    POLAR    SEA. 

tho  lake,  but  discovered  that  the  persons  intrusted  Avith  them  had  im- 
provideutly  thrown  away  three  of  the  nets  and  burned  the  tioats  on  leav- 
ing Hood's  ]  liver.  Things  now  began  to  look  very  gloomy  ;  and  as  tho 
men  wunr  daily  getting  weaker,  it  was  judged  expedient  to  ligliten  their 
burdens  of  every  thing  exeept  ammunition,  elothing,  and  the  instruments 
neeessary  to  guide  tliem  on  their  way.  The  dipping-needle,  the  azimuth 
coin])ass,  the  magnet,  a  hirge  thermometer,  and  the  few  books  they  car- 
ried, wer(!  iheretbro  deposited  at  this  encampment,  after  they  liad  torn 
out  from  tliese  last  tho  tallies  necessary  for  working  the  latitude  and 
longitude.  lleAvards  also  were  promised  by  Franklin  to  such  of  the 
party  as  should  kill  any  animals,  and  in  the  morning  they  pre])ared  to  go 
forward. 

At  this  moment  a  fine  trait  of  disinterestedness  occurred:  As  the 
officers  assembled  round  a  small  fire,  enduring  an  intense  degree  of 
hunger  which  they  had  no  means  of  satisfying,  Perrault,  ono  of  the 
Canadians,  })resonted  each  of  them  Avith  a  piece  of  meat  out  of  a  little 
store  Avhich  he  had  saved  from  his  allowance.  "It  was  received,"  says 
Franklin,  "  with  great  thankfulness,  and  such  an  instance  of  self-denial 
and  kindness  filled  our  eyes  with  tears."  Presshig  forward  to  a  river 
issuing  from  the  lake,  they  met  their  comrade.  Credit,  and  received  tho 
joyful  intelligence  that  he  had  killed  two  deer.  One  of  these  was  im- 
mediately cut  up  and  prepared  for  breakfast ;  and  having  sent  some  of 
the  pai-ty  for  the  other,  tho  rest  proceeded  down  the  river,  which  was 
about  tlircic  hundred  yards  broad,  in  search  of  a  i)lace  to  cross.  Having 
chosen  a  spot  where  the  current  "was  smooth,  immediately  above  a  rapid, 
Franklin  and  two  Canadian  boatmen,  St.  Germain  and  Belanger,  itushcd 
from  the  shore.  The  breeze  was  fresh,  and  the  current  stronger  than 
they  imagined,  so  that  they  approached  the  very  edge  of  the  rapid;  and 
Belanger  employing  his  paddle  to  steady  the  canoe,  lost  his  balance,  atid 
overset  the  bark  in  the  middle  of  it.  The  party  clung  to  its  side,  and 
reaching  a  rock  Avhere  the  stream  was  but  waist-deep,  kept  their  footing 
till  the  canoe  was  emptied  of  water,  after  which  Belanger  held  it  steady, 
while  St.  Germain  replaced  Franklin  in  it,  and  dexterously  leaped  in 
liimself  Such  was  their  situation,  that  if  the  man  who  stood  on  the 
rock  had  raised  his  foot,  they  would  have  been  lost.  His  friends  there- 
fore were  compelled  to  leave  him,  and  after  a  second  disaster,  in  which 
the  canoe  struck,  and  was  as  expeditiously  righted  as  before,  they 
reached  the  opposite  bank. 

jMeanwhile  Belanger  suffered  extremely,  immersed  to  his  middle,  and 
enduring  intense  cold.  He  called  ])iteously  for  relief,  and  St.  Germain 
re-embarking,  attempted  to  reach  him,  but  was  hurried  down  the  rapid, 
and  on  coming  ashore  was  so  benumbed  as  to  be  incapable  of  further 
exertion.  A  second  effort,  but  equally  unsuccessful,  was  made  by  Adam : 
they  tlien  tried  to  carry  out  a  line  formed  of  the  slings  of  the  men's 
loads,  but  it  broke,  and  was  carried  down  the  stream.  At  last,  when 
he  was  almost  exhausted,  the  canoe  reached  him  M'ith  a  small  cord  of 


^ 


iWill! 


'i;ii 


A    PERILOUS    SITUATION. 


30J 


\ 


d 


one  of  the  remaining  nets,  and  lie  was  drasjged  to  shore  quite  insensible. 
On  being  sli'i'iicd,  rolled  in  blankets  and  put  to  bed  between  two  men, 
he  recovered.  During  these  ojjerations  Franlvlin  was  left  alnne  uion  the 
bank,  and  it  seemed  a  matter  of  the  utmost  doubt  whetlier  lie  should  be 
ever  rejoined  by  his  companions.  "It  is  impossible,'' says  he,  "to  de- 
scribe my  sensations  as  T  witnessed  the  various  unsuccessful  attempts  to 
relieve  Belai  'cr.  The  distance  ])reveuted  my  seeing  <listinctly  what 
■was  going  on,  and  I  continued  i)acing  up  and  down  the  rock  on  which 
I  stood,  regardless  of  the  coldness  of  my  drenched  and  stift\'ned  gar- 
ments. The  canoe,  in  every  attempt  to  reach  him,  Avas  huriied  down 
the  rapid,  and  was  lost  to  view  among  the  rocky  islets,  with  a  finy 
which  seemed  to  threaten  instant  destruction ;  once,  indeed,  I  limcied 
that  I  saw  it  overwhelmed  in  the  Avaves :  siu-h  an  event  would  have 
been  flital  to  the  whole  party.  Separated  as  I  was  from  my  companions, 
without  gun,  ammunition,  hiitchct,  or  the  means  of  making  a  fire,  and 
in  wet  clothes,  my  doom  would  have  been  speedily  scaled.  ^NFy  com- 
panions too,  driven  to  the  necessity  of  coasting  the  lake,  nnist  have  sunk 
under  the  fxtiguc  of  rounding  its  innumerable  arms  and  bays,  which,  as 
we  learned  at\erward  from  the  Indians,  arc  extensive.  Uy  the  good- 
ness of  Providence,  however,  we  were  spared  at  that  time,  and  some  of 
us  have  been  permitted  to  otfer  up  otn-  thanksgiving  hi  a  civilized  land 
for  the  signal  deliverance  we  then  and  afterward  exT  jrienced." 

On  setting  out  next  morning,  Perrault  brought  in  a  fine  male  deer, 
which  raised  the  spirits  of  the  party,  as  it  seemed  them  in  provisions  for 
two  days ;  and  they  trusted  to  support  themselves  for  a  third  on  the 
skin  Avhich  they  carried  Avilh  them.  Having  ascended  the  Willingham 
Mountains,  they  entered  u{)on  a  rugged  country,  intersected  by  deep 
ravines,  the  passage  of  ■which  was  so  difficult,  that  they  could  only  make 
ten  miles  •with  great  fatigue.  The  deer  was  noAV  picked  to  the  last  mor- 
sel, and  they  ate  jtieces  of  the  singed  hide  with  a  little  tripe  do  rochc. 
At  other  times  this  meal  might  have  sufficed  ;  but,  exhausted  by  slen- 
der food  and  continued  toil,  their  appetites  had  become  ravenous. 
Hitherto  events  had  been  so  mercifullv  or<lered,  that  in  their  utmost 
need  some  little  supply  of  the  tripe  <le  roche  had  never  failed  them ;  but 
it  was  the  will  of  God  that  their  confidence  should  bo  yet  more  strongly 
tried ;  for  they  now  entered  upon  a  level  country  covered  with  snow, 
where  even  this  miserable  lichen  was  no  longer  to  bo  found  ;  and  a  bed 
of  Iceland  moss,  which  was  boiled  for  supper,  proved  so  bitter  that  none 
of  the  party,  though  enduring  the  extremities  of  hunger,  could  taste 
more  than  a  few  spoonfuls.  Another  distress  now  attacked  them  :  the 
intensity  of  the  cold  increased,  while  they  became  less  fit  to  endure  it. 
Their  blankets  did  not  siiffice  to  keep  them  warm,  and  the  slightest 
breeze  pierced  through  their  debilitated  fmnies.  "The  reader,"  says 
Franklin,  "  will  probably  be  desirous  to  know  how  we  passed  our  time 
in  such  a  comfortless  situation.  The  first  operation  after  encamping  was 
to  thaw  our  frozen  shoes,  if  a  sufficient  fire  could  be  made ;  dry  ones 


ii 


I  . 
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1  ' 


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III  -,  .  \ 


n 


304 


FRANKLIN'S  JOURNEY  TO  THE  POLAR  SEA. 


were  tlieu  put  on.  Each  person  then  wrote  his  notes  of  the  daily  occur- 
rences, mid  evening  prayers  were  read.  As  soon  as  supper  was  pre- 
pared it  was  eaten,  L;enerally  in  the  dark,  and  we  went  to  bod,  and  kept 
np  a  cheerful  conversation  until  our  blankets  were  thawed  by  the  heat 
of  our  bodies,  and  we  had  gathered  sufficient  warmth  to  enable  us  to 
fall  asleep.  On  many  nights  we  had  not  even  the  luxury  of  going  to 
bed  in  dry  clothes  ;  for,  when  the  fire  was  insufficient  to  dry  our  shoes, 
we  dared  not  venture  to  pull  them  off,  lest  they  should  freeze  so  hard 
as  to  be  unfit  to  put  on  in  the  morning,  and  therefore  inconvenient 
to  carry." 

Hunger,  flitigue,  and  disappointment,  began  now  to  have  a  calami- 
tous effect  upon  the  tempers  of  the  men.  One,  who  carried  the  canoe, 
after  several  severe  falls,  threw  down  his  burden,  and  obstinately  refused 
to  resume  it.  It  was  accordingly  given  to  another,  who  proved  stronger, 
and  pushed  forward  at  so  rapid  a  rate  that  Mr.  Ilood,  whose  Aveakness 
was  now  extreme,  could  not  keep  up  with  them;  atid  as  Franklin  at- 
tempted to  pursue  and  stop  thorn,  the  whole  i)arty  wore  so})aratcd.  Dr. 
Kichardson,  who  had  remained  behind  to  gather  tripe  de  7-oche,  joined 
him,  and  on  advancing  they  found  the  men  encamped  among  some  wil- 
lows, where  they  had  found  some  pieces  of  skin  and  a  few  l)onos  of 
deer  which  had  boon  devoured  by  the  wolves.  On  these  they  had 
made  a  meal,  having  burned  and  pounded  the  bones,  boiled  the  skin, 
and  added  their  old  shoes  to  the  mess.  With  this  no  fault  could  be 
found  ;  but  on  (piestioning  the  person  to  whom  the  cano(>  had  lieen  en- 
trusted, it  was  discovered  that  he  had  lofl  the  boat  beliind,  it  having,  as 
he  said,  boon  Ijroken  by  a  fall,  and  rendered  entirely  useless. 

To  the  infatuated  obstinacy  of  the  men  in  refusing  to  retrace  their 
steps  and  fetch  it,  even  in  its  shattered  state,  is  to  l>e  ascribed  much  of 
the  distress  of  their  subsequent  journey.  Every  argument  and  entreaty 
seemed  entirely  thrown  away;  and  they  had  ajipareutly  lost  all  hope  of 
being  ])reserved.  AVhen  the  lumters,  who  had  been  out  for  soine  time, 
did  not  make  their  appearance,  they  became  furious  at  the  idea  of  having 
1)een  deserted,  and  throwing  down  their  bundles,  declared  they  would 
follow  them  at  all  hazards,  atid  leave  the  weakest  to  keep  tip  as  they 
))fst  couM.  The  remonstrances  of  the  officers  at  length  ojtonod  their 
minds  to  the  madness  of  such  a  scheme ;  and  on  encamping  in  the  even- 
ing, they  found  some  jtiiies  seven  or  eight  feet  higli,  which  furnished  a 
comiortable  lire,  when  they  made  their  supper  on  trljic  <Ie  rorJw.  Next 
morning  a  herd  of  dci'r  camt;  in  sight,  and  tln-y  killed  five — a  supply 
which,  considering  the  extremity  of  hunger  and  desi)air  to  which  they 
were  reduced,  was  especially  providential. 

The  Canadians  now  earnestly  ])etitioned  for  a  day's  rest.  They 
plcath'il  their  recent  sufferings,  and  that  the  enjoyment  of  two  sul)stan- 
tial  meals,  after  eight  days'  liuiiine,  would  enable  them  to  press  forward 
more  vigorously.  The  flesh,  the  skins,  and  even  the  stomachs  of  tho 
deer,  were  accordingly  e(pmlly  divided  among  tlie  party,  and  sonio  of 


^ 


J 


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PERPLEXITY    OF    THE    PARTY. 


SOS 


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I'y 

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f 


them  suffered  severely  from  too  free  an  indtilpfenee  in  the  use  of  this 
food  after  so  long  an  abstinence.  Next  morning  the  j)arty  resumed  their 
journey,  and  after  a  walk  of  three  miles,  came  to  the  Coppermine  Kiver. 
Its  current  was  strong ;  but  with  a  canoe  there  would  have  been  no 
difficulty  in  crossing ;  and  the  reckless  folly  of  the  men,  in  abandoning 
their  only  means  of  transport,  Mas  now  brought  strongly  to  their  mind. 
No  ford  could  be  discovered,  and  the  plan  was  suggested  of  framing  a 
vessel  of  Avillows,  covered  with  the  canvas  of  the  tent ;  but  the  most 
experienced  boatmen  declared  that  willows  were  too  small  to  bear  llie 
weight,  and  no  pines  could  l)e  found.  Nothing  remained  but  to  resume 
their  march  along  the  borders  of  the  lake  ;  and  looking  out  eagerly,  but 
in  vain,  for  some  fordable  place,  they  encamped  at  the  east  end.  Anx- 
ious to  adopt  every  possible  means  for  preserving  the  party,  Franklin 
sent  ^h:  Back  forward  with  the  interpreters  to  liunt.  He  Mas  directed 
to  halt  at  the  lirst  pines,  and  construct  a  raft ;  and  if  his  lumters  had 
killed  animals  sufficient  to  provision  them,  he  M'as  to  cross  imnu'diately, 
and  send  the  Indians  M'ith  supplies  of  meat  to  the  party  behind. 

At  this  time  it  Mas  discovered  that  two  of  the  men  had  stolen  ])art 
of  the  officers'  ])rovi*<ion,  though  it  had  been  doled  out  with  the  strictest 
impartiality,  and  they  saw  their  leaders  suffi-ring  more  acutely  than 
themselves.  To  punish  this  was  inipossil)le,  except  by  the  threat  that 
tliey  should  forfeit  their  M'ages,  which  produced  little  effect.  Despond- 
ency had  dee])ly  seized  upon  the  party,  and  in  the  morning  strict  onlers 
could  not  prevent  them  from  straggling  in  searcli  of  the  remains  of 
animals ;  in  conscMpience  of  Mhich  much  time  Mas  lost  in  halting,  and 
aiiuuunitidii  in  iiring  guns  to  collect  them.  The  snoM',  lu>M"ever,  had 
di<appeari'<l,  and  pressing  forM'anl  M'ith  more  alacrity,  they  came  to  an 
arm  of  the  lake  running  north-east.  The  idea  of  making  the  long  cir- 
cuit round  it  was  distressing;  and  having  halted  to  consult  Mhat  Mas 
to  bo  d<ine,  some  one  discovered  in  a  cliff  the  carcass  of  a  deer  m  hicli 
had  tiilh'n  into  a  chasm.  It  Mas  quite  ])utrid,  but  even  in  that  state  ajb 
'uared  delicious,  ami  a  fire  l)eing  kindled,  a  large  jtortion  was  raj)idly 
devoured;  while  the  men,  cheered  by  this  unexpected  breakfast,  re- 
trained their  confideiu'o,  and  reijuested  leave  to  return  to  the  rapi<l, 
insisting  on  the  i)racticability  of  making  a  sufficiently  strong  rati  of  Mil- 
lows,  though  tliey  liad  formerly  pronounced  it  impossible.  Their  advice 
Mas  folloMt'd ;  and  having  sent  off  Augustus,  one  of  the  interpreters, 
to  inform  Mr.  Mack  of  this  change  of  plan,  they  comnu'nced  their  retro- 
grade movement,  and  encampecl  at  night  in  a  deep  valley  among  some 
large  mIIIows,  Mhere  they  s.ipjx'd  on  the  remains  of  the  putrid  deer. 

Next  day  they  regained  the  ra])ids,  commenced  cutting  AvilloMS  for 
the  raft,  ami  a  rcM-ard  f)f  three  hundreil  livres  Mas  jiromised  by  Franklin 
to  the  jierson  mIio  shouhl  convey  a  line  across  the  river  strong  enough 
to  manage  the  raft  and  transport  tlie  party.  The  mHIoms  mIicu  cut  Avero 
hound  into  fligots,  and  the  Mork  completed;  Init  the  greemu^ss  of  the 
Mood  rendered  it  heavy,  and  incapable  of  HUpporting  nu)re  than  one 

'JO 


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l-MJ 


I        ; 


306         FRANKLIN'S    JOURNEY    TO    THE    POLAR    SEA. 

man  at  a  time.     Still  they  hoped  to  be  able  to  cross ;  but  all  tiependcd 
on  getting  a  line  carried  to  the  opposite  bank,  through  a  current  one 
hundred  and  thirty  yards  wide,  strong,  deep,  and  intensely  cold.     Be- 
langer  and  Benoit,  the  two  strongest  men  of  the  party,  repeatedly  at- 
tempted to  take  the  ratt  over,  but  for  want  of  oais  were  driven  back. 
The  tent-staves  were  then  tied  together,  and  formed  a  strong  pole ;  bat 
it  was  not  long  enough  to  reach  the  bottom  even  at  a  short  distance 
from  the  shore.    Dr.  Kichardson  next  produced  a  paddle  he  had  brought 
from  the  coast,  but  which  was  found  not  powerful  enough  to  impel  the 
i     ratt  against  a  strong  breeze.     The  failure  of  every  attempt  occasioned  a 
i     deep  despondency,   which  threatened  to  have  the  most   flUal   effects, 
j     when  Dr.  Richardson,  with  a  disinterested  courage  that  made  him  for- 
;     get  his  own  weakness,  threw  oif  his  upper  garments,  and  attempted  to 
j     swim  Avith  a  rope  to  the  opposite  bank.     Plunging  in  a\  ith  a  line  round 
I     his  middle,  he  at  first  made  some  way,  but  the  extreme  cold  was  too 
I     much  for  him,  and  in  a  few  moments  his  arms  became  powerless ;  still, 
I     being  an  expert  swinnner,  he  not  only  kept  himself  afloat,  but  made  way 
I     by  turning  on  his  back  and  using  his  legs,  so  that  he  had  nearly  reached 
the  other  side,  when,  to  the  inexpressible  anguish  of  those  Avho  watched 
his  progress,  his  limbs  became  benumbed,  and  he  sank.     All  hands  now 
liauled  on  the  line,  and  drew  him  ashore  almost  Hfeless;  but,  placed  be- 
fore a  fire  of  willows  and  stripped  of  his  wet  clothes,  he  gradually  revived 
j     enough  to  give  directions  as  to  the  mode  of  treating  him.     His  thin  and 
I     emaciated  limbs,  which  were  now  exposed  to  view,  produced  an  in- 
voluntary exclamation   of  compassion    and  surprise : — "  Ah,  que  nous 
I     sommes  maigres !"  said  the  French  Canadians ;  but  it  is  probable  that 
I     few  of  them  would  have  presented  so  gaunt  and  attenuated  an  api)ear- 
ance  as  the  brave  and  excellent  man  who  had  thus  nearly  fallen  a  sacui- 
!     tice  to  his  humanity,  for  it  was  discovered  about  this  time  that  the 
I     hunters  were  in  the  practice  of  withholding  the  game  which  they  shot, 
j     and  devouring  it  in  secret. 

Soon  atler  this  the  party  were  joined  by  Mr.  Back,  who  had  traced 
the  lake  about  fifteen  miles  further  up  without  discovering  any  place 
where  it  was  possible  to  get  across ;  and  toward  evening  Credit,  mIio 
had  been  out  hunting,  returned  without  any  game  of  his  own  killing, 
but  brought  the  antlers  and  backbone  of  a  deer  t<hot  during  the  sum- 
mer. These  relics  had  been  already  ]»i(ke<l  clean  by  the  wolves  and 
birds  of  prey,  but  the  marrow  remained  in  the  spine  ;  and  though  cotn- 
])letely  putrid,  and  so  acrid  as  to  excoriate  the  lips,  it  was  not  the  less 
acceptable.  The  bones  were  rench-red  friable  by  burning,  and  the  whole 
eagerly  devoured.  St.  Germain,  one  of  the  voyageiu's,  now  suggested 
that  a  canoe  miglit  be  made  of  the  painted  canvas  used  to  wrap  up 
the  bedding,  and  oftered  to  construct  it  upon  a  framework  of  willows. 
For  this  purpose  he  and  Adam  retnoved  to  a  clump  of  willows,  while 
another  party  proceeib'd  to  the  pot  where  they  liad  encamped  on  the 
25th,  to  collect  pitch  among  .ic  small  pines  to  pay  over  the  seams.    A 


1 


til 


had 
irig  1 
trav( 

Hooi 

pace 


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i 


CROSSING    TnE    COPPERMINE. 


307 


snow-storm  at  this  moment  came  on,  and  the  sufferings  of  the  men 
hourly  increasing,  a  deep  gloom  settled  upon  their  spirits.  Mr.  Hood 
was  by  this  time  reduced  to  a  perfect  shadow  ;  Mr.  Back  required  tlie 
support  of  a  stick  ;  Dr.  Richardson  was  lame  ;  and  Franklin  so  feeble, 
that,  after  a  struggle  of  three  hours,  he  found  himself  utterly  unable  to 
reach  the  spot  where  St.  Germain  was  at  work,  a  distance  of  only  three 
quarters  of  a  mile,  and  returned  completely  exhausted.  The  Canadian 
voyageurs  had  now  fallen  into  a  state  of  despondency  which  bordered 
on  despair,  and,  indifferent  to  their  fate,  refused  to  make  the  slightest 
exertion.  The  officers  Avere  unable  to  undergo  the  labor  of  gathering 
the  tripe  cle  roche^  and  Samandre,  the  cook,  sullenly  declined  continuing 
his  labors.  At  this  miserable  crisis  the  conduct  of  John  Hepburn,  the 
English  sailor,  was  especially  admirable,  presenting  a  striking  contrast 
to  the  gloomy  selfishness  of  the  Canadians.  His  firm  reliance  on  the 
watchful  goodness  of  God,  and  a  cheerful  resignation  to  His  will,  never 
for  a  moment  forsook  him  ;  and,  animated  by  this  blessed  principle,  his 
strength  appeared  to  be  preserved  as  a  means  of  preserving  the  party. 
He  collected  the  tri2^e  de  roehe  for  the  officers'  mess,  cooked  and  served 
it  out,  and  showed  the  most  indefatigable  zeal  in  his  efforts  to  alleviate 
their  sufferings. 

A  gleam  of  hope  at  length  arose,  when  St.  Germain  completed  the 
oanoc.  It  was  impossible  not  to  feel  that  their  last  chance  of  escape 
seemed  to  hang  upon  this  little  bark ;  would  it  prove  sufficient  for  its 
purpose  ?  or,  constructed  of  such  wretched  materials,  would  it  not  at 
once  sink  to  the  bottom  ?  Amid  this  conflict  of  contending  emotions 
it  was  launched  on  the  river,  and  every  heart  bounded  with  exultation 
when  it  floated,  and  St.  Germain  transported  himself  to  the  opposite 
side.  It  was  drawn  back,  and,  one  by  one,  the  whole  jiarty  were  ferried 
over,  though,  from  the  leaky  state  of  the  little  bark,  their  garments  and 
bedding  were  completely  drenched.  Franklin  immediately  dispatched 
Mr.  HiU'k  and  three  men  to  push  on  to  Fort  Enterprise  hi  search  of 
the  Indians,  while  he  himself  followed  with  the  rest. 

Nothing  could  exceed  the  joy  of  the  Canadian  voyageurs  at  this 
tuilooked-for  deliverance.  Their  spirits  rose  from  the  deepest  despond- 
ency into  tumultuous  exultation.  They  shook  the  officers  by  the  hand, 
cried  <)\it  that  their  worst  difficulties  were  at  an  end,  and  expressed  a 
confident  h(»i)e  of  being  able  to  reach  Fort  Enterprise  in  the  course  of 
a  few  days — a  boisterous  and  sudden  confidence,  to  which  the  silent 
gratitu<le  aiul  quiet  resolution  of  the  pious  Hepburn  presented  a  strik- 
ing contrast. 

Their  tents  and  bed-clothes  were  so  much  frozen,  and  the  men,  who 
had  kindled  a  small  fire,  were  so  weary,  that  it  was  eight  in  the  niorn- 
ing  before  the  bundles  were  f»acked,  and  the  party  set  for\vard.  They 
traveled  in  single  fih's,  each  at  a  small  distance  from  his  neighbor.  Mr. 
Hooil,  who  was  now  nearly  exhausted,  was  obliged  to  walk  at  a  gentle 
pace  in  the  rear,  Dr.  Uichardscm  kindly  keeping  beside  him ;  while 


L. 


Mi! 


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'i  In 


t 


IT 


t    '!  r 


A 


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Hi 


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l,f 


308 


FRANKLIN'S    JOUUNKY"    TO    Till'".    POLAR    RKA. 


Franklin  knl  tlio  toriMuost  men,  lliat  ho  uiii;lit  niako  tliiiii  halt  ociasion- 
ally  till  tht'  wtratJf,<;;ltMs  i-anie  np.  Cri-dil,  hitlicrlo  oni;  ol"  their  most  active 
liunters,  bwaino  ianicntahly  weak  from  the  ('tl'icts  ol'  tn'jie  dit  mrlin  on 
his  constitution,  antl  Vaillant,  Irom  tin*  sumo  cause,  was  gettini^  daily 
more  emaciated.  They  only  advanced  «i.v  miles  diu'ing  the  day,  and  at 
niijht  satisfied  tlu;  oravini^s  of  hunii;er  by  a  small  (juantity  of  trlim  de 
roc/ic  mixed  nj)  with  some  scraps  of  roasted  leather.  J)uring  the  niifht 
the  wind  increased  to  a  Ktronjj;  gale,  which  contintiing  next  day,  filled 
the  atmosphere  with  a  thick  snow-drill.  Having  boiled  and  eaten  the 
remains  of  their  old  slioes,  and  every  shred  of  h-ather  which  could  be 
picked  up,  they  set  forward  at  nine  over  bleak  hills  separated  by  e<juully 
barren  valleys. 

In  this  maimer  they  journeyed  till  noon,  not  without  mncli  straggling 
and  frcipient  lialts,  at  which  lime  Samandre  came  np  with  the  melancholy 
news  that  C'redit  and  Vaillant  liad  dropped  down,  and  wen;  utterly  un- 
able to  proceed.  Dr.  Richardson  went  back,  and  discovering  Vaillant 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  in  the  rear,  assured  him  that  a  lire  was  kindled 
a  little  way  on,  and  that  he  woidd  recover  if  lie  »'oiild  but  reach  it;  the 
poor  fellow  struggli-d  u{»  on  his  feet,  and  feebly  tried  to  advance,  but 
lell  down  every  sti'p  in  the  deep  snow.  Leaving  him,  Dr.  llichardson 
retraced  his  ste})s  ai)oiit  a  mile  further  in  a  fruitless  search  for  (.'redit. 
In  returning  he  passed  Vaillant,  who  had  liillen  down,  utterly  unable  to 
renew  his  elforts  to  rejoin  the  Jiarty.  jjclanger  went  back  to  carry  his 
burden  and  assist  lum  to  the  tire  ;  but  tli(>  cold  liad  pro(biced  such  a 
numbness  that  lie  could  not  speak  or  make  the  slightest  exertion.  The 
stoutest  of  the  i>aity  were  now  implored  to  make  a  last  effort  to  trans- 
port him  to  the  lire,  but  declared  themselves  utterly  unable  for  the  task. 
Tliey  eagerly  re(pieste<l  leave  to  throw  down  their  loads,  and  jjicjcei'd 
with  the  utmost  speed  to  Fort  Fnterprise — a  sclieme  projectt.'d  in  the 
des[)air  of  the  moment,  and  which  must  have  brought  destruction  njion 
the  whole. 

blatters  had  now  reached  a  dreadful  crisis;  it  was  necessary  to  come 
to  an  immediate  decision  regarding  their  ultimate  measures,  and  a  jilan 
proposed  by  Mr.  Hood  an<l  Dr.  Jiichardson  was  achtpted.  These  gen- 
tlemen consented  to  remain  witli  t\  single  attendant  at  the  first  spot 
where  there  were  sutlicient  firewood  and  tripe  de  roc/ie  for  tea  days' 
consumption,  while  Franklin  and  the  rest  were  to  ))roceed  with  all  eX' 
pedition  to  Fort  Fnterprise,  and  to  send  immediate  assistance.  This 
scheme  jjromised  to  relieve  them  of  a  considerable  portion  of  their  bur- 
dens— for  one  of  the  tents  and  various  other  articles  were  to  be  letl;  and 
it  gav*!  )>oor  Credit  and  Vaillant  a  fairer  opportunity,  should  tliey  re- 
vive, of  regaining  their  coiii))anions.  On  the  resolution  being  communi- 
catod  to  the  men,  they  were  cheered  with  the  prosjject  of  an  alleviati(m 
of  tlu'ir  misery,  and  ])ressed  forward  in  search  of  a  convetiient  spot  for 
the  proposed  separation.  Near  niirhtfall  they  encampe<l  undi'r  tlie  leo 
of  a  hill  among  some  willows,  which  furnislied  a  small  fire,  but  not  suP 


III 


so 
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of 
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ll-liis 

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Itioii 

for 

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rtuf- 


RICHARDSON    LEFT    BE  HIND. 


809 


ficicnilv  strong  to  th:iw  tlioir  frozen  t'lotlics  ;  and  no  fripr'  da  roche  li.'iv- 
iwis,  been  found  during  tli(^  d.'iy,  tlicy  l;iy  down  liungry,  cold,  and  full  of 
the  gloomiest  :ip})reliensio;is,  while  sleep  lied  from  their  eyelids,  and  the 
images  of  their  <Iyiug  companions  rose  before  their  imagination  in  colors 
which  m.adc  them  shudder  for  a  liite  that  might  so  soon  bc'roin(>  their 
own.  Xext  n\(irning  the  weather  j)rovidentially  was  mild,  ;ind  setting 
out  at  nin(^  they  arrived  toward  noon  at  a  tliicket  of  willows,  in  the 
neighborhood  of  some  rocks  bearing  a  pretty  full  ^\\\)\)\y  o( tripe (.h'rofho. 
Here  l)r,  Kicliardson  and  Mr.  Hood  di'termined  to  remain.  The  tmt 
was  pitched,  a  barrel  of  ammunition  and  other  articles  were  deposited, 
and  Jlcpburn,  Avho  volunteereil  tint  service,  w.as  ajipoinled  to  <'ontinue 
with  them.  Tlu;  rest  of  tlie  party  now  had  oidy  to  carry  :i  single  tent, 
the  ammunition,  and  the  officers'  journals,  in  addition  to  their  own 
clothes  .and  a  singles  blaidict  for  Cajitain  Franklin.  AVhen  all  was  rea(!y, 
the  whole  party  united  in  thanksgiving  and  j)rayers  to  Almighty  <Jod 
for  their  mutual  preservation,  and  separated  Avith  tlu*  melancholy  rejec- 
tion that  it  niiglit  in  all  ])robability  be  the  last  time  they  should  ever 
again  meet  in  this  Avorld. 

On  leaving  thisir  friends,  Oaptain  Franklin  ami  his  ])arty  descended 
into  a  more  level  country;  but  the  snow  lay  so  deep,  and  they  wi-n;  so 
little  .able  to  wade  tlirougli  it,  that  they  encamjx'd,  .'il'tcr  a  painful  march 
(»f  (mly  four  miles  and  a  half,  in  which  lielanger,  and  Michel,  an  Troipiois, 
were  left  far  behind,  yet  still  struggrmg  forward.  In  the  evening  they 
came  in  dreadfully  exhausted,  and  Ijehmger,  till  tiow  one  of  the  strongest 
of  the  party,  could  not  refi'ain  from  tears  as  he  declare<l  he  was  totally 
unable  to  ])rocoed,  ami  implored  ]»ermission  to  return  to  Dr.  Kicliardson 
and  ]\rr.  Hood,  Michel  made  the  s.ame  re(pu'St,  and  it  was  agreed  that 
they  should  do  so.  The  cold  of  the  night  was  excessive,  and  the  men 
were  so  weak  that  they  could  not  raise  the  tent ;  fVom  its  weight  it  was 
imi)ossible  to  transport  it  from  place  to  jilace,  ami  it  was  cut  up,  the  can- 
vas serving  them  for  a  covering;  but  though  they  lay  close  together, 
the  intense  frost  dejirived  them  of  sleep.  Having  no  tripe  iIc  roflif,  they 
liad  supped  upon  an  infusion  of  the  Labrador  tea-plant,  with  a  few  mor- 
sels of  burned  leather.  INIichel  and  IJelanger,  being  apparently  more  ex- 
hausted in  the  morning  than  over  night,  were  left,  while  the  rest  moved 
forward.  After  a  very  short  )>rogress,  I'errault  was  attacked  with  a  fit 
of  dizziness;  but  on  halting  a  little,  again  propose(l  to  proceed.  Tri  ten 
minutes,  however,  he  suid<;  down,  .and  weeping  almid,  declared  his  total 
inability  to  go  on.  lie  was  accordingly  advised  to  rejoin  Michel  and 
Kelanger — a  ju-oposal  in  which  he  a(»|ui(>seed.  These  ex.miples  of  the 
total  lailnre  of  the  strou'^est  in  the  itartv  had  a  verv  unfavorable  eft'ect 
on  the  spirit"  of  the  rest,  and  the  exertion  lA'  wading  through  the  snow 
ai..l  crossing  a  lake  on  the  ice,  where  they  were  frecpiently  blf)wn  down, 
was  so  sev<Te,  that  Fontaiio.  after  having  repeatedly  fallen,  pitoously 
ciMuplained  that  he  M'as  utterly  unabh;  to  go  further.  T>eing  not  two 
miles  from  the  others,  it  was  thought  Tiest  that  he  also  shoidd  attempt 


1^ 


J 


H 


310 


FRANKLIK'S    JOURNEY    TO    TUE    POLAR    SEA. 


\^ 


fi    t     li  ; 


iri 


\ 

I  If 

■ 

to  rejoin  them  ;  and  as  he  was  much  beloved,  the  parting  M'as  very  dis- 
tressing. They  watched  him  for  some  time,  and  were  comforted  by 
seeing  that,  though  his  progress  was  very  slow,  he  kept  his  feet  better 
than  before. 

Tl)o  whole  party  was  now  reduced  to  five  persons.  Captain  Franklin, 
Adam,  Peltier,  Bonoit,  and  Samandre,  the  interpreter  Augustus  having 
])ressed  forward  by  himself  during  the  late  frequent  halts.  They  made 
that  day  only  four  miles  and  a  half,  and  encamped  for  the  night  under  a 
rock,  supping  again  on  an  infusion  of  the  Labrador  tea-plant  and  some 
shreds  of  boiled  leather.  The  evening  was  comparatively  mild,  the 
breeze  light,  and  having  the  comfort  of  a  lire,  they  enjoyed  some  sleep. 
This  was  of  inKnite  advantage  ;  it  gave  them  new  spirits,  which  were 
further  invigorated  by  a  breakfast  of  tripe  de  rochc,  this  being  the  fourth 
day  since  they  had  a  regular  meal.  On  reaching  Marten  Lake  they 
found  it  frozen  over — a  circumstance  which  they  knew  would  enable 
them  to  Avalk  upon  the  ice  straight  to  Fort  Enterprise. 

It  may  be  easily  imagined  what  were  the  sensations  of  the  party  in 
approaching  the  spot  which  they  trusted  would  be  the  end  of  all  their 
toils  and  jirivations.  From  the  arrangements  previously  made,  it  was 
judged  certain  that  they  would  here  find  relief,  and  be  able  to  send 
assistance  to  their  unfortunate  companions.  It  was  a  spot  where  they 
had  enjoyed,  at  a  former  period  of  the  expedition,  the  greatest  comfort; 
but  it  was  possible,  though  they  scarcely  permitted  themselves  to  con- 
tem))late  so  dreadful  an  idea,  that  circumstances  might  have  occurred  to 
defeat  their  present  expectations.  On  approaching  the  house  their  minds 
were  strongly  agitated  between  hope  and  fear,  and  contrary  to  their 
usual  custom,  they  advanced  in  silence.  At  length  they  reached  it,  and 
their  worst  apprehensions  were  realized.  It  was  completely  desolate. 
No  provisions  had  been  deposited — no  trace  of  Indians  could  be  dis- 
covered— no  letter  lay  there  from  Mr.  "Wentzel  to  inform  them  where 
the  Indians  might  be  found.  On  entering,  a  mute  despair  seized  the 
party.  They  gazed  on  the  cold  hearth,  comfortless  walls,  and  broken 
sashes,  through  which  the  Avind  and  snow  penetrated,  and  awakening  to 
a  full  sense  of  the  horrors  of  their  situation,  burst  into  tears.  On  re- 
covering a  little,  aiul  looking  round  with  more  attention,  a  note  Avaa 
found  from  Mr.  Back,  stating  that  having  two  days  before  this  reached 
the  house,  he  had  proceeiled  in  search  of  the  Indians ;  but  described  his 
party  as  so  debilitated  that  it  was  doubtful  whether  they  would  be  able 
to  reach  Fort  Providence.  The  sufferings  endured  by  this  officer  and 
his  little  party,  one  of  whom  was  frozen  to  death,  were  equally  dreadful 
with  those  which  fell  to  the  share  of  his  commander. 

The  j)oor  sufferers  thus  grievously  disappointed,  now  examined  the 
deserted  habitation  for  the  means  of  subsistence,  and  ^'  vn('  several  deer- 
skins thrown  away  during  their  former  residence  at  v'."-  ibrt.  The  heaps 
of  ashes  were  carefully  raked,  and  a  considerable  collection  of  bones  dis- 
covered, which  were  hoarded  up  for  the  purpose  of  being  pounded  and 


id 

is 
|c 
Id 


SUFFERINGS    AT    FORT    ENTERPRISE. 


811 


manufiicturcfl  into  souj».  The  purchment  originally  employed  instead 
of  glass  had  boon  torn  from  the  Avindows,  and  the  place  was  exposed  to 
all  the  inclemency  of  an  arctic  winter ;  but  they  succeeded  in  filling  the 
sashes  with  loose  boards,  and  as  the  temperature  of  the  outer  air  was 
now  from  15"  to  SO''  below  zero,  this  precaution  was  especially  neces- 
sary. To  procure  water,  they  melted  the  frozen  lumps  of  snow,  and  the 
flooring  of  the  neighboring  apartment  was  broken  up  for  fuel. 

Having  completed  those  arrangements,  they  assembled  round  the 
fire,  and  Avero  busy  singeing  the  hair  off  a  deer-skin,  when  they  were 
cheered  by  the  entrance  of  the  interpreter,  who  had  made  his  way  to 
the  fort  by  a  dilforont  route,  through  a  country  he  had  never  traversed 
before.  Though  by  far  the  strongest  of  the  party,  he  was  now  so  en- 
feebled by  famine  that  he  could  not  follow  two  deer  which  he  had  seen 
on  liis  way.  Next  morning  there  was  a  heavy  gale  from  the  south-east, 
and  the  snow  drifted  so  thick  that  no  one  ventured  abroad.  On  the 
evening  of  the  succeeding  day,  a  figure  covered  with  ice,  benumbed  with 
cold,  .ind  almost  speechless,  staggered  into  the  house.  It  was  one  of  the 
Canadians,  who  had  been  dispatched  with  a  note  by  Mr.  Back,  and  hav- 
ing fallen  into  a  rapid  narrowly  escaped  being  drowned.  To  change  his 
dress,  wrap  him  in  warm  blankets,  and  ])our  some  soup  down  his  throat, 
Avas  their  first  care  ;  and  after  a  little  he  revived  enough  to  answer  the 
anxious  questions  Avith  Avhicli  he  Avas  assailed.  From  his  replies  but 
little  comfort  Avas  derived.  jVIr.  Back  had  seen  no  trace  of  the  Indians, 
and  the  messenger's  recollection  apj)eared  confused  A\uth  regard  to  the 
part  of  tlie  country  Avhere  he  had  left  his  officer,  Avho,  as  he  stated,  in- 
tended to  ])rocced  to  the  spot  Avhere  the  Indian  chief,  Akaitcho,  had  en- 
camped last  summer — a  distance  of  about  thirty  miles.  Thither  he  pro- 
posed to  follow  Avlien  he  Avas  a  little  recruited  ;  and,  though  dissuaded 
from  the  attempt,  persisted  that  as  the  track  Avas  beaten  he  Avould  be 
able  to  make  it  out,  and  to  convey  intelligence  of  the  situation  of  Cap- 
tain Franklin's  ])arty.  Accordingly,  the  fifth  day  after  his  arrival,  he 
departed  from  the  fort  Avith  a  small  supply  of  singed  hide. 

Not  long  after,  Adam,  one  of  the  five  men  who  noAv  remained  Avith 
Cajitain  Franklin,  became  so  ill  that  ho  Avas  utterly  incapable  of  moving, 
and  it  Avas  discovered  that  he  had  boon  for  some  time  afflicted  Avith 
u'domatous  swellings  in  various  parts  of  his  body,  which  he  had  hitherto 
generously  concoalod,  from  a  Avisli  not  to  impede  the  movements  of  his 
companions.  As  it  was  impossible  for  this  poor  man  to  travel,  it  was 
necessary  to  abandon  the  original  intention  of  proceeding  Avith  the  Avholo 
party  to  Fort  Providence,  and  Peltier  and  Samandre,  Avho  were  in  almost 
as  weak  a  state,  having  expressed  a  Avish  to  remain  Avith  Adam,  Captain 
Franklin,  along  with  Augustus  and  Benoit,  determined  to  press  on  to 
Fort  Providence,  and  to  send  relief  to  their  companions  by  the  first 
party  of  Indians  they  should  meet. 

Having  accordingly  given  directions  regarding  the  journals  and 
charts  Avhich  Avere  left  in  their  custody,  and  the  best  mode  of  forward- 


J 


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'A 


312 


FRANKLIN'S   JOURNEY    TO    THE    POLAR    SEA. 


ing  succor  to  Mr.  Hood  and  Dr.  Richardson,  Franklin  set  forward  with 
his  two  attendants ;  but  so  feeble  had  they  become,  that  the  distance 
accomplished  in  six  liours  was  only  four  miles.  They  encamped  on  the 
borders  of  Round  Rock  Lake,  and,  unable  to  find  any  tripe  de  roche, 
made  their  supi^er  upon  fried  deer-skin.  The  night  proved  intensely 
cold,  and  although  they  crept  as  close  to  each  other  as  possible,  they 
shivered  in  every  limb,  and  the  wind  pierced  through  their  famished 
frames.  Next  morning  was  mild,  and  they  set  out  early,  but  had  scarce 
)}rocoeded  a  few  yards,  Avhen  Franklin  fell  between  two  rocks,  and 
broke  his  snow-shoes,  an  accident  which  incapacitated  him  from  keeping 
up  with  Benoit  and  Augustus.  In  a  very  short  time  his  atti'uijjt  to  press 
forward  completely  exhausted  him ;  and  as  the  only  hope  of  preserving 
the  lives  of  the  party  appeared  to  rest  on  their  speedily  reaching  Fort 
Providence,  he  determined,  rather  than  retard  them,  to  retrace  his  stejx? 
to  the  house,  while  they  proceeded  for  assistance.  Calling  a  nioment's 
halt,  he  addressed  one  note  to  Mr.  Back,  re(juestiiig  an  innnediate  sup- 
ply of  meat  from  Reindeer  Lake,  and  another  to  the  commandant  at 
Fort  Providence,  with  urgent  entreaties  for  assistance.  This  done,  Au- 
gustus and  Benoit  resumed  their  journey,  and  Franklin  returned  to  the 
house. 

On  arriving,  he  found  Adam,  Samandre,  and  Peltier  still  alive  ;  but 
the  two  first,  Avhose  mhids  seemed  quite  enfeebled,  could  not  be  ]>revailed 
on  to  leave  their  bed,  and  their  nervous  weakness  was  so  great,  that 
they  scarcely  ceased  shedding  tears  all  day.  It  was  even  with  difficulty 
that  they  Avere  prevailed  on  to  take  any  nourislnnent ;  and  the  labor  of 
cutting  and  carrying  fuel,  gatheruig  the  tripe  de  roche^  and  cooking,  fell 
entirely  upon  Franklin  and  Peltier.  The  frost  was  now  so  severe,  that 
it  was  evident  this  lichen  Avould  soon  be  bound  up  in  ice,  and  as  their 
strength  daily  declined,  every  exertion  became  irksome.  When  once 
seated,  it  required  a  painful  effort  to  rise  up,  and  not  mifrequently  they 
had  to  lift  each  other  from  their  chairs.  This  miserable  condition  could 
not  last  long.  Peltier  soon  became  almost  incapable  of  holding  the 
hatchet ;  the  bone-soup  had  become  so  acrid  as  to  corrode  the  hiside 
of  their  mouths  ;  the  tripe  de  rorhi.,  covered  with  ice,  defied  all  efforts  to 
di'tach  it  from  the  I'ock  ;  and  though  the  rehideer  sportetl  on  the  banks 
of  tlie  river,  no  oiu.'  had  sti'cngth  to  go  after  them,  or  to  hold  a  gun  so 
steadilv  as  to  secure  an  aim. 

Still  tlio  hopes  and  cheerfulness  of  Franklin  did  not  desert  liim. 
From  his  knowledge  (>f  llie  jilaces  most  frequented  at  that  season  by 
the  Indians,  he  was  sanguine  as  to  the  likelihood  of  their  being  found ; 
and  their  speedy  ari'ival  formed  a  constant  subject  of  conversation.  At 
length,  on  the  evening  of  the  29tli,  when  talking  of  his  long-looked-for 
relief,  and  sitting  round  the  fire,  Peltier  suddenly  leaped  uji  and  uttered 
a  joyful  exclamation,  imagining  he  heard  the  bustle  of  the  Indians  in 
the  adjoining  room.  It  was  not  the  Indians,  however,  but  Dr.  Richard- 
son and  Hepburn,  who  came  in,  eacli  carryhig  bin  bundle.     The  meeting 


ii 


i 


,j,i 


THE    EXAMPLE    OF   HEPBURN. 


313 


was  one  of  mingled  joy  and  sorrow.  Poor  Ilood'.s  absence  was  instantly 
perceived,  and  their  saddest  anticipations  Avere  confirmed  by  Dr,  Rich- 
ardson declaring  that  this  young  officer  and  Mic)'"'.  were  dead,  and  that 
neither  Perrault  nor  Fontano  had  reached  the  .c,  or  been  heard  of. 
Such  news  could  not  fail  to  create  desi)ondency.  All  were  shocked  at 
the  emaciated  countenances  and  hollow  voices  of  Dr.  Richardson  and 
his  companion,  while  Captain  Franklin  and  his  fellow-sutl'erers,  luuing 
become  gradually  accustomed  to  the  dreadful  eifects  of  famine  upon  each 
other,  Avere  not  aMare  that,  to  the  eyes  of  their  friends  Avlio  liad  just 
arrived,  the  alteration  upon  themselves  was  equally  melancholy.  "  The 
doctor,"  says  Franklin,  "  particularly  remarked  the  sepulchral  tone  of 
our  voices,  which  he  requested  us  to  nudce  more  cheerful  if  possible, 
not  aware  that  his  own  partook  of  the  same  key." 

The  arrival  of  these  friends,  however,  was  soon  attended  with  a  fav- 
orable change.  Though  greatly  reduced,  they  were  still  in  a  better  con- 
dition than  their  unfortunate  companions,  and  it  was  not  long  till  Hep- 
burn shot  a  partridge.  Dr.  Richardson  speedily  tore  oft"  the  feathers, 
and  having  held  it  for  a  few  minutes  at  the  fire,  divided  it  into  six 
l)ieccs.  Franklin  and  his  companions  ravenously  devoured  their  })or- 
tions,  "  being  the  first  morsel  of  flesh  that  any  of  them  had  tasted  for 
tliirty-one  days  ;"  and  Dr.  Richardson  cheered  them  with  the  jn-ospect 
that  Hepburn  might  possibly  bring  in  a  deer  in  his  next  exjiedition. 
The  counsels  and  example  of  this  pious  and  intelligent  man  produced 
the  best  eifects  on  the  s])irits  of  the  party.  lie  had  brought  Avith  him 
his  Testament  and  Prayer-book,  and  by  reading  portions  of  Scripture 
appro))riate  to  their  situation,  and  encouraging  them  to  join  in  prayer 
and  thanksgiving,  he  led  them  to  the  only  source  AvUence,  under  the 
awful  circumstances  in  Avhich  they  were  jilaced,  they  could  derive  hope 
or  consolation,  lie  taught  them  the  necessity  of  exertion,  Avhatever 
pain  it  might  at  first  cost ;  roused  them  to  pay  some  attention  to  the 
cleanliness  of  their  apartment,  and  insisted  i)articularly,  that  during  the 
day  they  should  roll  up  their  blankets,  Avhich  they  had  been  in  the  prac- 
tice of  leaving  beside  the  fire  Avhere  they  slept.  Their  several  tasks  Avere 
now  allotted  to  each :  Hepburn  and  Richai'dson  went  out  in  search  of 
deer ;  Avhile  Franklin,  being  unable  to  Avalk  far,  remained  nearer  the 
house,  aiul  digged  under  the  snoAV  for  skins,  Avhich,  during  their  former 
happy  Avinter  residence  at  this  station,  Avhen  they  killed  and  ate  abund- 
ance of  game,  Avere  throAvn  away  as  useless,  but  noAV  in  their  almost  yu- 
trid  state  formed  their  princij)al  support.  The  cutting  of  fircAvood  Avas 
intrusted  to  Peltier  and  Samandre  ;  but  both  Avere  so  Aveak  and  dispirited, 
that  it  Avas  gcneially  jierfornied  by  Hepburn  on  his  retiu'ii  from  hunting ; 
as  for  Adam,  his  legs  AVi're  still  so  severely  SAVollen  that  he  kejjt  his  bed, 
though  an  operation  perfornied  by  Dr.  Richardson  gave  him  some  ease. 
In  the  midst  of  these  necessary  cares,  all  seemed  for  a  Avhile  to  dread 
approaclnng  the  subject  of  Hood  and  Michel's  death  ;  but  at  length  one 
evening,  on  the  return  of  the  doctor  from  hunting,  and  after  Laving 


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FRANKLIN'S    JOURNEY    TO    THE    POLAR    SEA. 


dispatched  their  usual  supper  of  singed  Hkiu  and  hone-soup,  tliey  re- 
quested hiui  to  rehite  the  i)articularrt ;  and  a  more  atHietintj,  or,  in  sonic 
respects,  a  more  terrific  story,  as  it  apj)ears  in  his  puhlishcd  narrative, 
could  not  well  be  conceived. 

He  stated  that  after  beinj;  left  by  Captain  Franklin,  they  remained 
beside  the  tire  as  long  as  it  lasted.  Having  no  tri'jH'.  <le  roc/ie,  they  sup- 
jied  on  an  infusion  of  the  coiuitry  tea-plant,  which  was  grateful  from  its 
Avarmth,  but  allbrded  no  nourishment,  and  retired  to  rest.  Next  day 
))roved  stormy,  and  the  snow  being  so  deep  that  a  fire  couhl  not  be 
kindled  with  the  green  billows,  they  lay  in  bed  i-eading  some  religious 
books  M'ith  which  the  party  had  been  furnished  before  leaving  England 
by  the  afl'eetionate  and  ])ious  care  of  a  lady.  "  They  proved,"  saya 
Richardson,  "  of  incalculable  benefit  to  us.  We  read  portions  of  them 
to  each  other  as  we  lay  in  bed,  in  addition  to  the  morning  and  evening 
service,  and  found  that  they  inspired  us  on  each  perusal  with  so  strong  a 
sense  of  the  omnijiresence  of  a  beneficent  God,  that  our  situation  in  these 
wilds  appeared  no  longer  destitute ;  and  we  conversed  not  only  with 
calmness,  but  with  cheerfulness,  detailing  with  unrestraiiied  confidence 
the  past  events  of  our  lives,  and  dwelling  with  hope  upon  our  future 
prospects." 

The  weather  clearing  uj).  Dr.  Richardson  went  out  in  search  of  tripe 
de  roche^  leaving  jMr.  llootl  in  bed,  ami  Hepburn  cutting  willows  for  a 
fire ;  but  the  rocks  were  covered  with  ice  and  snow,  and  he  was  im- 
successful.  On  his  return  he  found  Michel,  the  Iroquois,  who  delivered 
the  note  from  Franklin.  All  were  surprised  to  see  him  alone  ;  but  he 
stated  that  Belanger  had  separated  from  him,  and,  as  he  8upj)0sed,  lost 
liis  way,  he  himself  having  wandered  far  tVoni  the  straight  road.  They 
had  afterward  good  reason  to  suspect  ll  c  truth  of  this  story,  but  be- 
lieved it  at  that  nu)ment,  and  were  rejoiced  to  oce  him  produce  a  hare 
and  a  ])artridge — an  unlooked-for  supply,  which  they  received  with 
humble  thankfulness  to  the  Giver  of  all  good.  Franklin's  note  advised 
thera  to  advance  to  a  little  wood  of  pines  which  would  afford  better 
fuel ;  and  to  this  they  removed  under  the  guidance  of  Michel,  Avho  led 
them  straight  to  the  spot. 

As  he  had  declared  himself  so  little  acquainted  with  the  country  as 
to  lose  his  way,  it  seemed  strange  that  he  should  at  once  conduct  them 
to  the  thicket.  This  roused  their  attention,  and  made  them  feel  rather 
uneasy  as  to  his  honesty  ;  and  various  circumstances  occurred  to  increase 
their  suspicions.  He  requested  the  loan  of  a  hatchet,  when  any  other 
hunter  would  have  taken  only  his  knife.  He  remained  abroad  all  day 
without  any  definite  employment.  He  brought  them  some  raw  meat, 
saying  it  was  part  of  the  carcase  of  a  wolf,  but  which  they  had  afterward 
reason  to  believe  was  a  portion  of  the  bodies  of  Belanger  and  Perrault, 
whom  they  susj)ected  him  to  have  murdered.  He  shunned  the  society 
of  Dr.  Richardson  and  Mr.  Hood,  refusing  to  sleep  in  the  tent,  and  pre^. 
ferring  to  lie  alone  at  the  fire.     On  going  out  with  the  purpose  of  re- 


'  it  I 


MURDKR    OF    MR.    II    m>D. 


815 


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ut- 


maining  a  whole  <lay,  he  ofleii  ri'tuniod  ahniial},  and  whvn  quest 
gave  vague  answers.  In  a  few  days  liu  began  to  regret  that  lie  h 
Captain  Franklin's  party,  refused  to  take  any  share  in  the  lahnr  i 
ting  wood,  talked  in  a  surly  and  insolent  manner,  and  could  scare 
j)revailed  upon  to  go  out  and  hunt  at  all.  Tliese  symptoms  of  gloomy 
dissatisfaction  increased  ;  he  resisted  all  entreaties,  and  when  Mr.  Hood, 
who  was  now  reduced  by  famine  to  the  last  extremity,  remonstrated 
Mith  1dm,  he  flew  hito  a  violent  passion,  and  (exclaimed,  "It  is  of  no  use 
hunting  ;  there  are  no  animals ;  you  had  better  kill  and  eat  me."  He 
afterward,  however,  ctJnscaited  to  go  out,  but  returne<l  upon  some  frivol- 
ous pretense ;  and  on  the  succeeding  day  that  dreadful  catastrophe 
took  place,  which  will  bo  best  given  in  the  words  of  L)r.  Richardson's 
journal: 

"In  the  morning,"  says  he,  "being  Sun<lay,  October  20th,  we  again 
urged  Michel  to  go  a-himting,  that  he  might,  if  possible,  leave  us  some 
provision,  to-morrow  being  the  day  appointed  for  his  quitting  us ;  but  he 
(ihowed  great  unwillingness  to  go  out,  and  lingered  about  the  fire  under 
the  j)retense  of  cleaning  his  gun.  After  we  had  read  the  morning  service, 
I  went  about  noon  to  gather  some  tripe  de  roche,  leaving  Mr.  Hood  sit- 
ting before  the  tent  at  the  fireside  arguing  with  Michel.  Hepburn  was 
employed  cutting  down  a  tree  at  a  small  distance  from  the  tent,  being 
desirous  of  accunuilating  a  (piantity  of  firewood.  A  short  time  after  I 
went  out,  I  heard  the  report  of  a  gun,  and  about  ten  minutes  afterward 
Hepburn  called  to  mo  in  a  voice  of  great  alarm  to  come  directly.  When 
I  arrived,  I  found  i>oor  Hood  lying  lifeless  at  the  fireside,  a  ball  having 
apparently  entered  his  forehead.  I  was  at  first  horror-struck  with  the 
idea  that  in  a  fit  of  despondency  he  had  hurried  himself  into  the  pres- 
ence of  his  Almighty  Judge  by  an  act  of  his  own  hand ;  but  the  con- 
duct of  Michel  soon  gave  lise  to  other  thoughts,  and  excited  suspicions 
which  were  confirmed,  when,  upon  examining  the  body,  I  found  that 
the  shot  had  entered  the  back  part  of  the  head  and  had  passed  out  at 
the  forehead,  while  the  muzzle  of  the  gun  had  been  applied  so  close  as 
to  set  fire  to  the  nightcap  behind.  The  gun,  whicli  was  of  the  longest 
kind  supplied  to  the  Indians,  could  not  have  been  placed  in  the  position 
to  inflict  such  a  wound  except  by  a  second  person.  Upon  inquiring  of 
Michel  how  it  hai)pened,  lie  replied  that  Mr.  Hood  had  sent  him  into 
the  tent  for  the  short  gun,  and  that  during  his  absence  the  long  gun 
had  gone  oft',  he  did  not  know  whether  by  accident  or  not.  He  held 
the  short  gun  in  his  hand  at  the  time  he  was  speaking.  Hepburn  after- 
ward asserted,  that  previous  to  the  report  of  the  gun,  Mr.  Hood  and 
Michel  Avere  sjjcaking  to  each  other  in  an  elevated,  angry  tone  ; — he 
added,  that  Mr.  Hood  being  seated  at  the  fireside,  was  hid  from  him  by 
intervening  willows ;  but  that  on  hearing  the  report  he  looked  up,  and 
saw  Michel  rising  up  from  before  the  tent-door,  or  just  behind  where 
Mr.  Hood  was  seated,  and  then  going  into  the  tent.  Thinking  that  the 
gun  had  been  discharged  for  the  purpose  of  cleaning  it,  he  did  not  go 


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FRANKLIN'S   JOURNEY    TO    THE    POLAR   SEA. 


to  the  fire  at  first ;  anil  when  Michel  called  to  hun  that  Mr.  Hood  Avas 
dead,  a  considerable  time  had  elapsed.  *  *  *  Bickerstcth's  Scripture 
Help  was  lying  open  beside  the  body,  as  if  it  had  flillen  from  his  hand, 
and  it  is  probable  he  was  reading  it  at  the  instant  of  his  death." 

Such  was  the  melancholy  fate  of  Mr.  Ilood,  a  young  officer  of  the 
highest  promise,  who,  by  his  conduct,  had  endeared  himself  to  every 
member  of  the  expedition,  and  Avhose  sufterings,  as  they  were  more  in- 
tense, from  the  peculiarity  of  his  constitution,  were  borne  witli  a  2)lacid 
and  unpretending  fortitude,  which  it  was  impossible  to  coTitemplate 
without  emotion.  Both  Dr.  Richardson  and  Hepburn  Avere  convinced 
he  had  met  his  death  from  the  hands  of  jMichcl ;  but  to  have  accused 
him  at  that  moment  would  have  been  the  extremity  of  rashness.  They 
were  so  reduced  by  famine  that  he  could  easily  have  overpowered  both. 
His  appearance  showed  that  he  possessed  secret  suj)plies  of  food  ;  he  Av.as 
of  great  bodily  strength,  and  was  armed  to  the  teeth,  carrying,  besides 
his  gun,  a  brace  of  pistols,  an  Indian  bayonet,  and  a  knife.  To  have 
hinted  a  suspicion,  therefore,  might  have  been  histantly  fatal,  and  they 
afiected  to  consider  the  death  of  their  companion  entirely  accidental. 
As  his  weakness  had  been  the  chief  cause  of  delaying  their  journey,  they 
now  set  out  for  the  fort,  Imving  first  paid  the  last  rites  to  the  dead  in 
the  only  Avay  which  their  situation  Avould  permit.  The  ground  Avas  so 
hard,  and  their  strength  so  exhausted,  that  to  dig  a  grave  Avas  imj)os- 
sible  ;  so  they  carried  the  botly  into  the  AvilloAv  grove  behind  the  tent, 
and  returnhig  to  the  lire,  read  the  funeral  service  hi  addition  to  their 
evening  devotions. 

In  the  morning,  having  singed  the  hair  off  a  portion  of  3Ir.  Hood's 
buffalo  i-obe,  they  boiled  and  ate  it  for  breakfast.  !Meanwhile,  the  con- 
duct of  Michel  was  so  extraordinary,  that  had  they  not  been  already 
convinced  of  his  guilt,  no  doubt  of  it  could  have  remained.  Though 
not  a  breath  of  their  suspicions  reached  his  ears,  he  repeatedly  protested 
that  he  was  incapable  of  committing  such  an  act ;  he  kept  constantly  on 
his  guard,  appeared  fearful  of  leaving  Dr.  Richardson  and  Hepburn 
alone  even  for  the  shortest  time,  and  Avhen  Hepburn  spoke  he  listened 
anxiously,  though  very  imperfectly  acquainted  Avith  the  English  lan- 
guage, fixed  his  eyes  keenly  upon  him,  and  asked  fiercely  if  he  accused 
him  of  the  murder.  He  evhiced  great  unwillingness  to  set  out  for  the 
fort,  and  Avished  Dr.  Richardson  to  proceed  to  the  Coppermine  River, 
where  he  said  the  Avoods  Avould  supply  plenty  of  deer.  On  finding  this 
advice  disregarded,  his  conduct  became  more  and  more  alarming ;  he 
muttered  to  himself,  fell  into  sullen  fits  of  abstraction,  and  used  those 
convulsive  and  abrupt  gestures  oflen  involuntarily  exhibited  by  a  person 
whose  mind  is  full  of  some  dreadful  purpose.  Suddenly  awakening  from 
this  reverie,  he  again  expressed  his  unwillingness  to  return  to  the  fort, 
and  renewed  his  solicitations  to  Dr.  Richardson  to  repair  to  the  southern 
woods,  Avhere  they  Avould  find  ample  subsistence.  On  being  requested 
to  pursue  his  own  plan  alone,  and  leave  them  to  continue  their  journey, 


^ 


RICnARPSON    SHOOTS    MICnEL 


817 


ho  broke  into  an  xingovcriiabU!  fury,  acciisiod  Ili-pbuni  of  baviiirf  tolil 
stories  against  bini,  and  assumed  sucli  airs  of  superiority  as  showed  that 
lie  knew  they  were  both  in  liis  jjower,  at  the  same  time  giving  vent  to 
expressions  of  liatred  against  the  wliite  ])eople,  calling  tliem  (b'adly 
enemies,  and  aftirniing  tliey  had  killed  and  eaten  liis  uncle  and  two  of 
his  relations. 

None  of  these  menaces  Avere  lost  upon  lliehardson  and  Ili'pburn  ; 
both  felt  they  were  not  safe  in  this  man's  company  ;  and  these  dreadful 
surmises  rose  into  certainty  when  he  tinew  out  hints  that  he  would  free 
himself  from  all  restraint  on  the  morrow.  I>eing  now  convinced  that,  as 
he  had  cruelly  nuu'dered  Hood,  ho  was  resolved  also  to  sacriti(!e  them, 
they  ascribed  his  not  having  already  done  so  to  the  circumstance  of  his 
not  knowing  the  Ava^  to  the  fort,  and  requiring  their  guidance.  They 
came  to  this  conclusion  without  any  comnnmication  with  each  other; 
for  their  fierce  companion  would  not  leave  them  a  mcnient,  watching 
them  with  a  malignant  look,  and  frequently  muttering  threats  against 
Hepburn.  Toward  evening,  as  they  ajjproached  the  spot  where  it  would 
be  necessary  to  stop  for  the  night,  Michel  halted  to  gather  tripe  <le  roc/ie^ 
and  to  their  surprise  bade  them  "walk  on,  and  he  would  s(.)on  overiako 
them.  Hepburn  and  Dr.  Richardson,  now  left  alone  together  for  tlio 
first  time  since  Mr,  Hood's  death,  rajiidly  opened  their  minds  to  each 
other.  In  addition  to  the  facts  already  mentioned,  others  came  to  light, 
which  left  not  the  slightest  doubt  as  to  Michel's  guilt ;  and  so  convinced 
was  Hepburn  of  there  being  no  safety  for  tliein  but  in  his  death,  that, 
though  a  man  of  extreme  benevolence  and  deep  religious  priiudple,  ho 
offered  to  be  the  instrument  of  it  himself.  "Had  my  own  life,"  says 
Dr.  Richardson,  "alone  bt'cn  threatened,  I  would  not  have  purchased  it 
by  such  a  measure;  but  I  considered  myself  as  intrusted  also  with  tho 
protection  of  Hei)burn's,  a  man  who  by  his  humane  attentions  and  de- 
votedness  had  so  endeared  himself  to  nie,  that  I  felt  more  anxiety  for  his 
safety  than  for  my  own."  Animated  by  such  feelings,  and  convinced 
that  Michel's  death  was  necessary  to  self-preservation,  he  determined 
that  it  ought  to  be  by  his  own  an<l  not  by  Hepburn's  hand,  and  on  his 
coming  up  shot  him  thrcnigh  the  head  with  a  pistol.  It  appeared  that 
he  had  gathered  no  trqjc  de  roche,  and  had  halted  to  put  liis  gun  in 
orcer,  no  doubt  with  the  intention  of  attacking  them  when  in  the  act  of 
encamping. 

Dr.  Richardson  and  Hepburn  now  pursued  their  way  to  the  fort ; 
but  fatigue,  and  want  of  food  and  fuel,  had  nearly  proved  fatal  to  them. 
They  remarked,  however,  that  repeatedly  when  death  seemed  inevita- 
ble, an  unexpected  supply  of  jirovisions  again  restored  them ;  and  the 
confidence  that,  when  no  human  help  was  nigh,  they  were  supported  by 
a  merciful  God,  inspired  them  with  renewed  hope.  At  last  they  had  the 
delight  of  belioldinsr  from  an  eminence  the  smoke  issuing  from  the  chim- 
ney  of  the  fort,  and  immediately  after,  embracing  those  friends  for  whose 


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318 


FRANKLIN'S   JOURNEY    TO    THE    POLAR    SEA. 


fite  they  had  entertained  so  many  melanclioly  forebodings.     So  ended 
this  interesting  narrative. 

Tlie  whole  party  were  now  once  more  united,  but  imder  circum- 
stances of  the  most  distressing  privation  ;  all  emaciated  to  such  a  degree 
as  to  look  like  living  skeletons ;  their  hands  shook  from  Aveakness,  so 
that  to  take  an  aim  was  impossible  ;  and  the  reindeer,  partridges,  and 
other  game,  flew  or  bounded  past  in  joyousness  and  security,  while  the 
unhappy  beings  who  beheld  them  were  gaunt  with  hunger.  The  winter 
was  closing  in  with  all  its  horrors ;  it  became  daily  more  difficult  to  pro- 
cure fuel,  the  labor  of  cutting  and  carrying  the  logs  being  so  grievous 
that  only  Dr.  Richardson  and  Hepburn  could  undert.ike  it ;  and  to  scrape 
the  ground  for  bones,  and  to  cook  this  miserable  meal,  Avas  all  Captain 
Franklin  could  accomplish.  On  the  1st  of  Xovember  the  doctor  ob- 
tained some  (rijje  de  rocfie  /  and  as  Peltier  and  Samandro  wore  in  the 
last  stage  of  exhaustion,  it  was  hoped  a  little  of  the  soup  might  revive 
them.  A!I  was  in  vain ;  they  tasted  a  few  spoonfuls,  but  soon  com- 
plained of  a  soreness  in  their  throats,  and  both  died  in  the  course  of  the 
night,  apparently  without  pain.  To  inter  the  bodies,  or  even  carry  them 
to  the  river,  was  a  task  for  which  the  imited  strength  of  the  survivors 
was  inadequate  ;  all  they  could  do  was  to  remove  them  into  an  opposite 
part  of  the  house ;  and  the  living  and  the  dead  remained  in  awful  con- 
tiguity under  the  same  roof 

The  [tarty  Avas  now  reduced  to  four — Franklin,  llichardson,  Hepburn, 
and  Adam.  The  last  had  become  dreadfully  low  since  the  death  of  his 
companions,  and  could  not  bear  to  be  loll  alone  for  a  moment.  Their 
stock  of  bones  was  exhausted,  and  in  a  short  time  it  was  evident  that  the 
severity  of  the  frost  must  render  the  gatliering  of  the  (ripe  de  roche  im- 
possiljle.  Under  these  circumstances,  with  death  liy  famine  approaching 
cvi'ry  hour,  this  little  band  of  ]>i()us  and  brave  men  were  suj)j>orted  by 
an  unwavering  reliance  on  the  mercy  of  (iod.  "  We  read  j)rayers,"  says 
Captain  Franklin,  "and  a  portion  of  the  New  Testament  in  the  morning 
and  evening,  as  had  been  our  practice  since  Dr.  liichardson's  arriv.al ; 
and  I  may  remark,  that  the  perforinatu-e  of  these  duties  always  aiforded 
us  the  greatest  consolation,  serving  to  reanimate  our  hope  in  the  mercy 
of  the  Omnipotent,  who  alone  could  save  and  deliver  us."  Hitherto  Dr. 
Kichardson  and  Hepburn  had  been  the  healthiest  of  the  j^arty,  but  they 
liiid  overwrought  themselves,  and  l)oth  sank  rapidly.  Owing  to  their 
loss  of  flesh,  the  hardness  of  the  floor,  from  which  they  were  only  pro- 
tected by  a  single  blanket,  rendered  the  whole  surfiice  of  their  l»odies 
sore ;  yet  the  Labor  of  turning  from  one  side  to  the  other  was  too  much 
for  them.  As  their  strength  sank,  tlwir  mental  faculties  partook  of  the 
weakness  of  their  frame  ;  and,  to  employ  the  candid  .and  simple  exjires- 
sions  of  the  excellent  'eader,  "  an  unreasonable  pettishness  with  each 
otuer  began  to  manifest  itself,  each  believing  the  other  weaker  in  intel- 
lect than  himself,  and  more  in  need  of  advice  and  assistance."  During 
this  gloomy  period,  af\er  the  first  acute  jtains  of  hunger,  which  lasted 


THE    SURVIVORS    ARE    SAVED. 


319 


but  three  or  four  days,  had  subsided,  they  generally  enjoyed  the  re- 
freshment of  sleej),  accompanied  by  dreams  which  for  the  most  part  par- 
took of  a  pleasant  character,  and  very  often  related  to  tin  i)leasures  of 
feasting. 

On  November  7th,  Adam  had  passed  a  restless  night,  being  dis- 
(luieted  by  gloomy  api)rehensions  of  approaching  death,  which  they  tried 
in  vain  to  dispel.  lie  was  so  low  in  the  morning  as  scarcely  to  ])e  aljle 
to  speak,  and  Captain  Franklin  remained  by  his  bedside  to  cheer  him  as 
much  as  jmssible,  while  the  doctor  and  Hepburn  went  out  to  cut  wood. 
They  had  hardly  begun  their  labor  when  they  were  amazed  at  hearing 
the  report  of  a  musket,  and  could  scarcely  believe  that  there  M-as  any 
one  near  till  they  heard  a  shout,  and  espied  three  Indians  close  to  the 
house.  Adam  and  Franklin  lieard  the  latter  noise,  and  Avere  fearful 
that  some  ])art  of  the  house  had  fallen  upon  one  of  their  companions — a 
disaster  which  liad  been  thought  not  unlikely.  The  alarm  was  only 
momentary ;  for  Dr.  Richardson  came  in  to  communicate  the  joytid 
intelligence  that  relief  had  arrived.  He  and  Captain  Franklin  imme- 
diately ad«lressed  their  thanksgivings  to  the  Throne  of  JNIercy  for  this 
deliveraiuu; ;  but  poor  Adam  was  in  so  low  a  state  tiiat  he  could  scarcely 
comprehend  the  information.  AVhen  the  Indians  entered,  he  attempted 
to  rise,  but  imme<liately  sank  down  again.  But  for  this  seasonable 
interposition  of  Providence,  his  existence  must  have  terminated  in  a  i'aw 
hours,  and  that  of  the  rest  ])rol)ably  in  not  many  days. 

The  Indians  who  had  been  dispatched  by  Air.  Back,  liad  traveled 
with  great  expedition,  and  brought  a  small  supply  of  provisions.  They 
imprudently  presented  too  much  food  at  first  ;  ami  though  awitre  of  the 
effects  which  might  arise  from  a  surfeit,  and  warned  by  Dr.  Uichardson 
to  eat  very  sparingly,  the  sight  of  the  venison  was  irresistible ;  and  it 
was  devoured  by  them  all,  not  excluding  the  doctor  himself,  with  an 
avidity  that  soon  produced  the  most  acute  ])ains,  which  during  the  night 
deprived  them  of  rest.  Adam,  whose  weakness  rendered  him  uiuible  to 
feed  himself,  was  not  subjected  to  the  same  inconvenience,  and  taking 
moflerate  meals,  revived  hourly.  All  now  was  thankfulness  and  cheerful 
activity.  Boudel-kell,  the  youngest  Indian,  after  an  hour's  rest,  returned 
to  the  encainiMiient  of  Akaitcho,  the  Dog-rib  chief,  carv'Mg  a  note  from 
Captain  Franklin,  and  a  recpu'st  for  another  supjily  of  provisions.  Tho 
two  others,  named  in  their  familiar  maniu'r  Crooked  Foot  and  the  Rat, 
remained  to  niu'se  the  white  men.  Under  their  care  the  apartment 
lately  so  desohite,  and  something  between  a  sepulcher  and  a  lazar-liouse, 
assunu'd  a  gladdened  look,  which  had  the  l)est  ett'ect.  The  dead  bodies 
were  removed,  the  room  cleaned  of  its  liith  and  fragments  of  pounded 
bones,  and  large  cheerful  fires  pnxluceil  a  sensation  of  <'()mfbrt  to  which 
they  hiid  long  been  strangers.  The  jioor  sufferers  had  often  cast  a  wish- 
ful eye  on  a  pile  of  dried  wo<m1  near  the  river,  but  were  utterly  unablo 
to  carry  it  up  the  bank.  When  ]tointed  out  to  the  Indians,  they  fetched 
it  homo  with  a  rapidity  which  astonished  their  feebh;  friends.     "They 


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320 


FRANKLIN'S    JOURNEY    TO    THE    POLAR    SEA. 


■r 


I'  '■ 


Hct  about  every  thing,"  says  Franklin,  "  with  au  activity  which  amazed 
us.  Indeed,  contrasted  with  our  emaciated  figures  and  extreme  de- 
bility, their  frames  appeared  to  us  gigantic,  and  their  strength  super- 
natural." 

Under  the  care  of  the  Indians,  and  the  blessing  of  wholesome  and 
regular  meals,  the  strength  of  the  i)arty  was  so  far  restored,  that,  al- 
though still  feeble,  on  the  IGth,  after  liaving  united  in  prayer  and 
th:ud<sgiving  to  God  for  their  deliverance,  they  left  Fort  Enterprise — 
a  spot  where,  as  they  had  formerly  enjoyed  much  comfort  if  not  hapju- 
ncss,  they  had  latterly  exjjerienced  a  degree  of  misery  scarcely  to  be 
paralleled.  The  Indians  treated  them  with  unremitting  kindness,  gave 
them  their  own  snow-shoes,  and  walked  at  their  side  to  be  ready  to  lift 
them  up  when  they  fell.  In  this  manner  they  pushed  forward  to  the 
abode  of  Akaitcho,  the  Indian  chief,  who  Avelcomed  them  with  the  ut- 
most hospitality.  Soon  after  they  received  letters  from  their  friends  at 
Fort  Providence,  ami  the  messenger  also  brought  two  trains  of  dogs,  a 
package  of  spirits  and  tobacco  for  the  Indians,  and  a  supj>ly  of  shirts  and 
clothes  for  Captahi  Franklin  and  liis  companions.  The  gratification  of 
changing  their  linen,  which  had  been  uninterruptedly  Avorii  ever  since 
tlieir  departure  from  the  sea-coast,  is  described  as  conveying  an  intensity 
of  comtort  to  which  no  words  can  do  justice.  From  this  spot  their  jtro- 
gress  to  Fort  Providence  and  thence  to  Montreal  was  ])rosperous  and 
easy  ;  an<l  thus  terminated  their  long,  fatiguing,  and  disastrous  travels 
in  North  America,  having  journeyed  l)y  water  and  by  land,  including 
tiieii-  iia\  igatioii  of  the  I'olar  Sea,  five  thousand  live  hundred  and  lifty 
miles. 

Notwithstanding  the  appalling  sufferings  wliieh  lie  had  endured, 
Franklin  had  not  been  at  home  a  year,  before,  hearing  of  th(;  determi- 
nation of  the  government  to  make  another  eflbrt  at  discovering  a  north- 
ern ])assage,  he  volunteered  his  services.  Dr.  l\ichardson,  also,  offered 
to  accompany  liim,  and  undertake  the  survey  of  the  coast  between  the 
Mackenzie  and  Coppermine  Rivers,  while  Franklin  made  the  attempt  to 
reach  Icy  Cape.  These  offers  were  accepted,  and  the  expedition  was 
fitted  out  with  a  liberality  and  forethought  Avhich  secured  them  against 
such  terrible  disasters  as  had  befallen  the  former.  They  sailed  from 
Liverpool  in  February,  IH'JS,  and  jiroceeded  to  the  Arctic  regions  by 
way  of  New  York,  Niagara,  Lake  Superior,  and  Lake  Winnipeg.  They 
did  not  reach  the  banks  of  I\rackenzie'sKiver  before  the  middle  of  Au- 
gust, where,  as  it  was  too  late  to  commence  the  work  of  exploration, 
thev  established  their  winter  (|uarters,  which  they  called  F»)rt  Franklin. 
Lieutenant  Hack  superintended  the  i-rectioii  of  these  buildings,  while 
Franklin  descentled  the  Mackenzie  to  the  Polar  Sen,  and  Hichardson 
set  otf  on  an  exploring  tour  to  the  head  wsitt'is  of  Deas^.-'s  Hiver.  ISoth 
parties  returned  to  tlu'  fort  in  September,  and  there  passed  the  winti.T 
in  comparative  comfort. 

They  set  out  on  the  16th  of  .Time,  1H20,  and  descended  tho  Macken- 


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FRANKLIN'S    SECOND    JOURNEY. 


821 


zie  River  ncarl ,  to  its  mouth,  when  the  two  parties  separatcfl,  Franklin 
making  westward  along  the  coast  for  Icy  Caj)o,  Avhile  Dr.  Richardson 
steered  eastward,  for  the  mouth  of  the  Copjiermine.  The  former  con- 
tinued to  advance  along  the  coast  until  lie  had  passed  the  boundary  line 
Letween  Rritish  America  and  the  Russian  possessions,  Avhen  he  encoun- 
tered much  drift  ice.  The  weather  was  foggy  and  cold  ;  his  frail  boats 
were  leaky  and  unsafe,  and  signs  of  winter  began  to  appear,  so  that  ho 
prudently  commenced  his  return  on  the  18th  of  August.  At  this  time 
Caittaiii  Beechey,  who  had  been  sent  out  by  way  of  Behring's  Straits, 
to  effect  a  communication  with  him,  was  only  a  hundred  and  forty-six 
miles  to  the  westward,  but  a  large  body  of  ice  intervened.  Dr.  Rich- 
ardson was  more  successful.  He  followed  the  coast  for  a  distance  of 
five  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Coppermine 
River  without  accident,  and  returned  to  Fort  Franklin  by  the  1st  of 
Sej)tember.  Franklin  arrived  soon  afterward,  and  the  united  exj)cdition 
returned  to  England.  They  reached  Liverpool  in  September,  18'27, 
having  been  absent  two  years  and  eight  months.  The  most  interesting 
porti(m  of  this  journey  was  tlieir  intercourse  with  the  various  tribes  of 
Esquimaux,  on  the  feliores  of  the  Polar  Sea  ;  but  the  limits  of  this  article 
will  not  permit  us  to  copy  the  spirited  narratives  of  the  two  connnand- 
ers.  They  were  frequently  on  the  verge  of  hostilities,  but  fortmiately 
extricated  themselves  without  the  shedding  of  blood.  There  was  no 
serious  accident  during  the  whole  course  of  the  expedition,  and  if  Frank- 
lin did  not  push  his  explorations  as  far  westward  as  he  hoped,  he  had 
certainly  cause  to  be  grateful  to  the  Providence  Avhich  preserved  him 
and  his  party  from  the  perils  and  sufferings  of  his  first  journey. 

21 


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MEYENDORFF'S 


JOURNEY    TO    BOKHARA. 


The  commercial  relat'ons  which  have  for  ai  long  time  existed  between 
Russia  and  the  Kingdom  of  Bokhara — the  most  powerfid  state  of  what 
is  called  Lidopenilcnt  Tartary — liave  been  greatly  extended  during  the 
present  century.  Envoys  from  the  Kiian  of  Bokhara  had  occasionally 
visited  St.  Petersburg,  and  when,  in  the  year  1820,  one  of  them  ex- 
pressed a  desire,  on  the  jiart  of  his  master,  to  see  a  llussian  embassy  in 
Bokhara,  the  Kiiipcror  Al('\an<ler  determined  not  to  neglect  so  favorable 
an  oj  portuuity  of  tleveioping  more  fully  the  coiimierce  whicli  was  spring- 
mg  up  between  the  two  countries,  as  Avell  as  of  obtaining  information 
concerning  a  region  which  had  rarely  been  visited  by  Europeans.  lie 
therefore  appointed  INI.  de  Negri,  acting  Counselor  of  State,  as  Envoy 
to  the  Khan  of  Bokhara,  accompauieil  by  Baron  Meyendortf,  who  was 
charged  with  the  task  of  collecting  geographical  and  statistical  informa- 
tion concerning  Tartary,  Dr.  Pander,  naturalist,  and  three  interpreters 
of  Orenbourg.  After  the  return  of  the  mission.  Baron  Meyendorti"  wrote 
iu  French  an  account  of  the  journey,  which  was  ])ublished  in  Paris  in  the 
year  1827.  Tiu'  following  abridgment  is  given  in  the  author's  oAvn 
language,  omitting  merely  those  portions  which  aro  of  little  general  in- 
terest : 

We  received  orders  to  make  our  preparations  in  the  month  < 
June,  1820,  and  by  the  following  August  were  in  Orenbourg,  a  city  m- 
tcen  hundred  miles  distant  from  St.  Petersburg.  As  we  were  to  tra- 
verse immense  stejtpes,  frecpicnted  only  l)y  wandering  hordes,  the  govern- 
ment furnished  us  with  an  escort  consisting  of  two  hundred  Cossacks 
and  two  himdrcd  infantry,  to  which  were  added  twenty-live  liashkir 
troopirs.  We  took  with  us  two  pieces  of  artillery  ;  three  hundred  and 
lil'ty-eight  camt^ls  carried  the  bagifage;  altogether  we  had  four  hundred 
horses.  It  recpiiri'd  six  weeks  at  Orenbourg  to  make  preparations  for 
the  journey  and  to  supply  our  troop  with  every  thing  necessary  for  the 
passage  of  the  desert.  It  was  decided  th.it  the  provisions  should  be 
transported  on  camels,  and  that  but  twenty-five  chariots  would  be  taken 


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324 


MEYENDORFF'S    JOURNEY    TO    BOKHARA. 


along,  for  tlic  men  who  might  fall  sick  or  be  ■wounded  on  the  route. 
Each  chariot  was  drawn  by  throe  horses,  and  driven  by  a  ]>as]ikir.  As 
we  would  have  to  cross  some  rivers  in  the  stei)j)e  of  the  Kirghizes,  wo 
were  furnished  with  two  boats, 

A  two-month's  march  in  the  desert  would  require  for  eacli  soldier 
one  hundred  and  five  pounds  of  biscuit,  and  for  each  horse  four  quintals 
of  oats,  besides  the  oatmeal  for  the  troops  ;  a  double  suj)ply  of  amnui- 
iiitiun  for  our  two  pieces  of  artillery  ;  fifteen  kibltlcas  or  felt  tents  ;  two 
hundred  casks  for  carrying  Avater  in  the  deserts ;  and  finally,  several 
kegs  of  brandy.  Three  hundred  and  twenty  camels  were  loaded  with 
the  provisions  of  the  escort,  and  thirty-eight  with  the  baggage  and  pro- 
visions of  the  persons  attached  to  the  embassy.  The  export  of  Russian 
money  being  prohibited,  it  was  necessary  to  i»rocure  ducats ;  but  the 
merchants  of  Orenbourg  had  not  a  sufficient  quantity  of  tliem ;  search 
was  then  made  in  Troitsk,  a  city  four  hundred  miles  distant ;  but  this 
attempt  filling,  a  courier  was  finally  disi)atched  to  ]Moscow,  M'ho  ob- 
tained the  required  sum  at  the  exchange  in  that  city,  after  an  additional 
journey  of  a  thousand  miles. 

Many  unforeseen  delays  thus  combined  to  ])revent  our  departure 
imtil  the  fine  season  Avas  past,  and  now  the  frosts  appeared,  tlie  bad 
weather  Ijegan,  and  rain,  snow,  and  hail  succeeded  each  other.  AVe  liad 
several  conferences  with  the  Kirghizes,  for  the  purpose  of  fixing  the  route 
we  were  to  take,  and  learning  the  difficulties  we  might  expect  to  en- 
counter. Five  (>f  these  people  were  selected  as  our  guides.  Finally,  on 
the  10th  of  October,  the  whole  escort,  collected  on  the  great  square  of 
Orenbourg,  Avas  re\iewed  by  the  Governor-General,  Avho  caused  mass  to 
be  said,  and  gave  the  travelers  a  parting  benediction.  The  solenmity 
of  the  religious  ceremonies  Avas  heightened  by  a  jjresontiment  of  the 
dangers  to  Avhich  the  expeditit)n  might  be  exposed.  It  was  possilde  that 
the  Kirghizes,  always  eager  for  jiillage,  ahvays  dissatisfied  at  seeing  the 
Russians  explore  their  deserts,  might  attack  us  by  night,  or  at  least  de- 
stroy all  vegetation  u]ion  our  route  across  the  steppe.  But  the  Khivans, 
Avho  occupy  a  part  of  the  territory  south  of  the  Aral  Sea,  Avere  more  to 
be  feared  than  the  Kirghizes  themselves,  for,  not  less  adroit,  and  more 
united,  thev  sometimes  made  excursions  to  tlie  mnnber  of  four  or  five 
thousand.  Although  such  a  mass  of  cavalry  could  inspire  but  little  fear 
in  our  infantry,  yet  the  escort  Avould  find  it  impossible  to  defend  a  con- 
voy of  seven  hundred  camels,  including  those  of  the  Bokharian  nier- 
cliants  Avh.ich  were  placed  under  our  protection.  These  people,  in  their 
sudden  and  untbreseen  attacks  upon  caravans,  endeavor,  by  cries  and 
shouting,  to  terrify  the  camels,  Avhich,  once  dispersed,  easily  fall  into  their 
power.  Besides  tlie  danger  of  the  route,  we  might  run  some  risk  in 
Bokharia  itself,  a  country  inhabited  by  a  barbarous  and  Avarlike  peojtle. 
Before  our  arrival  at  Orenbourg,  some  liokharian  merchants  had  said 
confidentially  to  their  friends  :  "  Perhaps  none  of  the  Christian  travelers 
will  return  home.     Should  even  the  Khan  of  Khiva  let  them  pass,  our 


1 


i 


VISIT    TO    A    KIRGHIZ    CAMP. 


325 


khan  Avill  not  commit  the  fault  of  allowing  them  to  return.  Why  do  you 
■wish  the  Christians  to  become  acquainted  Avith  our  country  ?" 

From  Orcnbourg  to  the  mountains  of  Mughodjar  the  appearance  of 
the  country  is  mostly  uniform.  The  surface  is  undulating  and  broken 
by  chains  of  hills,  whose  slopes  often  extend  from  ten  to  fifteen  miles. 
The  absence  of  "wood  and  the  slight  elevation  of  the  hills,  expose  to  view 
a  widely-extended  horizon,  where  the  eye  seeks  in  vaui  for  some  object 
on  which  to  rest.  Aridity,  uniformity,  and  silence  characterize  a  8tej)pe. 
Toward  the  end  of  May  the  i-ays  of  a  burning  sun  have  scorched  the 
vegetation  of  these  regions,  and  thenceforth  the  ground  becomes  of  a 
dirty  yellow  color. 

On  arriving  at  the  banks  of  the  Ilek  we  saw,  for  the  first  time,  a  largo 
village  or  atnd.,  formed  of  Kirghiz  tents.  Flocks  of  sheep,  numbering 
from  five  to  six  thousand,  first  attracted  our  attention.  In  approaching 
this  village  we  saw  tents  of  white  or  brown  felt,  of  every  size ;  there 
were  about  fifty  of  them,  placed  irregularly  in  groups  of  three,  four,  and 
even  six.  AVe  soon  learned  that  this  was  the  camp  of  the  sultan,  Ilaroim 
Ghazi,  one  of  the  principal  Kirghiz  chiefs.  He  was  awaiting  our  arrival 
in  order  to  accompany  us  to  the  Sir,  and,  by  this  act  of  kindness,  to  give 
evidence  of  his  attachment  to  the  Russian  government,  whose  assistance 
in  fact  he  greatly  needed,  on  account  of  his  quarrels  with  the  Khan  of 
Khiva.  The  day  following  our  arrival  the  sultan  came  on  horseback  to 
visit  M.  de  Negri.  He  was  surioimded  by  a  hundred  Kirghizes,  and 
wore  a  turban,  which  is  not  customary  in  this  desert,  but  is  regarded  as 
a  sign  of  piety  on  the  part  of  a  Mohammedan,  who  wishes  to  be  dis- 
tinguished from  the  mass  of  the  Kirghizes.  All  these  nomadic  peoi)lo 
wished  to  penetrate  into  the  tent  of  the  Charge  d'Aftaires ;  in  fact  they 
crowded  in  while  there  was  any  room  to  be  had,  and  immediately  squat- 
ted upon  the  ground. 

The  interior  of  the  tent,  filled  with  these  ill-looking  figures,  presented 
a  strange  scene.  The  sultan  alone  had  a  fair  complexion,  with  large  and 
beautiful  black  eyes;  his  bearing  was  mild  but  serious.  We  readily 
perceived  that  he  was  a  man  of  very  good  sense.  His  visit  lasted  an 
hour  and  a  half  On  the  morrow  I  Avcnt  to  see  him;  meeting  with  an 
assembly  of  about  fifty  Kii-ghizes  on  my  way,  I  approached  them  and 
soon  learned  that  they  had  assembled  to  execute  the  sentence  pro- 
nounced by  the  sultan  against  one  of  their  fellow-countrymen  who  had 
stolen  a  horse.  He  was  condemned  to  death  according  to  the  laws  of 
the  Koran,  but  some  of  the  older  Kirghizes  prayed  the  prince  to  pardon 
him,  in  order  that  Providence  might  favor  the  expedition  he  was  about 
to  undertake,  and  that  his  clemency  might  l)e  a  hapjiy  augury  for  their 
reunion  m  ith  the  Russians.  The  sultan  yielded  to  this  appeal,  and  the 
penalty  was  mitigated.  The  thief,  haU-nakeil,  Avith  a  piece  of  black  felt 
around  his  neck  and  lianging  upon  his  slioulders,  Avas  forced,  by  two 
men  on  horseback  armed  Avith  whips,  to  run  to  the  next  tent,  Avhere  his 
figure  Avas  blackened  with  su(4,  after  which  hi;  was  again  driven  through 


i 

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326 


MEYENDORFF'S  JOURNEY  TO  BOKHARA. 


the  crowd  of  Kirghizes.  They  then  fastened  to  the  tail  of  a  horse  a 
roi)e  wliich  the  thief  was  compelled  to  hold  in  liis  teeth,  and  he  ran  thus 
behind  the  horse  while  two  men  made  it  trot ;  others  followed,  striking 
the  thief  heavy  blows  with  Avhips.  The  greater  part  of  the  Kirghizes 
who  assisted  in  this  ]junishmcnt  laughed  aloud,  while  others  swore. 
Finally,  after  a  race  of  several  minutes,  they  desisted  ;  he  Avent  to  thank 
the  sultan,  who  had  not  witnessed  the  castigation,  and  promised  him 
never  to  commit  theft  again.  Meanwhile  the  horse  of  the  thief  suffered 
the  fate  Avhich  had  been  destined  for  his  master.  His  throat  was  cut, 
and  he  wai  instantly  dismembered  and  divided,  not  without  loud  shouts 
and  uproar,  and  the  cracking  of  whij)S. 

After  Avitnessing  this  scene  I  went  to  the  sultan,  who  obliged  me  to 
wait  a  few  minutes  while  he  had  his  tent  decorated.  At  length  I  en- 
tei'cd  and  found  him  seated  near  the  middle  of  a  large  round  tent ;  his 
friends  were  sitting  in  a  semicircle  on  one  side,  while  on  the  other  were 
places  prepared  for  us.  The  sides  of  the  apartment  were  adorned  with 
tapestry;  suspended  to  a  cord  were  articles  of  clothing,  some  tiger-skins, 
exposed  for  sale,  a  rich  diadem  of  gold  set  with  turkoises  and  rubies, 
and  the  head-dress  of  a  Kirghiz  female.  There  were  likewise  dried 
meats,  large  skin  bags  of  mare's  milk,  and  wooden  vessels.  Objects  of 
luxury  were  thus  mingled  with  those  of  necessity,  giving  evidence  of  a 
love  of  display,  combined  Avith  savage  tastes  and  customs. 

After  leaving  the  waters  of  the  Ilek  we  crossed  the  summit  of  the 
Bassagha  range  and  then  forded  the  Kublei'li-temir,  after  having  broken 
the  ice  with  hatchets.  I  was  walking  along  the  bank,  sometimes  on  the 
ice  and  sometimes  on  land,  looking  for  petrifactions  or  curious  conglom- 
erates, when  suddenly  I  perceived  in  the  air  a  large  animal  which  had 
leaped  from  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  seemed  about  to  precipitate  itself 
ujion  me.  I  retreated  and  it  fell  at  my  feet  njion  the  ice,  which  it  broke, 
at  the  same  time  shattering  its  bones.  It  was  a  saiga,  a  species  of  ante- 
lope, the  first  that  I  had  ever  seen.  It  had  been  chased  by  some  Cos- 
sacks of  the  convoy,  who  had  pursued  it  over  the  plain  to  the  brink  of 
the  precipice.  In  escaping  them  it  had  r^n  upon  its  own  destruction, 
through  the  effect  of  that  blind  terror  which  characterizes  the  saigas, 
and  which  often  delivers  them  up  to  the  hunters.  I  have  been  assured 
by  people  worthy  of  credit  that  in  the  mountains  of  Gubcrlinsk  and 
irral,  toward  the  month  of  June,  the  season  of  the  great  migrations  of 
the  saiga,  they  have  seen  flocks  of  eight  or  nine  thousand  of  these  ante- 
lopes. Their  flesh  is  delicious,  and  their  skin  is  made  into  garments.  It 
is  generally  very  difficult  to  approach  them,  except  during  the  great 
heats  of  summer ;  this  animal  then  seeks  the  shade,  and  frecpuMitly  a 
score  of  saigas  stand  behind  each  other  with  the  head  down,  while  the 
foremost  of  the  flock  conceals  its  own  in  a  hole,  or  behind  a  rock.  In 
this  ])osition  they  can  easily  be  surprise<l ;  the  hunter  kills  the  foremost, 
the  sct'ond  u>uully  takes  its  place  and  presents  itself  to  his  blows,  un- 
til he  kills  several  in  succession. 


i 


til 
ri 


i 


NIGHT   SEARCH   FOR   WATER. 


327 


From  the  Temir  we  bore  toward  the  heights  of  Mussevil  which  re- 
semble those  of  Bassagha,  and  we  could  see  the  Mugodjar  Mountains, 
distant  about  forty  miles.  These  mountauis,  which  rise  up  majestically, 
and  present  a  bold  outline  on  the  horizon,  produce  a  very  picturesque 
effect.  Nevertheless,  we  had  a  great  desire  to  see  them  behind  us,  that 
we  might  be  T'  '>^nger  exjwsed  to  the  great  cold  and  the  storms :  for, 
from  what  tne  Kirghizes  say,  the  southern  slope  of  these  mountains  of- 
fers a  much  less  rigorous  climate.  Thus  far,  however,  the  weather  had 
been  quite  favorable.  On  leaving  them,  we  first  passed  through  a  level 
country,  afterward  through  deserts  covered  with  moving  sand,  and  ever 
mountains  naked  and  destitute  of  vegetation.  If  the  reader  will  imagine 
several  salt  lakes  and  some  level  plains,  the  soil  of  which,  formed  of  a  soft 
blue  clay,  yields  under  the  feet  of  the  traveler,  and  which  shows  the  ordi- 
nary indications  of  the  diminution  and  retreat  of  the  waters  of  the  sea,  he 
Avill  have  a  sufficiently  correct  idea  of  the  nature  of  the  surface  of  this 
country. 

On  the  2d  of  November  our  chief  guide,  Emantchi-Bey,  who  had 
not  for  ten  years  traversed  the  country  through  which  we  were  passing, 
advised  us  that  after  we  had  gone  fifteen  miles  we  should  stop  at  Kaun- 
jur,  as  he  was  confident  that  we  would  find  water  only  in  the  Khoja-kul, 
a  lake  situated  more  than  twelve  miles  further.  We  were  unwilling  to 
believe  him,  for  the  Kirghizes,  who  were  uiterested  in  obstructing  our 
march,  had  already  frequently  deceived  us.  We  then  continued  our 
journey ;  the  day  was  declining  and  nothing  as  yet  indicated  the  prox- 
imity of  the  lake  ;  the  night  surprised  us,  and  as  it  was  now  the  season 
when  the  nights  are  darkest,  it  Avas  very  difficult  to  find  the  way  through 
the  steppe,  which  presented  no  traces  of  a  road.  We  could  no  longer 
distinguish  the  summits  of  the  mountains,  nor  the  hills,  nor  the  tombs 
by  means  of  which  the  natives  direct  their  journey,  and  without  which 
it  would  be  very  easy  to  go  astray.  Some  prudent  Kirghizes  advised 
us  to  halt,  to  spare  ourselves  useless  fatigue,  and  to  sleep  instead  of 
searching  for  something  to  drink.  But  as  we  had  announced  that  we 
would  go  to  the  lake,  Ave  determined  to  persevere.  Several  Kirghizes 
gave  themselves  aU  imaginary  trouble  in  order  not  to  lose  the  direction. 
Always  on  horseback,  they  dispersed  themselves  before  us  and  sought 
to  discover  some  Utile  path,  a  certain  index  of  the  vicinity  of  water. 
A  well,  a  hole  filled  with  water,  or  a  lake,  are  points  of  meeting  for 
the  wanderers  of  these  deserts,  and  thus  the  paths  are  naturally  formed. 
After  having  traveled  several  hours  of  an  obscure  night,  we  began  to 
be  tormented  with  the  fear  of  losing  our  true  route,  when  suddenly  a 
Kirghiz  struck  a  light  a  mile  in  advance  of  the  column  and  produced 
by  the  sparks  a  magical  effect — an  expedient  employed  by  the  Kirghizes 
when,  during  the  night,  they  are  about  to  unharness  their  horses,  and 
one  of  tht'in,  having  found  the  true  road,  wishes  to  assemble  his  comrades 
there.  We  followed  our  new  guide  for  two  or  three  miles,  and  finally  ar- 
rived, at  eight  o'clock  in  the  evenmg,  upon  the  banks  of  the  Khoja-kul. 


m 


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328 


MEYENDORFF'S  JOURNEY  TO  BOKHARA. 


On  leaving  Khoja-kul  wc  directed  our  course  toward  Cul-kuduk — tlie 
slavo's  well — situated  on  the  edge  of  the  desert  of  Boizouk.  This  des- 
ert is  composed  of  moving  sand,  which  is  formed  by  tlio  wind  into  steep 
hillocks,  and  is  continually  changing.  We  found  it  the  more  difficult  to 
convey  our  chariots  over  these  deep  sands  because  the  horses  had  been 
much  enfeebled  by  poor  feed.  Arrived  at  Cul-kuduk  wc  burned  ten  of 
our  carriages,  "w  hich  kindled  very  easily  and  made  so  little  smoke  in 
comparison  with  the  brambles  which  we  had  habitually  used,  that  we 
loaded  our  camels  with  the  wheels  and  planks,  in  order  to  prolong,  for  a 
few  days,  at  least,  the  pleasure  of  enjoying  a  good  fire. 

We  reached  the  hill  of  Sari-bulak  on  the  9th  of  November,  and  from 
the  summit  I  perceived,  fifty  miles  distant,  the  heights  of  Kuk-temak, 
A\  hose  base  is  washed  by  the  waters  of  the  Aral.  I  spoke  to  our  Kir- 
ghizes of  the  traces  of  water  upon  the  Sari-bulak,  and  they  assured  me 
that  their  fathers  had  seen  the  Aral  Sea  extend  to  the  foot  of  this  hill, 
now  forty  miles  distant.  So  large  a  number  of  Kirghizes  have  affirmed 
the  same  thing  that  I  consider  it  as  certain,  which  proves  how  consider- 
able and  rapid  is  the  diminution  of  the  Aral  Sea. 

Before  arriving  at  the  Sea  of  Aral  wo  entered  the  desert  of  Kara- 
kum,  or  Black  Sand.  All  these  sandy  deserts  present  nearly  the  same 
aspect.  The  Kara-kum  is  abundantly  supplied  with  fresh  water,  which 
may  bo  found  nearly  always  at  the  depth  of  one  or  tAvo  fathoms.  When 
we  came  to  Camechlu-bash,  a  bay  adjoining  the  Sir,  I  set  out  with  a 
comjxany  of  friends  and  a  few  Cossacks  to  visit  the  mouth  of  the  Sir. 
The  river  expands  as  it  approaches  the  Aral,  and  the  whole  delta  thus 
formed  is  covered  with  reeds  :  the  water  is  not  more  than  four  feet  deep, 
while  the  river  itself  is  navigable  above,  as  far  as  Kokand,  and  is  several 
fathoms  deep  throughout  all  this  extent.  In  the  neighborhood  of  the  Sir 
are  several  canals  from  five  to  six  feet  deep,  made  at  an  epoch  anterior 
to  the  dominion  of  the  Kirghizes,  whom  I  believe  incapable  of  so  labor- 
ious an  undertaking.  Here  we  saw  very  large  fields  in  Avhich  the  Kir- 
ghizes cultivate  wheat  and  barley ;  they  have  also  some  fields  of  melons. 
They  preserve  their  crops  in  little  holes  in  the  ground.  The  provision 
for  the  few  horses  and  animals  which  they  possess  consists  of  the  leaves 
of  young  reeds,  the  growth  of  which  is  accelerated  by  burning  the 
plants  the  preceding  year. 

The  embassy  arrived  on  the  19th  of  November,  after  forty-one  days' 
travel,  at  the  banks  of  the  Sir-deria,  opposite  the  heights  of  Kara-tepeh. 
The  sands  of  the  Kara-kum,  which  reach  almost  to  the  Sir,  and  extend 
a  hundred  miles  along  its  course,  were  now  again  visible.  Near  Sir- 
dcria,  the  ordinary  retreat  of  the  poor,  misery  has  multiplied  the  num- 
ber of  robbers,  and  in  traversing  these  regions  we  observed  on  the  sum- 
mit of  the  hills  some  natives  who  seemed  watching  an  occasion  to  seize 
upon  a  straggler  or  horse.  The  countries  watered  by  the  Sir  form  the 
paradise  of  the  steppe  of  the  Kirghizes,  who  are  proud  of  possessing  so 
large  a  river  in  their  territory.     The  object  of  their  most  ardent  desire 


.* 


I 


SONGS    OF    THE    KIRGHIZES. 


329 


is  to  winter  with  their  liertls  upon  its  hordors,  where  the  cold  is  less 
severe  than  on  the  banks  of  the  Ilek,  the  Or,  the  Irghiz,  or  upon  the 
mountains  of  the  JNIughojar  and  Durgatch,  or  among  the  sands  of  the 
Kara-kum.  Along  the  Sir  the  frosts  are  never  so  severe  as  to  destroy 
the  animals,  or  incommode  the  people  in  their  huts  of  felt ;  but  for  six 
years  past  the  rich  Kirghizes  have  been  deprived  of  the  pleasure  of 
passing  the  winter  upon  these  fortunate  shores,  for  their  enemies,  the 
Khivans,  come  thither  to  jjhmder  them  whenever  they  find  an  oppor- 
tunity. 

The  Kirghizes  delight  to  winter  among  the  reeds  which  arc  thick 
enough  to  form  a  shelter  against  the  storms.  These  wanderhig  people 
appear  to  have  a  tendency  to  melancholy,  and  the  murmur  of  the  rapid 
waves  of  the  Sir  charms  their  frequent  leisure  hours.  Nothing,  indeed, 
contributes  more  to  reverie  than  the  sound  of  the  waters  of  a  river  which 
flows,  like  time,  with  a  monotonous  rapidity.  The  Kirghizes  often  pass 
half  the  night  seated  upon  a  stone  looking  at  the  moon,  and  improvising 
sad  words,  set  to  airs  as  sad.  They  also  have  historical  songs  Avhich  re- 
count the  high  deeds  of  their  heroes;  but  this  sort  of  poem  is  sung  only 
by  professional  minstrels.  I  very  much  regret  not  having  heard  any.  I 
often  said  to  the  Khirgizos  that  I  listened  to  their  songs  with  pleasure ; 
their  impromptus  were  merely  compliments,  and  were  scarcely  worth  re- 
taining, yet  there  remain  a  few  fragments  of  songs  in  my  memory.  A 
Kirghiz  bey,  a  rich  and  intelligent  man,  the  head  of  a  numerous  family, 
sang  to  mo  these  improvised  words :  "  You  who  wish  that  I  should  sing 
to  you  a  song,  I  will  tell  you  that  a  bey,  poor,  but  good,  is  better  than 
a  despised  khan."  These  words  perfectly  expressed  his  thought,  for  he 
was  the  declared  enemy  of  the  Khan  of  the  Kirghizes.  The  same  bey, 
passing  by  us  one  day  while  we  breakfasted,  hummed  these  words :  '  See 
these  Russians  who  breakfast  in  eating  the  flesh  of  swine,  and  drinking 
brandy.    Ah  !  Mhat  men  !" 

A  young  Kirghiz  one  day  chanted  the  following  song,  composed  by 
a  young  girl :  "  Scest  thou  this  snow  ?  Ah,  well !  my  body  is  more 
white.  Seest  thou  flowing  upon  this  snow  the  blood  of  this  slaughtered 
sheep  ?  Ah,  well !  my  cheeks  are  more  red.  Pass  this  mountain,  thou 
wilt  there  behold  the  trunk  of  a  burned  tree.  Ah,  well !  ray  tresses  are 
more  dark.  With  the  sultan  there  are  scribes  who  write  much.  Ah, 
well !  my  eyebrows  are  darker  than  their  ink."  Another  Kirghiz  sang 
to  me :  "  Behold  this  village  of  tents  which  belongs  to  a  rich  man  ;  he 
has  but  one  daughter,  who  remahis  at  home  by  day  ;  at  night  she  walks 
forth,  and  has  only  the  moon  for  her  companion." 

This  is  a  sample  of  the  ideas  of  the  Kirghizes,  the  children  of  the  des- 
ert, who,  except  as  regards  religion,  have  remained  independent  of  all 
the  influences  of  foreign  civilization.  Atler  having  seen  them,  we  have  a 
correct  picture  of  a  wandering  people,  cherishing  their  liberty,  and  de- 
spising all  which  tends  to  impose  upon  them  aiiy  restraint.  Unsubdued, 
warlike,  ferocious,  the  Kirghiz,  alone,  and  on  horseback,  courses  through 


'  ^ii-; 


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<lM!ti:t|j 


330 


MEYBNDORFF'S  JOURNEY  TO  BOKHARA. 


the  desert,  ami  traverses  hundreds  of  miles  with  astonishing  rapidity,  in 
order  to  visit  a  relative,  or  a  friend  belonging  to  a  strange  tribe.  On 
the  Avay  he  stops  at  every  village  ;  he  there  tells  the  news,  and,  always 
sure  of  being  Avell  received,  even  when  not  known,  he  partakes  the  food 
of  his  host.  This  consists  usually  of  cheese,  curdled  goat's  milk,  meat, 
and,  Avhen  it  is  to  be  had,  koumiss,  a  drink  extracted  from  the  milk  of 
mares,  much  esteemed  in  the  desert.  He  never  forgets  the  aspect  of  the 
country  through  which  he  has  passed,  and  returns  home  after  some  days' 
absence,  rich  in  new  'nformation,  to  repose  among  his  wives  and  children. 
His  wives  are  his  only  servants  ;  they  cook  his  fiod,  make  his  clothes, 
and  saddle  his  horse,  while  lie  Avith  perfect  coolness  limits  his  labors  to 
the  (juict  care  of  his  flocks.  I  have  seen  the  brother  of  a  sultan,  very 
much  esteemed  among  the  Kirghizes,  tending  his  sheep,  on  horseback, 
dressed  in  a  coat  of  red  cloth,  and  traveling  thus  for  a  fortnight  without 
thhiking  his  dignity  lowered  thereby. 

The  Kirghizes  are  governed  by  elders,  heads  of  families,  beys,  beha- 
dirs,  sultans,  and  khans.  The  title  of  bey  is  ])roperly  hereditary,  but  if 
the  possessor  can  not  sustain  it  by  his  character  and  merits,  he  soon  loses 
it ;  while  he  who  is  able  to  make  himself  esteemed  obtains  it,  either  from 
the  custom  which  insensibly  arises,  of  calling  him  sultan,  or  because  an 
assembly  meets  expressly  for  the  purpose  of  conferring  upon  him  this 
honorable  title.  The  Kirghizes  are  very  irascible  ;  the  slightest  cause, 
often  merely  a  disappointed  hope,  is  sufficient  to  spur  them  on  to  the 
most  cruel  revenge.  A  few  years  ago  these  people,  having  been  several 
times  disturbed  by  the  Khivans,  solicited  the  aid  of  the  Bokharians, 
whose  caravans  had  also  been  plundered  by  these  robbers.  The  Kirghizes 
believed  that  the  government  of  Bokhara  could  not  refuse  their  as- 
sistance ;  disappointed  in  their  hope,  they  became  furious,  and  resolved 
to  pillage  the  Bokharian  caravans  on  the  first  opportunity.  One  of  their 
chiefs  cut  off  the  tail  of  his  horse,  carried  it  to  Bokhara,  to  the  chief 
vizier,  and  said  to  him  :  "  As  this  tail  has  been  separated  from  this  horse, 
so  do  I  separate  myself  from  you  ;  henceforth  I  will  be  your  implacable 
enemy."  He  left  immediately  with  two  or  three  friends,  and  carried  off 
eight  camels  and  two  men.  Such  were  the  first  hostilities  of  a  war  which 
he  alone  had  declared  against  all  Bokharia.  The  ferocity  and  violence 
of  this  man  may  give  an  idea  of  the  untamed  character  of  these  people. 
I  will  conclude  this  digression  upon  the  Kirghizes,  by  remarking  that 
they  never  give  themselves  this  name ;  they  designate  themselves  by 
that  of  Jvascdc,  which  signifies  '  man  on  horseback,'  according  to  some, 
and  '  warrior,'  according  to  others.  They  say  that  the  Bashkirs  call  them 
Kirgliizes,  but  they  do  not  know  whence  the  name  is  derived,  and  they 
give  it  only  to  the  wandering  tribes  of  the  groat  horde.  The  latter  are 
in  great  fear  of  the  Chinese,  whose  severe,  or  rather  cruel  policy,  is  never- 
theless justified  by  necessity.  A  caravan  having  been  pillaged  not  far 
from  the  frontiers  of  Tsungari,  the  Chinese,  guarded  by  the  Manchoo 
outposts,  made  reprisals,  and  thousands  of  Kirghizes,  guilty  or  not,  paid 


J 


A    WILD    BOAR    HUNT. 


331 


Avitli  their  lives  for  this  anjc^ression.  A  tlnv  t'xami)los  of  this  sort  put  an 
cMid  to  the  inciu'siotis  of  the  Kirghizes  who  live  near  the  frontiers  of  the 
Chinese  Enijtire. 

At  the  time  of  onr  journey  the  river  was  frozen,  and  wo  crossed  it 
with  the  greatest  care ;  tlie  ice  was  so  brittle  that  it  cracked  upon  the 
passage  of  our  two  cannon.     A  camel  broke  through  by  its  weight,  and 
was  drawn  out  only  with  much  ditliculty.     The  Kirghizes  burned  some 
reeds,  and  spreading  the  ashes  upon  the  i(.'e,  finally  ])revented  the  camels 
from  slipping.     Atler  nuich  exertion  we  crossed  the  Sir,  celebrated  in 
anti(|uity  under  the  name  of  Jaxartcs.     On  our  retin-n,  the  crossing  was 
more  difiicult  and  slow.     Two  boats  which  wc  took  with  us  M'cre  made 
into  a  raft,  upon  which  the  artillery  and  our  company  passed  from  one 
shore  to  the  other,  while  the  horses  and  camels  crossed  by  swimming. 
It  Avas  a  curious  spectacle  to  see  a  dozen  of  the  latter  animals  attached 
cue  behind   another,  and  conducted  by  Kirghizes.      The  conductors, 
naked,  and  remarkable  for  their  athletic  forms,  sometimes  clung  closely 
to  the  camels,  and  sometimes  swinnning  beside,  urged  them  on  by  shout- 
ing.    Three  of  these  animals  being  droAvncd,  were  cast  upon  the  banks. 
The  natives  turned  them  toward  Mecca,  and  having  cut  their  throats, 
reciting  meanwhile  the  accustomed  prayer,  devoured  them  immediately. 
In  the  plain  bordering  on  the  Jan-deria  there  are  numerous  groves 
in  which  various  khids  of  animals,  such  as  wolves,  wild  cats,  and  oven 
tigers,  have  their  retreat.     In  hunting  the  tiger  a  score  of  men,  armed 
with  match-locks,  surround  the  thicket  in  which  he  is  concealed ;  they 
then  set  fire  to  it  on  the  windward  side,  when  the  heat  and  flames  drive 
the  animal  from  his  retreat  and  exj)ose  him  to  the  balls  of  the  hunters. 
"\Vc  employed  this  method  in  hunting  the  wild  boar  near  the  shores  of 
the  Kouvan,  and  succeeded  in  killing  a  number  of  them.     This  hunt 
presented  a  singular  spectacle.     From  the  midst  of  a  plain  covered  with 
burning  reeds  arose  whirlwinds  of  smoke.    Across  the  flames  a  hundred 
Cossacks  were  seen,  galloping  with  us  to  the  right  and  left ;  our  horses 
carried  us  sometimes  in  advance,  sometimes  in  the  rear,  and  often  very 
near  the  furious  animals  which  were  boimding  through  the  marsh,  dis- 
appearing at  one  moment,  and  dashing  suddenly  into  sight  the  next. 
On  all  sides  Avere  heard  the  shots  of  pistols  and  guns :  here  lay  wounded 
horses,  there  the  furious  Cossacks  strove  to  pierce  the  wild  boars  with 
their  spears.     An  oflicer  of  the  Ural  Cossacks,  stiujg  by  hearing  another 
say  that  he  was  afraid,  dismounted  and  seated  hhnself  upon  an  enorm- 
ous Avounded  boar,  Avhich  he  seized  by  the  ears  as  it  ran ;  then,  to  finish 
the  exploit,  he  shot  it  through  the  head  Avith  a  pistol.     If  one  can  imag- 
ine all  these  various  objects  he  Avill  have  a  good  idea  of  our  Avild  boar 
hunts  in  the  desert.     In  this  plain  we  perceived  some  traces  of  ancient 
canals,  Avhich  prove  that  this  country  Avas  once  more  populous  than  it  is 
at  the  present  day. 

Leaving  the  Jan-doria  on  the  3d  of  December,  we  proceeded  by  the 
highAvay  toAvard  Bokhara ;  I  say  highAvay,  for  it  was  a  road  of  about 


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332 


MEYENDORFF'S  JOURNEY  TO  BOKHARA. 


throe  fiithoms  in  ■width  and  much  worn  by  frequent  travel.  It  is  the 
route  of  the  caravans  from  Uokhara  to  Orsk  and  Orenbourg,  and  of  tho 
Kirghizes  from  tlie  western  part  of  the  stci)|)e,  who  take  animals  to  the 
bazaars  of  the  former  place.  This  route  leads  across  the  desert  of 
Kizil-kiun  (Red  Sand),  which  is  remarkable  for  ils  sti'rility ;  nor  water 
nor  springs  arc  anywhere  to  be  seen.  It  is  said  that  formerly  tliere  were 
three  wells  near  the  road  which  we  followed,  and  that  they  were  filled 
up,  in  order  that  they  might  no  longer  be  used  by  the  robbers  who 
usually  ke])t  themselves  concealed  among  the  neighboring  liills.  These 
brigands  have  been  elfectively  expelled  from  the  Kizil-kum,  but  now 
they  hide  in  the  gorges  of  the  Bukhan  Mountains,  and  when  they  have 
sufficient  force  make  a  descent  upon  the  travelers  and  pillage  them,  or 
even  kill  them  mi  case  of  resistance.  In  aiiproaching  thi*  region  we 
therefore  kept  strict  guard  and  sent  patrols  into  the  defiles  of  tho 
Uukhan.  IIap))ily  the  dangerous  passage  was  made  without  accident, 
but  ten  days  allerward  a  caravan  of  JJokharians  .and  KirgMzes  was  pil- 
laged by  the  Khiv.ans,  wlio  fell  upon  them  at  the  wells  of  JJukhan,  and 
pursued  the  fugitives  into  the  Kizil-kum,  wlierc,  liaving  encountered  a 
troop  of  Kirghizes,  they  gave  battle  to  them.  On  our  return  we  found 
on  the  route  more  than  a  hundred  dead  bodies  which  were  the  food  of 
dogs  and  a  nndtitudc  of  birds  of  jjrey.  Fragments  of  china  and  porce- 
lain Avare,  broken  boxes  and  vases  of  bronze,  scattered  about  on  tho 
sand,  showed  where  the  fugitives  had  been  overtaken  and  defeated. 

After  leaving  the  borders  of  the  Jan-deria  we  entered  a  vast  unin- 
habited region  which  conthiued  until  within  thirty  miles  of  IJokhara, 
and  which  extends  from  the  banks  of  the  Sir-deria,  opptjsitc  Turkestan 
and  Tashkend,  to  the  borders  of  the  Amou-deria ;  this  space,  compre- 
hending from  eight  to  nine  degrees  of  latitude,  separates  IJokhaTia  from 
the  steppo  of  the  Kirghizes,  and  the  Khanate  of  Kokand  from  that  of 
Khiva.  On  the  north  of  Bokharia  M'c  find  liabitable  lands,  but  tho  fear 
of  the  Khivans,  a  bold  and  cruel  race,  prevents  all  settlers  from  estab- 
lishhig  themselves  there,  while  at  the  sanu^  time  liokharia  itself  oiFcra 
better  pastures.  Every  year  several  Khirgiz  lamilies,  chiefly  of  tho 
poorer  classes,  leave  their  native  soil  in  order  to  settle  in  the  deserts  of 
Bokharia,  wliere  the  undisturbed  cpiiet  and  tho  milder  climate  promise 
them  a  happier  fate. 

Beyond  the  Jan-deria  avo  traveled,  .as  I  have  said,  upon  a  much  fre- 
quented route  ;  almost  every  day  Ave  met  Kirghiz  caravans  wliich  were 
returning  from  liokhara,  and  which,  after  having  sold  their  sheep,  car- 
ried back  from  that  city  barley,  oatmeal,  tobacco,  cotton  .and  linen 
clothing.  We  took  great  pleasure  in  talking  with  these  Baziirtchi — men 
returning  from  market — m  asking  the  news  from  liokhara,  and  when 
they  had  h'ft  the  eajtital ;  we  felt  hai>py  in  the  prospect  of  soon  termin- 
ating a  journey  so  long  and  toilsome,  which  was  beginning  t<i  weary  us 
very  nnich.  Our  horses,  whieli  found  but  a  very  miserable  living  in  the 
Kizil-kum,  grew  thinner  every  day  ;  the  Bashkir  horses  were  emaciated ; 


1 


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I 


I 


i 


ENTRANCE  INTO  BOKHARIA. 


333 


tht'y  were  no  longer  able  to  draw  the  six  (;liariots  which  remained  of 
the  twenty-five  with  which  we  set  out  iVom  Orenbourg.  It  l)ecamo 
necessary  to  roj)lace  them  with  Cossack  horses  which  had  hitherto  car- 
ried the  pack-saddles.  All  our  people  wore  extremely  weak,  especially 
the  infantry ;  in  a  word,  we  were  all  in  the  greatest  need  of  reaching 
the  end  of  our  journey,  AVe  took  ice  and  water  from  the  Jan-d6ria  in 
leather  sacks  and  casks;  yet  it  was  very  dillicult  to  carry  with  us  water 
enough  to  su])i)ly  so  many  men  and  horses  for  four  days  and  a  half. 

Alter  having  ])assed  the  Kizil-kum,  avo  traversed,  for  thirty  miles,  a 
plain  covered  with  worm- wood,  bounded  on  the  right  by  the  nujuutain.s 
of  liukhan.  The  JJokharians  who  accom[)anied  us,  fearing  a  surprise  on 
the  ])art  of  the  Khivans,  persuaded  us  to  avoid  the  wells  of  IJukhan, 
which  were  very  dangerous.  At  Kapkanlash  are  several  sulphur 
sj)rings,  fetid  and  very  salt.  Our  horses  scarcely  tasted  the  water;  but 
CM  our  return  in  March,  ahorse  drank  five  buckets  of  this  taiutol  water. 
As  the  weather  was  by  this  time  very  Avarm,  every  body  Avas  thirsty,  and 
Ave  had  much  difliculty  in  restraining  our  soldiers  a  i^t.'W  minutes  before 
permitting  them  to  drink  this  wretched  Avater,  Avhich  Avas,  however,  very 
cool.  Filleen  miles  from  Kapkantash  Ave  entered  the  sands  of  JJatkak- 
kum,  Avhich  extended  for  tAventy  miles  ;  after  leaving  these  we  again 
entered  a  mountainous  country,  called  Susiz-kara,  or  black  without 
AAater,  and  at  length  arrived  at  Kara-aghatch.  JJeforc  reaching  this 
place,  four  IJokharian  custom-house  officers  came  to  meet  the;  embassy, 
and  after  saluting  us  Avith  the  usual  formula  of  7i7/(>.s7t  (oualld  (be  Avcl- 
come !),  informcMl  us  that  the  khan,  their  sovereign,  had  sent  provisions 
for  us,  to  Aghatma,  twenty-eight  miles  from  Kara-aghatch.  M.  de  Ne- 
gri politely  expressed  to  them  our  gratitude,  and  avc  2)rocccded  Avith 
them  to  the  former  i)lace. 

As  AV(!  drew  near  Aghatma  a  TJokharian  yony.-h<iKhi^  or  centurion, 
followed  by  a  score  of  horsemen,  came  to  announce  to  the  Charge  d'Af- 
f  lires  that  the  khan  had  sent  him  to  receive  the  embassy  and  supjtly  it 
Avith  Avhat  j)rovisions  were  needed;  then  several  horsemen  ap[)roached 
M.  de  Negri,  took  his  hand  in  the  oriental  man.iei,  and  all  repeated 
"yr/io.sVi  (nncdid,^^  after  Avhich  the  little  party  set  oft'  in  a  gallop.  The 
greater  part  of  the  horses  were  very  beautiful,  large,  light,  and  full  of 
iire,  and  they  A-anished  like  lightnuig.  At  Aghatma  Ave  foimd  fresh 
Avhite  breail,  delicious  graju'S,  Avater-melons,  and  pomegrauates.  Ouo 
may  judge  of  the  jdeasure  Avhich  each  of  us  experienced  in  eating  this 
bread  and  fruit,  by  remembering  that  for  seventy  days  we  had  lived  on 
biscuit  alone,  Avhich  became  harder  every  day.  Our  liorses  liad  noAv 
nom-isliing  hay  and  Jnfioi'd,  a  sort  of  Aviiite  grain  of  the  size  and  shape 
of  lentils,  which  is  given  to  bea'^ts  inste.id  of  Itarley. 

About  twelve  miles  from  Odun-kuduk,  avo  passed  for  a  short  distance 
through  a  range  of  sandy  hills,  among  Avhich  we  saw  the  remains  of 
e;irtlKi\  walls  and  buildings.  ;\.fter  having  crossed  these  mounds,  we 
entered,  to  our  great  surprise,  a  country  entirely  dillVrent ;  we  might 


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334 


MEYENDORFF'S   JOURNEY    TO    BOKHARA. 


have  supposeil  ourselves  a  thousand  leagues  distant  from  the  monoton- 
ous regions  -which  we  had  been  traversing  for  the  last  seventy  days. 
The  desert  ends  at  these  sandy  hillocks,  beyond  Avhich  we  were  surroiuid- 
ed  by  fields  and  water-courses  and  avenues  of  trees.  On  all  sides  were 
houses,  villages,  gardens,  vineyards,  niosquos,  and  minarets  ;  in  a  word, 
one  might  believe  himself  transported  into  an  enchanted  land.  We  found 
ourselves  in  a  country  scarcely  known  to  Europeans ;  every  thing  excited 
our  curiosity.  Let  one  imagine  the  interest  with  which  we  contem- 
jilated  the  thousands  of  Orientals,  clothed  in  blue  garments  and  white 
turbans,  running  to  meet  us,  some  on  foot,  others  riding  on  horses  or 
asses,  but  all  pressing  around  us  and  salutuig  us  in  their  manner.  Many 
testified  their  joy  by  addressing  friendly  words  to  us  in  Russian ;  their 
signs  of  astonishment,  their  cries,  and  finally  the  tumultuous  movement 
which  animated  all  the  crowd,  gave  to  our  entrance  into  IJokharia  the 
aspect  of  a  popular  festival,  the  joy  of  which  we  should  have  shared,  if 
the  presence  of  the  police,  whose  voices  resounded  above  all  this  noise, 
and  who  with  large  chibs  struck  right  and  left  indiscriminately  to  make 
way  for  us,  had  not  reminded  us  that  our  own  arrival  had  caused  all 
this  confusion,  and  that  the  eagerness  to  see  so  many  Russians  carried 
the  peoi)le  beyond  the  fear  of  the  blows. 

We  were  touched  with  sadness  to  sec  in  the  midst  of  this  Asiatic 
populace  a  few  Russian  soldiers  reduced  to  the  condition  of  slaves.  The 
greater  number  were  aged  and  infirm,  and  at  the  sight  of  their  fellow- 
countrymen  they  could  not  restrain  their  tears  ;  they  stammered  a  few 
words  in  their  maternal  language  ;  they  attempted  to  precipitate  them- 
selves into  our  midst,  so  lively  an  emotion  did  the  pleasure  of  seeing  our 
soldiers  again  create  in  them.  These  touching  scenes,  which  rent  tho 
soul,  can  not  bo  described. 

At  K!iatun-kuduk  we  had  leatned  that  one  of  the  principal  officers 
of  the  Bokharian  government  Avas  awaiting  us  at  the  next  village.  Wo 
had  passed  through  a  short  stretch  of  cultivated  country,  when  a  ^>c;/yrt- 
baslil  (captain  of  rivi'  liundred  men)  came  to  meet  us  with  two  hundred 
cavalry.  He  conducte<l  us  through  the  crowd,  and  our  infantry  marched, 
beating  tlie  drums,  toward  the  tent  of  tho  cush-bcffhL  At  the  distance 
of  iifty  yards  from  the  tent  we  dismounted  in  t)rder  to  advance  between 
two  files  of  foot-soldiers  seated  upon  the  gn.uiul,  avIio  rose  when  tho 
Cliargo  d'Afi'aires  jjussed.  Many  tents  of  dillerent  colors  were  to  bo 
hiH'u ;  a  great  many  horses  richly  cajjarisoned  were  attached  by  tho 
heiid  and  hind  fi'ct  to  pickets.  Numerous  slaves  iuid  officers  surrounded 
the  tents ;  in  a  word,  every  thing  around  us  added  to  the  solemnity  of 
this  first  interview. 

The  nixh-hKjIii,  named  ITakiin-bey,  was  seated  in  his  tent  with  four 
nokhariun  noblemen;  when  M.  de  Negri  hail  taken  the  place  reserved 
for  him,  this  officer,  addressing  the  persons  attached  to  the  embassy, 
said  :  "  Me  seated.  Yuu  are  strangers  ;  I  am  nnieh  pleased  to  see  you." 
M.  de  Negri  having  Hi)()ken  allerward  of  the  ceremonial  to  be  t)bsorved 


^ 


!     t 

liiii 


I 


RECEPTION    IN    BOKHARA. 


835 


when  ho  should  be  presented  to  the  khan,  did  not  entirely  agree  on  this 
point  with  the  cush-beghi.  The  audience  had  commenced  under  favora- 
ble auspices,  but  before  it  was  terminated  the  Bokharian  character  dis- 
closed itself.  The  cush-beghi  had  the  indiscretion  to  ask  M.  de  Negri 
to  make  the  khan  a  present  of  the  two  cannon  which  avg  had  with  us. 
When  he  saw  that  he  should  not  be  able  to  obtain  them,  he  made  no 
scruple  of  demanding  for  the  khan  the  carriage  of  M,  de  Negri.  All 
this  time  ho  was  not  ignorant  that  we  had  many  camels  loaded  witli 
presents  for  the  Court  of  Bokhara.  This  officer  was  about  fifty  years  of 
age  ;  his  long  brown  beard  was  beginning  to  whiten.  He  was  tall,  his 
countenance  was  agreeable  and  full  of  goodness ;  he  expressed  liimself 
in  Persian  with  great  facility.  lie  wore  a  turban  formed  of  a  white 
cashmere  shawl,  and  a  robe  of  sable  ornamented  with  striped  cashmere. 

We  passed  the  night  of  the  17th  of  December  near  Wafkend,  a  small 
city,  after  having  passed  through  a  populous  and  well-cultivated  country. 
On  the  18th  we  traveled  through  an  equally  fine  district  in  order  to 
reach  Bazartchi,  a  large  village  situated  a  mile  and  a  half  from  Bokhara. 
Since  our  uiterview  with  the  cush-beghi  wc  had  traveled  thirty  miles ; 
during  these  two  days  we  were  incessantly  surrounded  by  a  considerable 
crowd ;  the  police  scattered  them  with  the  strokes  of  their  clubs ;  the 
curious  suffered  themselves  to  be  beaten,  fled,  and  returned.  Our  sol- 
diers advanced  in  the  greatest  order ;  they  were  in  coinj)leto  uniform  ; 
the  sound  of  the  drum,  which  was  heard  from  time  to  time,  occasioned 
cries  of  surprise  from  the  multitude.  We  advanced  thus  in  the  midst 
of  the  tumult  and  the  public  demonstrations  of  joy  excited  by  our 
arrival. 

After  thirty-six  hours  of  discussion  on  the  ceremonial  to  be  observed, 
we  finally  came  to  an  agreement ;  the  khan  consented  that  M.  de  Negri 
should  sit  in  his  presence.  At  noon,  on  the  20th  of  December,  we  made 
our  solemn  entry  into  Bokhara,  preceded  by  a  detachment  of  Cossacks, 
and  by  the  presents,  which  consisted  of  furs,  ])orcelain,  crystals,  watches, 
and  fire-arms.  Other  Cossacks  and  a  party  of  infantry  closed  the  pro- 
cession. An  Ouzbek  nobleman,  a  very  imjjortant  ])ersonage,  who  spoke 
Persian  perfectly,  conducted  the  embassy  to  the  palace.  Advancing 
slowly  with  this  procession,  we  passed  luider  a  large  gate,  and  after  hav- 
ing marched  through  a  narrow,  winding  street,  bordered  by  miserable 
cliiy  houses  with  fiat  roofs,  we  finally  arrived  at  a  large  square  surrt)untl- 
c(l  by  mosques  and  colleges  or  mcilresses^  where  we  saw  tiie  gates  of  the 
palace. 

After  having  alighted,  we  ascended  into  a  vaulted  corridor,  built  of 
bricks.  On  each  side  was  a  file  of  soldiers  to  the  ninnber  of  nra.'y  four 
hmulred,  armed  M'itlj  nniskets  of  different  dinu'usions.  Thence  we  en- 
tered a  small  court,  and  afterward  a  passage,  where  there  were  a  dozen 
unmounted  cannoti,  and  then  a  S(|uare  cotn't  surrouiuled  by  walls,  along 
which  were  seated  three  or  fi)ur  hundred  r»okharians,  wt  aring  white  fur- 
buns  and  vestments  of  gold  brocade ;  then,  turning  to  the  right,  wo 


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336 


MEYENDORFF'S  JOURNEY  TO  BOKHARA. 


passed  into  an  antechaml)cr,  and  finally  into  the  hall  of  reception,  where 
the  khan  was  seated  upon  cushions  covered  with  a  carpet  of  red  cloth 
richly  embroidered  with  gold.  On  the  floor  was  a  Persian  carpet  of  in- 
ferior quality ;  the  walls  were  plastered,  and  the  ceiling  was  covered 
with  painted  boards.  This  hall  Avas  in  the  form  of  a  parallelogram.  The 
khan  eat  near  the  wall  opposite  the  entrance  ;  on  his  left  were  his  two 
sons,  of  whom  the  elder  was  probably  fifteen  years  old,  and  on  his  right 
the  cush-heghi.  On  each  side  of  the  door  Avere  five  noblemen.  Two 
chamberlains  supported  INI.  de  Negri,  Avho  advanced  Avithin  ten  paces  of 
the  khan,  addressed  him  in  Persian,  gave  his  credentials  to  the  cusli- 
heghi,  and  took  his  seat.  The  persons  attached  to  the  embassy  remained 
standing  against  the  Avail  on  each  side  of  the  door.  The  cush-bef/hi  at 
once  presented  the  emperor's  letter  to  the  khan,  Avho  read  it  aloud  ;  he 
then  begged  M  de  Negri  to  alloAV  afcAV  soldiers  to  enter  the  antecham- 
ber, Avhere  they  AA^ere  ordered  to  lay  doAvn  their  arms.  The  khan,  hav- 
ing seen  them,  began  to  laugh  like  a  .-hild.  He  Avas  about  forty-five 
years  of  age,  not  very  intellectual  in  appearance ;  he  had  a  beautiful 
beard,  black  eyes,  an  olive  complexion,  and  appeared  to  be  exhausted  by 
the  j)leasure.s  of  the  harem.  lie  Avore  a  vestment  of  black  velvet,  orna- 
mented Avith  precious  stones,  and  a  turban  of  muslin,  surmounted  by  a 
heron's  iilumc.  A  master  of  ceremonies  held  a  kind  of  halberd,  termi- 
nated above  by  a  silver  hatchet.  The  i)resents  Avcre  carried  to  another 
chamber,  in  the  presence  of  the  khan.  Tl.e  audience  lasted  about  tAVcnty 
minutes ;  Avhen  it  Avas  ended,  Ave  rejoined  our  escort,  Avhich  soon  after- 
AA-ard  rctui'ned  to  Bazartchi,  AA^here  it  bivouackcil  for  the  rest  of  the  Avin- 
ter.  M.  de  Negri  and  the  persons  attached  to  the  cml)assy  Avere  lodged 
at  Bokhara,  in  a  large  house  belonging  to  the  cash-heghi. 

From  Avhat  information  I  could  gather,  the  Bokharians  give  to  Chi- 
nese Turkestan  the  name  of  Alti-Shahar,  or  the  country  of  the  six  cities. 
These  are  Cashghar,  Yarkend,  Khoten,  Aksou,  and  the  tAvo  cities  of 
Ileh.  Cashghar  is  a  large  city,  guarded  by  a  Chinese  garrison,  and  is 
very  difl[icult  of  access.  It  is  situated  on  the  Cashghar,  a  branch  of  the 
Kizil-sou  (red  water),  AA'hich  flows  betAveen  Cashghar  and  Yarkend.  In 
going  from  Cashghar  to  Cashmere,  one  passes  Yarkend,  Avhere  the  Tartar 
language  is  still  spoken  ;  then  by  the  cities  of  Great  and  Little  Thibet. 
The  country  being  mountainous,  the  caravans  proceed  only  by  short 
stages,  and  as  it  is  impossible  to  employ  camels,  the  journey  is  made  al- 
together on  horseback.  Yarkend  is  distant  four  days'  journey  from 
Cashghar,  and  Great  Thibet  is  thirty-five  or  forty  days.  Cashmere  is 
twenty-two  days  from  the  latter  city,  and  midAA'ay  one  passes  Little 
Tliibot.  The  river  Avhich  Ijathes  the  walls  of  the  latter,  floAVs  to  the  north 
of  Caslunere,  or  rather,  empties  into  the  Cashmere  llivcr. 

It  is  probable  that  the  cities  tiamed  Thibet  are  the  same  that  were 
known  by  the  name  of  Ladak  and  Draouso,  or  Dervazeh,  yet  it  is  remark- 
able that  no  Bokharian  is  acquainted  Avith  these  names,  Avhile  diiferent  mer- 
chants Avitli  whom  I  have  spoken,  called  them  C4reat  and  Little  Thibet.  The 


i 


ROUTE    TIIROUOII    CENTRAL    ASIA. 


337 


Russian  merchants  wlio  have  gone  from  Semipalatinsk  to  Cashmere,  give 
them  the  same  name.  Between  Cashghar  and  Caslmiere,  there  are  no 
other  cities  than  tliose  I  have  mentioned  ;  near  tliem  there  are  a  few  vil- 
lages scattered  upon  the  declivities  of  tlie  mountains.  Great  and  Little 
Thibet  are  surrounded  with  gardens ;  I  am  told  that  the  houses  are  of 
wood,  as  m  Russia,  and  have  very  steep  roofs.  The  inhabitants  are  be- 
lievers in  the  Lama,  and  worship  idols.* 

*  The  manuscript  of  this  work  had  been  completed  a  long  time,  when  I  found,  at  St. 
Petersburg,  in  June,  1823,  tho  aceount  of  a  journey  to  India,  by  Raphael  Danibeg,  a 
Georgian  gentleman,  dedicated  to  his  Majesty  tho  Emperor  Alexander,  translated  from 
Georgian  into  Russian,  and  printed  in  1815.  This  work  contains  nothing  of  interest  until 
the  author's  arrival  in  Cashmere  ;  but  tiio  account  of  his  journey  from  that  city  to  Scmi- 
p.al.atinsk,  in  Siberia,  passing  through  Cashghar,  surprised  mo  tho  more  agreeably  that  tho 
information  it  eont;iins  very  nearly  agrees  with  that  which  I  had  o'ltuincd.  The  follow- 
ing is  an  extract  of  this  account : 

"  From  Cashmere  I  proceeded  to  Thibet,  whero  I  arrived  after  having  traveled  about 
a  hundred  and  litly  miles  in  a  march  of  twenty  days.  Tho  city  is  built  on  hilln,  and  sur- 
rounded with  stony  mountains,  upon  which  nothing  grows  but  a  little  oat-s.  Tho  inhabi- 
tants mix  tlio  oatmeal  with  milk,  and  cook  it  with  tho  addition  of  butter.  So  poor  are 
they  that  this  food  forms  their  only  nourishment.  I  observed  a  custom  here  which  is  very 
discreditable  and  contrary  to  good  sense :  if  there  arc  several  brothers  in  a  house,  a  single 
woman  will  be  tho  wife  of  them  all ;  if  a  boy  is  born,  he  takes  tho  name  of  tho  eldest.  A 
largo  quantity  of  tea  is  consumed  in  this  place  ;  the  wool  for  tho  shawls  is  brought  from 
Lassiu  All  tho  merchandise  is  transported  on  the  back  of  sheep,  which  arc  loaded  with 
as  much  as  they  can  carry;  from  this  place  to  Cashmere  the  transportation  is  made  with 
liorscs.  Tliose  people  bring  from  Lassa  a  largo  quantity  of  goat's  won],  which  is  forwarded 
to  Cashmere.     It  required  three  months  to  go  from  Thibet  to  Lassa. 

'■  I  stoj)ped  forty  days  to  make  an  excursion  from  Thibet  to  Yarkond.  Tlie  journey 
was  very  tedious;  tho  sterility  of  the  soil,  the  great  depth  of  tho  precipices,  tho  cxccswivo 
height  of  the  mountains,  among  which  glaciers  were  seen,  occasioned  a  sense  of  sadness 
which  was  augmented  by  tlio  continual  solitude  of  these  uninhabited  places.  At  length 
we  perceived  Yarkend  :  this  city,  surrounded  by  thick  woods,  presents  a  very  pleasant 
aspect. 

"  The  Chinese  garrison  consists  of  more  than  two  thousand  men,  whoso  chief  is  termed 
Aiiiban;  beside  these  there  are  three  thousand  Chiueso  in  Yarkend,  engaged  in  com- 
nierec.  The  cliraato  of  this  city  is  salubrious,  but  tho  water  is  bad.  There  are  no  fine 
cdiliees  to  be  seen ;  tho  inhabitants  enjoy  a  degree  of  competency.  Although  I  have  said 
that  the  climate  is  healthy,  I  must  except  the  autuiim  ;  in  no  place  have  I  ever  found  it 
wor.so  During  tho  whole  season  the  sky  was  covered  with  cloiids.  The  great  humidity 
of  the  atiiiosphero  often  produces  a  kind  of  red  insect  called  karbite/;,  vihoso  .^ting  i.s  almost 
always  fatal.  A  singular  dust,  from  some  unknown  .source,  falls  like  rain,  and  renders 
tills  sea.sou  very  disagreeable.  Where  this  dust  falls,  instead  of  rain,  the  people  expect  a 
good  harvest,  while  they  look  for  a  bad  one  if  they  have  only  ordinary  rain.  This  tlust  ia 
PC  thick  that  the  sun  can  not  penetrate  it ;  it  sometimes  continues  thus  for  seven  or  eight 
day,'*,  and  is  so  line  tiiat  it  enters  tho  ."imallest  crevices. 

"  I5esi(l(«  Yarkend,  the  Cliiiicse  are  ma.sters  of  Kiiotcn,  Cashghar,  Aksou,  Puroban, 
ami  Ikh.  Tlicy  arc  very  numerous  in  Ileh,  or  Ktiija;  there  nro  suppo.sod  to  be  more  than 
ton  tlioiis.uid  of  them.  They  are  very  proud  ;ind  very  indolent,  and  ."(lend  their  time  ia 
smoking  tobacco.  No  niliabitaut  is  iicrniitted  to  ltav(!  thi.'  city  without  a  pa.«sport;  it  is 
diilicult  to  escajio  this  regulation,  fir  the  surveillaiico  of  tho  authorities  is  very  activa 
This  is  one  of  tho  means  which  tiic  ('hiucsc  have  adopted  to  prevent  ilisordors  of  all  kinds. 
''Tliirtocn  days  after  leaving  Yarkend,  I  arrived  at  Aksou.     This  city,  which  ia  not 

82 


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MEYENDORFF'S  JOURNEY  TO  BOKHARA. 


In  the  mountainous  country  east  of  Bokharia  and  north  of  Ilissar  are 
the  Ghaltchas,  a  poor  and  independent  people.  They  are  Sunnite  Mo- 
hammedans; some  Russian  traAelers  have  called  them  Oriental  Persians; 
their  complexion  is  very  tawny,  and  even  more  brown  than  that  of  the 
Bokharian  Arabs.  They  live  in  miserable  cabins,  built  in  the  low  lands 
between  the  mountains ;  are  all  cultivators  of  the  soil,  and  liave  some 
cuttle  and  a  very  few  horses.  Going  further  east  we  enter  a  country 
which  becomes  more  and  more  mountainous  and  is  very  little  known. 
There  is  said  to  be  a  people  here  called  Kafir  or  infidel,  who  are  repre- 
sented as  very  ferocious.  The  formidable  Kafirs  inhabit  the  city  of 
Kalel-khum,  also  called  Derwazeh,  situated  upon  a  river  of  the  same 
name. 

Gold  is  found  in  the  waters  of  the  Derwazeh  ;  those  riches  excite  the 
cupidity  of  the  Bokharians,  who,  from  time  to  time,  risk  their  lives  to 
procure  a  iew  particles  of  the  precious  metal.  This  is  the  manner  of  ob- 
taining it :  in  Bokhara  it  is  customary  to  carry  Avater  in  skins,  which 
preserve  the  form  of  the  animals  from  Avhich  they  were  taken  ;  the  best 
are  the  skins  of  sheep  and  wild-goats.  The  mouth  of  this  vessel  corre- 
sponds to  the  neck  of  the  animal.  The  Bokharians  attach  these  skins  to 
a  cord  and  throw  thom  into  the  Derwazeh  ;  the  furious  river  soon  fills 
the  skin  with  mud,  sand,  and  gold,  the  last  of  which  it  is  afterward  easy 
to  extract  from  the  mixture  ;  but  as  it  is  never  without  foreign  matter, 
its  value  is  to  that  of  pure  gold  as  eighteen  to  twenty-one.  May  not 
this  process  throw  light  upon  a  passage  of  Herodotus,  in  which  the  his- 
torian describes  the  means  employed  by  the  Indians  in  cxtracthig  gold 
from  sand  ? 

Bokharia  lies  between  forty-one  and  thirty-seven  degrees  north  lati- 
tude, and  sixty-one  and  sixty-six  degrees  thirty  miiuites  east  of  Paris, 
comprising  a  surface  of  about  ten  thousand  square  leagues.  The  eastern 
j^art  is  mountainous  ;  all  the  western  part  is  a  plain  extending  as  far  as 
the  eye  can  see,  upon  which  small  isolated  hills  rise  to  the  height  of  ten 
or  fifteen  feet ;  these  hillocks  are  of  a  clayey  nature  like  the  rest  of  the 
desert ;  above  this  clay  the  sands  are  moved  by  the  winds,  and  formed 
into  ridges.  The  oases  of  Bokharia  present  a  most  pleasing  and  cheerful 
aspect.  There  is  no  country  better  cultivated  than  these  plains  ;  they 
are  covered  with  houses,  gardens,  and  fields  divided  in  small  squares 
called  tanuh,  the  sides  of  which  are  raised  a  foot  with  turf,  in  order  to 
retain  the  water  which  is  conveyed  thither  for  the  purposes  of  irrigation. 

largo,  contains  many  well-built  houses ;  it  is  situatdl  in  a  valley,  and  is  divided  into  two 
parts,  one  inhabited  by  Chinese,  the  other  by  Moharamodans,  wlio  carry  ou  an  activo 
trade  with  each  otiicr. 

"  Tlireo  days  after  loavinfif  Aksou,  T  arrived  at  Turfan,  an  unsightly  little  town.  As 
the  inhabitants  are  very  poor,  nothing  interestin;^  is  to  bo  found  here.  Fifteen  railca 
thence  are  the  frontiers  of  the  country  of  tho  Kirghizes. 

"Leaving  Tun'an,  I  pai^si'il  througii  many  wandorins;  Iribos  of  Calmucks,  Kirghizes, 
KoLsaks,  and  Anally  reached  Seniipalatinsk,  after  a  journey  of  three  months." 


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CLIMATE    OF    BOKHARIA. 


839 


Thousands  of  water-courses  intersect  the  plain,  and  like  the  roads,  which 
arc  very  narrow,  they  are  usually  bordered  with  trees.  The  waters  of 
these  canals  not  being  all  upon  the  same  level,  they  are  connected  to- 
gether by  small  cascades,  which  soothe  the  ear  with  an  agreeable  mur- 
mur. The  great  quantity  of  trees  i)lanted  on  every  side  form  screens 
which  prevent  the  view  from  extending  to  a  distance. 

The  multiplicity  of  dwellings  indicates  a  numerous  population  ;  per- 
haps it  is  too  great  to  admit  of  a  general  competency.  These  dwellings 
usually  form  villages,  Avhich  are  half  concealed  by  the  fruit-trees  of  the 
gardens.  I  saw  villages  entirely  surrounded  by  walls  ;  they  were  a  kind 
of  fortresses ;  others  are  open,  the  gardens  only  being  inclosed  ;  and 
these  walls,  often  indented  and  flanked  with  small  turrets,  add  to  the 
pictu  est         opcarance  of  the  con  tiicy  also  indicate  that  the  peo- 

ple afra-  f  being  pillaged  ;  an^..  Jie  frequent  incursions  of  the  wan- 
Uering  tribes,  lead  us  to  suppose  that  the  existence  of  these  fortifications 
is  a  result  of  a  sad  necessity. 

A  Bokharian  village  usually  contains  a  hundred  houses,  built  of  earth, 
and  separated  from  each  other  by  streets  which  are  no  narrower  than 
those  of  the  cities.  In  the  center  of  the  village  is  frequently  a  well,  or 
a  small  reservoir,  in  which  the  water  is  replenished  by  means  of  a  ditch. 
Each  village  is  situated  near  a  canal,  by  which  means  the  gardens  can 
bo  watered. 

The  climate  of  the  mountain-regions  of  Bokharia  is  of  course  differ- 
ent from  that  of  the  western  part  of  the  country,  which  is  mild  and 
even :  I  shall  here  speak  only  in  reference  to  the  plains.  The  seasons 
there  are  very  regular  ;  by  the  middle  of  February  the  fruit-trees  begin 
to  bloom  ;  the  forest-trees  put  forth  in  the  early  days  of  March.  Then 
the  beautiful  season  begins,  and  the  heavy  ranis  cease,  after  having  lasted 
nearly  three  weeks.  Soon  the  heat  becomes  oppressive  ;  it  is  the  more 
pcrceiitible  as  the  atmosphere  is  rarely  refreshed  by  storms.  The  tine 
season  continues  until  October,  when  the  rains  usually  prevail  for  two  or 
three  weeks.  In  November  and  December,  slight  frosts,  and  sometimes 
a  little  snow,  announce  the  approach  of  winter  ;  on  the  20th  of  Decem- 
ber we  found  melons  still  in  the  fields,  which  showed  that  the  frosts 
could  not  have  been  heavy.  The  month  of  January  is  more  rigorous  ; 
the  usual  degree  of  cold  is  about  twenty -seven  degrees  Fahrenheit ;  it  is 
sometimes  as  low  as  fourteen  degrees,  and  water  freezes  from  three  to 
four  inches  thick.  Snow  has  been  known  to  remain  a  fortnight  on  the 
groiuid  without  thawing. 

The  winter  which  we  passed  at  Bokhara  was  very  mild  ;  durinr  four 
or  five  days  only,  the  cold  was  so  severe  as  to  freeze  the  Avater  two 
inches,  and  then  the  people  hastened  to  break  the  ice  and  pile  it  in  largo 
heaps,  wiiicli  were  covered  with  earth  for  preservation.  The  rains  com- 
mence between  the  Vth  and  15th  of  February,  and  continue  until  the 
close  of  the  month.  Every  thing  becomes  green  and  flourishes  in  a  few 
days.    Nothing  proves  the  warm  climate  of  Bokhara  better  than  tho 


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340 


MEYENDORFF'S  JOURNEY  TO  BOKHARA. 


|i''! 


heat  of  the  sun ;  in  the  month  of  January  we  dined  in  the  open  air, 
when  the  temperature  in  the  shade  was  fifty-five  degrees,  and  ninety  in 
the  sun. 

Violent  winds  prevail  in  winter  and  summer ;  they  raise  to  a  great 
height  a  fine  dust,  Avliich  hides  every  thing  from  view,  and  imparts  a 
gray  tint  to  the  atmosphere.  These  clouds  of  dust,  which  spread  over  a 
whole  district,  may  be  seen  more  than  fifteen  miles  distant.  The  cli- 
mate of  Bokhara  is  generally  healthy  ;  the  winter  and  the  rainy  seasons 
refresh  and  purify  the  atmosphere,  which  is  not  vitiated  by  any  noxious 
exhalations.  The  rheumatism  which  prevails  is  produced  by  the  damp- 
ness of  the  houses,  and  the  frequent  sore  eyes  may  be  caused  by  those 
violent  winds  and  the  dust  they  raise.  Blindness  must  be  common  in 
this  country,  for  the  father  of  the  reigning  khan  erected  in  Bokhara  the 
fathabad,  a  hospital,  or  rather  monastery,  of  the  blind,  where  about 
fifty  of  these  unfortunates  arc  lodged  by  twos  and  threes  in  small  cells 
arranged  around  a  mosque. 

All  the  cities  in  Bokharia  are  built  near  the  rivers,  and  consequently 
surrounded  by  cultivated  fields ;  the  drought  is  frequently  so  great  in 
summer  that  the  inhabitants  can  procure  water  only  by  digging  holes  ; 
the  plain  of  Bokhara  is  so  low  that  water  is  found  everywhere  at  the 
depth  of  from  five  to  eight  feet.  This  stagnant  water  produces  worms 
which  the  pcviple  drink  without  perceiving  it ;  from  this  results  a  malady 
named  rishta  1)y  the  Bokharians.  The  whole  body  becomes  covered 
with  pustules  Avhich  occasion  very  painful  sores.  From  these  pustules 
come  Avorms  of  the  class  anndkles.  The  Bokharians  know  no  remedy 
for  this  evil.  A  Russian  prisoner,  a  slave  in  Bokhara,  in  speaking  to 
me  of  the  scarcity  of  water  which  was  experienced  there,  said  in  a  tone 
of  vexation,  "  It  is  a  country  that  God  created  in  his  anger." 

Ourghenjo  is  a  small  fortress  which  I  saw  on  our  return  to  Russia. 
I  could  not  obtain  permission  to  enter  the  city ;  they  closed  the  gates 
upon  us,  probably  by  command  of  the  superior  powers.  It  has  the 
name  of  fortress  because  it  is  surrounded  by  an  earthen  wall  about 
twenty  feet  high.  We  passed  near  Ourgheiije  on  the  25th  of  March ; 
the  wind  was  high,  but  not  violent.  But  scarcely  had  we  q  .itted  the 
clayey  soil  whtn  we  found  ourselves  among  sandy  hillocks  an' .  the  wind 
became  more  furious;  the  sand  rose  in  whirlwinds  and  penetrated 
everywhere.  I  wore  spectacles  made  expressly  to  keep  off  the  dust, 
which  I  dreaded,  but  they  protected  my  eyes  but  imperfectly.  The 
sand  produced  a  kind  of  cloud  which  so  vailed  the  light  of  day  that 
we  could  see  but  a  short  distance,  and  our  Kirghiz  guides  no  longer 
knew  the  route.  Happily  a  BokhariuTi  trooper  of  the  garrison  of  Our- 
ghenjo  followed  us  to  find  out  whether  any  Russian  slave  were  mingled 
with  our  escort ;  we  compelled  him,  by  holding  a  jjistol  at  his  throat, 
to  act  as  our  guide  ;  although  he  rendered  us  this  service  much  against 
his  will,  he  prevented  us  from  going  astray.  Nothing  can  be  more 
disagvecable  than  this  sand;  although  coarse,  it  penetrates  the  eyes,  the 


ro 


THE    CITY    OF    BOKHARA. 


341 


mouth,  and  the  cars ;  all  our  eyes  were  inflamed,  and  I  can  easily  con- 
ceive how  the  army  of  Nadir-shah,  Avhen  crossing  the  deserts  west  of 
the  Amoii  during  a  storm,  lost  a  number  of  men  from  the  eflects  of 
ophthalmia.  It  is  thus  that  the  deserts  near  Bokharia  arc  a  natural  de- 
fense. The  sand,  driven  by  the  winds,  tills  up  the  ditches,  drifts  against 
the  walls,  and  soon  rises  to  their  level,  fills  the  streets,  and  covers  the 
houses,  like  the  ashes  of  Vesuvius  which  buried  Ilerculaneum  and 
Pompeii. 

Ilavujg  spoken  of  several  cities  of  Bokharia,  I  will  describe  the  cap- 
ital of  that  country.  The  oases  of  the  surrounding  region  Ijcing  cov- 
ered Avith  avenues  of  trees  and  numerous  gardens,  the  view  can  not 
extend  very  far,  hence  Bokhara  can  be  seen  only  within  about  two  miles 
distance,  in  coming  from  Wafkeud.  The  view  is  striknig  to  a  European. 
Domes,  mosques,  high  gables,  colleges,  minarets,  palaces  rising  hi  the 
midst  of  the  city,  the  surrounding  Avails  with  their  battlements,  a  lake 
near  the  walls,  bordered  by  houses  with  flat  roofs,  or  by  neat  country- 
houses  Avitlun  embrasured  walls — finally,  the  fields,  the  gardens,  the 
trees,  and  the  activity  which  reigns  everywhere  in  the  vicinity  of  a 
capital,  aU  contribute  to  produce  a  Aery  agreeable  eftect ;  but  the  illusion 
ceases  as  soon  as  Ave  enter  the  city,  for  with  the  exception  of  the  baths, 
the  mosques,  and  the  temples,  Ave  see  only  dingy  earthen  houses,  throAvn 
beside  each  other  Avithout  order,  forming  narroA\',  crooked  streets,  Avhich 
are  lilthy  and  difficult  to  traverse.  These  houses,  Avhich  front  on  courts, 
present  to  the  streets  only  smooth  AA'alls,  without  AvindoAvs,  or  any  thing 
to  relieve  the  eye  of  the  passenger.  Every  thing  Ave  meet  in  this  popu- 
lous city  seems  to  hint  of  mistrust ;  the  countenances  of  the  people  arc 
scarcely  ever  animated  by  an  expression  of  gaycty;  there  are  no  noisy 
festivals,  no  songs,  and  no  music  ;  nothing  indicates  that  they  sometimes 
amuse  themselves  there,  nothing  shoAvs  that  the  city  is  hihabited  by  a 
people  enjoying  an  agreeable  existence.  Therefore  the  curiosity  and  the 
interest  Avhieh  Ave  felt  on  first  seeing  edifices  of  oriental  architecture,  Avas 
soon  foUoAVCfl  by  an  impression  of  sadness  and  inelancholy. 

The  houses  are  built  of  clay,  mixed  Avith  cut  straAV.  In  order  to 
give  more  consistence  to  this  mixture,  Avooden  posts  are  ])laced  hi  the 
Avails,  and  especially  at  the  corn(!rs.  The  ceilings  are  usually  of  hard 
Avood ;  they  are  covered  Avitli  earth,  and  form  the  roofs,  Avhich  are  flat. 
In  the  handsomer  houses  the  ceilings  of  the  principal  ai)artments  are 
covered  with  boards,  painted  Avitli  difl'erent  colors.  The  floor  is  of  glazed 
earth  among  the  common  people,  and  brick  among  the  rich.  The  front 
and  the  Avindows  o[)en  upon  the  court,  and  a  single  door  leads  to  the 
street.  The  avIikIoavs  are  sometimes  openings,  closed  simj)ly  Avith 
AVooden  shutters  ;  sometimes  they  are  arched  openings  Avhieh  are  never 
closed,  and  are  covered  only  Avilli  a  trellis  of  plaster.  The  latter  kiiui 
of  windows  yield  only  an  itidiflep'nt  light;  and  in  order  to  see  distinctly 
it  is  necessary  to  ojjcn  the  s^'' 'ters.  liut  in  Avinter  the  cold  is  often 
fifteen  degrees  above  zero,  so  that  the  apartments  Avithout  stoves,  from 


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MEYKNDORFF'S  JOURNEY  TO  BOKHARA. 


which  the  external  air  is  not  cxclnded,  arc  cold  and  damp.  It  is  rot 
surprising  then  that  rheumatisms  prevail  in  this  city,  especially  among 
the  poor.  In  order  to  protect  themselves  from  the  cold,  the  Bokharians 
make  nse  of  braziers,  above  which  they  place,  like  the  Turks,  a  small 
wooden  table,  covered  with  a  wadded  carpet ;  upon  this  they  seat  them- 
selves and  envelop  themselves  with  it  up  to  the  chin.  The  heat  of  the 
burning  charcoal  effectively  preserves  the  body  from  cold,  but  one  can 
not  write  without  having  the  hands  frozen. 

The  city  is  about  ten  miles  in  circumference,  and  is  said  to  contain 
almost  eight  thousand  houses,  and  very  nearly  seventy  thousand  inhab- 
itants. Three  fourths  of  these  are  Tadjiks,  the  most  part  artizans.  The 
remainder  of  the  population  is  composed  of  Ouzbeks,  Jews,  Tartars, 
Afghans,  Calmucks,  Hindoos,  merchants  from  neighboring  cities,  pil- 
grims, Persian  and  Russian  slaves,  and  a  small  number  of  negroes.  The 
Jews  occupy  eight  hundred  houses ;  they  say  they  came  from  Samar- 
cand  about  seven  hundred  years  ago,  after  having  left  Bagdad.  Of  all 
the  cities  of  Central  Asia,  Bokhara  contains  the  greatest  number  of  tliis 
race.  They  are  permitted  to  inhabit  only  three  streets  in  the  city; 
among  them  there  are  two  rich  capitalists,  the  others  arc  mostly  in  easy 
circumstances,  and  are  generally  manufacturers,  dyers,  and  silk-mer- 
chants. They  are  prohibited  from  riding  on  horseback  in  the  city,  and 
from  wearing  silken  garments ;  their  caps  must  have  a  border  of  black 
sheepskin,  which  may  be  only  two  inches  in  width.  They  are  not  per- 
mitted to  build  a  new  synagogue,  and  have  the  right  only  to  repair  the 
old  one. 

These  people  are  remarkable  in  their  personal  appearance,  for  a  hand- 
some beard,  a  countenance  somewhat  lengthened,  a  very  fair  cr  mplex- 
ion,  and  eyes  which  are  large,  lively,  and  full  of  expression.  Having 
learned  that  the  government  feared  the  arrival  of  the  embassy  with  its 
numerous  escort,  they  regarded  us  as  messengers  from  heaven,  who 
came  perhaps  to  alleviate  their  sufferings.  They  were  fearful  of  com- 
promising themselves  in  the  eyes  of  the  Bokharians ;  when  they  met  us 
they  saluted  us  in  a  friendly  and  propitiatory  manner,  but  nevertheless 
with  a  sentiment  of  fear.  The  rabbi  of  Bokhara  who  was  a  native  of 
Algiers  and  knew  a  little  Spanish,  told  me  that  on  his  arrival  in  Bokharia 
he  had  found  his  brethren  sunk  in  the  most  profound  ignorance ;  only 
a  very  small  number  knew  how  to  read.  They  possessed  but  two  copies 
of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  their  manuscript  contained  only  the  first 
three  books  of  the  Pentateuch.  This  Algerinc  Jew,  an  intelligent  old 
man,  who  almost  wept  for  joy  at  again  seeing  Europeans,  has  neglected 
no  moans  of  disseminating  instruction  among  the  people  of  his  religion. 
He  has  founded  a  school  and  procured  books  from  Russia,  Bagdad,  and 
Constantinople ;  at  present  al)  the  Jews  of  Bokhara  know  how  to  read 
and  v/rite ;  they  study  the  Talmud. 

The  most  remarkable  edifice  of  the  city  is  the  palace  of  the  khan  ; 
the  Bokharians  call  it  Arck,    It  is  said  to  have  been  built  more  than  ten 


I 


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THE    STREETS    OF    BOKnARA. 


343 


centuries  ago,  by  Arslan-Khan ;  it  is  situated  upon  an  eminence,  and  is 
Burrounded  by  a  wall  about  six  feet  high,  Avhich  has  but  a  single  gate. 
The  entrance  is  of  briclt,  and  has  on  each  side  a  tower  about  ninety  feet 
in  height,  formerly  omamented  with  green  glazed  tiles,  some  remains 
of  which  are  still  to  be  seen.  From  this  gate  leads  a  large  corridor,  the 
vaults  of  which  have  the  appearance  of  being  very  ancient.  Following 
this  corridor,  we  arrive  at  the  summit  of  a  hill  upon  which  are  situated 
some  clay  houses  which  are  inhabited  by  the  khan  and  his  court.  With- 
in this  inclosure  are  a  mosque,  the  dwellings  of  the  khan  and  his  chil- 
dren, the  harem,  surrounded  by  a  garden  and  concealed  by  trees ;  a 
house  in  wliich  the  cush-heghi  transacts  his  business  and  receives  au- 
diences, another  one  in  which  he  dwells — this  being  a  high  mark  of  favor 
— and  finally  the  apartments  for  the  people  and  the  slaves,  the  stables,  etc. 
Some  storks  have  built  their  nests  upon  the  summit  of  the  towers. 

In  Bokhara  we  see  streets  half  a  mile  long,  covered,  and  bordered  on 
each  side  with  shops  ;  one  row  containing  women's  slippers  only,  another 
supplied  with  drugs  and  aromatics  which  perfume  the  air,  a  third  with 
jewels,  usually  of  little  value,  for  example,  turkoises  of  Persia,  Tartar 
rubies  from  the  lake  of  Badakhshan  and  from  Arabia ;  diadems  of  gold 
ornamented  ivith  inferior  turkoises,  for  the  Kirghiz  Avomon.  Large 
vaults  are  filled  with  nothing  but  dried  fruits  and  tobacco  ;  others  with 
pistachios  preserved  in  manna,  with  prunes,  rose-colored  or  green, 
grapes,  pomegranates,  and  melons  suspended  along  the  walls  on  cords; 
among  these  magazines  are  eating-houses  in  which  are  prepared  rice 
cooked  with  butter  or  mutton-fiit,  and  often  colored  yellow  Avith  saffron, 
and  another  dish  consisting  of  hashed  meat. 

During  my  stay  at  Bokhara,  six  robbers,  Persian  slaves  by  birth,  and 
two  Tadjiks,  were  hung  upon  the  gallows ;  some  heads  of  Khivans,  of 
Ouzbeks,  from  Kokand,  and  the  environs  of  Balkh,  and  others,  were  set 
up  on  posts,  or  exposed  upon  the  ground  near  the  gibbet.  The  popu- 
lace, accustomed  to  this  spectacle,  continued  their  traffic  upon  the  square, 
without  casting  a  look  of  compassion  upon  these  terrible  pictures ;  it  was 
not  thus  with  our  soldiers,  who  looked  iipon  these  scenes  for  the  first 
time  in  their  lives. 

Every  thing  in  Bokhara  shows  that  the  city  was  formerly  more  flour- 
ishing than  it  is  now  ; — the  colleges  and  mosques  arc  partly  fallen,  or  arc 
badly  preserved.  I  saw  large  crevices  in  the  arches  of  a  temple  entirely 
new ;  these  accidents  arc  attributed  to  earthquakes,  but  I  think  they 
may  be  charged  to  the  ignorance  of  the  architects.  Nine  or  ten  miles 
from  Bokhara,  in  the  direction  of  Wafkend,  there  has  been  a  very  ancient 
bridge,  built  of  bricks,  in  a  single  arch  across  the  Zer-afshan  ;  it  is  fallen, 
and  has  not  been  reconstructed  ;  the  stone  steps  which  lead  to  the  wells 
are  impaired,  and  no  one  thinks  of  repairing  them.  They  no  longer  know 
how  to  make  the  blue  tiles  which  adorn  the  public  edifices ;  they  con- 
struct no  new  buildings  w  hich  indicate  cither  taste  or  riches.  A  portion 
of  the  most  beautiful  street  of  Bokhara  is  encumbered  with  stones  which 


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344     MEYENDORFF'S  JOURNEY  TO  BOKHARA. 

formerly  composed  the  pavcinunt.  Even  the  private  lioiises,  of  wliich 
only  the  ancient  ones  have  buseuients  of  stone,  prove  that  this  capital  is 
not  so  rich  nor  so  well  governed  as  it  was  in  former  times. 

It  is  very  difficult  to  estimate  the  jiojmlation  of  a  country  inhabited 
by  so  many  dilfcrent  nations,  of  which  a  part  is  nomadic,  and  where  an 
einnneration  has  never  been  made.  In  order  to  ])resent  something  satis- 
factory in  this  resjjcct,  avc  consulted  in  IJokharia  all  who  could  give  us 
any  certain  hiformation  on  the  subject.  The  cultivated  portion  of  the 
khanate  may  be  estimated  at  twelve  lumdred  square  leagues,  or  three 
hundred  thousand  square  miles.  If  wo  suppose  each  of  these  square 
miles  inhabited  by  five  thousand  souls,  as  in  the  richest  countries  of  Italy, 
we  have  as  a  result,  in  Bokharia,  one  million  five  hundred  thousand  in- 
habitants, living  by  agriculture,  or  semi-nomadic,  and  living  in  the  cities, 
and  by  adding  nearly  a  million  of  the  wandering  triljes,  we  find  that  the 
population  of  Bokharia  is  more  than  two  millions  of  souls. 

This  population  may  be  subdivided  as  follows  : 

Ouzboks, 1,500.000 

Tadjiks, C.50,000 

Turcomans, 200,000 

Arabs,     • 50,000 

Persians 40,000 

Calniucks, 20,000 

Kirghizes  and  Kara-kalp.aks, 6,000 

Jews, 4,000 

Afglians, 4,000 

Lesgliizcs, 2,000 

Bohemians, 2,000 

Total, 2,478,000 

The  Khanates  of  Asia  carry  on  with  the  Kirghizes  and  the  Turcomans 
a  trade  in  slaves,  which  is  chiefly  supplied  by  the  robberies  of  these  wan- 
dering tribes,  and  by  the  wars  with  the  Persians.  The  taking  of  Mervo 
added  twenty-five  thousand  to  the  number  of  Persian  slaves  in  Bokharia, 
which  is  estimated  at  forty  thousand.  Five  or  six  hundred  Russians  are 
held  in  slavery  ;  they  have  been  sold  by  Kirghizes,  by  Turcomans,  who 
seize  fishermen  wrecked  upon  the  eastern  shore  of  the  Caspian  Sea,  or  by 
Khivans. 

Among  the  slaves  of  Bokharia  there  are  likewise  Chetrars,  Siapooshes, 
Ilezarehs,  and  even  Georgians.  The  number  scarcely  diminishes,  for 
they  have  Persian  wives  given  to  them,  and  their  existence  and  well- 
being  is  connected  with  the  interest  of  their  masters.  The  price  of  an 
.able-bodied  man  ranges  from  forty  to  fifty  tellas  (8130  to  $1G0).  If  he 
is  an  artisan,  for  instance  a  joiner,  a  furrier,  or  a  shoemaker,  he  brings  as 
nmch  as  one  hundred  tellas  (§;520).  The  women  usually  sell  higher  than 
the  men,  at  least  if  they  are  yoimg  and  beautiful ;  they  are  then  worth 
from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  filly  tellas  (8320  to  $480).  The 
condition  of  the  slaves  in  Bokharia  is  horrible.     The  Russians  nearly  all 


L 


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RUSSIAN    SLAVES. 


345 


■3 


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complain  of  being  badly  finl  and  most  cniolly  boatcn.  I  saw  ono  whoso 
master  had  cropped  his  cars,  pierced  his  hands  with  a  nail,  cut  the  skin 
upon  his  back,  and  poured  boiling  oil  u])on  his  arms,  in  onU-r  to  make 
liim  confess  Ijy  what  route  his  c(jmrade  had  oscajx'd.  The  cutih-bcrjht 
iinding  one  of  his  Kussiun  slaves  intoxicated,  had  him  taken  next  day  to 
the  Kegistan  to  be  hung.  On  reaching  the  gallows,  the  unhai)py  man 
was  solicited  to  abjure  his  religion  and  become  a  Mohanmiedan,  in  order 
to  obtain  pardon,  but  he  preferred  to  die  a  martyr  to  his  faith.  The 
greater  part  of  the  liusslan  slaves  in  the  vicinity  of  jjokhara  were  locked 
up,  and  worked  with  irons  upon  their  feet  during  the  last  weeks  of  our  stay 
m  the  city.  A  single  liusslan  slave  succeeded  In  rejoining  us  seventy 
miles  IVom  Bokhara,  after  having  wandered  eighteen  days  in  tlie  des(n-t ; 
during  this  time  he  had  subsisted  on  water  and  meal  only.  lie  expressed, 
in  a  most  simple  and  touching  manner,  the  alarms  be  had  experienced  on 
seeing  us  (for  ho  feared  lost  we  might  be  Kirghizes,  iChlvans,  or  Ouz- 
bok:),  and  the  extrenu>  joy  he  felt  wl.  'u  he  recognized  >ur  Cossacks.  I 
can  not  describe  the  unbounded  hapj)!iiess  of  a  dozer.  liusslan  slaves  whom 
',ve  purchased  in  Bokharia,  and  during  the  journey.  They  shed  tears  of 
joy.  The  Bokharian  government  would  have  been  so  cruel  as  to  ]»re- 
veiit  these  Russians,  who  had  been  pui'cliased.  Vom  ret  ;.ning  to  their 
country.  It  even  l()rl)ado  its  subjects  from  selling  any  ^ •.  issians  to  us, 
uiuler  the  pretext  tli.it  they  vrould  thereT»y  dimlnisli  tlu  aimber  of  prose- 
lytes which  it  might  make. 

In  their  salutations  the  Bokharians  bend  Torunrd  a  little,  place  the 
riLrlit  hand  upon  the  heart,  and  pronoiuice  tlu;  »'ord  Ichosh.  This  civility 
is  often  exaggerated  in  a  most  ridiculuus  manner,  especially  by  the 
slav(s;  they  make  the  accompanying  gesture  by  turning  the  head  sev- 
eral times,  inclining  it  toward  the  left  shoulder,  raising  the  elbows, 
holding  the  two  hands  upon  the  heart,  smiling  in  a  slliy  manner,  and 
jii'duoimcing  the  Avord  khosh  with  em2)hasi.s,  as  if  they  would  split  their 
.^ules  with  laughing. 

In  the  streets  the  women  wear  a  long  mantle,  the  sleeves  of  which 
are  connected  behind,  and  a  black  vail  which  completely  conceals  the 
iiice.  They  sec  badly  through  this  vail,  but  the  greater  part  of  them 
would  slyly  lift  up  onc>  corner  when  they  met  ono  of  us ;  the  Tadjik 
woiuen  also  took  pleasure  in  allov  ,,.•  us  to  see  their  beautiful  eyes.  It 
became  fashioiud)le  among  the  huU-s  of  Bokhara  to  go  and  look  at  the 
Franks ;  the  extrennty  of  the  roof  of  our  liouse  was  a  i)lace  of  meeting 
lor  tluMU,  and  the  limit  whi<'h  decorum  imposed  upon  their  curiosity. 
There,  h'ss  observed  by  the  Bokharians,  a  few  pretty  wonu'ti  presented 
themselves  to  our  gaze,  and  we  frequently  admired  eyes  full  of  fire,  su- 
perb teeth,  and  a  nu)st  beautlfid  complexion.  The  Bokharian  severity 
soon  put  an  end  to  this  too  worldly  proceibiro  ;  the  j)ollco  took  measures 
for  preventing  the  women  from  ascending  our  roof,  and  we  lost  the 
pleasure  of  a  scene  which  enlivened  our  repasts. 

We  remained  in  this  city  from  the  20th  of  December,  1820,  imtil  the 


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346 


MEYENDORPP'S  JOURNEY  TO  BOKHARA. 


10th  of  March,  1821 :  the  weather  having  become  very  fine  we  then  re- 
paired to  Bazartchi.  The  bivouac  in  the  gardens  of  that  place  ajjpeared 
to  us  far  preferable  to  the  sojourn  in  the  gloomy  houses  of  Bokhara, 

On  the  22d  of  March  we  set  out  from  Bazartchi ;  on  the  25th  wo 
left  Bokhara,  well  pleased  to  have  seen  the  country,  but  still  better  satis- 
fied to  get  away  from  it. 


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TIMKOVSKI'S 


JOURNEY    FROM    SIBERIA    TO    PEKIN 


For  more  than  a  century  Russia  has  maintained  at  Pek'*n  a  convent 
and  a  school  for  the  instruction  of  interpreters  in  the  Chinese  and  Man- 
choo  languages.  Every  ten  years  the  persons  composing  these  two  os- 
tahlishmonts  are  renewed,  and  new  monks  and  pupils  are  sent  from  St. 
Petersburg  to  the  capital  of  China.  This  little  caravan  is  conducted  by 
a  Kussian  otKcer,  conmiissioned  to  take  charge  of  it,  to  install  it  upon 
its  arrival  in  Pekin,  and  then  to  lead  back  to  their  country  the  monks 
whose  term  has  expired  and  the  pupils  who  have  completed  their  studies. 
It  was  on  a  mission  of  this  kind  that  Tinikovski,  Attache  of  the  College 
of  Foreign  Affairs,  set  out  in  1820  from  Kiakhta,  a  fort  situated  on  the 
frontiers  between  the  l{u.ssian  ])ossession8  and  those  of  Ciiina.  He  tra- 
versed Mongolia,  passed  the  (Jreat  Wall,  and  arrived  on  the  1st  of  De- 
cember at  Pekin,  where  he  remained  until  the  15th  of  May  in  the  fol- 
lowing year. 

All  the  European  embassies  which  have  gone  to  Pekin  have  made 
but  a  very  short  stay  in  the  capital  of  the  Chinese  empire,  and  have  been 
continually  subjected  to  a  most  annoying  surveillance,  prompted  by  the 
distrust  which  the  Chhieso  exhibit  toward  strangers.  M.  Tiinkovski 
visited  Pekin  under  much  more  fav(»rable  auspiees;  like  all  Hussiiins  lie 
eiijoycil  full  liberty,  being  allowed  to  pass  through  the  various  (piarters 
of  that  immense  city  and  to  visit  all  its  monuments  and  euriositie:^ 
llonce  he  was  enabled  to  make  more  aeeunxte  observations  than  the  tra\- 
elers  Avho  had  previously  visited  China;  besides  wliieh,  he  had  at  his 
disposal  several  interpreters  who  were  perfectly  accjuainted  with  the 
language  of  the  country  ;  conse<pientIy  his  remarks  are  worthy  of  greater 
confidence  than  those  of  the  travelers  who,  being  unaeqtiainted  with 
chher  Chinese  or  Manehoo,  could  nut  enter  into  conversation  with  the 
inhabitants  of  the  emjure. 

On  tile  14th  (if  .Tunc,  1'72R.  a  treaty  of  peace  was  concluded  between 
Coinit  \  lailisl;iviteii,  einbassmlor  extraordiuiiry  of  Ku^jsiii,  and  tlie  miri- 
istera  of  (.^liina.     The  lii\h  article  is  as  follows:  "The  Uussians  shall 


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350 


TIMKOVSKI'S    JOURNEY    TO    PEKIN. 


henccfortli  occupy  in  Pekin  the  kua?i,  or  court,  wliicli  they  at  present  in- 
habit. In  accordance  with  the  wishes  of  the  Uu.ssian  embassador  a 
church  sliall  be  erected,  with  the  assistance  of  the  Chinese  government. 
The  priest  who  resides  at  Pekin,  and  the  three  others  who  are  expected, 
according  to  the  articles  of  agreement,  sliall  be  lodged  in  the  kuan,  or 
court,  above-mentioned.  These  three  priests  shall  be  connected  with 
the  same  church,  and  receive  the  same  provisions  as  the  present  priest. 
The  Russians  will  be  permittod  to  Trorship  God  according  to  the  rites  of 
tlicir  religion.  There  shall  likewise  be  received  into  this  house  four 
young  students,  and  two  of  a  more  advanced  age,  conversant  with  the 
KuBsian  and  Latin  languages,  whom  the  embassador  is  desirous  of  leav- 
ing in  Pekin  in  order  to  learn  the  languages  of  the  country.  They  shall 
be  supported  at  the  expense  of  the  emperor,  and  shall  be  at  liberty  to 
return  to  their  country  as  soon  as  they  shall  have  completed  their 
studies." 

In  accordance  with  this  treaty,  the  Russian  mission,  consisting  of 
six  ecclesiastical  members  and  four  laymen,  was  established  in  I'ekin. 
The  lay  members  were  young  men  engaged  in  the  study  of  the  Manchoo 
and  Chinese  languages,  and  in  acquiring  correct  hiformation  respecting 
the  country.  The  usual  sojourn  of  the  mission  at  Pekin  is  lixed  at  ten 
years,  but  the  correspondence  between  the  Russian  minister  of  foreign 
affairs  in  the  name  of  the  controlling  senate,  and  the  tribunal  of  Pekin, 
is  subject  to  80  many  delays,  that  the  5tay  of  the  mission  usually  con- 
tinues for  a  longer  period.  In  conformity  with  the  litlh  article  of  the 
treaty  anew  mission  Hct  out  from  St.  Petersburg  in  1819  to  replace  that 
wliicli  had  been  in  Pekin  since  the  10th  of  January,  1808.  It  arrived 
at  Irkoutsk  in  February,  1820,  and  on  the  15th  of  July  at  Troitsko-savsk, 
a  fortress  better  known  under  the  name  of  Kiakhta,  where  it  made  prep- 
arations to  pass  the  frontiers  within  a  month, 

M.  Tinikovski  was  ordered  to  accompany  the  new  mission  from 
Kiakhta  to  Pekin,  and  to  bring  back  the  one  which  had  been  there 
since  1808.  Ilis  retinue  was  composed  of  an  inspector  of  baggage,  an 
interpreter  of  Mongolese  and  Manchoo,  and  a  detachment  of  thirty  Cos- 
sacks. The  latter  were  to  escort  the  u.  ^gaj-  j.  From  the  time  the  mis- 
sion passt'd  the  Russian  frontiers,  it  was  under  the  protection  of  tho 
Chinese  government. 

The  mission  prepared  to  leave  Russia  as  early  as  possible,  in  order  to 
avoid  the  difliculties  inseparable  from  a  journey  in  the  latter  end  of 
autumn  across  the  cold  and  arid  steppes  of  Mongolia,  anil  especially  in 
the  desert  of  (iobi.  The  ('hinese  conductors  did  not  arrive  until  tho 
27tli  of  August  at  Maimatchin,  which  is  the  Chmese  port  of  Kiakhta, 
situated  immediately  on  the  frontier,  three  miles  from  Tr(>itsko-sav»k. 
M.  Tiinkovski  repaired  thither  and  hastencil  the  preparations  for  the 
journey.  The  stafl*  of  the  (Chinese  conductors  consisted  of  an  inspector 
and  a  boahko,  or  sergeant-major.  The  former,  named  Tschiiig,  Avas  a 
hitkhcshi,  or  secretary  uf  the  seventh  class,  and  was  sixty  years  of  ago ; 


DEPARTURE  PROM  KIAKHTA. 


351 


he  wore  upon  Lis  cap,  but  only  out  of  the  capital,  a  white  button  of 
opaque  stone,  which  gave  him  the  rank  of  mandarin  of  the  sixth  class, 
lie  was  accompanied  by  Chackdor,  a  Mongolese  interpreter  aged  twenty 
years,  and  two  nci'bs^  or  servants,  father  and  son.  Gurgeutai,  the  boshko, 
was  forty-seven  years  of  age ;  out  of  the  capital  he  wore  on  his  cap  a 
gilded  button  indicating  the  seventh  class,  and  was  attended  by  a  serv- 
ant. There  was  yet  one  important  afiair  to  be  attended  to  before  set- 
ting out.  It  was  necessary  to  bestow  a  few  presents  upon  the  conduct- 
ors to  induce  them,  as  the  season  Avas  so  far  advanced,  to  provide  the 
mission  without  delay  with  yourtcx,  or  kibitkas  (felt-tents),  and  otlnir 
objects  indispensable  to  so  long  a  journey. 

On  the  30th  of  Augtist  the  festival  of  the  Emperor  Alexander  wa.s 
celebrated  by  a  Te  Ikuni  chanted  in  the  church  of  Kiakhta.  It  was 
followed  by  a  dinner  given  by  the  counselor  of  chancery,  commissioner 
of  the  frontier,  at  which  were  present  the  Tsarg(»oclit'i>  of  Maimatchin, 
the  boshko,  the  principal  Ciiincsc  merchants,  and  the  conductors  of  the 
mission.  They  drank  to  the  health  of  the  emperor  and  of  the  IJogdo- 
klian  (emperor  of  China),  and  to  an  eternal  friendship  between  the  two 
empires.  These  toasts  were  drunk  to  the  sound  of  volleys  of  artillery 
and  tho  ringing  of  bells ;  the  soldiers  of  the  garrison,  in  full  parade, 
ni;ule  the  air  resound  Avith  songs  of  rtjoicing.  Tho  joy  and  freedom 
which  reigned  in  this  little  festival  of  the  liussians  made  a  lively  im- 
pression on  the  minds  of  their  guests. 

The  j)rcliminary  arrangements  being  finally  all  completed,  the  mis- 
sion set  ibrward  on  the  .list  of  August.  The  baggage  went  in  advance 
to  the  first  station,  aljout  five  miles  from  Kiakhta.  The  mission  was  ac- 
companied by  the  dignitaries  and  principal  citizens  of  Troitska-savsk  to 
Kiakhta,  where  they  all  rc}iaired  to  church,  afler  which  they  were  enter- 
tained at  a  diinier  by  the  merchants  of  the  ])lace.  Afler  dinner  they 
went  to  thank  (Jod  once  more  \\\Hm  the  soil  of  their  country  ;  then,  ac- 
companied by  tho  clergy  of  Kiakhta,  preceded  by  crucifixes,  and  at- 
tended }>y  tho  ringing  of  bells,  tliey  arrived  at  the  frontier.  Notwitli- 
standing  the  rain  a  large  concourse  of  curious  liussians  and  Chinese  wa3 
assembled.  After  stopping  awhile  at  the  house  of  the  Tsargoochee,  they 
entered  the  Chinese  empire  at  six  o'clock  in  tho  evening,  accomj)anied 
by  the  custom-house  director,  and  the  counselor  of  chancery.  Arriving 
at  some  tents  which  the  Chinesi^  had  erected  at  the  distance  of  two 
miles,  the  Tsargoochee  oft'ered  them  tea;  they  then  took  1  ave  of  their 
fellow-countrymen  and  proceeded  on  their  journey  through  a  lieavy  rain. 
A  detachment  of  twenty  ]\Iongolese  troopers  formed  their  advance- 
guard.  Toward  seven  o'clock  they  halted,  afler  having  gone  about 
three  miles.  They  found  lour  yourtes  prepared  for  them  ;  one  was  for 
the  clergy,  another  for  tlu'  students,  the  third  for  ]\I.  Timkovski  and 
suite,  and  the  fourth  for  the  Cossacks.  The  baggage  had  alrciidy  ar- 
rived;  the  horses  and  oxen  fi'd  ;  as  to  the  camels,  they  were  prepared 
fur  the  journey  Ijy  depriving  tliem  of  food  and  drhik  for  twelve  days. 


'f  i 


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(.'j. 


552 


TIMKOVSKI'S    JOURNEY    TO    I'EKIN. 


Tho  horses  ■yvliich  liad  boon  oinployod  in  transporting  the  baggage  W(!ro 
deprived  of  food  all  night,  in  order  to  strengthen  them,  according  to  the 
custom  of  the  Mongolese  and  the  inhabitants  of  Siberia. 

They  made  preparations  for  departing  at  an  early  hour  next  morning, 
but  a  long  time  passed  before  the  camels  were  cauglit  and  loaded,  as 
they  were  very  wild  ;  one  of  the  horses  started  to  run  toward  the  front- 
ier so  swiftly  that  the  Cossacks  and  Mongols  could  not  recapture  it.  At 
length  they  succeeded  in  getting  under  way ;  the  baggage  went  in  ad- 
vance, then  the  camels  and  the  vehicles,  an  arrangement  which  was  ob- 
served throughout  the  journey.  The  members  of  the  mission  then  pro- 
ceeded in  equipag(>s,  and  the  horses  fol'owed  slowly,  hi  order  to  Inisband 
their  strength.  The  oxen  were  left  under  the  safeguard  of  a  Mongolese, 
with  five  soldiers  under  him ;  at  night  three  Cossacks  watched  alter- 
nately. In  order  to  have  an  eye  over  all,  M.  Timkovski  made  the  whole 
journey  on  horseback,  liaving  under  his  orders  an  inspector  of  baggage, 
the  inter])reter,  and  ii  Cossack.  The  summer  having  been  rainy,  the 
plain  was  covered  with  water  and  extremely  muddy;  after  having  trav- 
eled two  miles  they  reached  a  more  elevated  })lace,  Avhence  they  beheld 
Kiakhta ;  the  church,  the  houses  of  their  friends  and  other  jilaces  Avhich 
were  known  to  them,  were  tho  last  objects  which  recalled  their  country, 
suggesting  the  hope  of  one  day  returning  to  it. 

The  koudoni  of  their  next  station,  situated  upon  the  right  bank  of  tho 
Ibitsykh,  came  to  meet  them,  and  saluted  them  in  tlie  manner  of  the 
horsemen  of  the  steppes ;  ho  dismounted  from  his  horse,  bent  the  left; 
knee  before  Timkovski,  rested  his  right  arm  upon  his  side,  and  support- 
ing it  with  the  left  hand,  cried,  '■'■Attiour  !"  (peace).  He  then  remounted 
and  conducted  them  by  a  ford  to  the  tents,  where  the  mission  arrived  at 
four  o'clock  in  the  evening.  During  the  night,  the  tliermometer  indi- 
cated twenty-five  degrees  Fahrenheit.  In  the  valleys,  surrounded  by 
liigh  mountains,  the  air  i3  always  cold ;  beyond  Kiakhta,  which  is  quite 
elevated,  there  is  a  considerable  ascent  to  the  desert  of  Gobi ;  this  they 
perceived  in  the  continually  increasing  cold  of  the  atmosphere.  M. 
Struve,  who  was  in  the  southern  part  of  tho  country  of  the  Khaikhas,  on 
the  2()th  of  December,  1805,  states  that  at  twelve  miles  from  Kiakhta, 
the  great  elevation  of  that  j)art  of  Mongolia  obliged  him  to  take  a  largo 
quantity  of  hot  tea ;  and  yet  his  health  did  not  sufter  in  consequence. 

Tliey  Ibund  their  linen  tents  quite  useless,  the  texture  not  being  com- 
]>act  enough  ;  and  they  could  not  kindle  a  fire  in  them.  Having  no 
yourtes,  which  are  so  serviceable  to  those  who  traverse  the  steppes,  and 
«leprived  of  the  time  and  means  of  obtaining  w.ater  and  argal,  or  fuel, 
which  is  used  in  the  desert,  they  were  sometinu'S  obliged,  by  th(  '  '')itual 
indolence  of  their  Chinese  conductors,  to  have  recourse  to  the  inhabit- 
ants for  aid,  especially  in  obtaining  good  ])astures  for  their  animals.  M. 
Timkovski  testified  their  gratefulness  to  the  people  for  these  favors  by 
hMiiill  presents.  In  the  morning  their  departure  was  agaiii  delayed  by 
the  dirticulty  in  harnessuig  the  horses  of  the  steppes,  which  were  not  ao- 


•■ 


m 


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THE  PRAYER  OF  THE  MONGOLS. 


353 


customed  to  drawing  carriages.     The  ^loiigoleso  admired  the  dexterity 
and  courage  of  the  Cossacks,  who  managed  three  wild  liorses  at  a  time. 

At  a  short  distance  a  mountain  rose  on  one  hand,  and  on  the  left  ex- 
tended a  deep  valley  in  which  they  saw  some  scattered  yourtes  and  a 
few  solitary  bircii-trees.  They  descended  thither  by  a  narrow  j)ath 
along  the  steep  rocks  of  the  Isagan-oola,  or  White  Mountain,  whose  base 
Avas  carpeted  with  luxuriant  herbage.  The  rocks  were  covered  with 
Avoods,  chiefly  of  birch,  whose  yellow-tinted  leaves  aimounced  tho  ap- 
proach of  autumn.  The  heat  of  the  day  frecpiently  obliged  the  camels 
to  stop,  and  greatly  retarded  their  journey.  From  the  summit  of  the 
mountains  lying  midway  between  the  Ibitsykh  and  the  Iru,  they  per- 
ceived a  i)lahi  of  a  few  miles  circuit,  surrounded  by  mountains,  and 
sprinkled  over  with  fields  of  millet  and  other  grain.  On  ap[)roaching 
this  |)lain  a  lanui  of  a  very  advanced  age,  who  was  going  on  horseback 
to  visit  his  fields,  accorpanied  them  for  a  long  time.  He  held  in  one 
hand  a  string  of  beads,  whicu  ne  raised  toward  the  sky.  This  priest  of 
Budtlha  Avas  continually  rejieating  these  words  :  Orntiui  ni  hut  )iu>, khom,' 
he  accompanied  them  Avith  deep  sighs,  and  pronounced  them  in  the  tone 
adopted  for  the  jtrayers,  Avhich  greatly  resembles  the  sound  of  a  double- 
bass,  or  the  Inunmiiig  of  bees.  Every  follower  of  Buddha  is  obliged  to 
recite  this  prayer  as  often  as  he  can,  AA'hile  devoting  himself  to  pious 
nicilitatious.  In  order  that  it  may  not  be  forgotten,  it  is  Avritten  upon 
Unen,  jiaper,  Avood,  and  stone,  in  the  temples,  in  the  tents,  and  by  the 
Avayside.  The  ]Mongolese  latnas  pretend  that  these  AA'ords  :  0)n  ma  ni 
hi(t  i)ie  k/io///,  to  Avhich  they  ascribe  a  mysterious  and  supernatm'al 
l)()\ver,  exempt  the  faithful  from  suffering  in  a  future  life,  increase  their 
good  (jiialities,  and  bring  them  nearer  divine  perfection. 

The  itihal)ilaiit  of  these  stepjies,  convinced  of  the  existence  of  a  su- 
proine,  incomprehensible,  and  all-{)Owerful  Being,  Avhose  poAver  extends 
over  all  nature,  believes  that  his  beneficent  spirit  manifests  itself  most 
Avilliiigly  in  objects  Avhich  aj)pear  in  colossal  forms.  For  this  reason 
a  huge  rock,  a  lofty  mountain,  a  large  tufted  tree,  or  a  great  river, 
is  an  object  of  reverence  to  a  Mongolese.  lieforo  this  he  raises, 
with  reverence,  according  to  the  direction  of  a  lama,  an  abo,  or  altar 
of  stiiiie,  sand,  earth,  or  Avood,  before  Avhich  he  prostrates  himself 
to  adore  the  divinity.  In  tune  of  Avar  he  desires  aid  to  van(push 
his  (Mieiny  and  to  defend  his  country;  he  addresses  it  AA'hen  sickness 
atHirts  his  fimily  or  his  cattle,  and  in  all  misfortunes.  A  Mongolese  who 
meets  with  an  abo,  descends  from  his  lu)rse,  pl.aces  himself  on  its  south- 
ern side,  turning  his  face  tOAvard  the  north,  and,  prostrating  himself 
many  times  upon  the  earth,  deposits  something  upcm  the  altar.  They 
often  saw  locks  of  hair  upon  the  aboes,  these  being  the  votive  offerings 
of  wandering  horsemen  in  behalf  of  their  cattle,  their  inseparable  com- 
panions. 

Leaving  the  plain  by  a  narroAV  passage  betAveen  the  liills,  they  de- 
scended l(»  the  meadoAvs  of  the  Iro,  and  reached  the  banks  of  that  river 

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854 


TIMKOVSKI'S   JOURNEY    TO    PEKIN. 


ill  the  evening.  A  great  number  of  the  inliabitants,  and  the  people  attached 
to  the  service  of  tlie  priests,  were  assembled  there  to  aid  the  mission  in 
crossing.  The  continual  rains  of  summer  had  swollen  the  waters  of  the 
river,  and  increased  the  rapidity  of  tlie  current.  The  most  important  ef- 
fects were  transported  on  komygas,  or  large  Ijeams  of  hollowed  jiines, 
somewhat  resembling  canoes,  which  were  lashed  together  in  pairs,  for 
passing  the  water.  The  camels  forded  the  stream  higher  up.  With  all 
their  exertions,  the  transportation  was  not  completed  by  ten  o'clock. 
The  people  forded  the  stream  next  day,  and  one  of  the  Cossacks  caught 
a  fever,  irom  which  he  suflercd  a  long  time.  In  the  evening,  the  tsang- 
hiii  of  the  place  called  upon  M.  Timkovski,  and  entreated  him  to  exer- 
cise his  authority  ui  forbidding  the  students  to  conthme  the  amusement 
of  ilsliing,  in  which  they  were  engaged.  He  hastened  to  comply  w  ith 
the  wishes  of  the  ]\tongolese,  who  regard  the  fishes  as  sacred,  in  accord- 
ance with  their  belief  in  metempsychosis,  a  dogma  of  their  religion. 

The  night  was  mild,  and  the  mission  set  forth  early  on  the  moining 
of  the  Jkl.  As  soon  as  they  had  left  their  camp,  some  Mongolcse  women 
who  had  charge  of  the  domestic  attairs,  came  to  fold  up  the  tents;  in  a 
very  short  time  they  finished  this  work,  loaded  the  camels,  and  retired. 
Throughout  the  Journey  the  yourtes  for  the  guides  were  ))reiiared  in  ad- 
vance, but  those  of  the  mission  were  borrowed  from  the  inhabitants  of 
the  neighborhood,  and  mostly  from  the  poorer  classes.  After  traveling 
fifteen  miles,  they  reached  an  elevation,  upon  which  stood  a  colossal  rock ; 
to  the  right,  rose  the  summit  of  Xareen  Koundoo,  covered  with  lofty 
pines ;  westward,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Solby,  which  empties  into  the 
Ockhon,  3Iount  Mingadara  reached  the  clouds.  Xear  this  mountain 
there  are  said  to  be  a  great  number  of  temples,  in  the  largest  of  which 
nearly  four  thousand  lamas  assemble  on  the  days  of  solemn  festivals.  De- 
scending by  a  narrow  and  difficult  path,  they  reached  a  contiacted  gorge ; 
thence  proceeding  by  a  short  ascent,  they  came  to  the  banks  of  the  viver 
Shara,  where  they  halted  in  a  spot  surrounded  by  mountains.  Here  they 
found  four  excellent  yourtes  all  prepared  ;  those  for  the  abbot  and  Tim- 
kovski were  hung  with  nankeen,  with  a  colored  border ;  the  floor  was 
covered  with  a  fi'lt  carpet.  For  these  attentions  tney  were  indebted  to 
Idam  Tsap,  a  venerable  Mongolese  who  accompanied  them.  By  his  or- 
ders, some  bricks  of  tea  were  prepared  for  the  Cossacks. 

The  3Ioiigolesc,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  wandering  tribes  of  Mid- 
dle Asia,  make  great  use  of  this  tea ;  it  takes  the  place  of  both  victuals 
ami  drink  with  them.  The  Chinese,  who  carry  on  a  considerable  trade 
in  it,  never  drink  it.  In  preparing  the  te:i,  they  lay  aside  the  leaves  that 
are  dried  up,  dirty,  or  spoiled,  as  well  as  the  steins,  and  having  mixed 
with  them  a  glutinous  substance,  they  inclose  the  mass  in  oblong  molds, 
and  dry  them  in  ovens.  The  Mongolese,  the  Hnriates,  the  iidiabitants 
of  Siberia,  beyond  Lake  Baikal,  as  well  as  the  Calmucks,  take  a  lump  of 
this  tea,  pound  it  in  a  mortar,  and  then  throw  the  jxAVfler  into  a  bronze 
vessel  fiUcfl  with  boiling  water,  which  they  leave  upon  the  fire  for  some 


^ 


d- 


MORAL  CODE  OP  THE  BUDDHISTS. 


855 


time,  .iflding  to  it  a  little  salt  and  milk ;  they  somotimcs  mix  with  it  some 
flour  fried  in  oil. 

On  encamping,  the  second  evening  afterward,  a  crowd  of  ]\roiigolese 
immediately  surrounded  their  equipages,  the  ironed  wheels  especially  at- 
tracting their  attention.  The  Mongolcse  carriage  is  usually  constructed 
with  two  wheels,  which  turn  with  the  axle.  The  wheel  is  form  1  of  two 
small  square  blocks  of  wood,  placed  across  each  other,  and  hr  ing  the 
angles  rounded  off.  Next  day,  they  crossed  the  Tumcrkay,  w  ^se  sum- 
mit was  crowned  by  a  colossal  abo  of  stones,  and  then  passed  by  a  rapid 
descetit  through  the  gorges  of  that  mountain,  and  continued  their  route 
through  narrow  defiles  where  lofty  mountains  towered  up  oji  one  hand, 
Avhile  on  the  other  enoniious  rocks  hung  over  their  hea<ls.  Emerging 
from  these,  they  passed  over  a  dangerous  declivity,  and  entered  a  ))lain 
which  led  to  the  Khara  (black)  River,  on  whose  banks  they  encamped. 
It  rained  all  night ;  the  weather  was  continually  cloudy.  For  the  first 
time  they  were  obliged  to  make  use  of  their  four  yourtes  and  their  tents, 
in  order  to  shelter  the  baggage  from  the  rain.  After  diimer  they  fished 
in  the  Khara.  This  exercise,  unknown  to  the  Mongolese,  attracted  a 
crowd  of  spectators.  They  were  richly  rewarded  for  their  pains,  but 
their  venerable  Mongolese  friend,  Idam  Tsap,  a  zealous  believer  in  metemp- 
sychosis, soon  came  with  his  nephew,  and  entreated  them  to  throw  the 
fish  back  into  the  water  ;  which  they  thought  it  best  to  do. 

It  may  be  well  to  observe  here  in  explanation  of  this  circumstance 
thiit  the  moral  code  of  Buddha  reckons  ten  mortal  sins,  or  black  actions, 
divided  thus : 

Shta  of  the  body : — Assassination,  theft,  forrication. 
Sins  of  speech: — Lying,  calumny,  obscene  words,  and  threatening 
expressions. 

Sins  of  the  soul: — Vengeance,  envy,  the  abandonment  of  the  true 
doctrine. 

The  ten  supremo  virtues,  or  white  notions,  consist  in  every  thing 
wliich  is  opposed  to  these  sins.  Homicide  alone  is  not  the  greatest 
sin,  but,  according  to  the  ideas  concerning  the  transmigration  of  souls,  it 
is  a  sin  to  kill  the  smallest  animal.  No  lama,  no  pious  Mongolese,  will 
take  the  life  of  an  insect:  still  it  is  permitted  to  eat  the  flesh  of  animals 
slaughtered  by  another.  This  is  probably  because  many  of  the  stepjies, 
not  being  adapteil  to  tillage,  offer  only  flesh  for  nourishment. 

Toward  evening  several  IMongolese,  attracted  by  the  singing  of  the 
Cossacks,  gathered  near  to  listen  to  them,  and  even  the  guiiles  heard 
tlicm  with  pleasure.  It  was  evident  that  the  mehnly  Avas  to  their  taste. 
Meanwhile  the  boshko  was  resting  in  the  tent  of  the  abbot  and  attempt- 
inji;  to  learn  by  heart  some  Russian  Avords,  such  as:  liaran  (ram),  ovtsa 
(ewe),  Icon  (horse),  wytha  (brandy),  rinmhi  (glass  of  wine),  etc.  As  to 
^•idrhUud  (camel),  and  others  like  it,  he  could  not  pronounce  them  be- 
cause of  the  accumulated  consonants.     For  the  rest,  the  Manchoos  and 


I 

5 

^ 

i 
t 

•lij: 

v. 

/Ji  j 

r 

1 

i 

1 

!      I. 

*     r 


\n 


11 


»i 


mil  . 

■'Ill 


iN«i: 


UV' 


!    t 


if 

.  1        > 

ll'.l    ! 

1 

1 

1 
J     1 

1 

i 
t 

•■I 


356 


TIMKOVSKI'S    JOURNEY    TO    PEKIN. 


the  JMonijolese  liivvo  much  greater  fiu-ility  tliaii  tlie  Cliiiicse  in  pro- 
noiincint'  IbiuiLjn  words. 

III  the  evening  of  September  10th,  they  encamped  at  the  foot  of 
Mount  Noin,  on  the  l)anks  of  the  l>oro.  South-west  from  their  tents 
rose  a  mountain  which  presented  tlie  apjK'arancu  of  a  vast  rampart,  al)- 
ruptly  terminated  hy  a  steep  rock,  called  Khorhntii,  or  the  j>iace  of 
arrival.  Westward  a  lavine  fi)rmed  a  passage  for  the  Boro,  from  a  lake 
of  the  same  name,  and  southward  was  seen  the  summit  of  Mi'unt  Our- 
gliemyl,  crowned  by  an  abo.  A  few  persons  of  the  caravan,  attracted 
by  the  beauty  of  the  evening,  started  out  with  the  intention  of  walking 
in  the  neighboring  woods  of  ]\Iount  Xoin.  The  tussulakhchi  soon  came 
to  jM.  Timkovski,  and  begged  him  to  ])revent  them  fr<»m  going,  as  the 
forest  was  infested  by  bears.  He  at  once  sent  word  to  them  by  a  Cos- 
sack, aiul  they  presently  returned.  It  afterward  came  to  light  that  the 
entrance  to  tlie  forests  of  Mount  Noin  was  ])rohibite(l  to  every  body, 
except  the  k'taifi-rim;/,  and  (inihan  of  the  Ourga,  who  with  their  train 
come  thither  in  the  autumn  to  hunt. 

in  the  morning  they  ])roceeded  along  Mount  Ourghemyl,  and  con- 
tinued their  journey  through  a  wild  mountain  region,  frequently  ascend- 
ing and  descending  by  toilsome  and  dangero:i-  passes.  In  the  afternoon 
they  crossed  by  a  long  but  easy  ascent  over  Narassotii,  or  the  mountain 
of  pines,  which  derives  its  name  from  a  tall  ])ine  upon  its  summit,  greatly 
venerated  by  the  Moiigolese.  This  tree  was  dec  orated  Avitli  pieces  of 
linen,  strings  of  beads,  and  all  sorts  of  things,  which  the  devotees  suspend 
iij)on  it.  At  three  o'clock  they  arrived  at  a  station  in  the  midst  of  a 
marshy  ))laiii,  surrounded  by  mountains  which  are  ])artly  covered  with 
groves  of  birch-trees.  Great  immbers  of  sheep  and  buffaloes  were  scat- 
tered over  the  jilain,  among  its  rich  ])astures.  The  singular  appearance 
of  the  latter  animals,  their  black  color  and  bushy  hair,  greatly  territied 
the  horses  of  the  caravan.  They  continually  met  with  Mongolese  re- 
turning from  the  Ourga,  or  residence  of  the  Gheghen-khutiikhtu,  or 
graiid-j)riest.  A  lama,  aged  a  hundred  years,  came  to  see  them ;  he 
was  so  feeble  that  he  could  liardly  retain  his  seat  on  horseback,  and  was 
supjmrted  by  two  servants.  Su))posing  jM.  Timkovski  and  the  Cossack 
oflicers  to  be  students,  he  wished  them  much  success  in  the  sciences,  on 
their  arrival  at  Pekin. 

Among  other  adorers  of  the  khutiikhti'i,  or  highest  Buddhist  priest, 
they  mei  the  lama  of  Ibitsykh,  before  alluded  to.  He  was  returning 
from  the  Ourga,  where  he  had  been  to  pay  homage  to  the  deified  child. 
As  soon  as  he  came  /lear  he  leaped  irom  his  horse  and  drew  from 
his  liosom  a  khadak,  in  which  was  enveloped  a  paper-box  containing 
small  Chinese  cakes  whii-li  he  presented  to  them  and  ^^  ished  them  a 
prosperous  journey,  and  the  blessings  of  the  khiitukhtu  for  life.  In 
return  for  this  kindness,  M.  Timkovski  presented  to  him  a  knife.  lie 
was  deliglited  with  this  mark  of  attention,  and  highly  applauded  tlieir 
intention  of  seeing  the  temple  of  the  khiitukhtu,  in  passing  the  Ourga. 


i 


i 


wi 

air 

soil 

II 

ill 

fii 


til 
tors 

deed 

the 

pie; 

woi- 

soel 

hear 

trav 

hri( 

pare 


I 


•st, 

loin 

)"g 

Ilia 

In 

llle 

licir 
I'tia* 


4 


MONOOLESE    SONGS. 


357 


The  kliadMv  is  a  yellow  or  jtearl-colorod  baiul  of  silk,  ornamented  with 
small  figures  of  the  same  color.  The  Mongolesc  and  Thibet.ans  suspend 
these  khadiiks  before  their  idols  to  decorate  their  offerings,  and  attach 
their  prayers  tu  them.  The  yoiuig  people  present  tliem  to  the  more 
ao^ed,  as  a  proof  of  esteem  and  devotion,  and  they  are  exchanged  by  per- 
sons of  the  same  age  in  token  of  fiiendshii>.  They  place  a  large  arrow, 
enveloped  in  a  khadak,  on  the  places  where  the  remains  of  their  rel- 
atives and  friends  repose.  The  khadak  must  be  blessed  by  a  lama; 
it  is  only  after  this  ceremony  that  it  acipiires  su]ternatural  virtues. 

In  the  evening  of  the  l.^tli,  the  north-west  wind,  the  harbinger  of  a 
rainy  season,  began  to  blow  with  force.  Several  of  the  Congolese  sen- 
tinels sang  their  national  songs.  ]\[.  Timkovski  called  two  of  them  to 
bim  and  gave  them  some  brandy,  to  induce  them  to  continue  singing. 
The  airs  of  their  songs  resembl  each  other  ;  they  are  generally  plaintive 
and  harmonious.  The  horse,  tlu;  friend  .and  companion  of  the  inhabit- 
ant of  the  steppe,  always  takes  a  prominent  place  in  these  songs.  Tim- 
kovski gives  the  following  transl.ations  of  some  .songs  which  he  heard. 
"In  this  A'ast  plain  was  born  the  dun-colored  charger,  swift  as  the  arrow, 
the  ornanent  of  the  herd,  the  glory  of  the  whole  tribe.  Called  to  the 
chase  by  the  ruler,  Idam  flies  to  the  forest  of  Kharatchin,  overthrows 
the  goats  and  the  stags,  and  fells  the  fierce  wild  boars  and  the  terrible 
p.inthers.  P2very  one  admires  the  boldness  of  the  rider  and  the  fleetness 
of  his  steed." 

"  Behold  the  young  Tsyicn,  armed  for  the  service  of  the  khan  ;  he 
flies  to  the  Russian  frontier  to  guard  jMendzin  ;  he  ;iddresses  his  prayers 
to  the  household  divinities  ;  he  takes  leave  of  his  father  and  mother: 
Anth  s.adness  his  wife  saddles  his  bliick  hors(>.  AVitli  a  sail  and  dresuny 
air  the  cavalier  speeds  away  toward  the  north.  Tlie  wind  of  the  desert 
scarcely  moves  the  ])lumes  of  his  arrows,  ami  his  elastic  bow  resounds 
upon  his  saddle.  Tsyrcn  rides  through  gloomy  and  unkrown  forests  ; 
hi  tiie  distance  he  beholds  blue  mountains  which  arc  strange  to  him  ;  the 
friendly  words  of  the  Coss.acks,  his  v.aliant  companions,  cheer  his  sad- 
dened soul ;  but  his  thoughts  ever  return  to  tiic  paternal  mountains." 

"With  uiupiiet  soul,  with  a  spirit  bowed  luider  an  unknown  weight, 
the  young  ^longol  sees  in  his  dreams  the  shades  of  warriors,  his  ances- 
tors, i»ass  before  his  eyes." 

"  Where  is  our  Genghis-khan,  menacing  and  fearless  ?  His  high 
deeds  resound  in  mel.a'icholy  songs  amid  the  rocks  of  Onon  and  npf)n 
the  green  1  uiks  of  Khcriilun.  *  *  *  Who  adv.ances  upon  the 
pleasant  road  beside  the  Shaia,  singing  in  a  low  voice  some  cherished 
M'ords  ?  Whose  is  this  bay-brown  courser  that  runs  so  swiftly  ?  What 
seek  the  eyes  of  this  brave  youth,  passing  Ixfore  the  white  tents?  his 
heart  knows  well  who  is  she  tli.at  dwells  there.  Soon  will  he  cease  to 
traverse  these  mountains;  soon  will  his  fiery  courser  win   for  him  a 


bride 


li.'u-ed  for  the  course. 


This  It.ay  steed,  this  steed  like  a  whirlwind,  ho  is  pre- 
*     *     The   abo  is   coveretl  with   spectators. 


'1 

■  "  1 

i 

■  I 

•i 

il!   '   ! 


II 


imM 


-HI 


!i 


i  u. 


! 

i 

I 

1 

■    * 

J 

1 

i' 
1 1 

1 

! 

1 
I 

1 
* 

M 

■  .' 

858 


TIMKOVSKI'S    JOURNEY    TO    PEKIN. 


IIu  neighs;  witli  his  light  fout  he  grazes  the  polntnl  shnts.  The  signal 
is  given,  all  rush  toward  the  goal.  Clouds  of  du.-t  <  'v,cr  the  racer  ,  and 
the  bay  charger,  always  victorious,  arrives  first,  leu-  J  ig  his  rivals  In  the 
distance." 

On  the  14tli  of  Septenabei",  at  the  break  of  day,  the  rain  lull  abund- 
antly ;  the  summits  of  the  mountains  were  concealed  hi  a  thick  mist. 
In  i)assing  over  the  heights  of  Mount  Nareen  they  met  a  number  of 
lamas  and  ^Mongolcse  of  inferior  rank,  returning  fiom  theOurga;  anions 
tliem  was  a  wealthy  old  officer,  the  commander  of  a  body  of  wandering 
3Iongolese.  His  tent,  which  was  well-Hnished,  was  carried  by  several 
camels,  surrounded  by  saddle-horses ;  his  Avife  was  seated  in  a  chariot, 
draw  n  by  one  horse.  For  a  long  time  the  rain  fell  incessantly,  accom- 
panied by  a  cutting  wind  from  the  north  ;  and  at  length  a  damp  snow 
completely  spoiled  the  roads.  The  camels  slij)ped  and  fell.  Finally  they 
reached  a  station  on  the  banks  of  the  Arashan,  where  they  halted  at  two 
o'clock.  Shortly  afterward  the  boshko  set  out  for  the  Ourga,  to  au- 
nouncc  the  arrival  of  the  mission. 

Meanwhile  the  tussulakhchi,  Idam,  told  them  he  had  received  official 
intelligence  of  the  death  of  the  Emperor  of  China,  who  had  died  on  the 
23d  of  August,  aged  sixty-one  years.  Tiiis  news  was  alarming  to  M. 
Timkovski ;  the  death  of  the  emperor  might  pievent  the  continuation 
of  their  journey.  lie  hastened  to  imbrin  the  chief  of  the  mission  of  this 
eireunistance.  The  abbot  recalled  to  mind,  among  others,  a  Chinese 
dignitary,  who  was  accomi)anying  an  embassy  of  Tsungarian  Calmucks, 
and  who,  hearing  l)y  the  way  of  the  death  of  the  Emperor  Khang-hi,  was 
80  much  alHicted  by  it  that  lie  retired  into  the  mountains  hi  order  to 
mourn  the  great  loss,  and  at  the  same  time  conceal  his  grief  from  his 
fellow-travelers,  and  who  did  not  leave  his  retreat  until  he  had  received 
from  the  new  emperor,  Yung-ching,  the  order  to  continue  his  route  to 
Pekhi.  They  observed  that  the  silk  tassels  and  the  balls  were  removed 
from  the  caps  of  the  Chinese  and  Mongolese  dignitaries  ;  even  the  serv- 
ants had  taken  off  their  silk  tas.sels.  All  were  obliged  to  clothe  them- 
selves in  white,  and  sulVor  their  hair  to  grow.  This  was  in  token  of 
mourning,  which  continues  one  hundred  days. 

The  inhabitants  of  this  region  were  j>oor  ;  the  travelers  were  beset 
by  a  crowd  of  beggars,  who  ate  with  avidity  the  bread  and  meat  which 
they  gave  them.  These  miserable  creatures  came  from  the  most  remote 
countries  to  adore  the  Grand  Lama.  When  at  length  the  caravan  set 
out  the  rays  of  the  sun  Avere  melting  the  snow,  and  the  road  became 
muddy  and  slippery.  Their  route  led  over  Mount  Guntoo,  the  highest 
they  liad  yet  passed  in  their  journey.  The  passage  of  the  mountain  was 
very  fatiguing.  The  camels  slipped  and  fell  continually  ;  it  Avas  only 
Avith  the  greatest  difficulty  that  the  carriages  Avere  drawn  up.  The  sum- 
mit bears  a  colossal  abo,  raised  by  the  devotion  of  the  pilgrims  Avho  go 
to  adore  the  Grand  Lama,  and  small  columns  of  stone  and  wood,  with 
inscriptions  in  the  Thibetan  language  upon  them.     These  were  unintelli- 


^ 


AV( 

th( 


by 
noi 
mis 
gla. 
aut 
tiou 


hie 

1st 
[as 

BU- 


lUi- 


I 


* 


ARRIVAL    AT    TIIK    OURGA. 


859 


gible  to  the  Russians,  and  oven  to  the  Mongolose  lanias ;  probably  tboy 
contained  the  mysterious  prayer  before  aUudeil  to.  On  the  mountain 
tliey  met  a  young  man  of  rank,  who  had  been  at  the  Ourga,  adoring 
the  lama.  lie  was  surrounded  by  Mongolesc  followers,  armed  with 
bows  and  arro\\s  ;  while  his  fiunily  and  kindred  and  a  numerous  retiniio 
accompanied  him,  all  moimted  on  beautiful  black  horses.  This  troop 
was  distinguished  by  its  luxury  and  wealth  ;  the  women  were  especially 
remarkable  for  their  line  forms,  painted  complexions,  and  for  the  sj)k'U- 
dor  of  their  attire.  Their  robes  were  of  fine  blue  satin,  their  caps  of 
sable,  their  silken  girdles  interlaced  with  silver  and  adorned  with  corne- 
lians. Even  thi'ir  saddles  Avere  ornamented  with  these  stones.  These 
beautiful  amazons  ap[)roached  the  strangers  without  timidity,  and  seemed 
willing  to  honor  them  with  their  attention.  The  descent  from  the  mount- 
ain was  steep  and  difficult.  They  followed  the  course  of  the  Selby,  a 
small  but  rapid  stream,  which  led  through  a  narrow  defile  between  two 
lofty  moimtains.  Within  five  miles  of  the  Ourga  they  passed  some  small 
temples,  and  further  on  a  very  largo  one,  of  Thibetan  architecture,  in 
the  midst  of  an  amphitheater  of  mountains.  Upon  tho  highest  rocks 
around  they  read  several  characters  of  colossal  size,  cr^rved  in  the  Thibet- 
an language  upon  the  white  rock.  The  Mongf)le;,e  conductors  said  they 
contained  the  celebrated  prayer :   Om  ma  ni  bat  me  khom. 

It  was  sunset  when  they  arrived  at  the  Ourga  and  entered  the  Rus- 
sian court,  situated  eastward  of  the  residence  of  theGheghen-khutukhtii, 
or  Grand  Lama.  The  Ourga  consisted  of  yourtes.  The  Mongolese  sen- 
tinels who  guardi'd  the  doors,  armed  with  bows  and  arrows,  restrained 
the  people  who  gathered  in  crowds  to  seen  the  Russian  travelers.  On 
the  morning  of  the  10th,  the  Tsargouchee  Iloai  came  from  the  ^lai-ma- 
chiii,  or  mart  of  the  Ourga,  to  present  the  compliments  of  the  vanf/  and 
the  amhon  to  the  abbot  and  M.  Timkovski,  on  their  haj>py  arrival.  IIo 
was  introduced  by  the  IMongolese  conductors,  and  accompanied  by  two 
Manchoo  bitkhechis,  m(>mbers  of  the  yamoun  or  tribunal  of  the  Ourga, 
and  another  j)ublic  functionary.  Iloai  and  the  two  former  were  clothed 
in  deep  blue  robes,  above  which  they  wore  the  white  robe  of  momning, 
and  a  short  cloak  of  lambskin,  Avith  large  sleeves.  These  personages 
wore  followed  by  a  numerous  train  of  domestics.  They  conversed  with 
the  Russians  in  Mongolese  by  the  aid  of  the  interpreter,  and  after  in- 
quiring if  their  journey  had  been  pleasant,  they  asked  if  they  intended  to 
make  a  long  stay  at  the  Ourga.  Timkovski  replied  that,  considering  the 
lateness  of  the  season,  and  the  liability  of  encountering  delays,  they  would 
remain  but  four  or  five  days  ut  furthest.  The  dignitaries  kindly  replied 
by  inviting  them  to  take  tlie  time  needed  for  rest.  They  likewise  an- 
nounced that  the  vang  and  the  amban  would  be  ready  to  receive  tho 
mission  on  the  morrow,  to  which  Timkovski  replied  that  they  would  bo 
glad  to  avail  themselves  of  this  permission,  and  stated  further  that  he  was 
authorized  by  the  governor  of  Irkoutsk  to  tender  his  respects  in  connec- 
tion with  some  presents,  to  the  authorities  of  the  Ourga.     The  interview 


t  '  1 


Wh' '  n 


ii 


tjiiii|l 


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i 

i 


i.i  ii* 


III. 


!.  I 


fni 


360 


TIMKOVSKI'S    JOURNKY    TO    PEKIN. 


Avas  continued  with  many  civilities,  and  after  their  depart ure  otlior  visitors 
Avere  presented,  Avlien  at  length  Khartsagai,  a  kinsman  ol'the  vang,  entered 
to  announce  that  lie  had  been  coniniissioned  to  aid  thenx  in  passing  the  time 
pleasantly,  whicli  might  otherwise  seem  tedious  among  strangers.  He 
iutornied  them,  among  other  things,  that  when  intelligence  of  the  em- 
])eror's  death  was  received,  the  vang  had  at  lirst  intended  to  suspend 
their  jonrncy,  and  even  send  them  back  to  Kiakhta  ;  but,  considering 
the  fatigues  they  iiad  already  undergone,  and  the  exju-nse  their  govern- 
ment had  incurred,  he  had  concluded,  on  his  own  resjtonsibility,  to  allow 
them  to  proceed.  They  learned,  however,  from  Tdam,  that  tlie  vang  had 
Bent  a  courier  to  Pekin,  to  knt)w  what  lie  should  do,  and  that  they  would 
be  oblii^ed  to  remain  at  the  Oiirga  until  the  decision  of  the  (tourt  should 
arrive.  Such  were  the  real  moti\es  of  the  repeated  invitations  they  re- 
ceived to  be  at  their  ease  in  Ourga. 

Kartsagai  left  them  an  instant,  then  returned  with  Idam  and  Demit 
(the  latter  one  of  the  inspectors  appointed  for  the  mission  dining  its 
stay),  and  inipiiri'd  what  were  the  presents  which  tluy  had  brought. 
Timkovski  rephed  that  be  did  not  know,  and  expressed  tlie  desire  of 
presenting  these  gifts  himself  to  the  vang  ami  tlie  anibau.  The  Moiigo- 
lese  approved  (jf  his  intention.  They  afU'rward  (piestioued  him  with  in- 
terest concerning  the  coinitries  ])ordering  on  Russia;  they  wished  to 
know  if  the  terrible  Avar  with  the  French  Avas  terminated  ;  if  luigland 
Avas  very  far  from  Russia. 

On  the  ITtli,  the  mission  visited  the  Aang  and  theamban,  the  highest 
diifiiitaries  of  the  <,)ur'ja.  Twi'h  e  Cossacks  nu)imted  o:?  ^^»n'foIese  horjcs, 
and  advancing  two  by  two,  opened  the  procession  ;  M.  Timkovski  fol- 
lowed on  JKuseback,  with  the  inspector  of  baggage  antl  the  interpreter 
on  either  side;  lU'Xt  came  the  carriages  of  the  clergy,  accompanied  by 
the  students  and  t)ther  priests;  a  centurion,  fullowei'.  by  two  ("ossacks, 
closed  the  march.  The  public  fuiu'tiouaries  of  tlu'  Ourga  walked  before 
the  procession,  and  .-it  the  sides  the  «'on(bu'tors  and  other  employees  with 
their  suite.  The  dilleren<'e  in  featun-s  and  eostunu'  between  the  Moiigo- 
lese  and  the  Russians,  and  even  the  dissimilarity  of  their  horsi's,  gave  to 
this  train  a  siugulai  appearance,  v  hich  Avas  not  witluait  interest:  on  one 
hand  the  white  plumes  of  the  Cossacks  waving  in  the  air,  their  glazed 
bv'lts,  ami  the  blades  of  their  sabers  glitt«'ring  in  tlie  sun  ;  on  the  other, 
the  bright  coloreil  satin  robes  of  the  .MongoU'si',  and  the  ribbons  of  their 
caps  flowing  in  the  wind.  Tliey  alighted  at  the  tlwelling  of  the  vang,  a 
modest  wooden  sti'iicture  in  the  Chinese  style,  and  liileri'd  the  court. 
The  entrance  was  protected  by  twenty  of  tlu'  prince's  body  guard,  clotln'il 
in  white  robes ;  they  were  witliout  belts,  and  lu'ld  their  swords  in  their 
hft  hands. 

lloai  came  to  meet  tbeni,  and  placing  himself  on  the  leH,  (the  place 
of  honor  in  Cliina),  conducted  the  abbot;  Timkovski  i'ollowed,  accom- 
panied by  the  bitkheshi ;  Tsing,  and  the  rest  of  thi'  company  came  al\er 
ihein.     After  traversing  a  court,  they  passed  into  a  kind  of  corridor, 


VISIT   TO    THE    VANCI    AND    THE    AMBAN. 


361 


very  narrow,  vliicli  was  the  hall  of  rocej)tion.  One  side  of  the  ai)art- 
meiit  was  taken  up  with  a  large  window,  trimmed  witii  white  paper,  in 
the  middle  of  whieli  was  a  large  glass  plate.  Near  the  winih)W  tlie  vaiig 
and  the  amban  were  sitting  eross-lugged  upon  a  eonnnon  sofa.  They 
wore  short  eloaks,  white,  and  trinuned  above  with  lambskin.  I'pon  a 
small  table  near  the  window  were  some  English  eloeks,  whieli  were  not 
wound  up.  After  the  eeremonies  of  introduction,  M.  Timkovski,  tiu'ough 
the  interpreter,  addressed  tlie  governors  of  Southern  Jlongolia,  thenthi; 
bo.\e'  containing  the  presents  were  brought  in,  and.  according  to  custom, 
placed  before  the  vang  ami  the  amban  ;  the  former  thus  e.\j)rcsscd  his 
thanks:  "The  custom  of  exchanging  gifts  between  neighbors  and  friends 
is  VL'ry  ancient  among  us;  therefore,  when  you  return  to  your  country, 
we  will  also  give  you  some  presents  for  the  governor  of  Irkoutsk."  lie 
then  caused  them  to  be  seateil  before  him,  and  calling  the  other  )>ersons 
of  the  mission  to  ajiproach  him,  he  addressed  them  successively  as  fol- 
lows:  "These  are  the  khara-Iamas  (black  priests,  the  monks)  ;  these  are 
the  students.  He  adviseil  the  latter  to  be  diligent  to  overcome  all  ob- 
stacles and  fulfill  the  vishes  of  their  government;  to  conduct  tlu'mselvcs 
as  jteople  well-born,  respectable,  smd  worthy  to  do  lu)nor  to  their  coun- 
try." Each  one  was  then  served  with  a  cup  of  tea  with  sugar.  After- 
ward, the  vang  complimented  the  abbot,  adding  that  he  still  remembered 
having  seen  hijn  among  the  young  student>  on  the  way  to  I'ekin.  Wlieii 
he  had  thus  severally  greeted  and  addressed  the  travelers,  M.  Timkovski 
and  the  abliot  i)roftered  him  anil  tae  amban  some  jtresents  of  llussian 
manufacture,  which  he  politely  accepted,  and  appeared  m  ich  jileaseJ 
with  them. 

An  hour  after  their  return  the  vang  sent  to  the  abbot  and  Timkovski 
seventeen  trays  of  sweetmeats,  three  llagons  of  Chinese  wini",  called 
rh<tim,ssin,  made  of  rice,  six  pounds  of  black  tea,  and  to  each  two  jdeces 
of  silk  stulf.  The  other  members  of  the  mission  received  each  one  piece 
of  the  same  stulf.  Each  jiresent  bore  his  address.  The  Cossacks  re- 
ceived two  boxes  of  tea  in  cakes,  containing  thirty-six  cakes  in  each. 
The  vang  was  a  INIongolese  prince,  descended  from  (Jengliis-khan,  and 
was  a  near  relative  of  the  late  Emperor  Kia-khiiiir,  by  his  wife.  Hi  was 
amialilc  ami  intelligent,  polished  in  his  numners,  and  appeared  to  be  a 
lover  of  ihe  arts  and  sciences,  jrid  literature.  Having  lived  a  long  time 
at  the  court  of  I'ekin,  he  had  often  held  intercourse  with  Europeans, 
ancl  had  aivjuircfl  :i  decided  predilection  for  every  thing  European. 
Tile  amban  was  a  subordinate  olhcer,  sent  out  from  I'ekiii  to  as^ist  the 
vang  during  a  term  of  three  years. 

On  the  iHth  tlu' mission  visited  the  Mai-ma-chin,  or  mercantile  quar- 
ter, and  the  Tsargoochee  ;  the  clergy  riding  in  carriages,  the  re*  t  on 
horseback.  On  their  arrival  the  crowd  pressed  around  them  in  spite  of 
the  cries  of  two  civil  oflicers,  who,  in  cimfbrmity  with  the  custom  in 
China,  drove  back  the  intruders  with  heavy  blows  of  the  whip.  They 
dined  with  the  Tsargoochee,  who  received  them  with  great  ci\ility,  and 


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362 


TIMKOVSKI'S    JOURNEY    TO    PEKIN. 


entertained  tliem  kindly.  In  the  course  of  conversation  they  remarked 
tliat  tliey  Avished  to  prepare  for  their  departure  in  four  days,  upon  wliioh 
lie  counseled  them  anew  to  rest  awhile,  adding  that  the  weather  was 
cold  aiul  rainy,  and  that  by  the  rules  of  Chinese  astrology  he  had  se- 
lected a  propitious  day  for  their  departure,  concerning  which  he  would 
si)eak  to  the  governors  of  the  Ourga.  They  thanked  him  for  this  proof 
of  his  good  hitentions  toward  them. 

On  their  return  they  saw  a  number  of  tents,  newly  erected  ;  these 
belonged  to  some  Mongoleso,  who  were  going  to  worship  the  new  khu- 
tiikhtii,  or  lama,  and  more  were  expected  to  arrive.  An  idea  of  the 
festival  celebrated  by  the  Mongolese  on  the  manifestation  of  the  new 
(Jheglu'n-khutukhtt'i,  may  be  obtahied  from  the  following  details,  given 
by  1 'alias,  of  the  one  which  took  place  in  1729,  in  the  ancient  Ourga 
situated  on  the  Iben,  a  tributary  of  the  Orkhon  : 

On  the  22d  of  June,  at  the  second  hour  of  the  day,  that  is,  at  sun- 
rise, tlie  chief  temple  of  thi;  Ourga  was  decorated  for  the  festival.  (Op- 
posite the  entrance  was  placed  the  idol  hotirkluin  oyucha  ;  to  the  Ictl  a 
throne,  adorned  willi  precious  stones  and  rich  stuffs,  had  been  erected, 
and  wooden  seats  had  been  arranged  in  the  temple  for  the  lamas.  The 
sister  of  the  deceased  khiitukhtii,  three  Mongolese  khans,  an  ainbati  who 
wore  a  peacock  feather  in  his  cap,  and  was  sent  from  I'ekin  l)y  the  Em- 
peror Ynng-tsing,  the  father  of  the  new  kiuitukhtii,  the  three  khans  of 
the  Khalkhas,  ami  several  other  3IoJigolese  of  distinction,  were  present 
at  the  festival.  The  number  of  lamas  anumnted  to  nearly  twenty-six 
thousand,  and  of  the  peoj)le,  men,  women  and  cliildren,  to  more  than 
one  hundred  thousand.  When  the  most  im))ortant  personages  had  en- 
tered the  temple,  two  hundred  lances  with  gilded  points  and  adorned 
witii  bronze  ligures  of  wild  beasts,  were  placed  in  two  rows  before  the 
door.  At  the  same  time  a  line  of  two  hmidreil  Mongolese  was  formed, 
bearing  drmns  and  large  copper  trumpets.  When  all  was  ready,  six 
lamas  were  seen  to  come  out  from  the  temjile,  bearing  upon  a  chair  the 
sister  of  the  decease(l  khutiikhtii  ;  she  was  Ibllowed  by  the  khans,  the 
vangs,  ami  all  the  dignitaries,  very  richly  clothed.  The  cortege  moved 
in  silence  to  the  tent  of  the  new  khutiikhtii,  who  was  living  with  his 
father,  Darkhan-chiii  Clian-vang,  at  the  distance  of  a  mile  from  the  tem- 
ple. An  hour  allerward  the  regenerateil  kliiiti'ikhtu  appeared,  eondtuted 
by  tlie  principal  Mongolese  nobles  and  the  oMist  lamas,  who  held  him 
by  tlie  hands  ami  under  the  arms.  They  seated  him  on  a  liorse  magnif- 
icently harnessetl:  the  bridle  was  iield  on  one  si<le  by  a  khubilgan,  or 
pri(>-t  of  IultIi  rank,  and  on  the  other  l»y  the  ta-lama  or  senior  lama. 
When  the  khutiikhtii  came  out  of  the  tent,  the  lamas  ])egan  to  sing 
liynins  in  his  honor,  accompanied  by  the  sound  of  instruments.  Then 
the  nobles  and  the  people  IjowimI  down  very  low,  and  raised  their  handa 
toward  iieaven.  The  train  ofthe  kliiitiikhtii  advanced  slowly  toward  the 
temple;  the  sister  of  the  deceased  khiifiikhtii,  whom  the  newly  >'hosen 
also  culled  his  sister,  followed  him  in  a  sedan  chair.     Tlien  came  Iho 


feSi*^ 


i  ■'  s 


11 


i 


INSTALLATION    OF    A    MONGOLESE    LAMA. 


863 


most  agctl  lama,  Xomeon-khan,  the  Chinese  amban,  all  the  lamas,  the 
vang,  ami  the  other  Mongolese  of  distinction.  The  people  IblloweJ  oa 
both  sitles. 

The  inelosure  before  the  temple  contahied  six  tents,  ornamented  on 
the  top  with  giklcil  points  from  which  hung  rich  stuffs  of '.litierent  colors. 
The  cortege  stopped  at  the  entraiu-e  ;  the  lamas  litled  the  khvitiikhtu 
from  his  horse  with  tokens  of  the  most  profound  reverence,  and  took 
huu  into  the  inelosure  by  the  southern  gate.  Al\er  having  remained 
there  half  an  hour,  the  most  aged  lamius  led  him  by  the  hand  into  the 
temple,  where  his  sister  and  all  the  dignitaries  likewise  entered.  The 
deputy  of  the  dalay-lama,  N(jmeeM-khan,  assisted  by  the  persons  of  his 
suite,  seated  him  on  the  throne,  after  which  the  amban  announced  to  the 
peojjle  the  emperor's  order  that  the  khutiikht'i  should  receive  the  honors 
due  to  his  rank.  Then  the  whole  assemblage  prostrated  themselves 
three  times  upon  the  grouml  ;  after  which  they  jjliued  on  a  table  before 
him  several  khonkhos,  or  small  silver  bells,  which  tlu'  lamas  make  use  of 
during  the  religioua  ceremonies.  Care  had  been  taken  to  keep  back  the 
bell  which  the  khiiti'ikhti'i  had  used  before  his  regt'iieration,  in  order  to 
see  whether  he  would  jicrceive  tiiat  it  was  not  among  thini.  Tiie  khii- 
tiikhtu,  after  having  cast  his  eyes  over  the  bells,  said  to  the  lama  who 
was  next  to  him  :  ''  Why  l»ave  you  not  brought  r.ic  my  own  bell  ?" 
These  words  being  heard,  the  khans,  the  vangs,  tlu;  lamas,  and  all  the 
people,  cried  out :  ''  lie  is  the  true  head  of  our  religioii ;  he  is  our  kliii- 
tukhtii !" 

Oa  the  23d  of  June,  one  hour  after  midnight,  the  amban  and  the 
other  nobles  returned  to  the  teinjile,  aroinid  which  the  ]>eople  were  al- 
rea<ly  assend>led.  At  the  third  hour  (sunrise),  the  khiitiikhtu  was  con- 
ducted thither  by  the  nutst  aged  lamas  and  seated  upon  his  throne.  The 
amlian  ottered  him  the  presents  of  the  emperor,  which  consisted  of  a 
plate  of  gold,  weighing  about  twenty-eight  poumls,  in  the  middle  of 
MJiicii  eight  precious  stones  were  set.  On  the  plate  were  jilaci'd  some 
khadaks,  worth  two  thousand  ruble;  ■au\  eighty-one  pieces  of  gohl  and 
silver  cloth.  A  note  written  upon  ca  '.  indicn'ed  that  the  manutiicturc 
had  e(»st  six  humlred  rul'les.  Finall;  i\v'  amban  jiresented  eighty-ono 
trays  loaded  with  sweetim-ats,  and  various  other  things.  While  otfering 
thuKe  things  he  showed  the  most  profound  ioketiH  of  reverence  to  the 
khuti'ikhtu,  and  accompanied  t..  v  with  felicitaii<»fis  in  the  name  of  his 
sovereign,  lie  concluded  by  soliciting  the  1  enediction  of  the  khiitiikliti'i, 
in  the  nanui  of  the  emperor,  and  addrcsseil  him  with  these  words: 
"(Ireat  pontilf,  thou  who  art  incorruptible  as  gold,  and  whose  splendor 
cijiials  the  sparkling  of  diamntids,  protect  the  empire  aH  thou  didst  in 
the  time  of  my  father,  and  shed  thy  grace  aiul  thy  ]irotuctioa  over  uiy 
r..'ign," 

The  khutukhtu  accepted  the  presents  of  th»>  e?vperor  ami  gave  liiia 
his  beiu'diction  by  placing  his  hands  upon  the  lu'.ad  of  the  amban  ,  atlei'- 
ward  he  gave  hi.s  blessing  to  the  lamas  and  the  people;  each  one,  peno* 


I* 


1. 

■i 

1 

i 

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f 

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imm 


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«» 


'!  ■    I 


Mjii 


364 


TIMKOVSKI'S    JOURNEY    TO    PEKIN. 


tratotl  1)y  the  consoling  idea  of  receiving  it  from  the  deity  himself,  ad- 
vanced one  after  the  other,  and  manifested  a  reverence,  fervor,  and  awe, 
■vvliich  were  most  exemplary. 

In  the  afternoon  four  large  tents  and  an  infinite  number  of  small  ones 
Avere  erected  a  i'ew  hundred  yards  from  the  tetnple,  inclosing  a  large 
.sjiace  for  the  exercisi-  of  wrestling.  The  large  tents  were  occujned  by 
the  khans  and  other  nobles  ;  the  combatants  numbered  two  hundred  and 
sixty-eight  on  each  side,  and  the  struggle  continued  until  evening;  the 
names  of  the  victors  Avere  proclaimed,  and  the  vanquished  were  obliged 
to  leave  the  inclosure.  In  the  end  there  remained  but  thirty-five  vic- 
tors. The  wrestlini;  recommenced  on  the  27th.  The  weather  was  ex- 
tremely  warm  and  the  combatants  •were  exliausted  with  fatigue.  Then 
the  khans  j)rayed  the  lamas  to  cause  it  to  rain.  In  half  an  liour  th''  sky 
became  overcast,  and  a  few  drops  of  rain  fell.  The  faithful  attributed 
this  to  the  power  of  the  lamas,  although  the  heat  was  but  little  abated 
thereby.  The  wrestlirig  was  continued  every  day  mitil  the  3d  of  July, 
Avhen  the  khans  and  the  other  liobks,  accompanied  by  the  people,  re- 
jiaired  w,th  the  thirty-five  victors  to  the  district  of  Ourakhoo,  on  the 
banks  oft)  e  Orkhon,  thirty-five  miles  distant. 

On  the  5th  of  July  there  was  a  horse-race  on  the  banks  of  the  Or- 
khon, which  jiassi'd  over  a  distance  of  twelve  miles.  There  were  eleven 
liundred  and  ten  horses  on  the  course  at  onetime,  of  whicli  oiu' hun<lred 
were  declared  the  best.  They  re<'"ived  distinguished  names,  and  their 
masters  obtained  presents  and  some  privileges.  Next  day  there  Avas  at 
the  same  place  a  race  of  sixteen  lunidred  and  twenty-seven  horses,  six 
years  oil.  The  goal  was  but  ten  miles  distant.  The  owners  of  the 
hundrc  d  wlilch  first  .arrived  in  like  manner  received  presents.  On  the 
Tth  a  third  race  took  place  between  nine  hundred  an<l  nin(>ty-five  liorses, 
four  yiars  old.  Tliey  had  to  pass  over  a  space  of  eight  miles.  The 
owners  of  the  first  hundred  were  likewise;  rewarded.  These  three  thou- 
wmd  seven  humlred  and  thirty-two  horses  all  belonged  to  Congolese  of 
the  tribe  of  Khalkhas.  On  the  sanu>  day,  after  the  race,  the  thirty-five 
victors  of  the  wrestling-match  diviiled  into  two  jiarties  and  contended 
Avith  each  other.  The  seven  best  among  tlu'se  Avere  conducted  back  to 
the  Ourga. 

During  these  contests  three  Imndred  archers  shot  Avith  arrows  at  a 
target  oni^  hundretl  and  fiHy  feet  <listant.  Each  one  shot  fi)ur  times  in 
Hucci'ssion  ;  twenty-five  who  hit  the  mark  every  titne,  or  even  three 
tunes  o.dy,  AVere  declared  excellent  archers.  The  victors  liad  a  contest 
among  tlu-ir.o. Ives  next  morning.  On  the;  8th  they  erected,  near  the 
dwelling  of  the  kln'itukhtn,  a  richly-decorated  tent,  into  which  he  was 
conducted  by  the  hand.  'I'hey  then  brought  in  several  idols  an<l  jilaced 
befijre  him,  and  l)urned  perfinnes  in  silver  censers  He  Avas  seated  on 
Ills  ihrotu'  and  the  others  took  their  stats  arouii  ,  »Ik')  tea  Avas  scrv<'d. 
Atter  the  khutukhtii  had  tasted  it,  '<.'.  was  jtourcd  out  in  silver  cups  to 
the  rest ;  all  who  had  no  cujw  received  it  hi  the  hollow  of  the  hand. 


THE    LAMA    NOT    TO    BE    SEEN. 


365 


Each  one  drank  it  with  intense  satisfaction,  as  holy  water,  actually  re- 
ceived from  the  hands  of  the  khiitukhtu.  Atlerward  the  seven  wrestlers 
reconiinenced  their  conibat,  which  lasteil  from  ten  in  the  morniii<;  until 
midnight.  A  Congolese,  named  IJahay  Ikaidzan  (the  gn-at  solid  ele- 
jihant),  of  the  troop  of  the  vang  Tsetsen,  \vas  tin;  iinal  victor.  The 
wrestling  ended,  the  khiitukhtu  avus  cond'.icted  back  to  his  habitation 
with  the  same  ceremonies  by  which  he  liad  been  taken  to  the  tent ;  then 
every  one  retired  to  his  home. 

On  the  11th  of  July,  at  four  o'clock,  in  the  morning,  the  khans  atid 
the  other  nobles  assembled  in  the  dwelling  of  the  kliutukhlu  and  diiib- 
erated  until  evening  upon  the  names  to  be  given  to  the  victors  in  archery 
and  wrestling,  names  destined  to  nnike  thrni  known  to  the  nation  and 
to  preserve  their  glory  for  posterity.  The  name  of  fjlon  was  unani- 
mously given  1o  the  lirst  wrestler,  who  already  bore  that  vt'i  (jrcMt  tioUd 
eU'phfmt  ;  the  others  in  like  manner  received,  in  order,  the  names  of 
courageous  animals  or  biids.  The  first  wrestler  received  a  gun,  a  c<jat 
of  mail,  fifteen  oxen  and  cows,  lifteen  horses,  a  hundred  sheep,  a  camel, 
a  thousand  bricks  of  tea,  some  pieces  of  satin,  and  several  skins  of  fo.ves 
and  otters.  The  others  had  gills  ])rojiorti<)iied  to  their  strength  and 
agility.  Similar  prizes  were  distributed  anmug  the  archers;  the  last 
wrestler  and  the  last  archer  each  received  two  cows  and  two  Bheep. 
The  festival  termuiated  on  the  I'Jth  of  July. 


M.  Timkovski  applied  to  be  presented  to  the  khutiikhtu,  but  was  in- 
formed through  his  messengers  by  the  vang  that  the  pontiff  was  too 
iinich  fatigued  by  the  long  journey  he  had  just  completed,  dining  uliich 
he  had  given  his  benediction  to  more  than  a  hundred  thousand  of  the 
faithful.  At  the  same  time  Timkovski  requested  that  the  mission  be 
furnished  with  four  yourtes,  and  with  wood  and  water,  at  each  place  of 
encampment  between  the  Oiirga  and  Klialgaii  ;  but  the  recpiest  was  not 
granted.  When  Idain  came  in  afterward  he  e.\[ilaiued  that  the  vang 
had  neither  the  jtower  nor  tlie  right  to  order  that  the  mission  1)(>  fur- 
nished with  yourtes,  llist,  because  they  traveled  by  a  route  upon  which 
there  were  no  fixed  stations;  secondly,  because  his  authority  as  gov- 
ernor-general of  Klialkha  did  not  extend  Ix'youd  the  tevritory  bordeiing 
on  the  liussian  frontier.  Idam  assured  them,  however,  that  they  should 
not  b<'  in  wimt  of  yourtes  on  the  route.  As  to  the  interview  with  the 
(Jhegeii-kliutukhtu,  he  said  it  was  not  forbidden  to  strangers,  l)ut  they 
were  aware  he  was  only  a  child  without  experienci',  who  knew  only  his 
native  tongue;  how  then  would  tlu'y  render  their  homage  to  liim? 
licsides,  this  divine  child,  like  all  tlie  people,  Avas  in  mourning  for  tlio 
emperor.  Next  yar,  on  their  return,  they  might  see  him  ;  be  was  now 
occupied  in  receiving  the  fiuthfiii,  juid  tlic  olferiiigs  which  they  lnought. 

On  the  20th,  the  travelers  of  the  mission  went  to  si-e  the  city,  niouiited 
on  Moiigolese  hotHcs,  and  accompanied  by  their  friends  of  the  place.  They 


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36G 


TIMKOVSKI'S    JOURNEY    TO    PEKIN. 


first  visited  tlio  teniplo  and  tli-.'  habitatio'"'  of  the  kliutiikliu.  The  iiu-losurc 
was  so  hiffh  that  it  prevented  them  fiom  sceini^  the  structure  of  the 
htiildiii<;s.  The  tenipies  were  built  in  a  lortli  and  soutli  direction,  and 
the  roofs  were  painted  green  ;  one  of  t  lern  was  surrounded  by  gilded 
palissades.  At  some  distance  from  the  t(  mi)les  was  a  large  wooden  edi- 
fice, the  school  in  which  the  lamas  learr  to  read  Thibetan,  and  to  play 
\\]>(m  the  instnnnents  enij)loyed  in  their  nligious  music.  These  temples 
and  other  jjubiic  edifices  are  on  a  large  scpi...v.-.  '^'he  inhabitants  of  the 
city  live  in  yourtes,  some  of  Avhich  are  shaded  })y  w'llow-trees.  The 
streets  are  so  narrow  that  two  men  on  horseback  can  sca.'cely  pass  each 
other.  On  the  24th,  the  conductors  came  to  them  from  tlu'  yamoim,  or 
tribunal,  with  the  information  that  the  vang,  on  consideration  that  they 
had  entered  the  Celestial  Em))ire  in  virtue  of  ati  inviolable  treaty,  made 
under  th(>  reigning  dynasty,  had  resolved  to  let  them  continue  their  jour- 
ney, and  that  in  case  he  should  receive  from  Pekin  any  orders  concerning 
them,  he  would  make  them  known  to  them  on  their  route.  This  intelli- 
gence was  received  with  great  joy;  M.  Tiinkovski  iinmediati'ly  gave 
orders  that  all  preparations  should  be  made  for  setting  out  on  the 
morrow. 

From  Kiakhta  to  the  Ourga  they  seemed  to  be  still  in  the  ji-ovinces 
bordering  on  the  Russian  frontier,  from  the  great  similarity  in  the  scene- 
ry and  productions,  but  as  soon  as  they  had  j)asseil  the  Tola,  they  found 
themselves  on  a  ditVercnt  soil.  They  here  drank  a  glass  of  fresh  water,  the 
last  that  was  to  moi>t','n  their  lips  in  the  vast  sj)ace  to  be  traversi'(l  before 
reaching  the  (treat  Wall  oi  China.  They  were  now  in  the  arid  and  gloomy 
deserts  of  Mongolia.  They  left  the  Tola  by  a  valley  ascending  between 
high  mountains,  from  which  they  enwrged  on  an  elevated  position  com- 
manding the  view  of  an  immense  plain,  covered  with  stones.  To  the 
lefV,  ro.se  the  naked  rocks  which  border  on  the  Tola.  The  Mongolese 
believe  that  (nie  of  the  caverns  of  these  momitains  cont.iins  immense 
treasures  of  gold  and  silver,  which  the  robbers  concealed  there  in  former 
times;  but  that  frightful  precipices  and  noxious  va])ors  effectually  cut  olf 
all  api)roach.  As  they  advanced,  the  mountains  became  lower  and  less 
dillicMit  ;  they  no  longer  saw  deep  jirecipices  or  lorty  heights;  every 
tliin;^  indicated  the  vicinity  of  the  plain  of  (Jobi,  the  most  extensive  of 
Middle  Asia. 

Ill  the  evening  of  October  Isl,  Tdam  visited  then  at  their  tent,  and 
in  the  course  of  conversation  related  some  e\ents  of  the  life  of  Kliiing- 
niing,  a  famous  : '  linev  ■  general.  The  kingdom  of  Chu  being  invadi'd  by 
the  cjiemy,  Kill  iig-ming  erected  ;!  statue  of  stone,  which  held  a  sword 
ill  one  hand,  ai.  i  hi  the  other  a  book  with  poisoned  leaves.  The  hostile 
geru'ral,  on  arriving  a?  the  statue,  went  to  it  ami  began  to  read  the  book, 
which  he  I'ouiid  interesting.  As  he  fre<pu'ntly  toiu-hed  his  fingers  to  his 
nioiitli,  to  moisten  tlu'ui  with  salivd  in  order  to  turn  the  leaves  more 
easily,  he  soctn  felt  the  effects  of  the  poison.  When  he  wishe(l  to  go 
away  he  could  not,  his  coat  of  mail  being  attracted  by  the  pedestal,  which 


ANCIENT    MONGOLIAN    RUINS. 


367 


was  of  loadstone.  Enraged  at  his  embarrassing  situation,  ho  laid  hold  of 
the  sword  which  the  statue  held  in  the  other  hantl,  and  struck  it.  This 
act  was  still  more  disastrous  to  him  ;  the  blow  struck  out  sp.'irks,  wliich 
set  fire  to  some  combustible  matter  in  the  statue,  and  the  cx]»losion  killed 
him.     llis  aft'righted  army  was  forced  to  retreat. 

On  one  occasion,  Khung-ming  was  in  front  of  the  enemy,  from  \vlu)m 
a  river  separated  him.  His  camp  being  up  the  stream,  he  sent  down  i:i 
the  night,  in  boats,  some  straw  maimikins  of  natural  size,  each  of  which 
held  a  kindled  match  in  his  hand.  The  boats  Avere  borne  by  the  current 
to  the  camp  of  the  enemy,  who,  seeing  theni  filled  with  armed  soldier-;, 
made  such  haste  to  attack  them  with  arrows,  that  they  soon  emptiid 
their  quivers.  Khung-ming,  who  had  foreseen  this,  passed  the  river  and 
gained  a  complete  victory  over  the  troops  which  no  longer  exjjecteil  an 
attack. 

October  3d,  at  three  o'clock,  they  reached  the  station  of  I>oro  khujir, 
situated  among  narrow  defiles  iu>ar  ^Fount  Darchan.  The  weather  beijig 
line,  M.  Tiinkovski  determined  to  visit  this  mountain,  which  is  associated, 
by  the  Mongolese,  with  the  memory  of  Genghis  Khan.  lie  set  out  at 
si.\  o'clock,  accompanied  by  monk  Isr.iel  and  a  Cossack  ofllcer.  On  leav- 
ing the  station,  they  followed  with  much  ditliculty  some  ravines  formed 
by  the  rains,  and  then  jiassedover  innnense  beds  of  granite  blocks  to  the 
sinnmit.  This  mountain  extends  Irom  north  to  soiuh,  and  its  lotVy  back 
ig  composed  of  steep  rocks  of  red  granite,  among  which  grow  the  altagan 
{robitiid  pijipmxi)  and  other  shrubs.  Upon  its  southern  height,  to  the 
foot  of  which  they  had  ascende<l,  stoo<l  an  <iho  of  stones,  built  by  the 
Mongolese,  who  rep.'iir  thither  every  .sunnni'r  to  celebrate  the  memory 
of  Genghis  Khan.  From  this  point  the  view  was  very  extensive  ;  to 
the  e.istward  were  eight  salt  lakes,  and  beyond  them  rost-  the  blue 
mountains  of  Klierrulun  ;  on  the  west,  was  an  innnense  extent  of  coun- 
try, covered  with  pointed  elevations. 

On  the  aflernoon  of  the  10th,  M.  Timkovski  visited  some  ruins  of 
ancient  IVIongoIian  archiiccture,  near  the  station  of  Tsulghetoo,  where 
they  had  encam|)ed  for  th"  night.  Having  gone  two  miles  .act  )ss  a 
])Iain  opening  to  the  cast  tluy  reached  :i  mountain  whose  declivity,  for 
the  space  of  a  mile  and  a  h.ilf,  was  covered  with  the  ruins  of  stone 
edifices.  Idam  informed  them  that  thre«'  hundred  years  ago  or  more,  .* 
AI'-Migolese  Taidzi,  or  des','e:,dant  of  princes,  luuned  Sanikhung  (biautiliil 
Bwun),  inhabiti'd  these  j)laces.  These  remains  hail  Ikm-u  his  temples. 
Se-  eral  altars  and  other  edilices  of  colossjil  dimensions,  indicated  the 
Wealth  and  magnificence  of  that  prince.  Thesi;  crundiling  structures 
Were  coveri'd  with  moss  and  weeds  ;  the  foundatir)ns  were  granite,  the 
walls  of  sun-dried  ])ricks,  cemented  with  clay  mixed  with  gr.ivel,  instead 
of  linu'.  The  changes  of  he.at  and  moisture  had  worn  away  the  clay 
while  tlu"  gravel  remaine(l.  One  building,  of  a  circular  form,  was  or- 
namented with  a  Htone  cornice,  composed  of  thr»'e  rows.  In  a  large 
temple,  ami  in  other  edilices  were  vaulted  niches,  probably  destined  for 


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368 

tllU    1 


TIMKOVSKI'S    JOURNKY    TO    PEKIN. 


)f  oHl 


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court, 

olor,  and  a  stone  vat.  These  ruins, 
t  of  (JeiiLrhis  Khan,  now  served 
as  a  retreat  for  lierds  of  cattle  ;  the  sul)jii<jfated  Mongolese  rarely  visit 
these  ])laces,  which  remind  them  of  their  ancient  splendor  and  inde- 
pendence. 

On  the  lotJi  of  October  tliey  encamped  at  Sounie,  that  is  to  say,  the 
Tem|)le  on  tlie  Mountain  of  Serpents,  To  the  letl  of  the  station  was  a 
lem])le  upon  the  declivity  of  the  Aboiirga  (Serpent),  It  is  said  that 
these  reptiles  were  formerly  found  there,  but  they  saw  none.  They 
visited  the  temple  wliich,  aci-ording  to  the  rules  of  Thibetan  architect- 
ure, fronted  the  south.  The  nephew  of  Idam,  who  was  our  guide,  sent 
for  the  warden,  who  conducted  tlieni  by  the  principal  entrance  into  the 
vestibule,  where  they  saw  four  wooden  i(h)ls  of  colossal  size.  Two  were 
covered  with  armor,  like  warriors;  the  lirst  was  red,  and  held  in  liis 
hands  a  twisted  serjient ;  the  second  was  white,  having  in  liis  right  hand 
a  parasol,  wliich  in  China  distinguishes  rank,  aiul  in  the  left  a  mouse  ; 
the  third  had  a  blue  face,  and  held  in  his  hand  a  sword ;  the  fourth 
which  was  yellow,  j)layed  upon  the  lute.  These  were  le^f/rci's  or  Ma- 
haransa  khans,  who  live  two  thousand  and  five  lumdred  years.  They 
are  seven  hundred  and  eighty  feet  in  height ;  they  watch  over  the 
liapjiiness  of  men  upon  the  earth,  and  dwell  in  four  different  regions  of 
INlount  Soume,  which  is  the  center  of  the  universe  and  the  abode  of 
tutelary  divinities.  This  mountain  has  seven  gilded  summits  and  ex- 
tends seventy  thousand  miles  toward  each  of  the  four  quarters  of  the 
world. 

On  the  10th  they  reached  Erglii,  tlie  last  station  of  the  country  of 
Khalklia,  Toward  evening  Idam  came  to  give  notice  of  his  departure 
for  the  Ourga,  They  I'xperienced  a  deep  regret  at  parting  with  a  man 
who  by  his  zeal  in  their  behalf  had  acquired  a  claim  u))on  tlieir  grati- 
tuiU'.  Hcfore  their  departure  on  the  'J  1st,  the  bitkheshi  begged  M,  Tim- 
kovski  to  jtrevent  his  jjcople  from  shooting  the  crows,  as  they  had  done 
on  tlieir  arrival  at  Erghi,  pretending  that  the  storm  of  the  preceding 
day  hail  been  caused  by  tliis  slaughter.  In  order  to  satisfy  this  old 
man  they  promised  to  kill  no  more,  although  these  birds  were  vry  an- 
noying to  the  camels,  for  whcTi  they  saw  from  a  distance  the  blood  that 
came  (iom  tlie  wounds  caused  to  these  aninuils  by  the  rubbing  of  their 
Ituiilfiis,  tiicy  straiglitway  descended  upon  their  backs.  The  wind  still 
continued  to  blow  so  h.ard  that  they  could  not  remain  on  horseback. 
On  approaching  INIount  Argali  they  saw  on  the  heights  a  troop  of  ga- 
zelles. The  asc'.nt  was  tlirough  deep  raviiu>s,  amid  bold  mountain  scen- 
ery, bi!t  wlien  Ihey  had  attaiiu'd  the  heights  they  saw  the  steppe  spread 
out  before  them  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reaih.  The  ])laees  which  were 
more  than  twenty  miles  distant  ])resented  a  blue  appearance,  so  tliat 
till'  plain  l)ore  some  resemblance  to  an  agitated  sea.  They  had  before 
them  the  ascent  to  the  highest  j)lateau  of  middle  Asia,  which  j)roperly 


THE    DESERT    OP  GOBI. 


369 


boars  (ho  nanio  of  Gobi.  The  rainy  sntnmor  of  this  yoar  liad  caused  a 
Httle  horbaf^e  to  grow  upon  this  stoppo,  usually  naked  and  sterile  ;  but 
in  a  time  of  drouth,  it  in  truly  the  country  of  affliction  ;  the  cattle  die  of 
hunger  and  thirst. 

On  th(^  ii7th  M.  Tiinkovski  visited  JMotmt  Bathkai,  near  tlio  station 
of  that  name.  From  its  summit,  as  from  that  of  Darkhan,  Avore  seen 
on  all  sides  Aast  plains  npou  which  numerous  herds  Avere  past u.ing  ;  in 
some  ])laces  they  saw  black  yourtes,  like  islands  on  an  innnense  lake. 
In  looking  over  those  deserts  it  is  dilHcult  to  believe  that  the  inhabitant 
of  the  Gobi  enjoys  a  tolerable  existence;  ho  is  deprived  of  wood,  and 
has  not  the  things  most  necessary  to  the  simplest  wants  of  life.  At  tlio 
beginning  of  summer  he  prays  heaven  to  grant  him  rain,  Avhich  rarely 
waters  the  stopjtes.  During  that  season  the  drouth  destroys  his  cattle, 
his  only  resource.  The  s:une  misfortune  threatens  him  in  winter  ;  snow 
and  frost  cover  the  earth  and  deprive  his  animals  of  the  only  her])ago 
Avhich  can  furnish  them  the  means  of  subsistence.  The  JMongoIese  in- 
fenned  them  that  five  years  before,  the  whole  steppe  of  (iobi  was  af- 
llicted  with  a  mortality  among  the  cattle  so  great  that  many  ))ro- 
jirietors  saved  but  twenty-live  liorses  out  of  live  luuxlrod,  and  li)Mr 
oxen  out  of  two  hundred.  The  inhabitants  had  not  yet  rectnered  this 
unusual  loss. 

This  unpleasant  passage  continued  for  seven  statiims,  or  one  hundred 
uiilos  ;  until  reaching  the  dwellings  of  the  Tsakhar  Mongoloso,  they  saw 
on  all  sides  nothing  but  a  sea  of  sand  and  pebbles.  Such  is  the  steppe 
oftJobi;  like  the  African  desert  of  Sahara.  Tho  road  passed  over  on 
the  1st  of  November  Avas  the  most  liitiguing  of  the  Avhoh;  journey.  The 
country  Avas  mountaincnis  ;  the  surface,  formed  of  mingled  sand  and  clay, 
Avas  ahnost  impassabl(<  on  account  of  the  rain  ;  tho  niountains  were  co\'- 
cred  Avith  snow;  the  horses  and  camels  Avere  so  liitigucd  by  the  violence 
of  the  Avind,  by  the  cold,  the  long  stages,  tho  bad  food  and  briny  Avator, 
durhig  the  eleven  days'  ])assage  across  the  territory  of  the  Sunites,  that 
six  of  the  camels  sunk  beneath  their  loads,  and  six  draught-horses  wore 
cutirolv  Avorn  out.  The  cold  still  increased  ;  the  mercurv  sank  to  zero 
on  the  morning  of  the  3d,  and  on  the  4th  it  Avas  two  degrees  below. 
They  crossed  a  sandy  mountain  this  day,  OA'cr  AA'hich  the  rood  Avas  un- 
even and  toilsome.  They  frequ(>ntly  saw  yourtes  by  tlu>  Avay,  and  a 
great  many  cattle  ;  they  also  met  large  caravans,  loaded  Avith  tea,  on 
tlicir  Avay  to  Kiakhta, 

One  day  they  Averc  much  surprised  to  find  lying  in  the  road,  in  a 
leather  sack,  the  body  of  an  infim'  one  year  old.  Upon  the  sack  A';as  a 
siual!  piece  of  sheepskin,  a  little  inillet,  and  a  small  loaf  of  bread.  This 
was  :in  ordinary  mode  of  burying  the  dead  among  the  Mongolese.  The 
jiriests  of  Ibiddha,  to  subjugate  the  minds  of  their  f  )lIoAA'ers,  have  repre- 
sented death  luidor  a  frightfid  imago.  The  dying  devotee  sends  for  a 
lama,  to  sociu'c  the  welllire  of  his  body  ami  the  salvation  of  his  soul ;  the 
juiest,  after  making  imiuiries  I'cspccting  the  day  and  the  hour  of  tlie  pa- 


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TIMKOVSKI'S   JOURNEY    ""0    ?EKIN. 


ticnt's  birth,  the  accompanying  circumstancps,  and  all  the  events  of  his 
life,  ])ionouuces,  according  to  the  sacred  hooks  and  the  laws  of  astrology, 
whether  the  body  shall  be  burned  or  cast  into  the  water ;  whetlier  io 
shall  be  exposed  in  a  kind  of  cage,  or  covered  with  ^tones,  etc,  1'Ja''  e 
are  some  exceptions :  for  instance,  they  do  not  buiy  a  man  who  has 
bcf-n  liung  ;  whoever  dies  in  consequence  of  tumors,  can  not  Ijo  burned  ; 
tluy  do  not  <ast  into  the  water  those  who  havi  U  on  drowned  in  an  iii- 
undiition,  or  struck  by  lightning,  or  devoured  by  the  ilames ;  tluy  do 
u(jt  bury  ujion  a  mountain  any  one  who  has  died  of  a  contagious  dis- 
ease ;  in  a  Avord,  one  can  not  without  a  reason,  throw  wood  into  the  fire, 
fire  and  earth  into  water,  carry  wood  upon  a  mountain  or  into  a  forest. 
Such  are  the  laws  of  ilie  Buddhists.  The  most  usual  manner  of  disposing 
of  the  dead  is  to  transport  them  into  a  stL])pe,  and  there  leave  them, 
abandoned  to  w  ild  beasts  and  birds  of  prey.  I5ut  even  in  this  case  the 
lama  decides  which  (piartcr  of  the  world  the  head  must  be  turned 
toward ;  a  weathti -vane  is  j)]aiited  in  the  ground,  and  the  direction  given 
to  it  by  the  wind  determines  that  in  which  the  deceased  shall  be  placed. 
For  the  rest,  every  thing  depends  wholly  ujion  tin'  lama,  who  prescribes 
in  like  manner  liow  the  corjise  must  be  buried,  whether  it  shall  be 
clothed  or  leil  naked,  ])laced  in  the  open  air  or  in  an  old  tent,  and  deter- 
mines which  of  his  elfects  or  what  objects  should  be  added  as  oflcriiigs. 

In  the  night  of  NovenibcT  l.'Uh  two  of  their  horses  perished  with 
cold  and  fatigue.  On  the  summits  of  the  chain  of  Khinkhan-dabagau 
mountains,  in  the  south,  they  could  distinguish  towers ;  these  were  on 
the  frontier  between  China  and  Mongolia,  which  they  now  perceived  for 
the  fust  thne,  and  with  extreme  satisfaction.  At  ten  o'clock  they 
reaclui!  a  c-mall,  half-ruined  fortilication,  called  Tsagan-balgassoo,  or 
white-Vv'alled  city,  where  they  rejoiced  in  having  happily  i)assed  over  the 
8trppes,  with  their  snows  and  sands  and  impetuous,  icy  winds.  Here 
tlie  '  ni.'ule  inspection  of  their  horses,  camels,  and  oxen,  a  part  of  which 
we.-e  tu  be  letl  until  March,  in  the  following  year.  On  the  morning  of 
tliLj  IGlii  they  entered  a  deep  valley  among  the  Khinkhan  mountains, 
and  jKissed  a  fort  on  a  sniall  elevation.  The  animals  went  on  with  great 
ditiioulty ;  the  cold  became  so  intense  that  it  was  impossible  to  keep 
warm,  oven  by  walking.  Still  they  had  fifteen  miles  to  go  before  reach- 
ing a  s'ation.  Their  embarrassment  increased  Avhen  a  few  miles  further 
tluy '.\ ere  obliged  to  cross  over  mountahis  where  their  animals  slipped 
and  fell  at  cm  ly  step  on  the  ice,  or  plunged  into  deep  snows.  At  this 
jilace  they  passed  a  [tost  of  3longolese  sentinels,  in  several  yourtes. 
They  began  to  see  indications  of  the  vicinity  of  a  commercial  city;  they 
contin  lally  met  caravans,  chariots,  and  riders  mounted  on  camels  and 
horses.  Soon  afterward  they  reached  the  chain  of  mountains  which 
separate,;  IMongolia  from  China.  On  their  summits  extends  a  stone 
rain])art,  with  s<|uare  brick  to\\-ers  at  ecpial  distances  from  each  other. 

From  this  ])oint  China  aj)pears  in  colossal  forms.     Southward,  east- 
ward, and  we  tM  ard,  nothing  was  seen  but  snow-covered  mountahis, 


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ARRIVAL   AT   KHALGAN. 


371 


whose  pointed  eummits  reached  the  clouds.  The  descent  for  three  miles 
to  the  Chinese  village  of  Nor-tian,  is  hv  j.  narrow  road  which  was  very 
dangerous  at  that  season ;  beyond  tliat  village  the  travelLr  sees  high 
mountains  Avliose  threatening  suimnits  give  a  wild  character  to  the  dis- 
trict. Such  is  the  aspect  of  the  country  at  the  place  whore  they  de- 
scended from  the  high  steppes  of  Mongolia  to  the  lower  heights  of 
China.  They  halted  at  the  first  Chinese  village  ;  it  was  with  jjleasuro 
they  entered  a  house,  havuig  scon  nothing  since  leaving  the  Ourga,  a 
journey  of  more  than  seven  hundred  miles,  that  reminded  them  of  the 
customs  of  sedentary  life. 

It  is  about  fifteen  miles  from  the  first  Chinese  village  to  Chang-kia- 
klieou,  or  Khalgan.     The  road  is  at  first  narrow  and  i'ltorse-jled  with 


hills,  which  are  rather  steep, 
of  the  Chinese  laborers  uttra 
mils  of  the  highest  mou' 
the  naked  and  inaccessible 
There  were  villages  and  tei 


'^'"ho  boldness  and  ind(  fatigable  activity 
a  the  attention  of  the  travelers;  the  sum- 
Avirn  covered  with  cultivated  fields,  and 
lied  to  have  been  rendered  ftrlile. 
•I  the  declivities  of  the  mount  urns, 
and  several  cabins  were  built  agahist  the  rocks  like  birds'  nests. 

They  first  saw  Khalgan  when  they  arrived  at  the  Great  Wall,  which 
is  built  of  bricks  between  two  steep  rocks,  and  is  now  half-ruined. 

At  Khalgan,  as  at  the  Maimatchin  of  Kiakhta  and  the  Ourga,  it  was 
the  custom  to  fire  a  cannon  at  nix  in  the  morning  and  nine  in  the  even- 
ing ;  at  the  former  report  every  inhabitant  is  allowed  to  leave  his  home, 
and  even,  if  necessary,  to  go  and  see  the  city  authorities,  but  at  the 
latter  this  right  ceases,  except  in  extraordinary  cases.  A  river  divides 
the  city  into  two  parts,  the  upper  and  lower  town  ;  the  former  is  on  the 
Mongolian  frontier,  and  has  its  gates  in  ih.i  great  wall,  which  extends 
across  the  mountains.  Khalgan  is  not  large,  and  has  no  remarkable 
edifices,  but  is  very  populous.  The  inhabitants  appeared  to  have  a  great 
curiosity  to  see  the  strangers  :  all  day  they  besieged  the  doors  of  their 
house,  ami  the  neighboring  roofs  were  covered  with  spectators. 

On  the  route  from  Khalgan  to  I'ekin  they  gained  a  good  idea  of  the 
people  of  China  and  their  industrious  habits.  At  every  step  they  met 
people  transporting  cut  straw  on  mules  and  asses.  Sentinels  are  placed 
at  regular  intervals  in  a  kin<l  of  watch-houses  which  rise  like  towers, 
near  five  small  conical  columns  nj)on  which  the  distances  are  marked. 
The  exterior  of  the  watch-towers  is  embellished  with  paintings,  re])re- 
senting  horses,  guns,  bows  and  cpiivers  of  arrows.  These  watch-towers 
serve  likewise  as  telegraphs  :  if  the  northern  frontier  of  China  is  threat- 
ened the  news  is  immediately  transmitted  to  I'ekiu,  and  the  army  is  at 
once  marched  agamst  the  enemy.  The  route  led  southward,  along  the 
banks  of  ^;ie  Yang-ho,  a  shallow  river  with  a  very  rapid  current  which, 
except  at  the  rapids,  was  now  bound  in  with  ice.  A  portion  of  the  way 
passes  through  rugged  rocks,  which  often  rise  abruptly  from  the  river, 
whose  waters  Iclmi  turaultuously  doAvn  the  precipice  below,  while  other 
rocks  from  the  opposite  side  threaten  to  crush  the  traveler.    Beyond  the 


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TIMKOVSKI'S    JOURNEY    TO    PEKIN. 


river  rises  the  Wlmng-yang-chang,  a  granite  mountain  wliosc  pointed 
peaks  arc  lost  among  the  clouds.  The  wild  and  majestic  aspect  of  this 
region  is  most  impressive  to  the  traveler  who  has  just  left  the  dry  and 
desolate  stepj^es. 

Aftei-  passing  the  town  of  Yu-lin-fu  on  the  28th,  the  ground  was  cov- 
ered Avith  stones  and  no  cultivated  fields  were  seen.  They  arrived 
at  the  foot  of  high  mountains,  where  they  saw  a  number  of  ruined 
tombs.  On  the  summit  of  the  mountains,  which  rose  nearly  to  the 
clouds,  the  great  wall  appeared.  This  grand  monument,  unique  ui  its 
kind,  produces  an  imposing  effect,  when  we  consider  that  it  has  existed 
for  several  centuries,  and  that  it  extends  to  a  great  distance  over  inac- 
cessible mountains. 

Two  miles  from  Chah-tao  they  came  to  the  Great  "V.all,  which  they 
inspected.  After  passing  an  arched  entrance  in  the  principal  tower,  they 
entered  a  large  court,  from  which  they  ascended  by  steps  to  the  top  of 
the  Wall.  Notwithstanding  the  centuries  which  have  passed  since  this 
structure  has  been  in  existence,  it  is  built  Avith  such  skill  and  care,  that 
instead  of  falling  in  ruins,  it  is  like  a  stone  rampart  raised  by  the  hand 
of  nature  to  protect  the  northern  provinces  of  China  from  the  invasions 
of  the  ]\rongols,  who  have  not  yet  wholly  lost  their  Avarlike  character. 
The  Great  Wall  is  composed  of  two  parallel  Avails  Avith  embattled  tops, 
and  the  int-^rval  is  filled  Avith  earth  and  gravel.  The  fiunidations  con- 
sist of  large  rough  stones ;  the  rest  of  the  Avail  is  of  bricks.  It  is  twonty- 
hix  feet  high  and  fou^leen  Avide.  The  toAvers,  in  Avhich  there  are  several 
brass  guns,  are  about  one  hundred  ])aces  apart.  The  great  tower  is  fiill- 
iiig  into  decay  ;  the  entrance  is  mu(^h  damaged,  as  Avell  as  the  p.djoining 
Avail.  There  is  no  longer  any  thought  of  repairing  it.  To  gi\'e  a  just 
idea  of  this  immense  structure,  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  refer  to  a  calcula- 
tion of  3Ir.  ISarrow,  Avho  visited  China  Avith  Lord  3Iacartney  in  lTS);i  and 
1794.  He  reckons  the  number  of  houses  in  England  and  Scotland  to  be 
eighteen  lumdred  thousand.  Estimating  the  mason-work  of  each  at  two 
thousand  cubic  feet,  he  supposes  that  they  do  not  contain  as  nmcli  mate- 
rial as  the  Great  Wall  of  China,  Avhich  he  says  Avould  be  ^uiUcient  to 
const  ruct  a  Avail  that  Avould  reach  twice  around  the  earth. 

They  descended  from  the  mountains  on  the  30th,  and  entered  the 
Avell-cuhivated  ]ilains  of  JV-chec-le,  over  Avhich  they  proceeded  toward 
the  ca])ital.  After  passing  the  suburl.ian  city  of  Cha-ho,  the  opulence  in- 
dicating tin;  a])pr()ach  to  a  large  city,  began  to  apj)car.  For  several 
miles  before  reaching  the  market-town,  Tsing-ho,  they  ])assed  pleasant 
country-houses,  and  the  cemeteries  of  jx'rsoiis  f>f  distinction  in  Pckin. 
These  Avere  characterized  by  elegant  simplicity  rather  than  grand  luxury  ; 
everywhere  they  saw  the  Avhite  trunks  of  cypresses,  thick  groves  of  aged 
Avillows,  and  of  junipers,  Avhich  attain  the  height  of  the  tallest  pines. 
They  saw  by  the  way,  fifty  Mongolese  cami  Is,  which  Avere  carryii,  '  but- 
ter to  the  Imperial  Court;  the  forenicst  camels  were  ornamented  with 
small  strijjs  of  yellow  cloth  fastened  to  sticks,  like  flags. 


R'S. 
)Ut- 


ENTRANCE    INTO   PEKIN. 


373 


At  nine  o'clock  next  <l!iy,  tliey  set  out  from  Tsing-ho  for  Pekin.  For 
nearly  four  miles  they  followed  an  avenue  of  ancient  willows,  passing  vil- 
lages and  cemeteries  on  the  right  hand  and  left.  They  soon  reached  the 
suburbs  of  Pekin.  Two  students  of  the  old  mission  came  to  meet  them, 
with  four  Chinese  calashes  for  the  new  members,  and  a  saddled  horse  for 
M.  Timkovski.  In  the  suburbs  the  noise,  the  tumult,  and  the  crowd,  an- 
nounced the  A'icinity  of  the  most  i)opulous  city  of  the  globe.  They  soon 
came  out  on  a  large  plain,  and  the  walls  of  Pekin  in  their  full  extent  lay 
spread  out  before  them.  "  Finally,  the  innncnso  distance  between  St. 
Petersburg  and  the  capital  of  China  was  ])assed  over.  At  once  forget- 
ting all  our  fatigues,"  observes  Timkovski,  ''  we,  inhabitants  of  the  shores 
of  the  gulf  of  Finland,  fancied  ourselves  transported  in  an  instant,  by 
some  suj)ernatural  power,  to  this  city  which  had  so  long  been  the  object 
of  the  dreams  of  our  imagination,  and  the  aim  of  our  desires.  With  a 
sentiment  of  joy  each  one  of  us  cast  his  eyes  upon  the  embrasured  walls, 
whose  origin  is  envelojied  in  the  thick  shadows  of  antiquity." 

Northward  of  the  plain,  they  saw  the  red  walls  of  a  tem])le  of  F^-ni, 
and  at  a  short  distance  observed  the  fimeral  of  a  rich  Chinese.  Two 
miles  from  the  entrance  to  this  plain  they  passed  the  Russian  cemetery, 
where  the  members  of  their  mission,  who  die  in  Pekin,  arc  interred.  A 
little  furthei"  on,  the  mission  entered  with  ceremony  by  tl*  gate  Xgang- 
ting-ineng  into  the  capital  of  China.  A  crowd  of  gazers  surrounded 
them.  They  followed  the  broad  street  leadhig  from  the  gate  for  a  mile 
and  a  half,  then  ])roceeded  by  a  cross-street  to  the  street  Ta-fo-szu,  wliich 
they  traversed  in  a  southern  direction  two  miles  to  a  triumphal  arch  of 
wood  ;  then(.'etothe  right,  along  the  street  Chang-ngang,  they  passeil  the 
templeofManchoo  worship  on  the  left,  and  the  tribunal  of  foreign  aflairs 
on  the  right.  Tlii'y  then  crossed  the  canal,  or  small  river,  Yu-ho,  on  a 
marble  bridge  called  Pe-khiao,  passed  the  Im])erial  Palace  on  the  right, 
went  southward  along  the  canal  for  nearly  a  mile,  then  crossed  the  bridge 
Chung  Vu-ho-khias,  turned  up  the  street  Tung-kiang-me-kiang,  and,  at 
noon,  tinally  entered  the  Russian  court,  where  they  were  received  by 
several  members  of  the  old  mission. 

Aftir  their  arrival,  M.  Timkovski's  liealth  was  impaired,  partly  from 
the  dampness  of  the  house  of  the  embassy,  and  the  exhalations  of  the 
coal  burned  in  the  apartments;  the  abbot  therefore  gave  him  a  room  in 
the  convent,  which  he  occupied  during  the  cold  weather.  The  chambers 
of  the  convent  were  lieated  irom  beneath  the  floor  ;  the  occupants  lived 
very  warm,  but  tlie  continual  heat  injured  the  feet. 

All  the  dwellings  of  Pekin,  from  the  cabin  of  the  artisan  to  the  palaco 
of  till'  rich  man,  are  of  one  story,  and  built  of  bricks;  tlu?  comt  is  sur- 
rounded by  a  high  stone  wall,  so  tiiat  front  the  street  one  can  see  noth- 
ing but  the  roofs.  Tlie  shops,  however,  have  large  j»aper  windows,  which 
r  cupy  nearly  the  whole  fr<»nt.  In  most  of  the  liDUses,  in  all  the  shops, 
and  even  in  the  palace  of  the  emperor,  remarkable  sentences  froni  tho 
philosojihers  or  the  celebrated  poets  are  written  upon  the  tapestry  ol'  ihu 


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374 


TIMKOVSKI'S    JOURNEY    TO    PEKIN. 


idows,  as  well 


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colors.    Among  the  rich  the 


ijion  paper  ot  various 
partitions  and  doors  are  of  precious  wood,  as  camphor,  cypress,  etc., 
and  adorned  with  sculptures.  Beside  the  agreeable  impression  which 
they  make  upon  the  sight,  they  diffuse  a  pleasant  odor  through  the  apart- 
ments. All  the  roofs  are  of  tiles,  green,  red,  or  yellow,  which  are  ar- 
ranged, like  every  thing  in  this  country,  by  fixed  rules.  Thus  the  imperial 
edifices  and  the  temples  can  alone  be  covered  with  yellow  tiles ;  green  is  for 
the  palaces  of  personages  of  high  rank ;  gray  tiles  are  used  for  other  houses. 

The  Manchoo  language  is  not  difficult  to  learn.  Like  other  Asiatic 
languages  it  has  its  alphabet  and  grammar ;  the  former  resembles  the 
Mongolese ;  the  pronunciation  is  much  more  sonorous.  The  Manchoos, 
after  the  conquest  of  China  in  1644,  Avere  obliged  to  complete  their 
language,  hitherto  poor,  as  that  of  a  nomadic  people,  and  to  perfect  it 
according  to  the  rules  of  Chinese  literature.  After  two  hundred  years 
of  sojourn  among  a  numerous  and  partially  civilized  people,  the  Man- 
choos have  become  accustomed  to  their  manners  and  customs,  and  their 
language  ;  so  that,  at  present,  all  classes  of  them  speak  Chinese.  Even 
in  Pekhi  there  are  but  few  people  who  imderstand  the  Manchoo  lan- 
guage ;  it  is  employed  only  in  the  affairs  of  state. 

On  the  .3d  of  January,  1821,  the  travelers  visited  the  shops  of  the 
merchants,  situated  mostly  in  the  suburb  called  Vai-le-ching.  At  the 
commencement  of  the  street  Leoo-le-chang,  which  is  very  short  and 
very  filthy,  there  are  several  book-stores,  wh'ch  sell  Chinese  and  Man- 
choo books,  all  bound  and  well  arranged ;  but  on  examining  them  we 
soon  find  that  many  of  them  are  very  defective.  The  Chinese  book- 
sellers have  a  habit  of  asking  five  times  as  much  as  the  books  are  worth ; 
they  endeavor  to  sell  copies  in  which  leaves  are  missing,  or  books  which 
are  composed  of  the  leaves  of  three  or  four  different  works.  One  must 
be  wide  awake  if  he  would  not  be  cheated  by  the  rascality  of  the  Chinese 
booksellers ;  and  in  fact  this  distrust  is  equally  necessary  in  the  purchase 
of  other  goods.  The  best  books,  and  principally  the  historical  books,  are 
issued  from  the  imperial  press,  where  the  booksellers  of  I*ekin  and  other 
cities  buy  them  at  a  price  fixed  by  goverimient.  This  press  also  pub- 
lishes every  other  day  a  gazette  containing  the  extraordinary  events 
which  happen  in  the  empire,  the  ordinances,  and  especially  the  list  of 
promotions,  the  favors  granted  by  the  emperor,  such  as  yellow  robea 
and  peacock  feathers  (equivalent  to  th-  'rs  of  knighthood,  etc.,  in 
Europe),  the  punishment  of  delinquent  rins,  etc. 

Further  on,  in  the  same  street,  are  jeweler's  siiops,  where  pictures  and 
objects  carved  t)ut  of  jasper,  ivory,  and  precious  woods,  for  the  decora- 
tion of  apartments,  are  sold.  The  Avork  is  well  finished.  They  have 
also  glassware,  glazed  porcelain,  etc.,  all  of  the  best  quality.  In  like 
manner  one  meets  with  a  quantity  of  articles  from  the  inq)crial  palace, 
which  the  eunuchs  have  tlu;  dexterity  to  carry  off,  and  sell  at  a  mean 
price  to  the  merchants ;  they  likewise  saw  English  goods,  which  came 
by  way  of  C'anton. 


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THE  IMPERIAL  ARMY  OF  CHINA. 


375 


Near  each  of  the  city  gates  donkeys  are  kept  saddled  for  pubUc  serv- 
ice. The  Chinese  mount  tliese  aiiiniuls  in  order  to  go  from  one  gate  to 
another ;  hght  burdens  are  also  trans])orted  upon  them.  In  -vvuiter  they 
also  pass  upon  the  canal,  which  is  covered  with  ice.  Sevei'al  persons 
take  places  on  a  kind  of  sleigh,  made  of  boards,  and  drawn  by  a  man. 
It  is  said  that  even  in  stunmer  one  can  pass  from  Pekin  to  the  southern 
provinces  in  small  chariots  drawn  by  men.  The  vaults  near  the  city 
walls  are  inhabited  by  the  poor.  It  is  impossible  to  form  an  idea  of  the 
miserable  and  disgusting  aspect  of  these  unfortunate  beings :  ahnost 
naked,  or  covered  Avith  matted  I'ags,  they  drag  themselves  about  among 
the  shops  of  the  commercial  quarter  to  beg  alms ;  after  having  received 
a  few  chokhl  they  return  to  conceal  themselves  in  their  caves. 

The  Chinese  army  is  composed  of  four  divisions  corresponding  to  the 
nations  which  the  empire  contains.  The  division  com])Osed  of  Manchoos, 
numbering  nearly  sixty-eight  thousaml  men,  occupies  the  first  rank. 
The  second  division  embraces  the  Mongoleso,  who  entered  China  with 
the  Manchoos  at  the  epoch  of  the  conquest ;  it  numbers  twenty-one 
thousand.  The  third  division  is  composed  of  the  Chinese  who  joined  the 
Manchoos  toward  the  close  of  the  last  Chinese  dynasty,  and  numbers 
twenty-seven  thousand.  To  this  division  belongs  the  artillery  of  the 
company,  consisting  of  four  hundred  cannon.  These  three  bodies,  num- 
bering over  one  hundred  thousand  men,  form  the  Manchoo  army,  prop- 
erly sj)eaking,  the  principal  part  of  which  is  cavalry.  The  fourth  division 
is  composed  of  other  Chinese,  recruited  annually  ;  it  occupies  the  garri- 
sons of  the  interior,  and  comprises  about  five  hundred  thousand  men. 
Tliere  are  besides  nearly  twenty-five  thousand  men  of  irregular  troops, 
or  militia  ;  making  a  total  of  six  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand  men, 
of  whom  nearly  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  thousand  are  cavalry. 
Tile  Chinese  soldiers  are  all  married.  Their  sons  are,  at  their  birth,  en- 
rolled on  the  army  list ;  when  they  are  of  age  they  fill  the  vacant  places 
in  the  companies. 

One  day  a  soldier  of  the  corps  of  Ojen-chokha,  of  Pekin,  called  on 
the  chief  of  the  new  mission.  He  was  about  forty  years  of  age,  the  son 
of  a  poor  soldier,  and  brought  up  at  the  convent  of  French  Jesuits  in  the 
city.  The  latter,  who  destined  him  to  the  station  of  a  Roman  Catholic 
preacher,  in  the  interior  provinces  of  China,  wished  to  send  him  to 
Europe  to  complete  his  studies,  as  liad  been  done  with  his  uncle,  who 
had  become  a  distinguished  priest  among  his  fellow-countrymen.  But 
during  the  last  jier  ^cution  of  the  Jesuits  he  renounced  his  calling  as 
priest,  believing  it  his  duty  to  return  to  his  regiment.  Besides  Chinese, 
he  spoke  and  wrote  Latin  and  French  well,  and  was  otherwise  well  edu- 
cated. It  was  singular  to  hear  a  Chiiu'se,  clothed  and  armed  in  the 
stylo  of  the  country,  speaking  French  with  fluency.  The  students  of  the 
new  mission  employcil  him  as  private  tutor  in  Chinese,  because  he  spoko 
Latin  well.  ]\r.  Timkovski  jirescTits  ti>  his  readers  a  long  letter  in  Latin, 
written  by  this  soldier  to  the  abbot,  in  which  he  transca'ibcs  some  Clii- 


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376 


TIMKOVSKI'S    JOURNEY    TO    PEKIN. 


nesc  rules  of  hygiene,  containing  directions  for  jireserving  and  prolong- 
ing life. 

On  the  11th  of  January  they  visited  the  temples  of  Whang-szu. 
Tliey  first  passed  the  temple  of  the  Earth,  in  a  large  inclosurc  sur- 
rounded by  high  walls,  where  the  em])eror  repairs  at  the  sunnner  sol- 
stice to  give  thanks  to  the  Suprenae  Being,  and  to  pray  for  a  good  har- 
vest. Then  they  came  to  the  grand  central  temple,  near  which  were  a 
number  of  convents,  or  residences  of  the  priests,  and  many  smaller 
temples.  In  the  vicuiity  of  the  temples  stands  an  obelisk  of  white  mar- 
ble, Avhich,  from  the  sculptures  on  its  sides,  drawn  from  the  history  of 
Duddha,  or  Fold,  appears  to  have  been  raised  in  honor  of  that  })rophet, 
whose  doctrines  are  followed  in  Thibet,  China,  JMongolia,  and  l)y  the 
liuriates  and  the  Calmucks.  It  is  an  octagonal  toMer,  ninely-tbur  feet 
liigh.  Tlie  top  is  slender,  and  is  surmounted  by  a  large  cap  of  massive 
gold,  wliich  resend^les  the  hat  of  the  dalai-lama.  On  the  four  sides  are 
sculptured  marble  column?>.  The  obelisk  is  a  beautiful  work  and  cost  a 
largo  sum  of  money.  Near  it  is  a  small  chateau  where  the  emperor 
rests  when  he  goes  to  bear  his  offerings  to  the  temple  of  the  Earth. 

In  the  night  preceding  .T.anuary  22d,  the  dull  sound  of  kettle-drums 
in  the  temples  announced  the  new  year  of  the  Chinese,  which  begins 
with  the  new  moon.  In  the  temple  in  the  Russian  court  torches  of 
odoriferous  Avood  were  kindled,  and  a  lama  recited  prayers,  beating  the 
while  on  a  copper  vessel.  Toward  midnight  the  princes  of  the  blood 
and  the  most  distinguished  i)ersonages  assembled  in  tlie  palace.  At 
sunrise  they  followed  the  emjjeror  to  the  temple  of  his  ancestors,  where 
ho  performed  his  devotions  according  to  the  prescribed  ritual,  then  re- 
turned to  the  palace  to  receive  the  felicitations  of  the  grandees  of  the 
empire,  and  the  members  of  the  tribunals  of  Fekin.  On  the  occasion 
of  the  new  year  the  tribunals  throughout  China  are  closed  for  a  month, 
and  the  great  seal  of  the  empire  is  locked  up  during  the  tim.e. 

The  fi'stiv.al  of  the  new  year  continues  till  the  middle  of  the  first 
month.  During  this  time  a  bell  of  extraordinary  size  is  exhibited ;  it  is  in 
a  convent  of  the  ho-clu(»gp,  or  priests  of  Fohi,  two  miles  south  of  Pekin. 
Curious  to  see  all  that  is  permitted  to  a  stranger  in  this  distant  country, 
M.  Timkovski,  with  several  of  his  countrymen,  repaired  to  the  convent 
on  the  oth  of  February.  A  great  nundjer  of  men  and  women  assemble 
therc^  durhig  the  festival.  The  inquisitive  crowd  pressed  around  the 
strangers  on  all  sides ;  happily  the  soldiers  of  the  police,  by  the  aid  of 
whips,  opened  the  way.  Passuig  a  two-story  biiilding  containing  the 
apartments  of  the  monks,  they  came  to  the  belfry,  in  wliich  hangs  the 
bell  so  renowned  m  China.  It  is  of  copper,  and  quite  blackened  by  time  ; 
its  height  is  thirteen  feet,  its  form  conical.  It  is  covered  with  Chinese 
characters  and  weighs  about  a  hundred  thousand  pounds.  The  ascent 
to  it  is  by  a  rude,  dark  stairway.  Near  the  top  is  a  small  orifice  through 
which  the  devotees  throw  copper  coins ;  he  who  succeeds  in  passing 
them  through  this  hole,  finds  a  happy  presage  in  the  circumstance.    The 


J   1 


VISIT    TO   THE    PORTUGUESE    MISSION. 


877 


pieces  fall  on  tlie  floor  beneath  the  bell,  and  during  the  festival  amount 
to  a  considerable  sum. 

They  returned  by  the  imperial  court  of  elephants,  which  a  Imndred 
pieces  of  copper,  applied  to  the  sentinels,  enabled  them  to  sec.  The 
court  is  very  largo,  and  contains  a  temple,  a  well,  four  large  buildings 
for  the  elephants,  and  several  houses  inhabited  by  the  employee's  of 
the  establishment.  The  elephants  are  employed  in  transporting  the  ves- 
sels with  which  the  emperor  perforins  the  sacrilices.  These  vessels  are 
placed  on  very  large  litters,  made  for  the  purpose.  Four  elephants  are 
also  taken  daily  to  the  court.  One  of  them,  in  obedience  to  the  voice 
of  his  leader,  strikes  with  his  trunk  iipon  the  floor  as  many  times  as  he 
is  ordered,  another  makes  a  rumbling  like  the  muffled  sounds  of  a  druni 
and  utters  piercing  cries.  The  greater  part  of  these  animals  are  aged 
and  mtirm ;  many  are  so  gentle  that  they  walk  peaceably  about  the 
court.  The  elephants  of  Pekiu  are  usually  brought,  at  a  great  expense, 
from  the  liirman  em])ire. 

On  the  12th  of  February,  the  abbots  Hyacinth  and  Peter,  accom- 
panied by  M.  Timkovski  ami  a  party  of  Cossacks,  proceeded  on  horse- 
back to  visit  the  Portuguese  missionaries,  of  the  convent  of  the  south. 
Father  Ribeira,  the  superior  of  the  convent,  entertained  them  khidly, 
and  showed  them  the  chapel  and  other  apartments.  They  had  just  en- 
tered the  hall  of  reception  when  an  ofticer  of  the  IVfanchoo  police  rushed 
in  with  a  terrible  outcry ;  without  waiting  for  an  invitation  from  the 
superior  he  sat  down,  and  addressing  the  bishop  reproached  him  bitterly 
for  having  received  visits,  although  he  well  knew  the  access  to  the  con- 
vent was  forbidden  to  strangers.  The  bishop  having  replied  that  this 
did  not  concern  him,  the  ofticer,  who  was  much  excited,  blamed  the  su- 
perior for  having  exposed  him  to  the  danger  of  losing  liis  place,  for 
the  populace,  in  their  curiosity  to  see  the  Russians,  had  assembled  before 
the  convent ;  the  crowd  had  become  so  great  that  it  was  impossible  to 
pass  along  the  street,  and  disagreeable  consequences  might  result  if  one 
of  the  attorneys-general  should  be  informed  of  it.  Ribeira,  mortified 
at  being  treated  thus  in  the  presence  of  his  guests,  after  havhig  invited 
them,  in  a  manner,  to  show  the  inhabitants  of  Pekin  how  the  Portu- 
guese arc  esteemed  by  the  other  Europeans,  attempted  to  calm  the 
ofticer,  but  without  success.  The  Manchoo  seized  a  Franciscan  monk 
and  led  him  oft'  to  the  police  to  answer  for  the  disorder  which  the  visit 
of  the  Russians  had  caused.  Seeing  the  audacious  effrontery  of  the 
Manchoo,  and  the  low  credit  of  the  Catholics  in  China,  the  visitors  rose 
and  asked  leave  to  retire  and  return  at  a  more  favorable  moment; 
but  the  bishop  begged  them  to  remain,  saying  tliat  the  JVIanchoo  was 
drunk,  and  that  such  vexations  on  the  part  of  the  Chhieso  happened  fre- 
quently. 

Tiie  21st  of  INfarch  was  the  first  day  of  the  lliiid  moon,  in  the  Chi- 
nese calendar;  the  weiithcr  was  very  bail.  Spring,  in  iVkin,  is  usually 
accompanied  by  impetuous  winds.     The  winter  which  had  just  closed, 


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378 


TIMKOVSKI'S    JOURNEY    TO    PEKIN. 


and  the  beginning  of  the  spring  were  unusually  eolcl  for  the  climate. 
On  the  23cl,  a  great  concourse  of  devotees  assembled  in  the  temple  to 
celebrate  the  first  day  of  the  festival  of  spring.  The  priests  carried 
the  idols  to  their  i)laee3  and  burned  perfumes  before  them,  reciting 
meanwhile  the  prayers  established  for  the  ceremony. 

On  the  25th  of  April  M.  Timkovski  sent  to  the  tribunal  of  foreign 
affairs  a  petition  relative  to  their  departure  from  Pekin.  They  had 
fixed  it,  at  the  latest,  on  the  twenty-sixth  day  of  the  fourth  moon  (15th 
of  May).  The  petition  was  taken  by  the  inspector  of  baggage  and  the 
inter]>reter,  accompanied  by  M.  Sipiakov  and  two  Cossacks.  It  was 
graciously  received  by  the  members  of  the  tribunal,  Avho  promised  a 
prompt  and  favorable  decision.  After  some  delays  the  permission  was 
accorded,  and  the  mission  proceeded  at  once  to  make  preparations  for 
their  departure.  These  were  at  length  completed,  and  on  the  14th  of 
May  they  were  wholly  occupied  with  the  final  arrangements  for  setting 
out ;  they  had  now  spent  five  and  a  half  months  in  the  capital  of  the 
Chinese  Empire. 


i1 


The  climate  of  Pekin,  as  described  by  M.  Timkovski,  is  similar  to 
that  of  America  in  the  same  latitude.  The  air  u  salubrious,  even  for 
strangers.  Epidemic  diseases  are  rare,  and  the  ravages  of  the  pestilence 
are  unknown ;  every  year  the  waters  are  covered  with  ice,  from  the  mid- 
dle of  December  until  March,  sometimes  for  a  shorter  period  ;  but  the 
cold  is  never  very  severe.  When  the  thermometer  ranges  from  ten  to 
five  degrees  above  zero,  Fahrenheit,  one  suffers  less  than  at  St.  Peters- 
burg with  the  same  temperature.  Spring  is  the  season  of  squally  winds ; 
the  heats  of  summer  are  oppressive,  chiefly  in  the  months  of  June  and 
July ;  these  heats  are  accompanied  with  abundant  rains,  which  moisten 
the  soil,  composed  of  clay  and  sand  ;  sometimes  the  waters,  in  sweeping 
down  from  the  mountains,  destroy  villages  and  commit  great  ravages. 
The  autumn  is  the  most  agreeable  season,  especially  in  the  months  of 
September,  October,  and  November;  then  the  air  is  mild,  the  sky 
serene,  and  the  weather  calm. 

Pekin  is  divided  by  a  high  wall  into  two  parts,  called  King-ching,  or 
Imi)erial  City,  and  Vai-lo-ching,  or  southern  suburbs.  The  entire  cir- 
cumference is  about  fifteen  miles.  The  walls,  which  are  built  of  bricks, 
are  forty  feet  high  including  the  battlements,  wliich  are  about  five  and 
a  half  feet.  The  thickness  of  the  walls  is  twenty-one  feet,  and  they  are 
arranged  to  admit  horsemen  to  ride  upon  them.  There  are  sixteen 
gates,  nine  leading  into  the  Imperial  City,  and  seven  to  the  Chinese 
town. 

The  streets  are  long,  wide,  and  straight ;  they  are  not  paved,  but  the 
earth  is  solid.  The  principal  ones  are  about  one  liundred  and  twenty- 
five  feet  wide  ;  the  street  named  Chang-ngang-kiai,  or  Great  Street  of 


!i 


TEMPLE   ON   A   MOUNTAIN. 


379 


[ 


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Tranquillity,  is  full  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet  in  width.  It  is  the 
most  beautiful  street  of  Pekin ;  it  runs  from  east  to  west,  and  is  bor- 
dered on  the  north,  in  part,  by  the  walls  of  the  imperial  palace,  on  the 
south  by  several  palaces  and  tribunals.  The  houses  of  the  city  are  very 
low,  often  containing  only  the  ground  floor ;  they  are  of  bricks  and  cov- 
ered with  gray  tiles.  The  tribunals  and  the  palaces  of  the  princes  are 
elevated  on  a  base,  and  have  beautiful  entrances;  the  palaces  are 
covered  with  green-glazed  tiles.  The  most  beautiful  edifices  of  Pekin 
are  the  temples ;  they  are  large  and  magnificent,  ornamented  with  col- 
umns and  covered  with  superb  roofs  of  white  marble.  The  streets  are 
bordered  with  shops  finely  decorated ;  the  splendor  and  variety  of  mer- 
chandise exposed  to  the  public  eye  present,  in  many  quarters  of  the  city, 
a  very  agreeable  sight.  It  is  almost  impossible  for  a  stranger  to  know 
any  thmg  positive  in  regard  to  the  population  of  the  capital  of  China,  or 
that  of  the  empire  itself,  for  the  government  does  not  keep  correct  lists 
of  births  and  deaths,  as  is  done  in  Europe  ;  but  from  various  means  of 
information  which  he  obtained,  and  from  hi°.  own  observations,  M. 
Tirakovski  estimates  the  population  of  Pekin  at  two  millions. 

On  the  15th  of  May,  1821,  the  travelers  left  Pekin  on  their  return 
home.  The  thermometer  indicated  eighty-four  degrees,  Fahrenheit,  and 
next  day  the  heat  was  very  great.  As  they  proceeded  they  perceived 
mountains  in  the  distance,  especially  the  heights  of  Kiang-ching,  occu- 
pied by  a  brigade  of  artillery  from  Pekin ;  they  likewise  saw  the  white 
walls  of  the  castle  of  Ming-yuan,  and  the  pyramid  near  the  fountain  at 
which  water  is  drawTi  for  the  emperor. 

On  their  journey  to  Pekin  they  had  seen  an  ancient  temple  situated 
on  a  mountain  near  the  fortress  of  Kee-ming,  to  which  the  access  was 
very  difficult ;  but  as  it  was  near  the  road,  and  the  weather  was  now 
pleasant,  they  determined  to  visit  it.  They  accordingly  set  out  from 
the  fort  under  the  guidance  of  a  peasant,  but  lost  their  way,  and  were 
soon  stopped  by  precipices  and  rocks.  M.  Timkovski  with  several  of  his 
companions  took  a  road  to  the  east,  and  after  gr^:  difficulties  finally 
reached  the  temple.  The  rest  of  the  party,  who  took  %  southern  route, 
returned  without  seeing  any  thing.  The  steepness  of  tne  mountain,  the 
projecting  rocks,  tuo  numerous  precipices,  and  the  violence  of  the  wind, 
made  them  almost  despair  of  attaining  their  object.  Overcome  with 
fatigue  they  took  each  other  by  the  hand  and  were  thus  continuing  their 
ascent,  when  the  barking  of  a  dog  apprised  them  of  their  approach  to 
habitations.  After  another  difficult  passage,  by  a  route,  which  led  to 
other  temples  further  up,  they  finally  reached  the  one  they  were  seek- 
ing. This  temple,  hke  all  others,  is  built  of  bricks,  and  composed  of  sev- 
eral chapels  separated  from  each  other  and  filled  with  idols ;  near  it  was 
a  garden.  A  gigantic  rock  seemed  ready  to  fall  down  upon  the  temple 
and  crush  it.  They  met  with  no  one  but  the  guardian,  who  spoke  a 
little  Mongolese.  A  steep,  mnding  path,  cut  in  the  rock,  led  to  the  top 
of  the  mountain.     It  is  difficult  to  conceive  the  motives  which  led  to  the 


, 

1  •" ' ' 

:  i 

:i.l:ij!: 

\ 

i 

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riM. 


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1    I 


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1 

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1 

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380 


TIMKOVSKI'S    JOURNEY    TO    PEKIN. 


erection  of  such  a  monument  upon  this  narrow  ledge  of  the  mountain, 
surrounded  by  preciiuces  and  exposed  to  tempests.  The  transportation 
alone  of  the  materials  from  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  two  miles  distant, 
would  cost  a  vast  amount  of  labor  and  enormous  expense. 

The  travelers  met  with  poor  lodgings  at  Khalgan ;  their  neighbors 
were  playing  cards  and  making  a  great  deal  of  noise.  Here  they  like- 
wise received  the  disagreeable  intelligence  that  for  want  of  orders  from 
the  tribunal  of  Pekin  for  the  continuation  of  their  journey  they  would 
be  obliged  to  remain  three  or  four  days.  On  the  24th  of  May,  having 
received  their  permission,  they  set  out  upon  the  route  by  Nor-tian. 
They  crossed  over  mountains  where  there  was  still  a  quantity  of  snow, 
which  had  fallen  in  abundance  a  few  days  before.  It  was  still  cold  on 
the  heights  ;  the  wheat  and  rye  had  only  just  sprouted  from  the  ground, 
while  at  Pekin  the  wheat  was  already  ui  bloom.  When  they  left  Nor- 
tian  next  morning  a  thick  fog  obstructed  the  view ;  it  cleared  away 
toward  noon,  and  the  steppe  lay  sjircad  out  before  thern.  The  freshness 
of  the  atmosphere  and  the  song  of  the  larks  revived  in  them  the  hopo 
of  soon  beliolding  their  native  country  again. 

On  the  4th  of  June  they  emerged  from  the  high  mountains  and  en- 
tered a  sandy  plam  which  forms  the  commencement  of  the  stej^pe  of 
Gobi.  At  daybreak  next  morning  the  wind  blew  from  the  north,  and 
the  cold  was  perceptible,  the  thermometer  indicating  forty-three  de- 
grees. At  the  station  of  Khujir,  which  they  reached  on  the  9th,  the 
sandy  steppe  terminated ;  it  has  an  extent  of  eighty  miles.  Beyond  this 
for  fifty  miles  the  surface  is  gravelly  and  sterile.  On  the  steppe  the  cold 
was  at  times  keen  and  cutting,  and  at  others  the  heat  was  oppressive ; 
they  sometimes  passed  over  stony  heights,  sometimes  through  small  val- 
leys inclosing  the  bed  of  a  dried-up  stream.  After  some  days  of  this 
kind  of  traveling  they  came,  on  the  19th,  to  Mount  Oolan-khadah,  which 
separates  the  country  of  the  Sunites  from  that  of  the  Khalkas.  Just  be- 
fore reaching  the  station  of  Gashoon  that  evening  they  were  met  by 
their  old  friend,  the  Tussulakhchi  Idam. 

At  length  they  approached  a  chain  of  mountains  which  seemed  to 
bar  up  the  way  before  them.  At  the  extremity  of  a  defile  they  found, 
on  the  21st,  the  station  of  Oude,  situated  in  a  stony  valley,  sur- 
rounded by  mountains.  Oude,  in  Mongolese,  signifies  gate ;  the  name 
of  the  defile  by  which  one  enters  the  mountains.  North  of  this  defile 
the  desert  of  Gobi  is  said  properly  to  begin  :  a  steppe  devoid  of  water, 
of  wood,  and  of  vegetation,  which  extends  two  hundred  miles,  to  the 
habitations  of  the  wanderuigTsakhars.  After  pursuing  their  route  for 
nearly  a  month  through  this  desolate  region,  where  the  surface  is  often 
interrupted  by  granite  hills  and  stony  valleys,  they  finally,  on  the  14th 
of  July,  discovered  the  summit  of  Mount  Khan-oola.  This  mountain  is 
remarkable  as  the  last  one  in  MongoUa,  going  southward,  and  the  first 
in  returning,  that  is  covered  with  woods.  A  few  miles  further  they 
reached  Mount  Seoudji,  one  of  the  highest  of  the  chain,  which  they 


d 

: 


lor 
len 
Ith 

is 
rst 

jey 
ley 


RETURN    TO    SIBERIA. 


381 


ascended  with  much  difficulty  by  a  steep  and  rocky  road ;  thence  by  a 
dangerous  descent  they  came  to  the  station  of  Seondji. 

It  was  with  extreme  satisfaction  that  they  beheld  the  rapid  current 
©f  the  Tula,  upon  whose  banks  they  arrived  next  day ;  it  formed  the 
boundary  of  the  desert  steppes  which  they  had  been  so  long  traversing. 
At  five  in  the  evening  they  arrived  at  the  Ourga.  Here  they  rested  a 
while  from  the  fatigues  of  the  journey,  and  were  meanwhile  received 
in  a  friendly  manner  by  the  vang. 

On  the  19th  of  July,  they  continued  their  journey.  As  an  especial 
honor  they  were  escorted  to  the  first  station  by  a  dzanghin  and  ten 
Mongolese,  armed  Avith  bows  and  arrows.  The  mountains  and  valleys 
near  the  banks  of  the  Burgultai  were  carpeted  with  flowers  and  beauti- 
ful verdure ;  a  sight  which  they  had  not  beheld  south  of  the  Ourga. 
They  crossed  the  Mantagai  Mountains,  whose  rocky  sides  are  covered 
with  pines,  birch,  aspen,  and  a  variety  of  shrubs,  and  came  to  the  Bain- 
oola  River  on  the  25th.  Mount  Oulou,  which  they  passed  on  the  27th, 
is  very  picturesque.  Its  sides  are  covered  with  pines,  birch  and  aspen 
tree.),  wild  roses,  etc.  The  Shara-gol  bathes  its  foot ;  the  neighboring 
plain  abounds  in  luxuriant  vegetation,  sprinkled  Avith  elms.  Beyond, 
they  saw  a  temple  with  its  red  roof,  above  Avhich  rose  a  chain  of  mount- 
ains, crowned  with  forests  of  pine.  In  all  MongoHa  they  saw  no  district 
so  Avell  adapted  to  agriculture. 

On  the  31st  they  reached  Ghilan-nor,  the  last  station  before  Kiakh- 
ta.  At  the  extremity  of  a  forest  they  came  in  sight  of  the  town.  This 
view  made  them  forget  all  their  toils.  The  weather  was  becoming  very 
warm;  the  mountains  around  were  covered  with  wheat  readv  for  har- 
vest.  Arrived  at  the  station,  two  interpreters  of  the  custom-house  of 
Kiakhta,  in  behalf  of  the  director,  brought  them  bread  and  salt,  hi  con- 
gratulation of  their  happy  arrival. 

At  eight  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  August  1st,  they  Avero  visited  by 
M.  Goliakhovski,  the  director  of  the  custom-house,  and  other  employees, 
the  ataman  of  the  Buriate  light-guard,  and  two  taidzi  of  Selenghinsk,  in 
company  Avith  AA'hom,  at  ten  o'clock,  they  finally  entered  Kiakhta,  and 
found  themselves  again  on  Russian  soil. 


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CAPTAIN    COCHRANE'S 


PEDESTRIAN    JOURNEY    THROUGH    SIBERIA. 


Ix  the  month  of  January,  1820,  Captain  John  Dundas  Cochrane, 
of  the  Britisli  navy,  addressed  a  letter  to  the  secretary  of  the  Lords 
Commissioners  of  the  Admiralty,  offering  to  undertake  a  journey  into 
the  interior  of  Africa,  which  should  have  for  its  object  the  ascertaining 
of  the  course  and  termination  of  the  Niger.  Captain  Cochnine  had 
already  traversed  France,  S])ain,  and  Portugal,  on  foot,  and  had  been 
for  years  accustomed  to  undergo  groat  fatigues  and  privations,  among 
which  he  enumerates  cwo  trips  from  Quebec  to  Lake  Ontario  in  com- 
pany Avith  six  hundred  seamen,  whose  wry  faces  and  swollen  feet  told 
him  that  he  was  more  of  a  jiedcstrian  traveler  than  they.  lie  was 
therefore  confident  of  success  in  his  undertaking,  in  which  he  intended 
to  go  alone,  requiring  only  to  be  furnished  with  the  countenance  of  some 
constituent  part  of  the  government. 

The  answer  from  the  Admiralty  was  unfavorable,  but  the  captain, 
who  thought  his  plan  more  than  ordinarily  feasible  to  one  "who  had 
been  roasted  in  some  of  the  worst  corners  of  the  West  Indies,  during 
a  period  of  nearly  ten  years'  service,  without  so  much  as  a  headache," 
was  not  Avholly  disheartened.  "  Finding,  however,"  says  he,  "  that  a 
young  commander  like  myself  was  not  likely  to  be  employed  afloat, 
much  less  ashore,  I  determined  to  undertake  a  journey,  varying  only 
the  object  and  the  scene,  sunilar  to  that  of  the  unfortunate  Ledyard, 
viz.,  to  travel  round  the  globe,  as  nearly  as  can  be  done  by  land,  crossing 
from  Northern  Asia  to  America,  at  Behring's  Straits ;  I  also  determined 
to  perform  the  journey  on  foot,  for  the  best  of  all  possible  reasons,  that 
my  iinances  allowed  of  no  other.  Having  procured  two  years'  leave  of 
absence  I  prepared  to  traverse  the  continents  of  Europe,  Asia,  and 
America." 

Having  filled  his  knapsack  with  such  articles  as  seemed  requisite  to 
enable  him  to  wander  among  the  wilds  of  three  quarters  of  the  globe, 
ho  loft  London  in  the  packet-boat  for  Dieppe,  and  on  the  14th  of  Feb- 
ruary set  forward  through  FraTice  and  Germany,  toward  St.  Peters- 


i,'"( 


Hi- 


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884 


COCIIRANE'S   JOURNEY    THROUGH    SIBERIA. 


burg,  wlierc  he  arrived  on  the  30th  of  iVjiril  (O.  S.)  His  route  l;iy 
through  Paris,  Frankfort,  Leipsic,  Berlin,  Daiitzie,  Kouigsberg,  and  other 
important  cities,  in  Avliieh  he  halted  to  repose  from  the  gi-eat  i'atigues  of 
the  journey,  and  to  examine  the  objects  of  interest  that  were  to  l)e 
seen.  His  clothes  were  in  tatters,  and  his  shoes  worn  out  by  this  trip  of 
sixteen  hundred  miles,  during  an  inclement  season,  yet  on  his  arrival  at 
the  Russian  capital  lie  cheerfully  continued  the  arrangements  for  pur- 
suing his  journey  into  the  remotest  wilds  of  that  cjnpire. 

Through  the  influence  of  Sir  Daniel  Bailey,  the  British  Consul  Geiu^- 
ral,  who  was  an  able  advocate  of  his  i)laus,  Captain  Cochraut'  gained  the 
favor  of  Count  Nesselrode,  the  Foreign  Minister,  and  of  Count  Kochou- 
bey,  to  whom  his  affair  was  intrusted.  He  not  only  obtained  the  cus- 
tomary passport  and  a  letter  to  theGovernor  General  of  Siberia,  but  also 
two  oflicial  documents  signed  by  the  minister,  calling  upon  the  autluir- 
itiesot'all  the  towns  and  provinces  lying  on  his  route  from  St,  IVtershurg 
to  Kaintchatka,  to  aid  him  on  liis  journey,  and  afford  him  lawful  dc;- 
fense  and  protection  in  case  of  need.  The  emperor  likewise  offered  him 
pecuniary  assistaiu'c  in  the  outset,  which  he  declined. 

On  the  24th  of  ^Fay  (().  S.),  he  set  out  from  St.  Petersburg.  He 
carried  a  letter  of  hitroduction  to  IVmce  Theodore  Galitzin,  who  occu- 
l)ied  the  In\perial  Palace  at  Tzarsko  Selo,  but  on  his  arrival  at  midnight, 
lu'  found  the  j)alace  Avrapped  in  flames.  After  mingling  awhile  with  the 
crowd  in  extinguishing  the  conflagration,  he  retired  to  the  gardens,  and 
spent  a  few  hours  of  the  first  night  of  his  journey  lying  in  the  o}K'n  air 
upon  the  grass.  Having  breakfasted  witli  Prince  Tiieodore,  he  pro- 
ceeded toward  Tosna,  Avhere  he  arri\ cd  at  seven  in  the  evening.  He 
thus  coutinms  the  narrative  of  his  adveiitui'es  next  ;hiy :  "  I  passed  the 
night  in  the  cottage  of  a  farmer,  resigning  myself  to  the  attacks  and  an- 
noyance of  such  vermin  as  generally  haunt  impoverished  dwellings,  and 
was  therefore  proportionably  ]ih'ased  in  the  morning  to  pursue  my  Jour- 
ney, yiy  route  was  toward  Liubane,  at  about  tlu^  ninth  mile-stone  liom 
which  I  sat  down,  to  smoke  a  segar  or  pipe,  as  fancy  might  indicate  ;  I 
A.-.'is  suiMenly  seized  from  behind  by  two  rutlians,  whose  visages  were  as 
nnu'h  concealed  ,as  tlie  oddness  of  tlieir  dress  would  jiermit.  Oiw.  of 
them,  who  held  an  iron  bar  in  his  hand,  drag2:ed  me  by  the  collar  toward 
the  forest,  while  the  other,  with  a  bayoiu'ted  nnisket,  jnished  me  on  in 
such  a  mainu'r  as  to  make  me  move  with  more  than  ordhiary  celerity :  a 
Ixiy,  .mxiliary  to  these  vagal)onds,  was  stationed  on  the  road-sido  to  keep 
a  Inok-out. 

''  We  Intd  got  some  sixty  or  eighty  paces  into  the  thickest  part  of  the 
forest,  when  I  was  desired  to  nmlress,  and  having  stripped  of^'  my  trow- 
Kcrs  and  jacket,  then  my  shirt,  and,  linally,  my  shoes  and  stockings,  ihey 
proceeileil  to  lie  me  to  a  tree.  From  this  ceremony,  and  from  the  man- 
ner of  it,  I  fully  concluded  that  they  intended  to  try  the  effi'ct  of  a  mus- 
ket upon  me,  l»y  fning  at  me  as  they  would  at  a  mark.  T  was,  lu)Wever, 
reserved  for  fresh  scenes;  the  villains,  with  nmch  .sv^^/y  /'/•yA/,  seated 


L_^ 


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in 

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I 

PLUNDERED    BY    ROBBERS. 


385 


themselves  at  my  feet,  and  riiled  my  kimpsnc'k  and  jioekets,  evGTi  cuttiii<:f 
out  the  Uiiings  of  the  clothes  in  search  of  baid^-liijls  or  some  other  valu- 
able articles.  They  then  compelled  me  to  take  at  least  a  pound  of  black 
bread,  and  a  glass  of  rum,  jjoured  from  a  small  llask  which  had  been  sus- 
pended from  my  neck.  Having  appropriated  my  trowsei's,  yhirts,  stock- 
ings, and  English  shooting  shoes,  as  also  my  spectacles,  watch,  comjiass, 
thermometer,  and  small  pocket-sextant,  with  1(10  roubles  (about  t'T), 
they  at  length  released  me  from  the  tree,  and,  at  the  point  of  a  stiletto, 
made  me  swear  that  I  would  not  inform  against  them — such,  at  least,  I 
conjectured  to  be  their  meaning,  though  of  their  language  I  understood 
not  a  word. 

"  Having  received  my  promise,  T  was  again  treated  (o  bread  and  rum, 
and  once  more  fistened  to  the  tree,  in  which  condition  they  iinally  aban- 
doned me.  Not  long  after,  a  boy  who  was  passing  heard  my  cries,  and 
set  me  at  libertv.  I  did  not  doubt  he  was  sent  bv  mv  late  companinns 
u|ion  so  considerate  an  errand,  and  felt  so  flir  grateful  ;  though  it  might 
riMjuire  sumething  more  than  connuon  charity  to  i()rgive  their  depriving 
nie  of  my  shirt  and  trowsers,  and  leaving  me  almost  as  naked  as  I  came 
into  the  world. 

"•To  jiursue  my  route,  or  return  to  Tzarsko  Selo,  would,  ind(M^d,  bo 
alike  indecent  and  ridiculous,  but  being  so,  and  there  being  no  renie<1y, 
I  made  therefore  'forward'  the  order  of  the  day  ;  having  first,  with  tlm 
renniant  of  my  apparel,  rigged  myself  r/  /'A'v>,s'.s7;/,sr,  T  resumed  my  route. 
I  h;\d  still  lell  me  a  blue  jacket,  allamu'l  waistcoat,  and  a  spai-eone,  Avhich 
I  tieil  round  my  waist  in  such  a  manner  that  it  reached  down  to  the 
knees  :  my  em]ity  knapsack  was  restored  to  its  old  i)lace,  and  I  trotted 
on  willi  even  a  nn-i-ry  heart." 

AVithiu  a  Ihw  miles  he  passed  between  files  of  soldiers,  emjiloyed  in 
making  a  new  road,  under  the  orders  of  (Icneral  "Woronotr.  The  gen- 
eral r(  ci'iveil  him  with  kindness,  administere<l  food  and  refreshments, 
ami  then  offered  liim  clothing,  but  the  captain  declined  and  soon  after- 
ward proceeded  on  his  join'ney.  He  rode  in  the  geiu'ral's  carriage, 
wliich  was  directed  to  take  him  to  the  first  station,  but  finding  carriage- 
riding  cold  he  preferred  walking,  barefooted  as  he  was,  and  in  this  man- 
ner he  approai'hcd  Novgorod  lu'xt  day,  passhig  by  the  way  through 
many  large  villages  and  a  fertile  and  populous  comitry.  "Crossing  the 
bridge,"  he  contimies,  "I  entered  the  city  at  two  o'clock,  and  imme- 
diately waited  on  tho  governor.  He  would  have  provideil  nu'  with 
clothing  on  the  instant  ;  T  was,  liowever,  hungry,  and  rei|uested  tixxl. 
The  governor  smiled,  but  assented,  ami  I  then  accepted  a  shirt  and 
trowsers."  .Areanwhile  lie  obtained  good  (piarters  at  the  house  of  a 
merchant  to  mIioiu  he  had  a  letter  of  introduction,  and  who  kindly 
fuinisheil  li'in  with  a  complete  retit.  ,\s  he  was  jtm'suing  his  journey, 
a  {\'\Y  days  afterward,  he  received  two  rul)les  as  charity  from  the  master 
of  a  post-house,  ftom  w  horn  he  had  also  received  refreshment  gratia. 
"Knowing  as  I  did,"  says  he,  "that  assistaiu-e  was  at  haiul,  1  decline<l 

i>5 


I! 


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386 


COCIIUANE'S    JOURNEY    THROUGH    SIBERIA. 


the  niouey,  iilthongh  my  then  distrossod  state  iniglit  ]);i\ e  warranted  my 
open  acceptance  of  it.  I  continued  my  route,  and  upon  my  arrival  at 
tiie  next  station  I  found  tlie  money  in  my  cap. 

"■  I  entered  Moscow  at  eight  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  June  ruli, 
the  last  stage  being  distressingly  fatiguing.  ]\Iuch  rain  fell  and  I  was 
not  a  little  liappy  to  reach  the  hospitable  abode  of  3Ir.  llowan  in  time 
for  breakfast.  The  last  thirty-two  hours  I  warrant  as  bearing  Avitness 
to  one  of  my  greatest  pedestrian  trips — the  distance  is  one  hundred  and 
sixty-eight  versts,  or  about  ninety-si.x  miles;  I  have,  however,  done  the 
same  in  Portugal." 

After  leaving  Moscow  he  .somethnes  traveled  by  night  to  avoid  the 
lieat  of  the  sun.  His  "way  of  life  seems  to  have  excited  an  interest  among 
the  peasants,  who  frequently  divided  their  meals  and  share<l  their  dwi'll- 
ings  with  him,  Avith  the  most  cordial  good  will.  When  he  showed  tluni 
lus  passports  they  thoiight  such  a  favor  liad  never  before  been  granted. 
At  one  time  we  fuid  him  Avashing  his  linen  by  the  Avayside,  and  then 
lying  down  under  a  bridge  to  enjoy  a  sound  sleep,  Avhile  his  clothing 
Avas  dried  in  the  sim ;  at  another  sleepiug  contentedly  in  the  open  air, 
or  under  such  shelter  as  he  chauceil  to  find,  aftor  lia\iiig  sjieiit  the  day 
Avilhout  food.  Once  he  halted  at  midnight  near  u  pretty  village  on  tlic 
banks  of  a  lake,  Avherc  ho  Avas  greatly  charmed  Avith  the  singing  of  some 
boys  and  girls,  accorap;uiied  by  a  Kimple  two-stringeil  instrument; 
"  but,"  lie  continues,  "  the  beauty  of  the  night  prompted  me  to  con- 
tinue my  route,  and  I  left  the  liapjiy  villagers  for  I'ogost,  twenty-four 
miles,  Avhere  I  arrived  half  famished  and  quite  fatigued,  not  having 
tasted  food  during  twenty-foiu"  hours,  and  a  march  of  forty  miles. 
jJeing  too  Jaded  to  jiroceed  further  I  thought  myself  fortunate  in  being 
able  to  pass  the  night  in  a  <'<tt<k  ;  nor  did  I  think  this  mode  of  passing 
tiie  night  a  novel  one;  oflen,  very  itften,  have  T,  in  the  fastnesses  of 
Spain  and  Portugal,,  ]iassed  the  night  in  a  similar  style.  Here  I  usin-p 
the  place  of  crockery,  there  I  usur])ed  that  of  Avine ;  here  in  the  land  of 
liberality,  there  in  tliat  of  notu'ntity." 

At  Lower  Novgorod  lie  was  entertained  by  llaron  Ilode,  to  Avhom 
he  carried  a  recommendatory  letter,  "lie  received  me  kindly,"  says 
Captain  Cochrane,  "placing  me  for  board  in  his  own  house;  while  for 
lodgmg  I  jtrcferred  the  open  air  of  his  garden  ;  there,  Avith  my  knap- 
sack for  a  pillow  I  passed  the  night  im)ro  pleasantly  than  I  sliould  have 
done  on  a  bed  of  down,  which  the  baron  most  Miicerely  pressed  nu-  to 
accept.  His  excellency  the  governor  receivivl  nui  Avilh  customary  at- 
tention; but  I  was  not  so  f()rtunate  as  to  nu-et  his  amiable  lady,  an 
Knglishwoman.  The  truth  Avas,  her  servant  would  not  admit  me, 
judging,  nf)  doubt,  from  the  length  of  my  beard  and  the  shabbiness  of 
my  dress,  that  I  must  be  a  Jew,  or  something  worse.  Thus  denicil,  I 
embarked,  in  a  freak  of  fimcy,  on  board  a  ligliter  bound  to  Kazan,  the 
better  to  enjoy  tliu  beautiful  scenery  of  the  Volga."    The  captain  cn- 


\' 


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(h 

lo 


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or 
)- 
I'e 
to 
it- 
:tu 

M<', 
of 

Ll 
ilie 

C'll- 


RUSSIAN    nOSPITALITY. 


S87 


tofod  PS  ov->  of  tlio  crow,  working  h\<  jirissngo,  and  arrived  at  Kazan  on 
tlio  2'2<1  r        iiic,  after  a  passage  of  twelve  days. 

On  li;  .  ')th  ho  set  forward  in  a  vehicle  furnislied  by  the  governor, 
Avhich  convcved  him  to  Perm  in  four  davs.  He  was  so  thoroughly  fa- 
tigued  hy  the  jolting,  and  Avas,  moreover,  so  little  jjleasod  with  the  se- 
verity of  the  jiostillion  toward  the  peasantry,  that  he  was  glad  to  resume 
liis  journey  on  foot.  In  a  few  days  ho  reached  the  Ural  Mountains,  and 
crossing  the  ljoun(hiries  between  Europe  and  Asia,  arrived  at  Jekatha- 
rinenburg. 

"  On  reaching  the  Asiatic  side  of  the  Ural  chain,"  he  observes,  "I 
could  not  lielp  remarking  that  the  inliabitants  of  all  the  villages  were 
much  more  civil,  more  hospitable,  and  more  cleanly  dressed  ;  and  in  no 
one  instance  Avould  they  accept  of  money  for  the  food  I  had  occasion  to 
j)ro('ui'(>.  I  nevt'r  entered  a  cottage  but  shtshee  (a  cabbage  soup),  with 
meat,  milk,  and  bread  wore  immediately  placed  before  mo  unasked ; 
noi-  could  any  entreaty  of  mine  induce  them  lo  receive  a  higher  reward 
than  a  pipe  of  tobacco,  or  a  glass  o? vodha  (whisky).  In  short,  to  pre- 
vent uselessly  troubling  the  inhabitants,  I  Avas  obliged  to  consign  my 
nearly  exhausted  purse  to  the  care  of  my  knapsack,  renouncing  the  hack- 
neyed and  unsocial  custom  of  paying  for  food.  Among  other  proofs  of 
their  civility,  or  I'ather  of  the  interest  which  Russians  take  in  foreigners, 
as  well  as  the  nu'ans  they  have  of  making  themselves  understood,  one 
very  strong  one  occurred  to  me  in  a  small  village.  I  had  learned  so 
nuu'h  of  the  language  as  to  know  that  kchorosho  is  the  Kussian  word 
fur  tccU^  but  not  that  IcchxiJo  was  the  translation  for  h<(fl.  My  host 
being  a  good  sort  of  a  blunt  fi'llow,  was  discoursing  upon  the  impro- 
priety of  traveling  as  I  did.  As  I  could  not  comprehend  him,  T  was 
impatient  to  go,  but  he  persisted  in  detaining  me  till  he  had  made  me 
understand  the  meaning  of  kufntdo.  My  extreme  stupidity  oifercd  a 
jiowerful  liarrier  to  his  design  ;  but  a  smart  slap  on  <me  cheek  and  a  kiss 
on  th(!  other,  followed  by  the  Avords  kdnido^  and  h'Jiorosho,  soon 
cured  my  dullness,  and  I  laughed  heartily  in  spite  of  this  mode  of  in- 
struction." 

After  reacliing  Tobolsk,  ho  resolved  to  make  an  excursion,  by  Avay 
of  Omsk,  to  the  Chinese  frontier.  The  Governor  General  accordingly 
supplied  him  Avith  a  Cossack,  as  well  as  a  si)ecial  order  for  horses,  if  ho 
should  deem  tlu'ni  necessary,  ami  for  every  assistance  he  might  re(piire. 
At  the  Tartar  villages  beyoml  Tobolsk,  he;  Avas  liospitably  received,  but 
nf>er  he  had  advanced  into  tlic  steppe  he  met  Avith  an  unpleasant  inci- 
dent, which  he  thus  relates:  "  At  Toukalinsk,  T  had  tlu-  misfortinu' to 
lose  what  Avas  to  me  my  all — my  pa-sport,  papers,  and  every  protection 
in  Siberia.  In  vain  T  addressed  the  commissary ;  in  vain  I  offered  a 
guinea  for  their  recovery;  in  vain  T  pointed  out  the  rogue  avIio  had 
tiiken  them  in  the  tin  case  from  tlie  '^eat  while  T  Avas  at  dinner.  I  begged, 
intreated,  insisted,  llin'atened,  .abused;  all  Avas  to  no  ])urpose ;  and  I 
Mas  fuially  constraine<l  to  go  witliout  them.     15y  this  terrible  disaster  I 


!;1i' 


ii 


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m 


m 


ii'ii 


I'l 


ii' 


i    :. 


588 


COCHRANE'S    JOURNEY    THROUGH    SIBERIA, 


1 


was  entirely  deprived  of  all  testimony  of  myself,  my  connections,  or  the 
object  of  my  journey,  and  lay  at  the  mercy  of  any  one  who  might  choose 
to  provide  me  with  large  but  cheap  lodgings. 

"  On  my  arrival  at  Omsk,  I  of  course  presented  myself  to  the  isprnv- 
nick,  or  head  connnissary,  and  made  known  my  loss  in  as  good  language 
as  I  could.  I  failed  in  making  him  mulerstand  me,  but  he  humanely 
gave  me  good  lodgings  until  he  could  procure  the  presence  of  one  of  the 
military  ollicers,  to  act  as  an  interpreter.  Tiiis  was  done  the  next  day. 
In  the  mean  time,  I  aildressed  a  letter  to  the  (lovernor  (ieneral  and  gover- 
nor of  Tobolsk,  requesting  an  attested  copy  of  the  documents  I  had  lost, 
and  which  I  had  taken  the  precaution  to  have  made  there.  The  police- 
nuister  invited  me  to  dine  with  him,  though  he  confessed  ho  could  not 
understand  either  my  object  or  character.  He  was,  however,  soon  satis- 
iied  by  the  arrival  of  an  express  with  my  ])assports,  etc.,  all  complete. 
Thus  was  I,  from  a  state  of  susjiicion  and  surveillance,  again  restored  to 
society.  I  should  be  very  ungrateful.  Mere  I  not  to  do  justice  here  to 
the  conduct  ofthe  commissary,  who  kindly  went  eighty  miles,  upon  my  ac- 
count, to  enforce  the  return  ofthe  ])apers,  which,  being  in  a  tin  case,  in- 
duceil  the  l)arty  to  suspect  money  was  there.  All  that  I  had,  was,  liow- 
ever,  in  my  knapsack,  and  that  did  not  amount  to  £B. 

"  Omsk  is  situated  on  the  eastern  bank  ofthe  Irtysch,  at  the  junction 
of  the  Om.  The  surrounding  country  is  a  vast,  level  plain,  the  soil  of 
which  is  fertile,  though  not  extensively  cultivated.  Opposite,  is  the  ter- 
ritory of  the  wandering  Kirghiz;  jtrescnting  no  a})pearauce  of  cultiva- 
tion or  dwellings,  A  considerable  trade  is  carried  on  with  them,  as  also 
with  the  Calmucks  to  the  south,  which  consists  in  the  barter  of  cattle, 
etc.,  tl)r  tobacco  ami  spirits.  Several  children  of  each  of  these  ti'ibes  arc 
to  bi!  seen  in  Omsk,  who  are  slaves,  having  been  sold  by  their  parents 
for  a  ]K)und  of  tobacco  or  a  glass  of  spirits. 

'"The  (!)almucks,  who,  like  tlu^  Kirghiz,  make  no  scruple  to  disj)oso 
of  their  children  upon  any  nu)men(ary  distress  or  w.ant  of  sjtirits,  are  yet 
a  dillerent  race,  both  with  respect  to  features  aiul  origin.  They  are, 
however,  their  equals  in  idleness,  and  filth,  and  follow  the  same  vag.abond 
w.ay  of  lite.  The  Calmucks  are,  notwithstanding,  the  direct  descendants 
ofthe  ]Mongolese,  who  emigrated  hither  after  tlie  destructicn  oftheir  em- 
pire. Very  few  are  subject  to  llussia,  a  gi'eat  part  of  them  living  in  Clii- 
nese  Mongoli.'i,  while  the  rest  of  them,  under  the  protection  of  Russia, 
roatn  about  tin;  countries  situate  between  the  Don  and  Volga  and  the  Uial 
mountains.  Their  features  will  forever  mark  them,  in  whatever  ])art  of 
the  world  ;  the  ilat  i;ice,  small  and  elongated  eyes,  broad  nose,  high  clu't'k 
bones,  thick  lips,  and  brownish  yellow  complexion,  are  sure  signs  of  their 
Mongolian  descent.  They  are  obliging,  but  inquisitive  and  dishonest; 
yet,  with  a  little  llussian  ('(bu-ation  and  discipline,  they  make  good  serv- 
ants. I  ate  and  drank  with  them,  as  dso  with  the  Kirghiz,  upon  roasteil 
meat,  without  bread,  or  any  thing  ei.-^e,  >.ave  a  glass  of  spirits  ami  a  pipe 
of  tobacco." 


i 


TRIP    TO    THE    CHINESE    FRONTIER. 


389 


Lcfiving  Omsk,  Captain  Coclirane,  attended  by  a  military  Cossack, 
procoodt'd  southward  by  tlio  lino  of  tbrtross(>s  on  tlic  right  hank  of  the 
Irtyscli,  and  in  a  few  days  reached  Semi[)alatinsk,  a  fortress  witli  nearly 
one  thousand  soldiers.  "I  quitted  8  mipalatinsk  late  in  the  evening," 
he  writes,  "  and  directed  my  steps  for  Ubinsk,  along  the  banks  of  a  little 
stream  which  gives  name  to  the  fortress,  and  which  unites  Avitli  the 
Irtysch.  I  had  entered  a  kibitka  "which  was  {)assing  the  same  way,  and 
at  some  distance  observed  tlie  postilion  turn  off  suddenly  to  the  right. 
jNIy  mind  misgave  me,  because  in  no  instance  before  had  I  deviated  froni 
the  liigh-road.  I  recollected,  also,  that  the  Cossack  and  postilion  Avere 
both  half  (b'unk,  and  had  been  m  earnest  and  secret  conversation  ;  I 
therefore  determined  to  quit  by  a  short  movement.  It  was  ten  at  night, 
and  we  were  in  a  low  thick  l)rushwood,  wlien,  taking  my  knapsack,  I 
suddenly  quitted  the  vehicle,  informing  them,  as  well  as  T  could  by  signs. 
and  an  obsthiate  persistence  not  to  go  their  way,  that  if  they  were  bound 
as  they  had  pretended  they  would  follow  me.  I  continued  alone,  and 
regained  the  main  road ;  the  veiiicle  also  tackcil  and  came  after  me,  but 
I  refused  to  re-enter  it,  and  marched  on  to  the  next  station,  keejiing 
tliem  at  a  respectful  distance  all  the  way.  On  my  arrival  I  discliarged 
the  Cossack,  without,  however,  reporting  his  conduct  to  the  German 
commandant,  as  I  perhaps  ought  to  liave  done." 

At  I>ukhtarminsk  he  procured  a  guide  and  Aveiit  on  toward  the 
boundary.  Having  arrived  at  ^Macaria,  he  thus  ]>roceeds:  "The  night 
was  so  beautiful,  tlie  moon  just  ascending  above  the  hills,  that,  in  spite 
of  a  good  supper  wliich  was  ready  and  inviting  my  attack,  I  resumed 
my  journey  on  liorseback,  in  cnuipaTiy  Avith  the  landlord,  to  INfalaya- 
Narymka,  the  last  Russian  spot  on  the  frontier.  An  officer  and  a  few 
men  placed  l\ere,  are  all  'hat  :irc  left  to  mark  the  boundaries  of  two 
such  mighty  enqiires  as  liussia  and  China.  I  f  irded  the  little  stream 
which  forms  tlie  actual  limit,  and  seating  myself  on  a  stone  on  tlie  left 
bank,  was  soon  lost  in  a  reverie.  It  was  about  midniglit ;  the  moon, 
ajiparently  full,  Avas  near  her  m"ridian,  ;'nd  sei'iucd  to  encourage  a  )ien- 
sive  inclination.  "What  can  surpass  that  scene  I  knoAv  not.  Some  of 
the  loftiest  granite  mountains  s]>reading  in  various  directions,  inclosing 
some  of  the  most  luxuriant  valleys  in  the  world  ;  yet  all  deserted! — all 
this  fliir  and  fertile  tract  abandoned  to  wild  beasts,  merelv  to  constitute 
a  neutral  territorv  !  To  the  first  Chinese  settlement  it  is  ei<.rhtv  miles;  I 
would  fain  have  visited  it,  but  durst  not  without  previous  notice,  and  lor 
this  ceremony  could  ill  spare  the  tinu'." 

Tieturning,  he  embarke(l  on  the  Irtysch  and  descended  the  river  by 
stag(>s  to  Udinsk,  AA'hence  )u>  proceeded,  Avith  a  Cossack,  to  I?arnaoul. 
On  his  arrival  he  fouml  great  prejiarations  for  receiving  tlie  (iovernor 
Oeneral  Speranski,  Avh<>m  he  Avas  anxious  to  meet.  His  excellency  ar- 
rived on  the  second  day,  and  Captain  Cochrane  Tiiet  liim  at  the  public 
dinners  given  in  liis  honor,  Avliere  lu;  himself  became  a  conspicuous  ob- 
ject.    His  hair  and  beard  Avere  long,  he  wore  a  long  swaddling  gray 


1 

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1 

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390 


COCURANE  S    JOUllNEY    THROUGH    SIBERIA. 


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nankeen  coat,  and  :i  silken  sash  around  liis  Avaist :  "  Indeed,"  remarks 
the  captahi,  "  so  great  a  buck  liad  I  become  of  late  that  I  hardly  knew 
myself."  Having  laitl  his  plans  before  the  Governor  General,  the  cajjtain 
continues :  "  lie  told  me  that  there  was  an  expedition  on  the  river 
Kolyma,  fitted  out  purposely  to  solve  the  (jnestion  regarding  the  north- 
east cape  of  Asia ;  smd  his  excellency  kindly  ottered  me  his  i)ermission 
to  proceed  with  it.  Too  glad  to  accept  a  favor  of  the  kind,  I  instantly 
closed  witli  the  offer,  and  determined  not  to  wait  a  moment  in  Irkutsk 
and  Yakutsk  beyond  the  necessary  time,  but  to  ])roceed  immediately  to 
the  Frozen  Sea,  either  to  share  the  fortune,  good  or  bad,  of  the  ex})e- 
dition,  or,  in  case  of  any  impediment  from  jealousy,  to  withdraw  and 
follow  some  other  plan.  The  Governor  General  su]iplicd  nie  with  various 
orders  and  recommendations  for  whatever  places  I  should  visit." 

Witli  this  valuable  recommendation  he  hastened  forward,  attended 
by  a  Cossack.  At  Tomsk,  the  governor  presented  him  with  fif\y  rubles, 
a  watch,  a  pair  of  spectacles,  and  a  ihw  articles  of  wearing  apparel,  mak- 
ing part  of  the  effects  of  which  he  liad  been  robbed  near  St.  Petersburg. 
Beyond  Tomsk,  the  route  lay  through  a  dreary,  woodless  waste,  where 
the  villages  were  numerous,  but  miserable  in  the  extreme,  excepting 
those  mhabited  by  Tartars  ;  and  afterward,  as  the  country  became  more 
hilly,  the  roatls  grew  Avorse,  until  on  approaching  Krasnojarsk  they  were 
so  nearly  impassable  that  he  preferre<l  walking.  In  the  government  of 
Irkutsk  the  road  improved,  and  the  country  appeared  more  fertile. 

On  arriving  at  Irkutsk,  lie  was  recieived  in  a  flattering  manner  by  the 
commamhuit  of  the  navy,  and  was  imhiccd  to  take  up  his  abode  with  him. 
"  Having  made  myself  as  decent  as  my  hmited  wardrobe  would  allow," 
he  continues,  "  I  called  on  the  vice-governor,  who  made  great  promises, 
aiid  exceeded  them  in  ]ierforiuance.  Upon  quitting  his  excellency,  I 
made  some  visits,  and  delivered  my  letters  of  recommendation,  made 
incpiiries  as  to  my  future  movements,  and  then  returned  to  an  elegant 
dinner  with  niy  host,  who  had  invited  a  party  of  twenty  persons  to 
meet  me, 

"  Next  morning,  in  company  with  Captain  Koutigin,  I  lefl  tlie  Admi- 
ralty House,  which  is  two  miles  from  the  city,  to  view  whatever  is  notable 
hi  Irkutsk.  Fifteen  thousand  inhabitants,  including  three  thousand  of 
the  military,  are  said  to  compose  the  population.  Irkutsk  indeed  scarcely 
deserves  the  name  of  city,  excej)tfor  its  public  builduigs,  which  are  good  ; 
yet,  thongli  I  confess  it  is  upon  the  whole  a  fine  town,  I  could  not  but 
feel  disappointment  from  its  total  want  of  original  plan,  as  well  as  its 
])resent  want  of  regidarity,  which  must  retard  its  advancement  for  a  long 
time  to  come.  Tobolsk  is  certainly  its  superior  in  every  thing  except  its 
situation,  and  the  singularly  fine  ajipearance  of  a  few  buildings,  public 
and  i)rivate. 

"  My  stay  in  Irkutsk  was  but  a  week,  when,  being  furnished  with  a 
fresh  Cossack,  and  with  every  assistance  I  desired  to  enable  me  to  reach 
the  river  Lena,  I  set  out,  a  little  melancholy  at  parting  with  such  kind 


rr 


VOYAGE    DOWN    THE    LENA. 


391 


friomls.  At  seven  miles  I  haJ  a  last  view  of  the  city.  The  country  be- 
came very  eknated,  and  the  road  lay  over  hill  and  dale  as  far  as  the  fifth 
station.  With  the  exception  of  some  little  corn,  the  land  is  one  uninter- 
rupted pasture.  The  inhabitants,  Russians,  are  pretty  numerous,  and 
their  villages,  though  small,  occur  at  frequent  intervals.  The  post-houses 
are  good  and  convenient  l>alting-j)laces. 

"I  soon  reached  Vercholensk,  a  large  and  populous  town,  distant  one 
hundreil  .and  fifty  miles  from  Irkutsk.  The  road  is  by  dangerous  j)reci- 
pices,  and  at  this  ])laco  the  communication  by  land  ceases,  a  circumstance 
at  which  I  was  not  a  little  rejoiced,  longing  to  be  again  upon  my  own 
element.  I  soon  ]trocured  a  canoe  and  a  couple  of  hands,  who,  M'ith  the 
Cossack  and  myself,  paddled  down  the  stream.  Proceeding  day  and 
night  in  my  open  canoe,  I  generally  made  one  hundred  to  one  hundred 
ami  twenty  miles  each  day,  and  wherever  I  ^^fent,  fared  well  from  the 
hospitality  of  the  Russian  colonists,  as  well  as  from  that  of  my  friends  at 
Irkutsk,  who  had  j)rovided  me,  according  to  the  Russian  ])roverb,  with 
plenty  of  bi'ojtd  dial  suit.  This  simple  sounding  provision  also  included 
some  fine  partridges,  a  hare,  a  large  piece  of  roast  beet^  and  a  quantity 
of  meat  pies ;  not  omitting  wine  and  rum.  A  traveler  in  Russia,  whether 
native  or  foreigner,  on  taking  leave  of  his  friends  previous  to  his  depart- 
lu'e,  uniformly  finds  at  his  lodguigs  all  tlie  provisions  requisite  Ilot  his 
journey,  with  .another  lodging  pointed  out  at  some  friend's  upon  his 
next  route,  for  as  long  as  he  pleases.  Indeed  I  have  no  doubt,  as  the  se- 
quel will  justify  the  assertion,  that  a  man  may  travel  through  tlie  Rus- 
sian Empire,  as  long  as  his  conduct  is  becoming,  without  wanting  any 
thing — not  even  horses  and  money ;  excepting  only  the  civilized  jtarts 
between  the  caj)it;ils. 

"  Pursuing  my  voyage,  I  readied  Vittim,  which  is  half  way  to  Ya- 
kutsk, u])on  the  eighth  day.  Here  I  was  first  overtaken  by  the  ice  floating 
down  the  river,  yet  not  so  as  to  incommode  me,  and  I  had  enjoyed  the 
luxtn-y  of  fine  autunmal,  though  cold,  weather.  Sometimes  the  boat 
was  so  much  entangled  in  the  ice,  that  the  poor  fellows  were  comjtelled 
to  strip  and  track  her,  up  to  their  waists  in  water,  while  the  atmosphere 
was  twenty-five  degrees  of  Fahrenheit ;  I  could  perceive  that  they  suf- 
feri'd  a  good  deal  in  consecpience,  for  u})on  their  return  to  the  boat,  they 
could  not  tell  which  part  of  their  body  to  restore  first  to  proper  anima- 
tion. Their  great  resort,  I  invariably  found,  was  to  take  a  mouthfid  of 
smoke  from  their  pipe — not,  however,  of  tobacco  ;  the  greater  part  at 
least  being  birch-wooil  dust,  or  line  shavings,  mixed  with  a  very  scanty 
portion  of  tobacco,  the  latter  article  being  extremely  dear:  if  to  this 
luxury  can  be  added,  however  small,  a  drop  of  brandy,  they  will  cheer- 
fully, and  even  thankfully,  undergo  the  repetition  of  the  suffering.  At 
one  of  these  villages,  I  resumed  my  knapsack,  and  in  three  days  reached 
Olekminsk,  the  last  thirty  miles  on  horseback. 

"  From  Olekminsk  to  Yakutsk  is  about  four  hundred  miles,  which, 
except  the  two  last  stages,  I  completed  in  the  canoe.     It  was  on  the  1st  of 


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392 


COCHRANE'S    JOURNEY    TIIROUGK    SIBERIA. 


October  tliat  I  left,  and  the  Cth  when  I  arrived.  The  weather  proved 
very  cold,  and  snow  fell  heavily  ;  the  atmosphere  dark,  and  having  every 
aj)pearance  of  winter :  yet,  upon  the  whole,  the  season  is  considered 
backward,  as  on  the  1st  of  October  the  Lena  is  generally  frozen  over,  and 
in  three  weeks  more  admits  of  travelers  with  sledges ;  but  at  this  time  I 
was  enabled  to  reach  within  Ofty  or  sixty  miles  by  water,  although  with 
some  risk  and  difficulty. 

"  Yakutsk,  although  a  considerable  place  of  trade,  and  a  great  pass 
for  the  American  Company,  is  ill  built,  and  more  scattered  even  tlian 
Irkutsk,  in  the  most  exposed  of  all  bleak  situations,  on  the  left  bank  of 
the  Lena,  which  is  in  summer  four  miles,  and  winter  two  miles  an<l  a 
half,  wide,  appearing,  as  it  really  is,  one  of  the  finest  streams  in  the 
world,  running  a  course  of  more  than  three  thousand  miles  from  its 
source,  near  L-kutsk,  to  the  Frozen  Sea,  which  it  enters  by  several 
mouths.  There  are  seven  thousand  iidiabitants  in  the  city,  of  whom  the 
greater  jiart  are  Russians,  and  the  rest  Yakuti.  Half  a  dozen  churches, 
the  remains  of  an  old  fortress,  a  monastery,  and  some  tolerable  build- 
ings, give  it  some  decency  of  appearance,  yet  I  could  not  help  thinking- 
it  one  of  the  most  dreary-looking  places  I  had  seen,  though  I  was  in  the 
enjoyment  of  every  comfort,  and  therefore  the  less  disposed  to  complain. 

"  I  remained  in  Yakutsk  three  weeks,  making  the  needful  j)rej)ara- 
tions  for  my  journey  during  so  severe  a  season  of  the  year.  In  par- 
ticular I  looked  to  the  nature  of  my  dress,  for  the  accounts  of  the  cold 
which  I  should  have  to  encounter  Avere  such,  that  I  considered  myself 
exposed  to  deatli,  without  even  the  satisfaction  of  expecting  to  be  buried, 
from  the  eternal  frost  that  prevails  here.  Could,  however,  this  feeling 
be  gratified,  the  satisfaction  would  be  materially  increased  by  the  knowl- 
edge that  the  body  itself  would  enter  the  next  Avorld  in  the  same  state 
that  it  left  this  ;  for  everywhere  to  the  north  of  Yakutsk,  the  earth,  two 
feet  and  a  half  below  the  surface,  is  perpetually  frozen  ;  consequently  a 
carcase  buried  in  it  at  that  depth  must  remain  perpetually  the  same. 

"  The  way  I  jtassed  my  time  at  3Ir.  3Iinitsky's  was  sufficiently  reg- 
ular ;  I  rose  early,  and  .always  went  early  to  bed ;  occupied,  while  day- 
light lasted,  with  l)ringiiig  up  my  journal ;  then  at  a  game  at  billiards  ; 
afterward  at  diinu'r,  alway:^  on  the  most  excellent  fire,  with  wine,  rum, 
and  other  delicacies.  In  the  evening,  with  a  party  of  the  natives,  male 
and  female,  at  the  house  of  the  chief;  the  ladies  to  all  appearance  dumb, 
not  <laring  to  utter  a  Avord,  and  solely  employed  in  cracking  their  nuts, 
a  very  small  species  of  the  cedar-nut,  which  .al)ounds  in  such  quantities 
as  to  be  made  an  article  of  trade  to  Okotsk  and  Kamtchatka.  I  am  not 
exaggerating,  when  I  say  that  half  a  dozen  of  females  will  sit  down  and 
consume  each  m;my  Imndreds  of  these  inits,  and  (piit  the  house  without 
liaving  s|)oken  a  word — unless  a  stolen  one,  in  fear  it  sho\ild  be  heard. 
"While  the  ladies  are  thus  cracking  their  nuts,  staring,  ami  listening,  and 
s]H'echless,  the  gentlemen  are  employed  in  drinking  rum  or  rye-brandy 
punch,  as  their  tastes  may  dictate.     Xor  is  even  good  rum  a  scarce 


.._J 


AVINTER    TRAVEL    IN    SIBERIA. 


393 


article  here,  coming  as  it  docs  by  way  of  Kaiiitchatlca.  I  was  one  feast- 
day  on  a  visit  to  a  respectalile  old  gentleman,  one  of  the  couneil ;  there 
■were  no  chairs,  but  a  long  table  was  spread,  •with  ilsh  jiies,  a  |iieee  of 
roast  beef,  boiled  deers'  tongues,  and  some  Avild  berries  in  a  tart.  The 
first  thing  i)resented  is  a  glass  of  brandy,  which  I  I'efused,  knowing  the 
chief  to  have  sent  some  good  wine  ;  this  I  was  ofi'ered,  and  accepted, 
when  I  was  told  by  iny  friend  the  chief,  that  it  was  not  the  custom  to 
accept  any  thing  of  that  kind  the  first  tune,  but  to  await  the  third. 
Ifelying  upon  the  chief's  better  knowledge  of  the  Siberian  Avorld,  1  re- 
fused the  next  glass  of  wine,  whicli  was  offered  me  twice,  and  need  not 
say  I  ultimately  lost  it,  jirubably  from  the  practice  of  economizing  good 
Avine  in  a  place  where  it  can  seldom  be  purchased. 

"  My  dresses  completed,  and  the  river  havuig,  according  to  custom, 
been  passed  and  declared  closed,  I  2)acked  up  my  knajtsack  and  other 
I'Mggage,  as  I  was  provided  also  Mith  a  couple  of  bags  of  black  biscuit 
tlirough  the  kuidness  of  my  host,  with  a  jMeco  of  roast  beef,  a  i'cw  dried 
fish,  half  a  dozen  pounds  of  tea,  and  twenty  "pounds  of  sugar-candy,  be- 
sides fifty  pomuls  of  tobacco,  and  a  ki'g  of  vodkey  (corn-brandy),  a  most 
hidispensablo  article  on  such  a  journey,  whether  for  my  own  or  others' 
consumption.  I  had  besides  a  pipe,  flint,  steel,  and  ax,  and,  what  was 
of  most  importance,  a  Cossack  companion,  who  indeed  proved  inval- 
uable to  me.  My  destination  was  Nishney  Kolymsk,  distant  about  one 
thousand  eight  hundred  miles,  which  were  to  be  traveled  over  in  the 
coldest  season  of  the  year,  and  in  what  is  esteemed  the  coldest  part  of 
the  north-east  of  Asia." 

He  left  Yakutsk  on  the  last  day  of  October,  the  thermometer  being 
at  twenty-nine  degrees  below  zero,  and  after  a  wearisome  journey  of 
two  days,  alternately  walking  and  riding,  alike  to  csca])e  the  fatigue  and 
the  cold,  ho  arrived  at  the  banks  of  the  Aldan,  Avhere  he  thus  proceeds 
with  his  narrative:  "  On  the  0th  of  November  I  crossed  the  Aldan,  and 
breakfasted  at  a  solitary  yourte  (at  ten  miles),  completing  ui  tlie  evening 
thirty  miles,  where  we  halted  in  a  cabin  about  ten  feet  square.  Had 
it,  however,  been  much  worse  or  smaller,  I  inust  have  felt  thankful,  for 
I  had  been  severely  pinched  by  the  effects  of  the  cold  and  the  wind  in 
my  fiice.  A  good  fire,  a  cup  of  tea,  and  a  sound  slumber,  with  pleasant 
dreams,  perfectly  refreshed  me  by  the  ensuing  morning.  The  country 
had  of  late  l)een  level,  but  at  twenty  miles  I  became  enveloped  in  a  lofty 
chain  of  mountauis,  which  I  had  been  for  some  time  gradually  ascend- 
ing, and  which  are  called  the  Toukoulan  chain,  from  the  Avord  Touku, 
Avhich,  in  the  Yakut  language,  signifies  "  noisy  ;"  as  iiuleed  the  river  of 
that  name  does  roar  down  its  precipitous  banks.  We  halted  for  tho 
night  at  the  foot  of  a  mountai,;ous  i)eak,  sheltered  from  the  cold  north 
Avind  ;  and  as  this  Avas  the  firit  night  Avhich  I  Avas  to  pass  in  the  open 
air,  I  shall  describe  the  manner  of  it,  in  order  that  it  may  be  known  hoAV 
fur  (contrary  to  my  calculations)  our  situatiou  Avas  Busccptiblo  even  of 
comfort. 


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394 


COCIIIIANE'S    JOURNEY    THROUGH    SIBERIA. 


"Tlio  first  thing  on  my  arrival  was  to  imload  the  horses,  loosen  their 
saddles  or  pads,  take  the  bridle  out  of  their  mouths,  and  tie  them  to  a 
tree  in  such  a  manner  that  they  could  not  eat.  The  Vakuti  then  with 
their  a.\cs  proceeded  to  fell  timber,  while  I  and  the  Cossack,  with  our 
Ioi)atkas,  or  wooden  spades,  cleared  away  the  snow,  which  was  generally 
a  couple  of  feet  deep.  We  then  si)read  branches  of  the  pine-tree,  to 
foitify  us  from  the  damp  or  cold  earth  beneath  us:  a  good  lire  was  now 
soon  made,  and  each  bringing  a  leathern  bag  from  the  baggage,  fur- 
nished himself  with  a  seat.  We  then  put  the  kettle  on  the  fire,  and 
soon  forgot  the  sutVerings  of  the  day.  At  times  the  weather  was  so  cold 
that  we  were  almost  obligeil  to  creep  into  the  lire  ;  and  as  I  was  much 
worse  ott' than  the  rest  of  the  party  for  warm  clothing,  I  had  recourse  to 
every  stratagem  I  could  devise  to  keep  my  blood  in  circulation.  It  Avas 
barely  possible  to  keep  one  side  of  the  body  fnnxi  freezing,  while  the 
other  might  be  said  to  be  roastnig.  Upon  the  whole,  I  ])assed  the  night 
tolerably  well,  although  I  was  obliged  to  get  up  five  or  six  times  to  take 
a  walk  or  run  for  the  benefit  of  my  feet.  While  thus  employed,  I  dis- 
covered that  the  Yakuti  had  drawn  the  fire  from  our  side  to  theirs,  a 
trick  which  I  determined  to  counteract  the  fi)lIowing  night.  I  should 
here  observe,  that  it  is  the  ciistom  of  the  Yakuti  to  get  to  leeward  of  the 
fire,  and  then,  undressing  themselves,  jmt  the  whole  of  their  clothes  as 
a  shelter  for  the  outer  sides  of  their  bodies,  while  the  inner  side  receives 
a  thorough  roasting  from  exposure  to  the  fire  ;  this  ])lan  also  gives  them 
the  benefit  of  the  warmth  of  their  own  bodies.  The  thermometer  during 
the  day  had  ranged  from  fifteen  to  twenty-five  degrees  below  zero,  ac- 
cording to  the  elevation  of  the  sun. 

"The  following  day,  at  thirty  miles,  we  again  halted  in  the  snow, 
when  I  made  a  horse-shoe  fire,  Avhich  I  found  had  the  effect  I  desired, 
of  keeping  every  i>art  of  me  alike  warm,  and  T  actually  slept  Avell  with- 
out any  other  covering  than  my  clotlies  thrown  over  me,  whereas  before 
I  had  only  the  consolation  of  knowing  that  if  I  was  in  a  freezing  state 
with  one  half  of  my  body,  the  other  was  meanwhile  roasting  to  make 
amends.  On  the  third  night  I  reached  the  fi)ot  of  the  mountainous  pass 
which  may  be  said  to  lead  to  Northern  Siberia.  jNIy  route  liad  hitherto 
lain  generally  on  the  banks  of  the  Toukoulan,  which  runs  along  a  pic- 
turesque valley  on  the  western  range  of  the  mountains,  and  is  well  wood- 
ed with  fir,  larch,  and  alder.  T'pou  reaching  thus  far,  I  looked  up  at 
what  I  had  yet  to  ])erform,  and,  I  confess,  felt  astonished,  not  at  the 
lieight,  but  how  it  could  be  practicable  to  get  up  a  slippery  and  almost 
trackless  road.  However  Ave  commenced,  and  mainly  l)y  preferring  tho 
deep  snow,  as  I  uniformly  did,  at  last  gained  the  summit,  but  not  with- 
out great  fatigue  ;  a  horse  could  not  carry  a  person  up  under  a  coiisider- 
ble  time,  and  it  took  me  two  hours  at  least.  We  sat  doAvn,  my  Cossack 
and  I,  to  gain  breath  and  Avait  for  the  Yakuti  Avith  tho  baggage,  in  the 
mean  tinu^  smoking  a  j)ipe ;  but  it  Avas  too  cold  to  remain ;  Ave  therefore 
prepared  to  descend.     As  to  keeping  my  feet,  however,  that  Avas  impos- 


YAKUT    VORACITY. 


395 


siblo;  I  therefore  liiid  down,  and  slid  to  tlic  bijttoin  of  the  most  daiK'-ur- 
oiis  part,  a  fuat  fur  which  I  liad  nearly  paid  dear,  by  coming  in  contact 
willi  a  horse  which  Iiad  taken  tlie  same  expeditious  mode  of  descending. 
The  i)ath  was  so  narrow,  that  one  error  wouhl  have  pitdied  niu  forever 
into  the  abyss  of  snow  beneath ;  and,  although  not  deep,  wouhl  have 
prevented  a  return,  unk'ss  I  had  fortunately  liillen  with  my  feet  down- 
Avard ;  the  halt-frozen  surliice  of  tlie  snow  serving  in  some  manner  to 
bring  the  person  up:  iidling  on  one  side  I  found  very  dangerous,  unless 
somebody  was  near  to  render  assistance.  I  soon  reached  what  I  may 
term  a  charity  yourte,  being  erected  by  tlie  community  in  general  for 
the  accoimnodation  and  preservation  of  travelers.  It  consists  of  a  twelve 
feet  scpiare  room,  with  a  small  ante-room  which  serves  as  an  entry,  and 
may  be  ])roperly  termed  a  log-house,  having  no  window,  unless  a  large 
opening  in  tlie  roof  may  be  so  termed." 

In  this  manner  they  arrived  at  IJaralass  in  six  days  by  a  route  leadhig 
through  magnificent  scenery,  but  a  dreary  and  desolate  region,  "  where," 
observes  Captain  Cochrane,  "  there  is  not  an  individual  dwelling  in  the 
Avhole  extent  from  Aldan  to  Baralass,  a  distance  equal  to  half  the  length 
of  England."  They  reached  Tabalak  on  the  sixth  day  from  Uaralass,  a 
distance  of  two  hundred  and  thirty  miles,  "The  third  day,"  he  writes, 
"  was  the  coldest  I  had  experienced,  the  thermometer  ranging  from 
thirty  to  thirty-live  degrees  below  zero,  attended  with  some  snow.  We 
])assed  several  habitations  of  the  Yakuti,  who  invariably  offered  us  a 
lodging  and  ])rovision  for  the  day;  and  always  appropriated  to  me  the 
best  berth,  which  is  iu  that  corner  of  the  room  under  the  image,  and 
ojjposite  to  the  iire. 

"  At  Tabalak  I  had  a  pretty  good  specimen  of  the  appetite  of  a  child, 
whose  age  (as  T  understood  from  the  steersman,  who  spoke  some  English 
and  less  French)  did  not  exceed  live  years.  I  had  observed  the  child 
erawUng  on  the  iloor,  and  scraj)ing  up  with  its  thumb  the  tallow-grease 
which  fell  from  a  lighted  candle,  and  I  iniiulred  in  surprise  whether  it 
proceeded  from  hunger  or  liking  of  the  fat.  I  was  told  from  neither, 
but  simply  from  the  habit  in  both  Yakuti  and  Tongousi,  of  eating  when- 
ever there  is  food,  and  never  permitting  any  thing  that  can  be  eaten  to 
be  lost.  I  gave  the  child  a  candle  made  of  the  most  impure  tallow,  a 
second,  and  a  third — and  all  were  devoured  with  avidity.  The  steers- 
man then  gave  him  several  pounds  of  sour,  frozen  butter  ;  this  also  he 
immediately  consumed  ;  lastly,  a  large  [)iece  of  yellow  soap  ; — all  went 
the  same  road ;  but  as  I  was  now  convinced  that  the  child  would  con- 
tinue to  gorge  as  long  as  it  could  receive  any  thing,  I  begged  my  com- 
panion to  desist  as  I  had  done. 

"  For  an  instance  in  confirmation  of  this,  no  doubt,  extraordinary 
st.atement,  I  shall  refer  to  the  voyages  of  the  Russian  admiral,  Saritcheff. 
'  No  sooner,'  he  says,  '  bad  they  stopped  to  rest  or  spend  the  night, 
than  they  had  their  kettle  on  the  fire,  which  they  never  left  until  they 
pursued  their  journey,  spending  the  intervals  for  rest  in  eating,  and,  in 


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39G 


COCIIRANK'S    JOURNEY    THROUGH    SIBERIA. 


consoqiieiico  of  no  Bleep,  were  drowsy  all  the  next  day.'  The  admiral 
also  says,  '  That  such  extraordinary  voracity  was  never  attended  with 
any  ill  efleets,  although  they  made  a  practice  of  devouring,  at  one  meal, 
what  would  have  killed  any  other  person.  The  laborers,'  the  admiral 
says,  '  had  an  allowance  of  four  poods,  or  one  hun(h'ed  and  forty-four 
English  pounds  of  fat,  and  seventy-two  pounds  of  rye-flour,  yet  in  a  fort- 
night they  complained  of  having  nothing  to  eat.  Not  crediting  the  fact, 
the  Yakuti  said  that  one  of  them  was  accustomed  to  consume  at  Iiome, 
in  the  space  of  a  day,  or  twenty-four  hours,  the  liind-quarter  of  a  large 
ou:,  (irenfi/  2io(in(Is  of  fat,  coid  a  2»'oportloiiate  qiuadltij  of  melteil  hitter 
for  /tin  drink.  The  appearance  of  the  man  not  justifying  the  assertion, 
the  admiral  had  a  mind  to  try  his  gormandizing  powers,  and  for  that 
pui'jjose  he  had  a  thick  i)orridge  of  rice  boiled  down  Avith  three  pounds 
of  butter,  weighing  together  twenty-eight  i)Ounds,  and  although  the 
glutton  had  already  breakfasted,  yet  did  he  sit  down  to  it  with  great 
eagerness,  and  consumed  the  whole  without  stirring  from  the  spot ;  and, 
except  that  his  stomach  betrayed  more  than  an  ordinary  fullness,  ho 
showed  no  sign  of  inconvenience  or  injury,  but  would  have  been  ready 
to  renew  his  gluttony  the  following  day.'  " 

After  nine  days  of  this  toilsome  kind  of  traveling,  they  at  lengtli  got 
clear  of  the  desert  of  snow,  and  descended  from  the  hills  ;  then  passing 
along  a  well-wooded  valley  to  the  Indigirka,  they  entered  the  town  of 
Zasliiversk,  "  Of  all  the  jilaces  I  have  ever  seen,  bearing  the  name  of 
city  or  town,"  observes  Captain  Cochrane,  "this  is  the  most  dreary  and 
desolate :  my  blood  froze  within  me  as  I  beheld  and  approached  the 
place.  All  that  I  have  seen  in  passing  rocky  or  snowy  sierras  or  passes 
in  Spain,  in  traversing  the  wastes  of  Canada,  or  in  crossing  the  Cordil- 
leras or  Andes  in  South  America,  the  I'yrenees,  or  the  Alps,  can  not  bo 
compared  with  the  desolation  of  the  scene  around  me  !  The  first  con- 
siderable halting-place  from  Yakutsk,  the  luilf-way  house,  is  nine  hundred 
or  one  thousand  miles  removed  from  a  civilized  place.  Such  a  spot  gives 
name  to  a  commissariat,  and  contains  seven  habitations  of  the  most  misei*- 
able  kind,  inhabited  severally  by  two  clergymen,  each  separate,  a  non- 
commissioned officer,  and  a  second  in  command ;  a  postmaster,  a  mer- 
chant, and  an  old  widow.  I  have,  during  my  service  in  the  navy,  and 
during  a  period  when  seamen  were  scarce,  seen  a  merchant  ship  with 
sixteen  guns,  and  only  fifteen  men,  but  I  never  before  saw  a  town  with 
only  seven  inhabitants. 

"  On  the  23d  of  December,  I  quitted  the  toicn  of  Zasliiversk,  not  un- 
grateful for  the  hospitality  of  its  poor  iiiabitants,  who  had  supplied  mo 
with  plenty  of  lish,  here  eaten  in  a  raw  state,  and  which  to  this  hour  I 
remember  as  the  greatest  delicacy  I  have  ever  tasted.  Spite  of  our  prej- 
udices, there  is  nothing  to  be  compared  to  the  melting  of  raw  fish 
in  the  mouth  ;  oysters,  clotted  cream,  or  the  finest  jelly  in  the  world  is 
nothing  to  it ;  nor  is  it  only  a  small  quantity  that  may  be  eaten  of  this 
precious  commodity.     I  myself  liave  finished  a  whole  fish  which,  in  its 


h 


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g! 
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ni 


HE    BECOMES    A    PRIEST. 


897 


frozen  state,  iui<:;li(  linve  weiglied  two  or  tlii-ei'  iiomids,  and,  with  Mack 
bini'iiit  and  a  glass  of  rye-brandy,  have  deiied  either  natnie  or  art  to  pro- 
pare  a  better  meal.  Jt  is  eiit  up  or  .shaved  into  slices  with  a  f-harp  knile, 
from  head  to  tail,  and  tlienee  deriv(  •>  the  name  of  Stioganina.  ,Mv  llrst 
day's  journey  made  me  bc.'lter  acquainted  with  the  jiower  and  use  of 
dog.s;  water  or  ice,  fish,  firewood,  traveliTs  and  their  j^'oods,  and  every 
thing,  being  here  drawn  by  these  animals.  I  continued  over  .;  Hat  coim- 
try,  and  lakes  communicating  with  one  unothi'r  \>\  ►mall  streams,  sutlir- 
ing  much  at  times  from  the  cold,  esjiecially  in  tlie  knees,  wliich,  altliruyh 
not  sensibly  cold,  liad  u  feeling  of  deacbiess  an<l  painful  fatigue  wliirli  I 
could  not  account  for,  till  a  peddler  oxplaiiU'(l  (n  me,  by  signs  and  woids, 
that,  if  I  did  not  alter  my  jilan,  T  should  certainly  lose  liotli  my  legs 
above  the  knees.  They  appeared  indt'cd  a  little  intlaine(k  owing,  as  he 
said,  to  the  hiadequato  protection  of  the  knee-joints,  which,  on  horse- 
back, are  more  than  ordinarily  exposed,  all  the  defense  they  liad  lieing  a 
single  leather,  in  sometimes  sixty-eight  degrees  below  zero,  Fahrenheit. 
I  considered  that  I  was  still  bound  to  the  northward,  and  that  the  ex- 
treme of  winter  had  not  yet  como  upon  me,  and  therefore  thought  it 
better  to  accept  a  ])air  of  soiituroe  (knee-j)reservers,  made  of  the  skins  of 
reindeer's  legs),  which  he  very  kindly  oflered.  The  service  they  did  n)0 
is  astonishing;  from  that  moment  I  had  less  j)ain  and  more  heat,  and  be- 
came fully  satisHed  that  the  extremities  are  alone  to  be  taken  care  of." 

At  length  the  traveler's  eyes  became  ]>ainful  from  the  eiVects  of  the 
snow  on  the  eye-lashes,  but  lie  still  ]nished  on  over  a  miserable  road,  the 
fatigues  of  which  need  not  be  repeated,  an.d  on  the  eighth  day  reached 
Sordak,  tln-ec  hundred  and  twenty  miles  from  Zashiversk.  Tn  the  few 
wretched  abodes  whicli  they  passed  on  the  route,  they  sometimes  found 
the  occupants  in  a  state  of  starvation.  "  Having  well  refreshed  om-selves 
with  the  flesh  of  a  wolf  and  u  liorse,  M'hicli  lia<l  the  day  before  lought 
each  other  to  death,"  eonthnies  the  captain,  "wo  departed  on  the  14th 
toward  the  Kolyma.  The  first  night  we  jjut  uj)  at  a  yourte,  forty  miles, 
cnc(jmpassed  ])y  squalling  children,  growling  and  howling  dogs,  and  a 
scolding  and  tyrannical  liostess.  ITavuig  procured  wood  for  the  night, 
on  the  morrow  we  departed,  but  not  before  I  had  got  into  a  scrape,  for 
hanging  my  cap  and  gloves  upon  the  i)ins  which  bear  the  images  of  wor- 
ship. The  hifuriated  woman  complained  to  the  Cossack  of  tlu;  insult. 
The  Cossack  told  her  I  Avas  an  English  pope,  or  priest,  and  that  I  was 
privileged  ;  the  length  of  my  locks,  as  well  as  beard,  was  proof  i)ositive, 
and  thenceforward  I  was  called  the  English  priest. 

"  On  the  10th  of  Decendjer,  I  reached  Sredne  Kolymsk.  The  i)riest 
having,  with  the  commissary  and  ])rincipal  peo])lc  of  the  place,  paid  me 
a  visit,  the  former  entered  my  habitation  crossing  himself,  as  is  custom- 
ary ;  then  advancing  to  me,  who  stood  ofiering  him  my  hand  in  the  En- 
glish style,  I  was  lionored  Avith  his  blessing,  which  I  acknowledged  by  an 
exchange  of  the  compliment.  The  old  gentleman  retreated  in  astonish- 
ment, and,  demanding  who  and  what  I  was,  my  Cossack  answered  that 


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398 


COCIIRANE'S    JOURNEY    TIIROUGIT    SIBERIA. 


I  was  an  KiiLclish  i)i'icst ;  upon  which  tlio  rovoroud  goiitlonian  observed 
iie  was  ill  ciTor,  as  one  priest  co  ild  not  give  benediction  to  another.  lie 
then  shook  liands,  and  expressed  his  friendship  for  me.  Anothc-  instance 
of  tlie  elfects  of  my  beard,  and  of  more  value  to  me,  though  k'ss  to  the 
l)riests  of  Siberia,  arose  from  the  circumstance  of  the  Yalvuti  coming  to 
nae  frequently  with  the  right  hand  open,  and  supported  by  the  left,  which 
I  interjtreted  into  an  asking  of  alms,  and  accordingly  gave  them  some- 
Ihing  to  eat.  This,  liowcver,  they  evidently  declined,  and  still  continued 
their  supplicating  posture.  JVIy  Cossack  afterward  gave  me  to  understand 
tliat  I  was  mistaken,  for  that  they  weio  begging  a  blessing.  I  therefore 
determined  to  satisfy  the  next  Yakut  who  appeared  during  one  of  my 
rambles  along  tlie  river  ;  and  when  a  well-dress(>d  Yakut  knez,  or  prince, 
demanded  my  blessing  in  passing,  I  gave  it  to  him  in  the  Russian  style, 
as  well  as  to  his  funily.  When  I  left  them  the  prince  began  to  iniload 
a  sauma,  or  k'athern  bag,  and  following  me,  kissel  my  hand,  and  insisted 
upon  my  accepting  a  couple  of  sables  ;  nor  could  all  my  entreaties  induce 
him  to  take  them  back,  that  being  considered  the  greatest  insult;  nor, 
indeed  will  any  return  be  received  lor  a  religious  olfering  on  the  spot ; 
afterward,  a  little  tobacco,  a  knife,  or  ilint  ami  steel,  is  considered  an  ac- 
cej)tabl('  ])resent. 

On  ("hiistmas  day  lie  set  forward,  and  after  a  journey  of  five  days 
over  a  ilat  country,  with  the  temperatiu'c  at  from  Icjrty-livc  to  fifty  de- 
grees below  zero,  he  arrived  at  th(>  station  called  Malone.  On  tlie  last 
day  he  travi'led  sixty  miles,  "  although,"' he  o1)serves,  "I  was  obliged 
fiom  the  cold  to  dismount  at  least  twenty  or  thirty  times  to  take  a  run 
for  mere  seU'-preservation.  At  IMalone  the  track  fiir  horses  is  in  general 
liiiished,  though  they  do  sometimes  go  as  iar  as  Nishney  Kolymsk,  and 
even  to  the  Frozen  Sea,  in  search  of  sea-horse  and  mammoth's  tusks.  I 
was  now  jirovided  with  thirteen  dogs  and  a  driver,  and  a  vehicle  covered 
over  with  a  sort  of  frame  and  oil-cloth,  to  kei'p  out  the  cold,  as  it  was 
thought  too  great  for  me  to  withstand.  A  bear-skin  and  warm  blanket 
and  jiillow  were  also  placed  in  it,  in  such  a  manner  that  I  might  lie 
down,  be  warm,  and  sleep  at  my  pleasure.  I  got  in,  and  it  was  dosed 
arter  me;  not  a  breath  of  air  could  enter;  so  that,  notwithstanding  the 
intense  cold  prevailing  on  tlui  outside,  1  w.as  obligeil  to  make  my  escape 
from  the  sulfoeation  within,  by  taking  out  my  knife  and  cutting  away 
through  to  gain  fresh  air. 

"  \Ye  reached  fifty-live  miles  with  the  same  dogs,  and  put  up  for  the 
night  at  a  Yukagir  but.  IJesumed  next  morning,  with  increased  cold, 
though  calm  weather,  and  readieil  Nishney  Kolymsk  at  noon,  amid  a 
fro4  of  sixty-two  and  a  lialf  degrees  below  zero,  according  to  many 
spirit  thermometers  of  Haron  Wrangel's,  on  the  last  day  of  December, 
iKjn,  aHera  most  tedious,  laborious,  and  to  me  perilous,  journey  of 
sixtv-one  davs,  twenty  of  which  were  i)assed  in  the  snow,  without  even 
th((  comfort  of  a  Itlanket;  nor  liad  I  even  a  second  coat,  o"  jiarka,  nor 
even  a  second  pair  of  boots,  and  less  dothing  than  even  the  guides  unJ 


J 

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Ill  I 


BARON    WRANGEL'S    EXPEDITION. 


599 


attendants  of  the  poorotit  class,  I  met,  at  Xisliiioy  Kolyinslc,  tlio  ]>ai-oii 
Wraiigol,  and  his  corujianion,  ^h\  ^Matiiislikin,  a  iiii<lslii|)maii.  It  was 
the  last  day  of  the  old  year,  and  hi  the  present  enjoyment  of  a  nKnlciatt; 
meal,  a  hearty  welcome,  and  excellent  friends,  I  soon  forgot  the  past, 
nnd  felt  little  concern  for  the  future.  Quarters  were  appropriated  me 
In  the  baron's  own  liouse ;  and  Avith  him,  on  the  shores  of  the  Frozen 
Sea,  I  enjoyed  health  and  every  coin  tort  I  conld  desire. 

"On  the jnorning  after  my  arrival  at  Xishney  Kolymsk,  and  wliiln 
at  breakfast  I  leceived,  as  a  new  year's  gilt,  a  coujile  of  large  tisli  in  a 
frozen  state,  weighing  each  live  or  six  poods,  or  al'out  two  hmidred 
pounds  weight.  I  incjuired  for  what  they  were  intended,  and  learned, 
that  I  could  not  be  supposed  to  have  brouglit  lish  with  me  for  subsist- 
ence;  and  that,  as  the  season  had  already  ])assed  for  laying  in  a  stock, 
the  inhabitants  of  course  knew  that  I  must  be  in  want.  During  the 
forenoon  I  also  received  a  parka,  or  leather  frock,  to  be  wfuii  during 
my  stay  in  the  Kolyma.  It  was  a  handscune  one,  mounted  with  sables 
and  martins.  To  these  were  addi'd  trowsers,  cap,  boots,  and  leather 
ho.se;  in  short,  every  article  of<lress  that  could  bi'  desired,  ami  sutlicicnt 
to  liave  served  me  at  least  a  twelvemonth.  IJesides  these  articles,  I  was 
also  provided  with  a  bear's  skin  tor  a  bed,  and  a  leather  covering  fir  a 
blanket,  \n\vd  with   hare's  skins. 

"  Baron  Wrangel's  ex]HMlition  T  f  miid  in  a  state  of  much  forward- 
n(>ss,  great  exertions  liaving  bci-n  used  in  collecting  dogs  and  dri\('rs, 
and  provisions,  as  well  as  in  making  nc.v  iiarfes,  or  sledges.  1  learned 
that  it  would  depart  from  the  Kolyma  in  the  month  of  March,  in  two 
divisions — one  liaving  t()r  its  dliject  the  solution  of  the  (juestidii  regard- 
ing the  latitude  and  longitude  of  the  north-east  cajieofAsia;  and  the 
other,  a  journey  due  north  from  the  mouth  of  the  Kolyma,  in  search  of 
a  re.al  or  supposed  continenf,  or  rather  the  continuatinn  of  Asia  1o  where 
it  was  iniagini'd  by  some  to  join  the  continent  of  America.  I  did  not 
hesitate  to  volunteer  my  services;  but  in  conse(juence  of  my  being  a 
foreigner,  I  found  my  services  could  not  be  accepted  without  special 
permission  from  tint  government.  I  therelbre  made  up  my  mind  to  set 
out  for  the  iliir  of  the  Tchuktchi,  and  to  try  my  fortune  in  gettin'j:a 
jiassage  through  their  country,  and  so  to  cross  over  Hehring's  Straits 
for  America. 

"  Xishney  Kolymsk  may  be  tei'med  a  largo  town  in  this  jiart  of  the 
world,  containing,  as  it  does,  near  lil\y  ilwi'Hings  and  al)out  four  hundred 
people  (or  eiglity  families),  which  is  thi'ce  times  the  number  of  any 
plac(!  betwixt  it  and  Yakutsk.  Xo  cultivation  can  of  course  lie  expected 
in  a  climate  wherein  scarcely  a  blade  t>f  grass  is  to  be  seen  ;  the  horses, 
wiiich  do  sometimes  larry  in  its  vicinity  fi>i-  a  few  days,  feeding  upon 
the  tops,  stumps,  and  bark  of  the  biivbes,  or  upon  the  moss.  The  inhab- 
Hants  m.anage,  notwithstanding,  with  great  labor  to  feed  a  couple  -tf 
cows;  though  to  do  this  (hey  are  obliticd  to  bring  the  hay  eighty  miles." 

The  town  and  district  of  Kolyma  .are  subject  to  the  ravages  of  matiy 


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400 


COCURANE'S    JOURNEY    TIIRUUGII    SIBERIA. 


diseases,  such  as  lej)rosy,  apoi)loxy,  scurvy,  and  othei-s,  -wlucli  llie  caiitain 
enumerates,  and  then  proceeds  as  follows:  "The  complaints  called 
dtab/e  au  co7'2>^,  and  imerachism,  must  also  be  si)eciiied  ;  the  former  is  a  \ 
most  extraordinary  one,  and  consists  in  an  idea  that  the  body  of  the  pa-  j 
tient  is  possessed  with  one  or  more  devils,  attended  with  incessant  hie-  ! 
coughs.  The  parties  afHicted  with  it  are  generally  most  delicate  and 
interesting  m  their  appearance  ;  and  it  is  seldom  indeed  that  any  indi-  | 
vidual  IS  cured.  In  i'emales  it  prevails  to  such  an  extent  as  utterly  to  I 
prevent  pregnancy.  I  have  seen  them  liiccough  to  so  great  an  extent, 
as  to  induce  me  to  strike  them  on  the  npper  i)art  of  the  spine,  in  the 
hope  of  relieving  them  from  the  pain  by  a  surprise  of  the  moment. 
They  persist  in  believing  that  a  devil  is  in  the  body  of  the  jierson  afflict- 
ed, and  that,  until  he  be  removed,  the  person  Avill  never  regain  liealth. 
The  complaint,  whatever  it  may  be,  the  natives  consider  as  an  inherit- 
ance from  their  fathers.  Imerachism,  to  which  not  only  the  people  of 
the  Kolyma,  but  those  also  of  more  southern  countries  are  subject,  is 
efpialiy  unaccountable.  Instead  of  exciting  serious  fits,  like  the  last- 
mentioned  disorder,  it  carries  with  it  an  an*  of  merriment,  as  it  by  no 
means  affects  the  health  of  the  person,  though  it  subjects  him  to  the 
most  violent  paroxysms  of  rage,  fear,  and  mortification.  Whatever  is 
said  or  done  in  the  jiresenco  of  an  imerach,  will  be  repeatc'l  by  him  at 
the  moment,  however  indecorous,  improper,  or  violent  the  act  may  be. 
I  iiave  seen  the  dog-master  of  I>aron  Wrangel's  expedition  commit  acts 
sutlicient  to  frighten  the  person  in  company  with  liim.  "While  in  an  ad- 
joining room  t'onversing  on  points  of  duty,  a  slight  knock  at  the  bulk- 
heail  was  sufficient  to  set  him  a  pummelling  the  j)ersou  Avith  him  merely 
from  a  ]iiinciple  of  self-defense.  Of  this  same  dog-ina«ter,  by  the  way, 
a  highly  ;unusiiig  anecdote  is  relateil,  and  which  was  confirmeil  to  me, 
not  only  by  himself  jjcrsonally,  but  also  by  Mr.  Gedenstroin,  of  Irkutsk, 
who  coinmaiided  the  expedition.  The  theater  Avas  tlie  Frozen  Ocean, 
and  the  imeraclrs  dogs  and  iiarte  Avere  the  headmost.  One  forenocm 
they  encountered  a  largci  Avhite  bear;  the  dogs  immediately  started 
toward  the  animal,  and  the  (h'ivor,  being  llie  dog-master  of  Avhoin  I  am 
ppeaking,  steadfastly  kept  his  j)laee,  ))rudently  remaining  by  those  Avho 
only  could  assist  liini.  In  the  eagerness  of  the  <h)gs,  sharpened  jirobably 
by  hunger,  they  became  entangled  with  one  another,  and  were  almost 
rendered  useless.  The  driver  seeing  the  state  to  Avhich  he  Avas  reduced, 
resolved  to  attack  the  bear  Avith  his  ostol  (;i  stout  ironed  stick  with  small 
l)clls,  \\hieli  serves  to  stop  the  nai'tr),  and  accordingly  j)resenteil  himself 
to  the  enraged  be;ir,  Avho  immediately  riiised  himself  upon  the  liind  li'gs, 
and  began  to  cry  and  roar  most  billerly;  the  imerach  folloAA'cil  his  ex- 
aii.,»le.  The  l)e;n'  then  began  to  dance,  and  the  driver  did  the  same,  till 
at  length  the  other  narfes  coming  up,  the  bear  received  a  blow  upon  the 
nose  and  w.as  secured.  Two  old  ladies  in  K;niitelialka,  one,  the  inolhi'r 
of  a  Mr.  Tallman,  an  .\merican,  who  had  in;irried  ;v  Kussian  girl,  the 
other,  (lu!  Avii'e  of  a  Itussian,  who  wvvi^  b.tlh  alllicted  Asitli  the  disease, 


iSt 


VISIT    TO    THE    TCIIUKTCni. 


401 


were  sitting  at  tea  opposite  to  one  another,  Mhcn  Mr.  Tallman,  in  a  gen- 
tle manner,  put  his  hands  behind  their  backs,  propelling  the  old  ladies 
toward  each  other,  upon  which  they  instantly  exchanged  tea-cups  and 
saucers,  Avhile  the  really  offending  party  stood  enjoying  the  mischief." 

Captain  Cochrane  remained  at  Lower  Kolymsk  during  the  months 
of  January  and  February.  The  weather  was  exceedingly  cold.  JMcan- 
while  the  preparations  for  the  expedition  were  completed,  and  liaron 
Wrangel  and  his  party  set  out  on  the  27th  of  February.  On  the  4th  of 
March,  the  Captain  left  the  Kolyma  on  a  visit  to  the  Tchuktchi.  lie 
traveled  in  company  with  Mr.  Matiushkin,  the  midshipman,  and  some 
merchants,  whoso  nartes  were  loaded  with  tobacco  and  iron  utensils  lor 
the  fair  of  the  Tchuktchi,  to  be  held  at  the  fortress  of  Ostrovnaya.  The 
weather  was  fme,  being  but  twenty-five  degrees  below  zero.  On  the  8th 
they  reached  the  fortress,  situated  on  the  Aniuy,  one  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  from  the  Kolyma. 

"  Havin<x  settled  ourselves  in  a  small  Yukacrir  vonrte,"  contiinies  the 
captain,  "  Mr.  Matiushkin  and  I  received  a  visit  from  one  of  the  Tchukt- 
chi, a  most  empty  countenanced  and  wild  looking  savage.  lie  entered 
the  room  Avhere  we  were,  tumbled  himself  down  upon  a  stool,  smoked 
his  pipe,  and  then  quitted  the  room,  without  once  looking  at,  or  taking 
the  least  notice,  either  of  us  or  any  thing  about  us.  The  commissary 
having  made  his  appearance,  it  was  determined  to  commence  tlu!  fair, 
by  first  installing  two  of  the  chiefs  with  medals  and  swords,  baptizing 
them,  and  receiving  a  nominal  tribute.  Tlu?  morning  was  ushered  in  by 
the  arrival  of  these  persons  in  state,  dressed  in  their  gayest  apparel,  and 
seated  in  a  beautiful  iiarte  drawn  by  two  rein-deer,  the  whole  forming  a 
cavalcade  of  twenty-five  or  thirty  pairs.  Having  reached  a  large  store- 
house, to  which  the  altar  and  images  were  carried,  the  ])riest  pro- 
ceeded to  baptize  the  two  men,  their  wives,  and  three  children;  but  in- 
stead of  being  merely  sprinkled  with  water,  they,  men  and  women,  were 
obliged  one  and  all  to  strip,  and  to  be  three  times  plunged  into  a  largo 
iron  caldron  of  ice-water,  w  ith  the  thermometer  on  the  spot  at  forty- 
seven  degrees  Ih-Iow  zero,  with  no  ])art  of  their  dress  on  except  their 
trowsers ;  and  were  afterward  directed  to  bathe  their  feet  in  the  same 
cold  water.  I  could  not  hel[>  pitying  the  women  and  children,  the 
funiu'r  of  whom,  having  long  liair,  became,  as  it  were,  enveloped  in 
icicles.  A  small  cross  suspended  round  tlie  neck,  with  many  difficult 
and  almost  useless  injunctions  how  to  pronounce  their  newly-acquired 
natn(w,  completed  the  ceremony.  A  (piantity  of  tobacco  was  then  given 
as  a  present  to  each  of  the  new  converts,  by  way  of  inducing  otlieis  to 
follow  the  example. 

"I  next  day  visited  their  camp,  distant  about  two  miles  and  a  half. 
It  consisted  of  three  large  and  three  small  tents.  The  former  contained 
the  bulk  of  the  Tehukskoi  people,  and  the  latter  were  approjjriated  to 
the  chiefs  and  more  considerable  people.  The  large  tents  were  disgust- 
ingly dirty  and  offensive,  exhibiting  every  species  of  grossness  and  iu- 
2(J 


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t 


402 


COCIIUANE'S   JOURNEY    THROUGH    SIBERIA. 


tlelicacy.  Bat  the  smaller  were,  on  tlie  contrary,  very  neat,  cloaji,  and 
warm,  although  without  a  fire,  at  forty-seven  degrees  below  zero.  In- 
deed they  were  to  me  almost  suffocating,  bi'ing  only  eight  feet  long, 
live  broad,  and  about  three  feet  high ;  and  containing  three  or  foin-  jjco- 
j)le  huddled  together  in  one  bed,  which  is  made  of  rein-deer  skins,  and 
the  coverings  lined  with  white  foxes'.  The  snmll  tents  are  made  also  of 
the  old  and  hard  skins  doubled,  so  that  the  hair  is  both  on  the  inside  and 
out;  a  large  lamp,  with  whale  oil  or  fat,  which  serves  them  for  a  liglit, 
connnunicates  also  considerable  Avarmth.  On  entering  one  of  these  small 
dwellings,  I  found  the  chief  and  his  wife  perfectly  naked,  as  was  also  a 
little  girl,  their  dauj^iter,  of  about  nine  years  old — nor  did  they  seem  to 
regard  our  presence  (Mr.  Matiushkin  was  with  me),  but  ordered  the 
daughter  to  ])roceed  and  prepare  some  rein-deer's  meat  for  ns,  whicli  slui 
did,  in  that  state  of  nudity,  by  a  fire  close  to  the  tent.  Having  lolled 
Vipon  the  bed  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  we  wore  treat i!d  with  the  rein- 
deer meat  half  boiled,  of  which  Ave  of  course  partook  of  our  comi)lenieMt. 
I  was,  however,  obliged  to  cut  short  my  visit,  from  want  of  air  and  the 
most  offensive  smell  I  had  ever  endured  for  so  long  a  time. 

"The  toion,  or  chief,  was  a  little  angry  with  me  for  quitting  him, 
and  imputed  it  to  his  having  the  previous  day  opposed  my  design  of 
going  through  his  country.  Their  fiunilure  consists  of  a  large  kettle, 
knife,  wooden  bowls,  platters,  spoons  or  ladles,  and  an  ax,  with  Hint  and 
steel.  Having  thus  informed  myself  of  the  savage  state  in  which  they 
live,  I  returned  to  the  fortress,  driven  hy  one  of  the  chiefs  in  a  neat 
narte,  drawn  by  a  couple  of  rein-deer  in  a  pretty  style.  They  nse  n'gii- 
lar  rcuis,  made  of  leather  thongs,  and  a  long  springing  cane  with  an 
ivory  nob  to  it,  of  the  tooth  of  a  sea-horse ;  the  latter  is  exorcised  occa- 
sionally upon  the  rump  of  tlu!  aTiimal,  on  which  it  is  capable  of  inflicting 
a  i)retty  severe  blow,  I  must,  however,  do  justice  to  the  Tchuktchi  for 
their  very  kind  treatment  and  conduct  to  their  brutes,  whether  dogs  or 
rehi-deer — appearing  (luito  to  consider  them  as  pets.  Nay,  to  so  great 
a  degree  is  this  feeling  carried,  that  among  this  savage  nation  it  is  con- 
sidereil  unmanly  even  to  ride ;  in  all  ordinary  cases  they  prefer  to  walk, 
and  in  every  other  Avay  appear  solicitous  to  lessen  the  labor  of  the  ani- 
mal, j>ormitting  only  the  women  and  children  to  sit  in  the  nartes  when 
upon  a  journey.  Tiie  j)crsons  of  the  Tchuktchi  are  not  peculiarly  large, 
though  their  dress,  which  is  clean  but  of  enormous  size,  gives  them 
almost  a  gigaiiti<5  appearance.  Tlu'y  have  fair  or  clear  skins,  but  ordin- 
ary though  masculim'  features.  In  conduct  they  are  wild  and  rude. 
Tiicy  have  no  diseases,  and  live  to  a  great  age  ;  two  of  the  chiefs  at  tho 
fair  being  past  seventy,  as  calculated  by  the  number  of  voyages  they  had 
made  ere  they  jiccompanied  Captain  Billings." 

The  fair  at  length  finished,  ()aj)tain  Codirane  prepared  to  depart 
for  Nishney  Kolymsk.  '"iMyretm-n  to  the  Kolyma,"  he  writes,  "oc- 
cupied me  only  two  days,  partly  from  the  lightness  of  the  carriage,  and 
partly  from  the  hunger  of  tint  dogs,  there  being  little  or  none  of  their 


L 


z; 
ei 
fi( 
m 


Tt 


JOURNEY   TO    OKOTSK. 


403 


common  food  oflTering  for  sale  on  the  hanks  of  the  Aniuy.  I  was  most 
happy  to  meet  with  the  liaron  Wrangel,  wlio  liad  returned  from  his  ex- 
pedition around  Skelatskoi  Noss." 

Captain  Cochrane  now  prepared  for  tlio  journey  to  Okotsk.  He 
had  attempted  to  persuade  the  Tiiliuktchi  to  convey  him  througli  their 
country,  but  failing  in  tliis,  he  resolved  to  j»roceed  by  the  direct  route, 
Avhieh  Avas  most  difti(!u]t  and  dangerous,  rather  than  retrace  liis  steps  a 
long  distance,  and  follow  a  monotonous  road  by  the  more  circuitous 
one.  The  commissary,  Cossacks,  and  Yakuti,  who  were  ordered  to  at- 
tend him,  all  remonstrated;  the  latter  were  so  fearful  of  a  journey  of 
the  kind  that  they  even  attempted  to  bribe  liim  by  presents  to  take  an- 
other, but  the  captain  was  resolute.  "To  me,"  lie  remarks,  "the  hard- 
est day's  work  was  followed  by  the  happiest  evening  and  the  soundest 
sleep  as  I  lay  down  on  my  snow  jnllow," 

lie  left,  Lower  Kolymsk  on  the  27th  of  March  in  a  narte  drawn  by 
thirteen  dogs,  who  took  him  eighty  miles  a  day,  and  on  the  fifth  day  he 
arrived  at  Sredne,  or  Middle  Kolymsk.  Here  he  remained  two  days 
awaiting  a  fresh  ('ossack,  who  was  to  attend  him  to  Okotsk.  "  I  felt 
most  hapj)y,"  he  observes,  "  in  preparing  once  more  to  tread  a  new 
road,  and  throw  aside  the  difficulties  which  were  forever  tlumdered  in 
my  ears."  Finally  they  set  out ;  on  the  second  day  they  were  thrown 
into  a  snow  jnt,  and  the  horses  becoming  disengaged  from  their  bur- 
thens, scrambled  up  the  pit,  leaving  the  travelers  and  baggage  to  shift 
for  themselves.  After  ten  miles'  walk  they  reached  a  yourte,  whose 
owner  sent  for  the  baggage,  the  Yakuti  having  gone  for  the  horses. 

At  Verchne  (Upper)  Kolymsk  he  left  the  Kolyma,  and  at  length 
reaching  the  Zyzanka,  pursued  his  route  through  the  defiles  of  a  mount- 
ainous region.  The  party  subsisted  on  partridges  and  hares  found  in 
traps  by  the  wayside.  "  We  at  Iciugth  entered  upon  the  Ilokusolbetie 
and  Bochiera,  two  rivers,  which,  entering  the  Zyzanka  at  a  narrow  de- 
file, form  a  sort  of  frozen  torrent,  over  which  the  horses  had  great  diffi- 
culty to  pass,  as  piles  of  ice  lay  in  every  cross  direction.  The  Cossack 
and  guid(*  now  began  also  to  suffic'r,  while  I  was  gaining  ground  from 
habit  and  superior  strength  of  constitution.  The  guide  was  almost 
blind,  while  the  C'ossack  was  afflicted  with  a  sev(!re  diarrha>a  arising 
from  want  of  food,  for  our  game  had  failiMl  us,  and  he  was  too  mucli 
a  (iiHH'k  to  eat  horse-moat.  It  Avas,  however,  his  own  fault,  for  he  al- 
wavs  ate  voraciously  whenever  an  occasion  oftered. 

"The  snow  was  deep  but  soft,  the  noon-day  heat  molting  the  surface, 
and  the  night's  frost  again  freezing  it,  just  sufticiontly  to  bear  a  man 
with  snow-shoes;  so  that,  in  addition  to  our  other  difficultios,  the  horses 
began  to  fail.  W»  rovertheless  continued  our  route,  gaining  the  Zy- 
zanka, and  laterally  crossing  the  mountains  which  confine  it.  We  then 
entered  the  most  dismal,  dreary,  and  inhospitable  valley  I  have  ever 
Boon;  not  a  blade  of  grass,  nor  moss,  not  a  shrub,  tree,  nor  even  a 
morsel  of  drift  wood,  to  be  seen,  but  one  tremendous  slate  mountain 


!     '    '; 


|;    -:  ! 


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I     ;  !■ 


..:  fl 


r-  I 


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I 't 


In* 

II 


H 


H 


'I' 


Jit 
'^1 


— ! 


404 


COCnUANE'S    JOURNEY    THROUGH    SIBERIA. 


valley.  Wc  encamped  on  th«  bankji  of  tlio  stream,  laring  upon  our 
frozen  liorsc-flesli  and  a  little  biscuit ;  our  stock  of  siiirits  "vvas  all  con- 
Bumed,  and  I  longed  to  reach  some  habitation.  My  poor  Cossack  now 
grew  worse,  having  been  three  days  without  food,  and  so  Aveak  tliat  it 
was  necessary  to  hish  him  to  the  horse.  The  guide  was  almost  blind, 
being  unable  even  to  bring  the  horses  in  from  the  pasture.  I  was 
thus  compelled  to  perform  the  functions  of  ostler,  wood-cutter,  ;;uid(', 
doctor,  cook,  and  traveler ;  regretting  only  the  necessity  that  compelled 
me  so  to  act,  for  otherwise  I  took  so  little  heed  of  it,  that  I  slei)t  the 
oounder. 

"  I  remained  at  a  miserable  yourte  five  days,  to  see  what  I  onul<l  do 
in  restoring  the  Cossack,  but  in  vain,  and  departed  witli  a  Yakut,  six 
feet  high,  and  stout  in  proportion,  the  largest  I  have  ever  seen,  lie 
was,  however,  a  mere  brute,  not  knowing  a  word  of  the  Russian  lan- 
guage, a  great  glutton,  stupid,  obstinate,  and  inmiovably  la/.y.  On  the 
fifth  day  after  starting  again  Ave  ascended  a  stupendous  jiath,  Avhich 
overlooks  not  only  the  surrounduig  country  but  also  the  other  mount- 
ains ;  it  is  almost  a  bare  rock,  and  Avas  so  slipjicry  that  the  horses  got 
very  severe  falls  in  the  ascent,  rolling  back  in  one  numient  as  much  as 
it  had  taken  ten  minutes  labor  to  achieve.  I  ahnost  despaired  of  gaining 
the  summit,  but  Ave  at  length  succeeded,  and  then  the  horses  actually 
slid  down  the  opposite  precipice  of  one  hundred  feet  high,  the  rock  being 
covered  Avith  frozen  snoAv.  For  myself  1  considered  it,  as  it  really  Avas, 
an  ice  mountain,  and  desiring  the  guide  to  follow,  passed  down  Avithout 
any  accident.  I  was  now  indeed  in  a  desperate  dilemma ;  but  Provi- 
dence, Avhich  cA'er  Avatches  the  wants  of  all  creatures,  sent  to  my  assist- 
ance the  sick  Cossack,  who,  having  got  better,  and  being  Avithout  bag- 
gage, had  folloAved  our  track  Avith  a  couple  of  horses.  He  came  in  time 
also  to  tell  us  that  Ave  had  mistaken  the  route.  His  duty  pointing  out 
the  necessity  of  seeing  me  safe  to  Okotsk,  I  did  not  i'wA  so  thankful  as 
I  else  should,  because  I  suspected  that  most  of  his  illness  Avas  pretended, 
and  that  conscience  had  told  him  he  Avas  acting  Avrong,  or  he  might  not 
hiive  returned,  liaving  already  received  permission  from  me  to  proceed 
to  the  Kolyma. 

"  We  passed  the  night  in  a  dreary  situation,  without  any  fire.  My 
tea  and  bread  Avere  both  consumed ;  nothing  in  short  remained  but 
horseflesh,  Avhich  I  found  very  good.  The  Cossack  had  brought  a  ihw 
birds,  but  as  I  knew  that  such  dainties  Avere  all  he  could,  or  Avould  eat, 
of  course  I  gave  them  up  to  him.  Next  day  aax'  considered  how  to  as- 
cend the  mountain  ;  the  snow  Avas  solid  and  slippery,  and  there  appeared 
no  other  mode  than  the  one  Avhich  Ave  adoj)ted — creeping  up  the  side, 
and  chopping  the  surtace  Avith  a  hatchet,  at  fnujuent  intf/rvals,  to  obtain 
some  sort  of  tooting.  In  this  maimer  I  and  the  Cossack  adcei'  ted,  and 
making  all  the  leather  thongs  last  together,  Ave  liauled  up  the  baggage 
and  let  it  down  on  the  oppt)site  side  ;  thus  placing  ourselves  between  it 
and  the  horses.     To  get  up  the  latter  required  more  management ;  for, 


if 


L„ 


A    PERILOUS    SITUATION. 


405 


acciist  omod  as  the  horses  are  to  the  most  laborious  and  clangorous  jour- 
neys, and  with  all  their  sagacity  and  taineness,  I  found  thoy  could  not 
ascend  above  half  the  mountain,  the  fitigue  was  too  great;  In  short, 
they  were  compelhid  to  give  it  up,  and  recoil  f)nc((  more  to  the  base  in 
a  state  of  perfect  agony.  Thus  passed  the  day  !  Our  situation  now 
seemed  dcjsperate  ;  the  horses  had  received  no  food  for  two  days,  with 
luore  than  ordinary  hard  work,  diu-ing  which  w<>  ha<l  enjoyed  no  fire  ; 
yet  still  "neboice  avoce  lebo"  (fear  not — perhaps)  were  the  rallying 
words,  and  these  alone  served  us  for  supper.  Our  monster  of  a  guide 
was  quite  insensible  to  our  situation,  and  siit  grumbling  that  he  had  not 
more  than  twenty  pounds  of  nusat  a  day,  ^\■\\h  such  hard  work. 

"This  night  was  passed  even  mor((  miserably  than  the  last,  as  we  had 
not  even  the  benefit  of  our  bedding  or  clothing,  both  of  which  had  been 
hurled  down  the  oj)posit(!  valley,  without  respe(;t  to  whom  they  beIonge<1. 
AVe  rose  the  third  morning,  ])repare<l  for  hard  work  ;  and  our  first  at- 
tempt was  to  haul  the  liorses  up  the  ])reciiiice.  We  in  ])art  succeeded, 
as  the  strongest  were  actually  received,  and  cast  adrift  on  the  opposite 
side  to  feed.  This  occu])ied  us  all  day,  and  the  third  night  was  passed 
with  the  cheering  liopes  of  resuming  our  Journey  the  following  day  ; 
but  these  were  frustrated,  as  it  was  not  until  late  in  the  evening  that 
we  succeeded  in  passing  all  the  horses  we  desigiuid  to  keep  ;  one  we 
were  obliged  to  kill  and  carry  with  us  as  food.  Our  bully-headed  Yakut, 
too,  became  wonthu-fully  alert  on  this  occasion,  knowing  lie  should  re- 
ceive an  extra  .allowance  of  meat,  were  it  for  no  other  reason  than  to 
lighten  the  other  brutes.  I,  however,  determined  to  make  some  resen'c, 
aiul  accordingly  taking  ,a  quantity  of  th(i  slaughtered  animal,  sufl^cient 
to  serve  the  Yakut  on  his  return,  I  buried  it  in  the  snow,  which  I  thought 
would  continue  unmelted  for  ten  or  twelve  days,  and  marked  the  place 
with  a  cross.  This  precaution  I  considered  was  more  than  ordinarily 
necessary  with  my  gigantic  companion,  who  had  infinitely  less  concern 
toward  the  i)revention  of  future  starvation  than  to  the  sup])ort  of  pres- 
ent gluttony. 

"  The  only  mode  of  passing  the  last  three  horses  was  by  making  a 
regular  staircase  up  the  hill,  by  means  of  axes,  ajid  strewing  it  with 
earth ;  myself  and  the  Cossack,  m  ho  were  on  the  hill,  holding  a  rope 
attached  to  the  horse's  head,  while  the  guidi;  behind,  whose  task  it  was 
to  flog  the  beast,  had  no  sinecure,  as  from  his  immoderate  size  he  was 
almost  himself  incap.able  of  moving.  TIu>  result  of  the  last  five  days  was 
tli.at  we  had  lost  five  days'  traveling,  fivi^  days  of  the  best  season,  and 
five  days  which  were  worth  fifty  of  those  which  followed  :  the  fault  was 
not  mine !  The  weather  was  still  very  cold,  an<l  I  fi'lt  some  relief  in 
getting  close  to  a  cheerful  fire.  >fe\t  day  I  directed  my  course  by  a 
compass,  for  the  guide  knew  nothing  about  west-south-west,  intending, 
if  possible,  to  gain  the  river  Indigirka." 

I?y  continual  exertions,  walking,  wading  across  streams,  and  some- 
times swimming  the  rapid  currents  of  rivers,  he  at  length  reached  tho 


J 


lii'll  I;! 


1'  U 


iill 


ii!l 


.!  I 


\ 


•Ill 


'ill    :V 


^\' 


I 


iJii 


it  1 

;'  I. 


■ 

406 


COCHRANE'S   JOUKNEY    THROUGH    SIBERIA. 


Omekon  district,  Avhere  he  again  entered  an  inliabited  region.  "  We 
were  now,"  he  observes,  "  renewed  with  fresh  courage,  and  my  Cossack 
particularly  inspirited  with  a  regale  of  beef  which  had  been  given  him  at 
the  first  yourto.  P^or  myself  I  preferred  to  partake  of  the  old  horse- 
meat  I  had  still  lefl ;  having  a  muid  to  shame  the  Cossack  and  show  him 
that  he  ought  to  eat  any  thing  when  necessity  dictated.  I  had  passed 
twelve  days  without  any  other  food  than  the  horse-meat  we  had  brouglit, 
generally  eaten  in  a  raw  state,  and  a  small  part  of  the  animal  we  had 
killed  ;  yet  I  was  never  in  better  health.  I  remained  three  days  at  the 
Omekon,  and  was  again  obliged  to  leave  my  Cossack,  from  ill  health  and 
fatigue.  Having  procured  in  his  stead  a  young  lad,  born  in  the  valley 
of  Omekon,  with  him,  and  four  of  the  native  princes  in  my  train,  I  de- 
parted along  the  banks  of  the  river." 

Following  this  stream  to  its  confluence  with  the  Indigirka,  he  then 
crossed  the  mountains  to  the  country  watered  by  the  Tourrourak,  and 
halted  at  the  last  yourte  in  the  government  of  Yakutsk.  Here  he  ap- 
plied to  a  jirhjce  of  the  wandering  Tongousi,  for  reindeer  and  further 
assistance  on  his  journey.  After  some  delay  the  prince  finally  consented 
to  take  him,  and  on  the  third  day  they  set  out  with  fifty  head  of  rein- 
deer. They  made  good  progress  for  a  few  days,  but  at  length  the  rein- 
deer began  to  lag  and  droop,  the  weather  became  bad,  and  the  prince 
having  lost  several  of  liis  animals,  threatened  to  leave  the  captain  or 
carry  him  back.  To  this  the  latter  Avas  not  disposed  to  submit.  They 
had  reached  an  elevated  pass  in  the  mountains,  leading  to  the  vicinity 
of  Indgiga,  but  were  unable  to  cross  it,  owing  to  the  state  of  the  snow. 
On  the  sixth  day  they  renewed  the  attempt,  but  were  obliged  to  give  it 
up,  three  laden  reindeer  being  dead  and  the  rest  too  weak  to  convey 
the  carcases  or  the  baggage.  They  remauied  three  days  to  recruit  the 
reindeer,  and  then  resolved  to  return  to  the  Omekon  and  attempt  the 
long  passage  with  horses.  The  prince  now  complained  that  he  had  not 
force  suflicient  to  carry  the  baggage,  and  Captain  Cochrane  was  obliged 
to  destroy  the  greater  part  of  it.  When  the  Tongousian  saw  what  he 
was  about,  he  remonstrated,  asking  why  ho  did  not  give  the  things  to 
him.  As  it  was  evident,  however,  that  the  prince  had  been  duping  him, 
and,  as  he  thought,  compelling  him  to  forsake  his  baggage,  the  captain 
reluctantly  persisted  in  burning  his  clothing  and  bedding,  in  spite  of  the 
violent  demonstrations  of  the  latter,  who  brought  forward  the  image  of 
the  vii'gin  and  his  patron  saint,  and  spit,  swore,  stamped,  and  crossed 
himself  like  a  madman.  At  length  he  told  the  captain  it  had  been  pre- 
viously arranged  that  the  latter  should  return  to  the  Omekon,  to  which 
place  he  actually  returned  on  the  eighteenth  day,  recrossing  the  Tour- 
rourak and  Boulabot  rivers  with  much  difficulty. 

Procuring  fresh  horses  the  captain  again  left  the  Omekon.  The  snow 
was  now  softened  by  heavy  rains,  but  was  still  so  deep  as  to  impede 
their  progress  and  to  deprive  the  horses  of  their  accustomed  nourish- 
ment.    "  The  Yakuti,"  says  the  captain,  "  put  on  long  faces  at  the  ob- 


SWIMMING    TUB    OKOTA. 


407 


structions  we  met  with,  never  having  witnessed  such  deep  and  difficult 
roads,  for  in  ordinary  tunes  good  pasturage  is  to  be  had  in  this  part  of 
the  valley.  The  liorscs  having  to  contend  with  such  difficulties,  our 
journey  was  continued  on  foot.  My  snow-shoes  I  gave  .o  one  of  the 
guides,  in  consideration  of  his  being  very  heavy,  while,  for  myself,  with 
a  quick  motion,  my  weight  was  not  sufficient  to  permit  my  sinking  in 
the  snow ; — in  case  I  had,  the  guide  with  snow-shoes  was  near  to  render 
me  assistance.  "We  were  now  frequently  compelled  to  wander  about  on 
the  borders  of  precipices,  directing  our  route  by  the  shade  or  appearance 
of  the  snow  ;  liabit  having  accustomed  me,  as  well  as  the  people  of  tho 
country,  to  a  pretty  accurate  calculation  Avhether  or  not  the  snow  would 
bear  mo.  I  have  even  seen  the  horses  refuse  to  proceed,  their  sagacity 
in  that  case  being  equal  to  man's ;  nor  will  the  leading  dog  of  a  narte, 
if  he  is  good,  run  the  vehicle  into  a  track  where  there  is  deep  snow  or 
water. 

"  At  length,  by  great  labor,  avo  reached  the  fording-place  at  tho 
Okota,  It  was,  liowever,  impossible  to  attempt  it,  the  guides  observing 
that  tho  liorses  might  pass  the  river,  but  not  loaded.  We  therefore 
halted,  and  next  morning  found  a  place  where  there  was  a  canoe  on  the 
opposite  bank.  Thereupon  unloading  the  horses,  we  turned  them  into 
the  river,  and  they  all  reached  tho  opposite  bank  in  safety.  The  question 
then  was  how  to  get  the  canoe  over  ;  I  was  the  only  person  who  could 
swim,  but  the  water  was  still  so  cold  that  I  felt  no  preference  to  that 
mode.  Xecessity  at  last  compelled  mo,  and  having  procured  a  short 
stout  ])iece  of  drift  wood,  which  was  very  buoyant,  I  crossed  at  a  narrow 
part  of  the  stream,  Avith  a  leather  thong  fast  to  my  waist.  The  rapidity 
of  the  stream  carried  me  down  above  a  hundred  yards,  but  the  Yakuti, 
keeping,  by  a  sort  of  run,  in  a  parallel  line,  were  ready  to  haul  me  back, 
if  necessary.  I,  however,  reached  in  safety;  and,  instantly  throwing  off 
my  clothes,  took  violent  exercise.  The  breadth  of  the  swimming  part 
might  only  have  been  fifleen  or  twenty  yards,  and  across  the  strength 
of  the  stream  possibly  not  more  than  four  or  five  yards  ;  yet  I  barely  ac- 
complished it.  Tho  feat  was  thankfully  acknowledged  by  the  astonished 
Yakuti  when  I  returned  with  an  excellent  canoe." 

The  Okota  was  so  much  swollen  by  the  rains,  that  the  Captain  left  a 
Yakut  with  the  horses,  and  decided  to  take  to  the  water.  "  To  starve 
on  one  side  of  the  river,  be  drowned  in  it,  or  die  upon  the  other  side, 
appeared  alike  to  me,"  he  says,  "  and  I  accordingly  embarked  our  little 
baggau(!  upon  the  raft,  composed  of  ten  logs  of  trees  about  fifteen  feet 
long,  crossed  by  five  others,  and  again  crossed  by  two  more,  to  form  a 
seat  for  the  person  taking  charge  of  the  baggage,  which  was  lashed  to 
the  raft. 

"  It  was  with  difficulty  we  moved  our  vessel  into  the  main  channel, 
from  the  number  of  eddies ;  but  having  once  reached  it,  we  descended 
in  a  most  astonishing  manner,  sometimes  actually  making  the  head  giddy 
as  we  passed  the  branches  of  trees,  rocks,  or  islands.     No  accident  Imp- 


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408 


COCHRANK'S    JOURNEY    THROUGH    SIBERIA. 


pcning,  and  the  river  widening,  I  began  to  congratulate  my  companions 
on  the  probability  of  breakfasting  the  next  day  in  Okotsk ;  but  as  yet  I 
had  not  got  upon  the  proper  side  of  the  stream,  the  islands  and  shoals 
perpetually  turning  us  oif.  The  Cossack  and  Yakut  continued  in  a  state 
of  alarm,  not  entirely  without  cause,  for  upon  rounding  a  point  of  land, 
we  observed  a  large  tree  jutting  into  the  river,  with  a  tremendous  and 
rapid  surf  running  over  it,  the  branches  of  the  tree  preventing  the  raft 
from  passing  over  the  body  of  it,  which  was  so  deep  in  the  water  as  to 
pi'cclude  a  hope  of  escaping  with  life — it  was  at  least  impossible  to  avoid 
being  wrecked.  The  Cossack  and  Yakut  crossed  themselves,  while  I 
was  quietly  awaiting  the  result  in  the  bow.  "We  struck,  and  such  was 
the  force  of  the  rebound,  that  I  was  in  hopes  we  should  have  been  thrown 
outside  the  shaft  in  the  subsequent  approach,  I  Avas,  however,  disap- 
pointed, for  the  forepart  of  the  raft  was  actually  sucked  under  the  tree, 
and  the  afterpart  rose  so  high  out  of  the  water,  that  it  completely  turned 
over,  bringing  the  baggage  under  water ;  the  whole  then,  with  the 
Yakut  and  Cossack,  proceeded  dov/n  the  stream,  and  fortunately  brought 
up  upon  an  island  about  one  hundred  yards  below.  In  the  mean  Avliilo 
my  situation  was  dangerous ;  being  in  the  bow,  I  could  not  hold  )n  the 
raft  as  my  companions  had  been  able  to  do,  for  fear  of  being  janiiKcd  in 
between  the  raft  and  the  tree.  I  therefore  quitted  my  hold,  and,  Avith  in- 
finite difficulty,  clung  to  the  outer  branches  on  the  rapid  side  of  the  tree; 
my  body  was  sucked  under,  and  no  part  of  mo  was  out  of  the  water  but 
my  head  and  arms.  I  could  not  long  remain  in  such  a  state  ;  and  mak- 
ing, therefore,  one  vigorous  effort,  on  the  success  of  which  it  was  dear 
my  life  depended,  I  gained  the  top  of  the  tree.  T  was  throwing  off  my 
upper  parka,  when  the  branch  gave  way,  and  I  dropvod  down,  half  drown- 
ing, to  the  island.  It  was  a  fortunate  circumstance  that  the  raft  upset, 
as  otherwise  it  could  not  have  brought  up  at  the  island  ;  which  it  did  in 
consequence  of  the  baggage  lashed  to  the  raft  being  so  deep  in  the  water. 

Our  situation,  notwithstaiuling,  upon  the  island,  was  by  no  means 
pleasant.  On  either  side  of  us  was  a  rapid  channel,  and  I  was  as  fur  as 
ever  from  accomplishing  the  object  I  had  in  view ;  which  was  that  of 
getting  upon  the  right  bank  of  the  river ;  for  then  I  might  expect  to 
reach  some  habitation,  there  being  none  upon  the  left  bank  nearer  than 
six  hundri>d  miles,  halfway  to  Idgiga.  My  first  care  was  to  change  my 
wet  clothes,  and  warm  myself  by  exercise ;  the  next  was  to  unlash  and 
land  the  baggage,  and  to  save  as  nuich  of  the  raft-  as  possible,  our  deliv- 
erance depending  upon  it.  By  hard  work  we  accomplished  it  ere  the 
sun  had  set;  after  which  it  soon  began  to  be  very  cold.  The  appearance 
of  the  night  Avas  unfavorable,  as  it  foreboded  rain ;  it  Avould  therefore 
have  been  highly  indiscreet  to  remain  longer  than  necessary  ;  as  the  river 
might,  in  one  night,  so  increase  as  to  cover  the  island. 

To  launch  a  raft  into  the  channel  I  could  not  attempt,  as  by  that 
time  it  would  be  dark,  and  W(!  should  certainly  meet  with  the  same  ac- 
cident, and  probably  worse  results.     I  therefore  walked  toward  the  end 


•I^il  I 


FURTHER    PERILS.— OKOTSK 


409 


i 

L 


of  the  island,  till  I  camo  oi>i»osito  to  a  large  tree  wliii  n  tjatl  fallen  .rom 
the  eontiiicnt  nearly  half  way  across  the  narrowest  |)art  of  the  channel, 
Mhich  might  he  about  fifty  or  sixty  feet.  To  swi'u  tiirough  the  central 
part  of  it  was  impossible;  but  it  appeared  to  me  probable,  with  the  help 
of  nautical  ingeinnty,  to  save  not  only  ourselves,  but  also  the  baggage; 
and  this  I  accomplished  in  a  true  sailor-like  fashion." 

lie  constructed  a  floating  bridge  from  the  thnbers  of  the  raft,  by 
fu-st  tastening  some  of  the  pieces  to  the  shore,  and  secin-ing  the  outer 
ends  against  the  current  by  means  of  lines  fastened  up  the  stream,  then 
lashing  other  jiieces  to  the  ends  of  these  uiid  securing  them  in  the  same 
manner,  until  the  third  course  rested  against  the  tree.  Over  this  rude 
structure  he  passed  in  safety,  followed  by  the  Cossack,  but  the  Yakut 
would  not  venture.  The  captain  then  returned,  and  making  a  rati  of 
the  bridge,  ferried  over  the  Yakut,  baggage,  and  lastly  himself,  assisted 
by  the  Cossack  Avith  a  Une  from  the  op})osite  shore.  On  the  last  passage 
the  raft  upset,  and  the  captain  was  pulled  ashore  with  his  clothes  sur- 
rounding him  in  a  casing  of  ice. 

A  fire  was  now  kindled,  but  the  height  of  the  grass  and  the  dryness 
of  the  wood  was  such  that  the  whole  forest  was  soon  enveloped  in  flame, 
and  they  were  obliged  to  work  hard  to  prevent  it  from  being  fatal  to 
them.  The  great  fire  induced  the  other  guide  to  swim  the  horses 
aci'oss  to  their  relief  All  were  now  reunited,  and  after  spending  the 
night  in  drying  their  clothes,  they  resumed  the  journey  next  morning. 
This  was  the  third  day  without  food,  and  on  the  sixth,  with  little  else 
than  berries  to  keep  their  spirits  up,  they  arrived  at  the  habitation  of  a 
Yakut  prince,  upon  an  island  in  the  Okota.  "  My  host,"  says  the  cap- 
taui,  "  was  neither  civil  nor  hospitable  ;  but  by  a  sort  of  force  I  got  some 
horse-meat  from  him,  and  which  I  considered,  at  that  time,  a  great  del- 
icacy, added  to  some  bread  which  I  procured  from  the  sailors  and 
carpenters  employed  in  felling  timber  for  the  dock-yard  of  Okotsk. 

"  Fresh  horses  were  given  to  me  at  this  station,  and  I  proceeded  on 
to  Okotsk.  The  route  lay  through  some  fine  park-like  scenery,  and  then 
over  a  thick  sandy  forest  of  tall  ])ine-trees ;  the  weather  was  most  un- 
favorable, as  it  rained  hard.  At  length  I  reached  the  eastern  sea-coast, 
that  is,  the  North  Pacific  Ocean,  and  was  compelled  to  halt  at  a  miser- 
able hut,  aflbrding  scarcely  a  shelter  from  the  elements.  The  following 
morning,  to  assist  the  Yakuti,  who  begged  of  me  to  leave  their  horses 
in  the  pasture,  I  paddled  along  the  stream  to  the  old  town  of  Okotsk; 
and  calling  on  the  ])olice-master,  w.as  by  him,  in  the  government  boat, 
carried  over,  with  all  the  formality  and  respect  due  to  my  rank,  to  the 
abode  of  the  chief  of  Okotsk,  Vladimir  Ushinsky." 

It  was  on  the  19th  of  June,  1821,  that  Captain  Cochrane  arrived  at 
Okotsk.  His  object  in  undertaking  this  long  and  painful  journey,  had 
been  first  to  ascertain  the  situation  of  Skelatskoi  Noss,  then  to  trace  the 
American  continent  as  far  as  possible  to  the  north-east.  But  the  first 
problem  being  solved  by  Baron  Wrangel's  expedition,  and  a  fleet  hav- 


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410 


COCHRANE'S    JOURNEY    THROUGH    SIBERIA. 


ing  alrcidy  gone  to  America,  he  accordingly  gave  up  liis  dosign  and 
resolved  to  retrace  his  steps  to  Europe,  after  spending  a  winter  in  Kanit- 
chatka,  lie  embarked  on  the  24th  of  August,  and  in  two  weeks  ar- 
rived in  the  harbor  of  Petropaulovsk.  Wliile  in  Kamtcliatka  he  married 
a  native,  and  after  a  stay  of  eleven  months,  during  which  he  made  tJio 
circuit  of  the  j)enhisula,  he  embarked  with  his  wife  for  Okotsk,  on  the 
5th  of  July,  1822,  on  liis  homeward  journey. 

Afti'r  a  toilsome  return  journey  he  reached  Irkutsk  in  the  beginning 
of  December,  and  remained  there  until  the  7th  of  January,  when  he  set 
out  on  an  excursion  along  the  Chinese  frontier.  He  was  absent  a  month 
on  this  journey,  and  on  the  11th  of  February  took  liis  dei)arture  from 
Irkutsk,  liis  homeward  route  was  over  the  same  ground  Avhich  he  h.ad 
traversed  on  his  outward  journey,  and  was  marked  by  few  adventures. 
"  Descending  the  western  branch  of  the  Ural  Mountains,"  he  says,  "  I 
soon  found  myself  again  in  Euro])e:  the  land  of  malt,  the  fire-side  home, 
agahi  had  charms  for  the  traveler.  The  sensations  I  experienced  upon 
quitting  the  most  favored  cpiarter  of  the  globe,  were  nothing  when  com- 
pared to  the  present.  Then  I  thought  I  was  going  only  to  the  abode  of 
misery,  vice,  and  cruelty,  while  now  I  knew  I  Jiad  como  from  that  of 
humanity,  hospitality,  and  kindness.  I  looked  back  to  the  hills,  which 
are,  as  it  were,  the  barrier  between  virtue  and  vice,  but  felt,  in  spite  of 
it,  a  desire  to  return  and  end  my  days.  And  so  strong  is  still  that  de- 
sire, that  I  should  not  hesitate  to  bid  adieu  to  politics,  war,  and  other 
refined  pursuits,  to  enjoy  in  Central  Siberia  those  comforts  which  may 
be  had  Avithout  fear  of  foreign  or  domestic  disturbance. 

"  At  length  I  arrived  safely  in  St.  Petersburg,  from  wliich  I  had 
been  absent  exactly  three  years  and  three  weeks,  and  to  which  I  had 
returned  in  infinitely  better  health  thau  when  I  left  it." 


GOLOWNIN'S 


CAPTIVITY     IN     JAPAN. 


Captain  "Wassii.i  Golownix,  while  commanding  tlio  Russian  sloop- 
of-war  Diana,  lying  in  the  harbor  of  I'ctropaulovsk,  in  Kamtchatka,  re- 
ceived an  order  from  the  Russian  Minister  of  Marine,  directing  him  to 
make  a  mhuite  sm-vey  of  the  Southern  Kurilo  Islands  and  the  coast  of 
Tartary,  from  latitude  53°  38'  north,  to  Okotsk.  lie  accordingly  sailed 
on  the  4th  of  May,  1811,  and  after  a  voyage  of  ten  days  naclied  Na- 
dcshda  Straits,  between  two  of  the  Kiirile  Islands,  where  his  surveys 
were  to  commence.  He  had  determined,  on  ai)proachiiig  the  northern 
shore  of  the  Japanese  island  of  Jesso,  to  hold  no  intercourse  with  the 
Japanese,  fearful  that  any  such  attemi)t  might  excite  suspicion  and  dis- 
trust. The  Chamberlain  Resanoff,  who  was  sent  to  Japan  by  the 
Emperor  Alexander  in  the  year  1803,  had  been  obliged  to  return  unsuc- 
cessful, and  out  of  a  silly  revenge  for  this  repulse.  Lieutenant  Chwostoff, 
who  commanded  the  vessel  in  Mhich  ResanotT  was  taken  from  Nagasaki 
to  Okotsk,  attacked  and  destroyed  several  v'llages  in  the  Japanese  Ku- 
rile  Islands.  This  wanton  outrage  had  provoked  the  hostility  of  the 
Japanese  government,  and  Captain  Golownin  therefore  felt  the  necessity 
of  caution  in  approaching  the  coast. 

On  the  17th  of  June  his  vessel  reached  the  Kurile  island  of  Eetoo- 
roop,  Avhere  he  accidentally  fell  in  with  some  Japanese,  to  the  chief  of 
whom  he  explained  that  his  intentions  were  entirely  pacific,  as  he  Avas 
merely  looking  for  a  safe  harbor  where  he  might  procure  a  supply  of 
wood  and  water.  To  this  assurance,  the  officer  replied :  "  The  Japanese 
can  not  be  entirely  tranquil  and  free  from  apprehension  on  the  appear- 
ance of  a  Russian  ship,  for  some  years  ago  Russian  vessels  twice  attacked 
Japanese  villages,  and  carried  off  or  burnt  every  thing  they  found,  with- 
out sparing  the  houses,  temples,  or  provisions.  Rice,  which  is  brought 
from  Japan  to  these  islands,  forms  the  principal  food  of  the  inhabitants: 
but  the  first  attack  havhig  taken  place  late  in  autumn,  when  no  vessels 
could  be  sent  to  sea  to  bring  back  a  fresh  supply  for  winter,  and  the 
second  having  followed  early  in  spring,  before  the  usual  rice  ships  could 


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412 


GOLOWNIN'S    CAPTIVITY    IN    JAPAN. 


arrive,  these  circumstances,  joined  to  the  destruction  of  their  houses, 
caused  great  distress  to  the  Japanese,  many  of  whom  fell  sacrifices  to 
hunger  and  cold."  With  such  awkward  interpreters  as  tiiC  Kurilos,  it 
was  not  an  easy  matter  for  Captain  Golownin  to  vindicate  himself 
against  so  serious  a  charge,  but  he  finally  succeeded,  as  he  supposed,  in 
convincuig  the  Japanese  that  Chwostoff's  proceedings  were  entirely  un- 
authorized by  the  Russian  government. 

"  While  I  was  conversing  witli  the  chief  on  the  shore,"  says  Golow- 
nin, "an  old  man  advanced  toward  me  with  demonstrations  of  the  great- 
est respect.  He  was  a  Toion,  or  chief  of  the  hairy  Kuriles  of  this  jiart 
of  the  island,  of  whom  there  were  here  about  fifty  individuals  of  both 
sexes;  and  they  seemed  to  be  so  o2)pressed  by  the  Japanese,  that  they 
dared  not  move  in  their  ])resence.  They  all  sat  crowded  together,  re- 
garding their  rulers  with  looks  of  terror;  and  whenever  they  had  oc- 
casion to  speak  to  them,  they  threw  themselves  upon  their  knees,  with 
their  open  hands  pressed  closely  upon  their  sides,  their  heads  hanging 
downward,  and  their  whole  bodies  bowed  to  the  ground.  Our  Kuriles 
observed  the  same  ceretru)ny  when  they  adcb'essed  us.  After  the  latter 
had  been  invited  to  come  on  board  our  vessel,  they  informed  us  that  the 
Japanese  persisted  in  believing  that  plunder  Avas  the  only  motive  which 
liad  induced  us  to  visit  their  shores ;  and  that  the  conduct  of  the  crews 
of  the  Company's  ships  had  excited  their  susj  Icions.  Whenever  they 
spoke  of  the  violent  jiroceedings  of  Chwostolf,  they  usually  said:  'The 
Russians  attacked  us  without  cause,  killed  many  of  our  countrymen, 
took  several  prisoners,  plundered  us,  and  burned  all  we  j)ossessed ;  they 
not  only  carried  olF  our  goods,  but  likewise  all  our  rice  and  sagi,  and 
abandoned  us  to  all  the  misery  of  hunger.'" 

Previous  to  leaving  the  island,  a  Kurile  named  Alexei,  who  spoke 
some  Russian,  came  on  Ijoard,  and  was  retaiiuMl,  at  his  own  request,  as 
in  interpreter,  (lolownin  then  sailed  to  the  island  of  Ooroop,  which  ho 
surveyed,  and  afterward,  at  Ale.vei's  recommendation,  j)roceeded  to 
Kunashir,  the  twentieth  island  of  the  Kurile  chain.  On  tl»'>  morning  of 
the  r)th  of  July  he  sailed  into  the  harbor  of  Kunashir,  where  there  is  a 
fortified  village,  with  a  Japanese  garrison.  As  they  advanced,  guns 
were  fired  from  the  i)ort ;  from  which  circtnustance  ]w  cou'-liided  that 
the  Japanese  on  the  island  of  P>etooroop  had  not  yet  made  known  to 
those  of  Kunashir  his  friendly  intentions.  As  he  stood  in  neanr,  how- 
ever, the  firing  ceased.  The  fortifications  Avere  masked  with  screens  of 
striped  cloth,  so  that  he  could  jK-rceive  neither  walls  nor  palissades.  After 
coming  to  anchor  at  the  distance  of  a  mile  and  a  quarter,  Golownin  got 
into  a  boat  with  some  men,  and  rowed  toward  the  shore.  Tliey  had 
approached  within  a  hundred  yards,  when  the  firing  again  began,  and 
came  neaf  proving  fatal.  They  innnediately  j)Ut  about  and  rowed  quickly 
back  to  the  vessel. 

"  A  thouglit  now  suddenly  came  across  my  mind,"  observes  Golow- 
nin.    "  I  imagined  that  by  means  of  signs  I  might  make  myself  under- 


NEGOTIATION    WITH    CASKS. 


413 


stood  by  tho  Japanese.  For  this  purposo,  od  llin  Ctli  of  July,  1  caiised 
a  cask  to  be  sawed  in  two,  and  set  both  j)aits  ai'.^ut  in  the  water  in  front 
of  the  town.  In  the  inside  of  one  half  of  the  cask  were  placed  a  jjiass 
containing  fresh  water,  a  piece  of  wood,  and  a  handful  of  rice,  to  denote 
that  we  were  in  want  of  these  articles  ;  the  other  half  contained  a  few 
])iastres,  a  piece  of  yellow  cloth,  and  some  crystal  beads  and  ]iearls, 
meaning  thereby  to  inthnato  that  avc  would  give  them  either  money  or 
other  articles  in  exchange  lor  provisions.  Upon  this  half  of  the  cask  we 
fixed  a  drawing  of  the  harbor,  the  fortress,  and  the  sloop ;  which  ^^  as 
very  skillfully  executed  by  the  Midshipman  Moor.  In  this  drawing  tiio 
sloop's  guns  were  veiy  distinctly  marked,  but  fixed  in  the  ports  with 
their  tompions  in  ;  but  the  guns  in  the  garrison  were  represented  as 
firing,  and  the  balls  fiying  over  the  sloop.  By  this  means  I  wished,  if 
possible,  to  make  thi;  Jai)anese  sensible  of  tlii'ir  pi-rlidy.  No  sooner  had 
•we  set  tho  c:isk  afioat  and  rowed  away,  than  the  Japanese  inmiediately 
seized  it,  and  carried  it  into  their  fortress.  On  the  Ibllowing  ilay  we 
approached  within  gun-shot  of  the  castle,  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  an 
answer;  having,  however,  i>reviousIy  made  every  jjreparation  for  an  en- 
g.agement ;  but  the  Japanese  «li(l  not  seem  to  notice  us.  No  one  appeared 
near  the  Avorks,  which  were  still  hung  round  with  cloth." 

Captain  Golownin  called  a  council  of  his  ofticers,  at  which  the  de- 
cision was,  that  they  should  not  heed  the  attack  of  the  Japiinese,  nor 
take  any  furtlu!r  measures  for  connnunication  with  them.  As,  however, 
both  water  and  provisions  were  needed,  a  boat  Avas  sent  to  the  mouth 
of  a  creek  for  a  supply  of  the  former,  while  Lieutenant  IJikord  crossed 
the  bay  in  another  l)()at,  to  a  fishing  village  which  they  had  observetl. 
Tiio  place  was  deserted,  but  Ifikord  carried  otf  some  wood,  rice,  and 
dried  fish,  and  lefl  behind  him  various  European  articles,  which  Alexei 
declared  to  be  fin*  more  valuable  than  what  he  carried  away.  In  the 
afternoon  curiosity  induced  (iolownin  to  gf)  ashore  to  try  to  discover 
the  plans  of  the  Japanese,  and  he  was  highly  ])leased  to  observe  that  all 
the  articles  which  Lieutenant  Uikord  had  letl  were  removed.  "  On  the 
8th  of  July,"  lie  contiiuies,  "  wo  observed  a  cask  floating  before  the 
town.  I  immediately  Aveighed  anchor  in  order  to  take  it  up.  Wc  found 
that  it  contained  a  little  box  wra]»j)ed  up  in  several  pieces  of  oil-cloth. 
The  box  contained  three  papers ;  one  of  which  was  a  Japanese  letter, 
which  wo  coidd  not  read,  and  the  oth(>r  two  were  drawings.  I»oth 
these  sketches  represented  the  harbor,  the  castle,  our  sloop,  the  cask 
with  a  boat  rowing  toward  it,  ai\d  the  rising  sun,  but  with  this  diflereiice, 
that  in  one  tho  guns  of  tho  castio  were  firing,  while  in  the  other  the 
muzzles  of  the  cannon  were  turned  backward.  We  were  a  long  tinie 
occupied  in  consith'ring  these  hieroglyjihics,  and  c  u-h  explaineil  them 
after  his  own  way  ;  but  this  will  not  l>e  thought  wonderful,  as  the  same 
thing  frequently  happens  among  better  scholars.  Wo  all,  liowevcr, 
agrt'cd  that  the  Japanese  decliiied  holding  intercourse  with  us." 

The  next  ilay  a  boat  containing  several  Japanese  otlicers  and  a  Kurile 


i,' 


r. 


li  i 


m 


m 


1 1 


I  11  J^i- 


i 


M 


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'■■ii 

It 


ii;  1 


414 


GOLOWNIN'S    CAPTIVITY    IN    JAPAN. 


interpreter,  rowed  toward  tlie  vessel.  The  conference  began  on  tlieir 
Hide,  with  an  apoh)gy  for  liaving  fired  upon  the  Russians  when  they  first 
attempted  to  land.  To  justify  this  proceeding,  they  declared  that  their 
distrust  had  been  excited  in  consequence  of  an  outrage  committed  upon 
them  some  years  before,  by  the  crews  of  two  Russian  vessels,  who  had 
at  first  landed  under  pretense  of  the  same  motives.  They,  however, 
perceived  the  difference  between  Golownin's  conduct  .and  that  of  their 
former  visitors ;  every  suspicion  had  now  vanished,  and  they  declared 
their  readiness  to  do  .all  they  could  to  serve  him.  On  the  10th  the 
requisite  amount  of  water  w.as  on  board,  .and  Golownin  Avas  ready  to  sail, 
when  he  received  .an  invitation  to  come  on  shore,  lie  thought  it  his 
duty  to  comply,  in  order  to  acquaint  the  Japanese  that  the  outrage;  of 
Chwostofi'  was  entirely  disowned  by  the  Russian  Govermnent.  IIo 
therefore  landed,  accompanied  only  by  Alexei,  the  interpreter,  and  was 
met  by  .an  officer  with  Avhom  he  conversed  for  some  time.  Tiiis  j)erson 
])romis('d  to  furnish  the  vessel  with  more  provisions,  but  wished  Golow- 
nin  first  to  consult  with  the  governor.  In  the  evening  a  large  number 
of  fresh  fish  were  sent  on  board,  and  the  invitation  to  Aisit  the  governor 
renewed. 

(iolownin  gives  the  following  .account  of  what  happened  on  this  visit : 
"Next  morning,  July  the  11th,  at  eight  o'clock,  I  Landed  with  the 
above-named  officers,  the  Kurile  Alexei,  and  four  se.amen.  So  fully  w.as 
I  jxTsuaded  that  we  stood  on  a  friendly  footing  with  the  Japanese,  th.at 
I  had  not  ordered  the  men  to  arm  themselves.  The  officers,  three  in 
nund)er,  including  myself,  had  each  a  sword,  in  addition  to  which  Mr. 
Chh'bnikofi"  brought  with  him  a  pocket-i)ist(»l,  to  use  as  a  signal,  in  case 
of  fug.  t)n  enteiiag  tlu^  c:istle  gate,  I  was  astonished  at  the  lumiber  of 
men  I  saw  assembled  there.  Of  soldii'rs  alone,  I  observed  from  three  to 
four  hundred,  .armed  with  muskets,  bows  and  .arrows,  .and  spe.ars,  sitting 
in  a  circle,  in  an  open  sji.ace  to  the  right  of  the  gate  ;  on  the  left  a 
countless  Juultitude  of  Kuriles  surrounded  a  tent  of  striped  cotton  cloth, 
erected  about  thirty  paces  from  the  g.ate.  This  stnall,  insignificant  place, 
KcetiUMl  incapable  of  containing  so  n).any  men,  and  I  concluded  that  they 
must  have  been  collected  from  all  the  nt'ighboring  garrisons  since  wc 
appeared  in  the  harbor. 

"  While  the  conference  was  going  on,  l^fr.  Moor  had  observed  th.at 
nuked  sabers  had  been  distributed  among  (he  soldiers  who  were  sitting 
in  the  open  space.  lie  innnediately  mentioned  (his  to  me;  but  I  sup- 
jHiscd  that  a  snbcr  or  (wo  might  have  been  accidentally  out  of  the 
she.aths ;  .and  I  asked  him  wlu>ther  lie  liad  not  made  a  mistake,  as  the 
J.'ipanese  always  carry  swords,  and  couhl  at  present  have  no  reason  for 
drawing  them.  This  remark  appeared  to  satisfy  him  ;  but  (lireumstances 
soon  occiuTccl  which  roused  all  our  suspicion,  and  convinced  us  (hat  some 
mischief  w.as  intended  against  us.  The  lieutenant-governor  having  witli- 
drawn  for  a  short  time,  as  if  to  make  some  arrangement,  retuincd,  j.nd 
wliispired  to  (he;  governor,  who  immedi.ately  rose  up  to  go  away.     Wo 


!        '■    \\' 


GOLOWNIN    MADE    PRISONER. 


415 


got  up  also  to  take  o\.i-  leave  ;  and  I  repeated  my  question  respecting 
the  price  of  provisions,  and  also  asked  whether  lie  intended  to  supply  us 
Avithany?  On  hearing  this  he  sat  down,  invited  us  to  do  the  same, 
and,  though  it  was  early  in  the  day,  ordered  dinner  to  be  served  up. 

"  We  accepted  his  invitation,  and  waited  with  impatience  to  see  what 
would  next  occur,  as  it  now  appeared  we  were  caught  in  a  snare  from 
which  it  would  be  difficult  to  escape.  But  the  kind  behavior  of  the 
Japanese,  and  their  assurances  that  we  had  nothing  to  fear,  again  tran- 
quillized us,  and  banished  any  suspicion  of  their  treachery.  They  en- 
tertained us  with  rice,  iish  in  a  green  sauce,  and  other  savory  dishes,  the 
ingredients  composing  which  we  did  not  know.  They  also  gave  us 
Bagi,  After  we  had  dined,  the  governor  was  again  about  to  Avithdraw. 
I  now  declared  that  we  could  wait  no  longer,  but  must  return  inmie- 
diately  on  board. 

"The  governor,  who  had  liitherto  conversed  in  a  mild  and  gentle 
tone,  now  altered  his  mamier.  lie  spoke  loudly,  and  with  warmth ; 
fr(!(piently  mentioned  Kesanoto  (llesanoff),  and  Nicola-Sandrcjetsch 
(Nicolai  Alexandroivitsch,  meaning  Chwostoif,  the  Caj)tain  of  the  Com- 
jiany's  shiji),  and  struck  his  hand  several  times  on  his  saber.  In  this 
maimer  he  made  a  long  speech,  of  which  the  terrified  Alext'i  inti.rpreted 
to  us  OTily  the  following  sentence: — 'The  governor  says  that  if  he  lets  a 
single  one  of  us  out  of  the  castle  his  own  bowels  will  be  ripped  up.'  This 
was  brief  .and  decisive  !  We  instantly  made  all  the  haste  we  could  to 
escape.  The  Japanese  did  not  venture  to  close  upon  us,  but  set  up  a 
loud  cry,  and  tlirew  oars  and  lar^'e  pieces  of  wood  at  us,  to  knock  us 
down.  On  our  reaching  the  gate  they  fired  several  times  on  us,  but 
without  effect,  though  one  of  the  balls  whistled  Tiast  the  head  of  Mr. 
Chlebnikolf.  We  now  found  that  they  had  succeeded  in  detaining  Mr. 
Moor,  the  seaman  Makaroft",  and  our  Kurile  Alexei,  in  the  castle.  We 
ran,  however,  to  our  landing-place ;  but  on  arriving  there,  perceived 
with  dismay  that  the  ti<le  had  ebbed  above  five  fathoms,  and  lell  the 
Btrand  quite  dry.  As  the  Japanese  saw  that  it  was  impossible  fur  us  to 
get  the  boat  afloat,  and  had  previously  assured  themselves  that  it  con- 
tained no  arms,  they  gained  confidence,  advanced  upon  us  with  drawn 
sabers,  Avhich  they  field  in  both  hands,  muskets  and  spears,  and  sur- 
rounded us.  I  cast  a  look  upon  the  boat,  and  said  to  mys«'lf:  'It  must 
be  so — oiu"  last  refuge  is  lost-our  llite  is  inevitable  I'  I  surrendered. 
The  Japanese  seized  me  by  the  arms,  and  conducted  me  to  tin;  castle, 
into  A\hich  my  companions  were  also  conveyed. 

"We  were  conducted  into  thi>  same  tent  in  which  we  had  held  tho 
conf«'rcnce,  but  neither  of  tlu'  commanders  with  whom  we  had  com- 
municated were  now  there.  Tlie  first  thing  done  was  to  tie  our  hands 
behind  our  backs,  and  conduct  us  into  an  extensive  but  low  building, 
which  resembled  a  Itarrack,  and  w  liiih  was  situated  opposite  to  the  tent 
in  tlu'  direction  of  flu!  shore.  Here  we  were  all,  except  Makaroff — whom 
We  hud  not  seen  since  our  separation — placed  on  our  knees,  and  bound 


\m 


•15 


1 


n 


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1:^1 


m 


t!\ 


416 


GOLOWNIN'S    CAPTIVITY    IN    JAPAN. 


in  llie  criK'lcst  manner,  -with  cords  about  tlio  tliickncss  of  a  finder:  and 
as  thougli  llii.s  wore  not  enough,  another  bindhig  with  smaller  cords  fol- 
lowed, which  was  still  more  painfid.  The  Japanese  are  exceedingly  ex- 
l)ert  at  this  work;  and  it  would  aj»pear  that  tlmy  conform  to  some  pre- 
cise regulation  in  binding  their  prisoners,  for  m'c  were  all  tied  exactly  iu 
th(!  same  manner.  There  were  the  same  number  of  knots  and  nooses, 
and  all  at  ('(jual  distances,  on  the  cords  with  which  each  of  us  was  bound. 
There  were  loops  round  our  breasts  and  necks;  our  elbows  almost 
touched  each  other,  and  our  hands  were  iirmly  bound  together:  from 
tlu>se  tastcuings  proceeded  a  long  cord,  the  end  of  which  was  held  by  a 
Japanese,  and  which  on  the  slightest  attemi)t  to  escape  required  only  to 
be  drawn  to  make  the  elbows  come  in  contact,  with  the  greatest  pain, 
and  to  tighten  the  noose  about  the  neck  to  such  a  degree  as  almost  to 
jiroduce  strangulation.  Besides  all  this,  they  tied  our  legs  in  two  places, 
above  the  knees  and  above  the  ankles:  they  then  passed  ropes  from  our 
necks  over  the  cross-beams  of  the  building,  and  drew  them  so  tight  that 
we  found  it  impossible  to  move.  Their  next  operation  was  searching 
our  pockets,  out  of  which  they  took  every  thing,  and  then  proceeded 
very  tranipiilly  to  smoke  tobacco."' 

After  a  delay  of  an  hour,  the  Japanese  removed  the  cords  from  the 
ankles  of  their  cajttives,  and  led  them  into  the  country ,  On  ascending 
a  hill  they  bchehl  the  J)i<i//<(  under  sail.  This  sight  plunged  them  into 
despair,  and  they  gave  up  all  hope  of  ever  seeing  their  native  country 
again.  After  Avalking  some  distaiu-e,  they  heard  a  cannonade.  They 
could  easily  distinguish  the  firing  of  the  sloop  from  that  of  the  castle; 
but  the  strong  garrison  of  the  Japanese,  and  the  thick  earthen  wall 
which  Ibrnied  their  fortification,  atfordi'd  the  Kussians  no  reason  to  ex- 
pect any  fortunate  result  from  tlie  contest. 

To  resume  Golownin's  narrative:  "I  was  so  tightly  bound,  particularly 
about  the  neck,  that,  before  av<'  li;id  traveled  six  or  seven  versts,  I  could 
scarcely  breathe.  IMy  com))anions  told  me  that  my  face  was  swollen  and 
discolored.  I  was  almost  blind,  and  could  not  speak  without  the  great- 
est difliculty.  We  made  signs  to  the  Japanese,  and  rerpiested  them, 
through  the  interpretation  of  Alexei,  to  loosen  the  cord  a  little,  but  the 
cannonade  so  frightened  them,  that  they  paid  no  attention  to  our  re- 
monstrances ;  they  only  urged  us  to  move  faster,  and  kept  constantly 
looking  behind  them.  Life  now  appeared  a  heavy  burden  to  me,  and 
I  resolved,  in  case  we  should  j)ass  a  river,  to  make  a  sudden  sj)ring  into 
the  wati'r,  and  thus  terminate  a  painfid  existence.  I  soon  saw,  however, 
that  it  woidd  not  be  easy  to  execute  this  purpose,  as  the  Japanes<!  al- 
« ays  lu'ld  us  fast  by  the  arms  when  we  had  occasion  to  cross  even  a 
little  brook.  I  fell  at  h'ngtii  sensiless  on  the  groimd ;  when  I  recov- 
ered, I  foimd  some  jiersons  sprinkling  me  with  water,  and  the  blood 
flowing  from  my  mouth  and  nose.  My  companions.  Moor  and  Chlebni- 
kotV,  were  in  d(H'|»  distress,  and  imploring  some  jx-rsons  to  loosen  the 
cords  with   which  I  was  bound.     They  at  last,  Avith  the  greatest  diffi^ 


lie 


la 


I 


I* 

V'   ' 

«    i 


TREATMENT   OP   THE   CAPTIVES. 


417 


cnlty,  prevailed  on  them  to  comply.     I  then  found  myself  much  oaaed, 
and  wa3  soon  able  to  make  an  effort  to  proceed. 

"  After  a  journey  of  about  ten  versts,  we  arrived  at  a  small  village, 
situated  on  the  straits  which  divide  the  island  of  Kunashier  from  Mats- 
mai.  We  were  conducted  into  a  house,  where  boiled  rice  was  offered 
us,  but  Avo  felt  no  desire  to  ])artake  of  food  of  any  kind.  On  our  de- 
clining to  cat,  Avc  were  taken  into  another  apartment,  in  which  we  were 
laid  doAni  close  to  the  walls,  so  as  not  to  touch  each  other.  The  ropes 
by  which  mc  had  been  led  were  attached  to  iron  hooks,  driven  into  tlie 
wall  for  that  purpose.  Our  boots  were  })ulled  off,  and  our  legs  tied  as 
before  in  two  places :  having  secured  us  in  this  way,  our  guards  sat 
down  hi  the  middle  of  the  room  round  a  chafing-dish,  and  drank  tea  and 
smoked.  Any  man  might  have  slept  tranquilly  beside  lions,  bound  as 
fast  as  Ave  were,  but  it  Avould  seem  that  our  guards  did  not  think  them- 
selves secm-i'.  The  cords  with  which  we  were  tied  were  inspected  every 
quarter  of  an  hour. 

"  At  the  api)roach  of  twilight,  our  guards  began  to  bestir  themselves, 
and  seemed  to  be  preparing  for  a  journey.  About  midnight,  a  broad 
plank  was  brought  in,  to  the  foin-  corners  of  which  ropes  were  attached : 
these  r(){)es  were  fastened  at  the  top,  and  slung  across  a  pole,  the  ends 
of  Avhich  Averc  laid  on  men's  shoulders ;  and  thus  the  Avhole  was  sus- 
pended. I  Avas  plncc'l  upon  this  plank,  and  immediately  borne  away. 
"We  now  concluded  thrit  wo  Avere  to  be  separated  forever,  and  that  wo 
could  entertain  no  hope  of  seeing  each  other  again.  Our  farcAvell  Avas 
like  the  parting  of  friends  at  the  hour  of  death. 

"The  sailors  wept  aloud  as  they  bade  me  adieu,  .Htid  my  heart  Avas 
wrung  on  leaving  them.  I  was  conveyed  to  the  sea-side,  and  placed  in 
a  large  boat,  \\h\i  a  mat  beneath  me.  In  a  fcAV  moments,  ]\Ir.  Moor  was 
likewise  brouirht  to  the  shore  in  th(>  same  waA*  as  I  had  been,  and  was 
placed  in  the  boat  beside  me.  This  Avas  indeed  an  unexi)ectcd  happi- 
ness. I  was  so  overjoyed,  that  for  a  few  moments  I  experienced  a  dim- 
iiuition  (if  my  torment.  Moor  Avas  soon  followed  by  Mr.  Chlebnikoff, 
and  the  sailors  Simanoff  and  Wassiljeff;  the  rest  Avere  placed  in  another 
boat.  A  soldier  under  arms  Avas  stationed  betAveen  each  of  us.  Wo 
Avere  then  covered  over  Avith  mats,  and  the  boats  Avcre  rowed  from  the 
shore." 

At  breiik  of  day,  on  the  12th  of  July,  the  captives  Avere  landed  near 
a  little  village,  on  the  coast  of  the  island  of  Matsmai  or  Jesso.  Here 
they  Avere  removed  into  other  boats,  Avhich  AVero  draAvn  with  ropes  along 
the  shore  in  a  south-easterly  direction.  In  this  Avay  they  Avere  dragged 
the  whole  of  that  day  ami  the  following  night.  There  Avas  no  halting, 
excejit  at  certain  fixed  places,  Avhere  the  men,  who  Avcrc  employed  in 
the  dragging,  and  Avho  came  from  the  neighboring  villages,  wt^ro  re- 
lieved. At  one  of  the  villages,  a  venenible,  gray-haired  man,  begged 
permission  of  the  guards  to  furnish  the  Russians  Avith  breakfast.  Thia 
Avas  granted,  and  the  old  man  stood  near  them  during  the  repast,  to  see 

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GOLOWNIN'S    CAPTIVITY    IN    JAPAN. 


that  they  ■wanted  nothing,  the  expression  of  his  countenance  plainly- 
showing  his  pity.  They  Avere  kept  so  severely  bound  that  their  wrists 
■were  covered  -with  painful  sores,  and  one  of  the  seamen  was  seized  with 
dangerous  bleeding  at  the  nose.  At  night  they  lay  in  the  boats,  still 
bound,  and  -were  frequently  wet  to  the  skin  by  showers  of  rain. 

After  five  days  of  this  paniful  travel,  they  were  put  on  shore,  their 
feet  untied,  and  the  cords  about  their  knees  loosened  so  that  they  could 
walk.  Their  journey  thenceforth  was  entirely  by  land.  "  The  Japanese 
oyagoda,  or  commander  of  the  district,"  says  Golownin,  "  took  a  con- 
siderable time  to  determine  on  the  order  of  our  procession  ;  however,  lie 
at  length  disposed  of  us  in  the  following  manner :  two  J.ajianese  from 
the  neighboring  village  proceeded  first,  Avalkiiig  side  by  side,  and  carry- 
ing staves  of  red  Avood,  very  handsomely  carved :  their  business  Avas  to 
direct  our  course.  These  Avere  relioA-ed,  on  entering  the  next  district, 
by  two  new  guides,  carrying  staves  of  the  same  descriiition.  The  guides 
Avcre  followed  by  three  soldiers.  Next  came  my  turn,  Avith  a  soldier  on 
one  side,  and  on  the  other  an  nttendant,  Avho,  Avith  a  twig,  kejjt  the 
gnats  ;*.id  flies  from  fixing  upon  mc.  Behind  mo  Avas  a  conductor,  who 
lield  together  the  ends  of  the  rojics  Avitli  Avhich  I  Avas  bound.  We  were 
followed  by  a  party  of  Kurilcs,  carrying  my  litter  ;  and  after  them,  came 
another  party,  destined  to  relieve  the  others  Avhen  fatigued.  Next  came 
Mr.  Moor,  guarded  in  the  same  manner  as  I  Avas ;  after  him  Mi".  Chleb- 
nikoff";  then  the  sailors,  one  following  another;  and  last  of  all  Alexci. 
The  Avhole  retinue  Avas  closed  by  three  soldiers,  and  a  number  of  Japan- 
ese and  Kurile  servants,  carrying  provisions,  and  the  baggage  of  our  es- 
cort. The  ])arty  must  have  amounted  to  between  one  Inuulred  and  fifty 
and  two  hundred  men.  Each  individual  had  a  Avooden  tablet  suspended 
from  his  girdle,  on  Avhich  Avas  an  inscription,  slating  Avith  Avhich  of  us  he 
Avas  stationed,  and  Avhat  Avere  the  duties  of  his  oflice. 

"During  the  Avholc  journey,  the  Japanese  uniformly  observed  the 
same  regulations.  At  daybreak  we  prepared  for  our  departure,  break- 
fiisted,  and  then  set  out.  Our  conductors  frequently  stopped  in  villages 
to  rest,  or  to  drink  tea  and  smoke  tobacco.  At  noon  Ave  dined.  Hav- 
ing rested  for  one  hour  after  dinner,  Ave  again  proceeded,  and  an  hour  or 
two  before  sunset  avc  halted  for  the  night,  usually  in  a  village  furnished 
Avith  a  small  garrison.  These  night-quarters,  when  Ave  first  entered,  were 
generally  hung  round  with  striped  cotton  cloth.  We  Averc  always  con- 
ducted to  a  neat  house,  and  placed  altogether  in  one  apartment,  Avhere 
our  giianls  never  failed  to  fasten  us  to  iron  hooks  which  were  fi.xed  into 
the  walls. 

"  AVhcn  AVC  arrived  at  the  station  where  we  were  to  pass  the  night, 
Ave  were  ahvays  conducted  to  the  front  of  the  house  belonging  to  the 
person  possessing  the  highest  authority  in  the  place  ;  Ave  Avere  there 
seated  on  benches  covered  Avith  mats,  and  he  came  out  to  inspect  us. 
We  were  then  taken  to  the  house  allotted  for  our  lodging;  on  entering 
which  our  boots  and  stockings  were  taken  off,  and  our  feet  bathed  Avith 


11 


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JAPANESE    KINDNESS    AND    CURIOSITY. 


419 


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■warm  ■vvatcr,  in  which  there  Mas  a  sohition  of  salt.  We  were  regularly 
provided  with  meals  three  limes  a-day;  viz,,  breakfast  in  the  mornhig 
before  we  set  out  on  our  joui-ney,  dinner  about  noon,  and  supper  in  the 
evening,  in  our  night-quarters.  There  was,  however,  little  variety  in  our 
diet ;  it  consisted  usually  of  boiled  rice  instead  of  bread,  two  pieces  of 
pickled  radish  for  seasoning,  broth  made  of  radishes  or  various  wild  roots 
and  herbs,  a  kind  of  maccaroni,  and  a  piece  of  broiled  or  boiled  fish. 

"  In  every  village,  on  our  arrival  and  departure,  we  were  surromided 
with  croAvds  of  both  sexes,  young  and  old,  who  were  drawn  together  by 
curiosity  to  see  us  ;  and  yet  on  these  occasions  wo  never  experienced  the 
slightest  insult  or  oifense.  All,  particularly  the  women,  contemplated 
us  with  an  air  of  pity  and  compassion.  If  we  asked  for  drink  to  quench 
our  thirst,  they  were  emulous  to  supply  us.  Many  solicited  permission 
of  our  guards  to  entertain  us,  and  on  their  request  being  granted,  brought 
us  sagi,  coraiits,  fruits,  or  other  delicacies.  On  one  occasion,  the  chief 
of  a  village  treated  ua  with  some  very  good  tea  with  sugar.  They  often 
inquired  respecting  an  European  nation  called  Orando,  and  a  country  to 
which  they  gave  the  name  of  Kabo.  We  assured  them  that  we  knew 
of  no  such  people  or  countries  in  Europe ;  upon  which  they  expressed 
surprise,  and  testified  distrust  at  our  answer.  Sometime  after  we  learned 
that  the  Japanese  called  the  Dutch,  Orando,  and  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  Kabo." 

During  all  this  time  they  remained  bound,  until  their  flesh  became  so 
chafed  that  the  Japanese  guards  finally  called  in  a  physician  who  applied 
plasters  to  the  wounds.  They  refused  to  allow  them  liberty,  from  fear 
that  they  would  commit  suicide.  They  even  hold  the  pipes  which  the 
prisoners  smoked,  lest  they  should  attempt  to  injure  themselves  with  the 
stems  ;  but  afterward,  having  fitted  enormous  mouth-pieces  to  them,  as 
a  precautionary  measure,  allowed  the  Russians  to  take  them  in  their  own 
hands.  Captain  Golownin  .and  the  officers  were  constantly  applied  to  by 
the  natives  to  write  some  lines  for  them  as  curious  souvenirs.  The  Ja- 
panese considered  a  specimen  of  Russian  Avriting  as  great  a  curiosity  as 
an  inscription  in  Japanese  would  be  looked  upon  in  Europe,  and  they 
showed  a  fan  upon  which  were  inscribed  four  lines  of  a  popular  Russian 
song,  signed  by  a  person  named  Babikoff*,  wlio,  it  appeared,  had  visited 
Japan  along  with  Laxman.  Though  these  lines  must  have  been  written 
twenty  years  before,  yet  the  fan  was  as  clean  and  fresh  as  if  perfectly 
new.  The  owner  kept  it  trapped  up  in  a  sheet  of  paper,  and  set  so 
much  value  upon  it,  that  he  would  scarcely  suffer  it  to  be  opened. 

After  a  Journey  of  nearly  four  weeks,  the  prisoners  at  last,  on  the  Vth 
of  August,  saw  from  an  eminence  the  city  aiul  harbor  of  llakodadi* 

•  Tlio  port  of  ITakod;idi,  in  the  atraitg  of  Sanprar,  at  tho  southorn  extremity  of  the 
island  of  Jcsso,  is  one  of  tho  ports  oponcd  to  tho  vosaels  of  the  United  States  by  tiio  treaty 
concluded  at  Yoko-Iiama  by  Commodore  Perry  in  185  J.  The  harbor  is  safe  and  commo- 
dious, and  has  already  l)ccomo  a  favorite  place  of  resort  for  American  whalers,  for  the 
purpose  of  rcfttting  and  procurinp;  supplies.  Captain  Golownin  spells  the  luimo  "  Chako- 
dado,"  which  is  probably  the  Russian  mode  of  roprosonting  the  aamo  sounds. 


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420 


GOLOWNIN'S    CAPTIVITY    IN   JAPAN. 


spread  out  before  them.  The  next  morning,  tlic  guards  made  prepara- 
tions for  their  formal  entrance  into  the  city  ;  they  put  on  new  clothes, 
and  armed  themselves  with  coats  of  mail  and  helmets.  As  the  proces- 
sion approached  the  gates,  a  great  number  of  persons  came  out  to  see 
them.  "Wo  at  length  entered  the  city,"  says  Golownin,  "  where  the 
concourse  of  people  -vvas  so  immense,  that  our  guards  had  great  difficulty 
in  clearing  a  passage  for  us.  Having  proceeded  the  distance  of  half  a 
verst  along  a  narrow  street,  we  turned  down  a  cross-street  on  our  left, 
Avhich  led  us  into  the  open  fields.  Here,  upon  a  rising  ground,  Ave  first 
beheld  the  building  that  was  destined  to  be  our  prison.  Tlie  sight  filled 
us  with  horror.  Wo  observed  only  the  long  roof;  but  that  sufliciently 
enabled  us  to  form  a  notion  of  the  extent  of  the  edifice.  A  high  wooden 
inclosure  or  fence,  of  great  strength,  and  well  provided  with  chevaux-de- 
frize^  concealed  the  body  of  the  building.  This  wooden  fence  was  sur- 
rounded by  an  earthen  wall,  somewhat  lower,  which  on  this  occrision  was 
hung  Avith  striped  cloth.  There  was  a  guard-house  near  the  gate,  in 
which  several  ofticers  were  seated.  Along  the  path  leading  to  our  prison, 
soldiers  were  stationed  in  full  military  uniform :  they  stood  at  the  dis- 
tance of  two  fathoms  from  each  other,  and  Avere  armed  in  various  Avays  : 
some  with  muskets,  some  Avith  bows  and  arrows,  others  with  spears,  etc, 
A  party  of  ofticers  Avere  stationed  in  front  of  the  building.  On  arriving 
at  tlie  gate,  avc  Avcre  received  by  an  officer,  to  Avhom  a  list  of  our  escort 
had  previously  been  handed,  and  Ave  Avere  then  conducted  into  a  sort  of 
court  or  yard.  Here  our  future  gloomy  and  horror-stirring  domicile 
I)resented  itself  fully  to  our  view.  It  Avas  a  large  dai'k  building,  resem- 
bling a  barn,  and  Avithin  it  Avere  apartments  formed  of  strong  thick  spars 
of  wood,  Avhich,  but  for  the  difference  of  size,  looked  exactly  like  bird- 
cages. 

"  I  Avas  led  into  a  j)assage  or  lobby  in  the  building,  Avhere  my  boots 
Avere  drawn  offj  and  the  roi)03  Avith  Avhich  I  Avas  bound  removed.  I  Avas 
then  directed  to  enter  a  small  apartment,  Avhich  A\'as  divided  from  the 
passage  by  Avooden  palissades.  I  noAV  looked  around  me  in  quest  of  Mr. 
Moor  and  Schkajeff ;  but  how  great  Avas  my  dismay  to  find  that  I  could 
neither  see  nor  hear  them!  The  Japanese,  without  saying  a  word, 
closed  the  door  of  my  apartment,  and  quitted  the  lobby,  the  door  of 
Avhich  they  likewise  closed  after  them.  I  Avas  now  alone.  The  thought 
of  being  separated  from  my  companions,  and  probably  forever,  com- 
pletely overi)OAvered  me,  and,  in  a  paroxysm  of  despair,  I  threw  myself 
upon  the  ground. 

"  I  remained  for  some  time  in  a  state  of  insensibility.  At  length,  rais- 
ing my  eyes,  I  observed  at  the  window  a  man,  who  beckoned  me  to  ap- 
j)roach  him.  I  complied  with  his  Avish ;  and  extending  liis  hand  through 
the  railing,  he  presented  me  with  two  little  sweet  cakes ;  at  the  same 
time  cnti'oating  me,  by  signs,  to  eat  tliem  quickly,  as  a  punishment 
awaited  him  if  he  should  be  observed.  At  that  moment  I  loathed  the 
very  sight  of  food ;  but  I  made  an  cfibrt  to  eat  the  cakes,  lest  refusal 


Is- 


I 


A   JAPANESE    PRISON. 


421 


might  give  offense  to  my  kind  visitor.  Ilis  countenance  now  brightened 
up,  and  lie  left  the  window,  with  a  promise  to  bring  me  more  at  a  future 
time.  I  thanked  him  as  well  as  I  was  able,  and  was  greatly  astonished 
that  this  man  (who  from  his  dress  apparently  belonged  to  the  very 
lowest  class)  should  be  so  far  actuated  by  benevolence,  as  to  hazard 
his  own  safety  for  '  .  sake  of  conveying  comfort  to  an  unfortunate 
strancrer. 

"  My  guards  now  brought  me  some  food ;  but  I  felt  not  the  least  in- 
clination to  partake  of  it,  and  sent  it  all  away.  In  this  state  I  remained 
imtil  evening.  I  sometimes  threw  myself  on  the  floor,  or  upon  a  bench, 
and  occasionally  walked  about  the  apartment,  meditating  on  the  means 
of  effecting  my  escape.  I  attentively  inspected  the  construction  of  my 
cage.  It  was  six  feet  in  length  and  breadth,  and  about  eight  feet  in 
height.  It  was  divided  from  the  lobby  by  wooden  palissades  of  tolerable 
thickness,  and  the  door  was  fastened  by  a  lock.  On  one  side,  near  the 
door,  was  a  small  recess  fitted  up  as  a  water-closet.  There  were  two 
windows,  both  secureil  externally  by  strong  wooden  gratings,  and  in  the 
inside  furnished  with  paper  screens,  which  I  could  open  and  shut  at 
pleasure.  One  Avindow  faced  the  wall  of  a  building  about  two  feet  dis- 
tant from  that  in  which  I  Avas  confined,  and  the  other  looked  to  the 
southern  side  of  the  fence  which  surrounded  our  prison.  From  this 
window  I  had  a  view  of  the  neighboring  hills  and  fields,  part  of  the 
straits  of  Sangar,  and  the  opposite  coast.  In  the  interior  of  the  chamber 
stood  a  wooden  bench,  Avhich,  however,  was  so  small,  that  I  could  not 
stretch  myself  upon  it ;  and  three  or  four  mats  lay  in  one  corner  on  the 
floor.    The  place  contained  no  other  furniture." 

After  being  confined  for  a  day  or  two,  Golownin  was  allowed  to 
select  one  of  the  sailors  for  a  companion.  He  chose  Makaroff,  who,  on 
beuig  conducted  to  him,  stated  that  the  other  prisoners  were  confined 
in  small  cages,  perfectly  dark,  and  with  such  low  entrances  that  they 
were  obliged  to  crawl  in  on  their  hands  and  knees.  Two  days  after- 
ward, they  were  all  taken  before  the  governor  of  the  city,  by  whom 
they  were  closely  questioned,  but  received  no  intimation  as  to  their 
future  iate.  They  were  then  conducted  back  again  to  their  cages,  where 
they  remained  eighteen  days  before  they  were  again  summoned.  Their 
condition  was  a  little  improved,  inasmuch  as  they  were  allowed  to  speak 
to  each  other,  a  partition  between  the  cages  having  been  removed. 
Golownin  observes :  "  The  chief  trouble  we  experienced  from  both  oflicers 
and  soldiers,  who  did  duty  as  guards,  arose  from  their  requests  to  write 
on  their  fans  and  pieces  of  paper ;  but  as  they  always  solicited  the  favor 
with  great  courtesy,  and  invariably  returned  thanks  with  very  humble 
reverences,  we  never  refused.  Some,  however,  imposed  so  far  on  our 
complaisance  as  to  bring  us  ten  or  twenty  fans  at  a  time.  These  tedious 
labors  fell  chiefly  on  Messrs.  Moor  and  Chlebnikoff,  .as  their  hand-writ, 
ing  was  very  fine.  The  former  wrote  more  than  seventy  sheets  of  paper 
for  one  of  the  soldiers;  and  from  their  unceasing  applications  we  at 


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GOLOWNIN'S    CAPTIVITY    IN   JAPAN. 


length  concluded  that  they  must  have  sold  those  manuscripts  as  articles 
worthy  of  being  preserved  in  the  cabinets  of  the  curious.  This  task  was 
the  more  laborious,  as  the  officers  were  always  desired  to  give  a  transla- 
tion of  what  was  written.  When  we  translated  any  tiling  for  thera,  they 
carried  it  to  Mr.  Chlebnikoff,  to  compare  his  translation  with  ours ;  and 
if  he  wrote  any  thing,  they  brought  it  for  the  same  reason  to  us." 

On  the  25th  of  August  the  deputy-governor,  Otachi-Koeki,  came  to 
visit  them,  followed  by  a  numerous  retinue.  Mats  were  spread  in  front 
of  the  cages,  and  Golownin  was  thunderstruck  at  seeing  his  own  chest 
of  clothing,  the  portmanteaus  of  Moor  and  Chlebnikoff,  and  the  bundles 
of  the  sailors,  deposited  thereupon.  His  fust  thought  was  that  the 
sloop  had  been  wrecked,  but  the  Japanese  soon  informed  him  that  the 
articles  had  been  sent  ashore  at  Kunashir.  "  This  day,"  he  says,  "  was 
doubly  memorable  to  me :  first,  on  account  of  the  great  surprise  and 
alarm  which  the  appearance  of  our  baggage  occasioned  ;  and  secondly, 
because  the  want  of  paper  and  ink,  or  any  thing  by  which  I  could  make 
notes,  induced  me  to  fall  on  the  following  singular  method  of  keeping  a 
journal.  When  any  thing  happened  that  was  agreeable  to  us,  I  tied  a 
knot  on  a  white  thread,  which  I  drew  out  of  the  frill  of  my  shirt :  when 
any  unpleasant  event  occurred,  I  made  a  memorandum  of  it  by  tying  a 
knot  on  a  thread  of  black  silk,  taken  out  of  my  neck-handkerchief.  With 
regard  to  other  circumstances  which,  though  remarkable,  had  occasioned 
us  neither  joy  nor  sorrow,  I  recorded  them  on  a  thread  of  green  silk, 
which  I  abstracted  from  the  lining  of  my  uniform  coat.  Often  did  I 
count  over  these  knots,  and  recall  to  my  mind  the  events  they  served 
to  denote." 

Four  days  afterward  they  were  again  conducted  before  the  gover- 
nor, and  were  surprised  by  the  reception  of  a  letter  from  Lieutenant 
Rikord,  who  informed  them  that  he  intended  sailing  to  Okotsk,  and  re- 
turning the  next  summer  with  a  stronger  force.  The  Japanese  desired 
Golownin  to  translate  this  letter,  which  he  did  in  a  cautious  manner, 
softening  the  threatening  expressions  which  it  contained.  After  they 
were  taken  back  to  their  cages,  they  noticed  that  the  officers  and  sol- 
diers were  more  kind  and  friendly.  They  were  allowed  to  have  some 
articles  of  clothing  from  their  trunks,  and  were  furnished  with  a  tub  of 
warm  water,  that  they  might  wash  themselves.  Golownin  thus  describes 
the  latter  proceeding :  "  The  tub  was  extremely  large,  and  the  water 
was  heated  by  means  of  a  copper  pipe,  communicating  with  a  kind  of 
stove.  I  washed  first,  and  the  rest  were  obliged  to  make  use  of  the 
same  v/ater.  This  was  not  a  little  annoying.  We  looked  upon  such 
treatment  as  below  what  was  due  even  to  common  criminals.  We  were, 
however,  soon  set  at  ease  on  this  particular  ;  for,  to  our  great  astonish- 
ment, after  we  had  all  finished  washing,  some  of  the  imperial  soldiers, 
by  Avhom  we  were  guarded,  very  contentedly  followed  our  example,  and 
washed  themselves  in  the  same  water.  These  soldiers,  as  I  have  before 
observed,  are  held  in  the  utmost  respect  in  Japan.     It  is,  therefore, 


REMOVAL    TO    MATSMAI. 


423 


evident,  that  the  Japanese  entertain  no  disgust  or  horror  of  Christians ; 
and  do  not,  like  other  Asiatics,  regard  them  as  unclean. 

"  On  the  5th  of  September,  we  were  conducted  to  the  governor  of 
Hakodadi,  for  the  last  time.  We  sat  a  long  time  in  the  court-yard, 
drinking  tea  and  smoking  tobacco.  The  interpreter,  Kumaddschero, 
went  continually  backward  and  forward,  asking  ua  Russian  words,  which 
he  wrote  down.  We  were  at  length  conducted  into  the  hall.  Here  one 
of  the  officers,  a  gray-haired  man,  apparently  about  seventy  years  of  age, 
who  in  Laxraan's  time  had  been  employed  in  compiling  a  Russian  dic- 
tionary, unrolled  a  large  sheet  of  paper,  lilled  with  Japanese  characters, 
which  ho  began  to  read  in  a  style  very  much  resembling  singing.  We 
were  totally  unable  to  comprehend  the  first  ten  or  twenty  words ;  but 
Ave  at  lejigth  discovered  that  ho  fancied  he  was  reading  Russian,  and 
from  some  of  the  words  we  conjectm-ed  that  the  paper  contained  an  ac- 
count of  our  affair,  translated  into  Russian.  We  could  not  i-efrain  from 
laughing,  and  told  the  Japanese  that  we  understood  only  a  few  words 
here  and  there  :  upon  which  they  all  joined  in  the  laugh,  not  excepting 
the  translator,  who  laid  the  paper  aside.  The  governor  then  took  leave 
of  us,  and  we  left  the  castle." 

Toward  the  end  of  September  they  ascertained  from  the  soldiers 
that  they  were  to  bo  taken  to  the  city  of  Matsmai,  at  the  western  ex- 
tremity of  the  Straits  of  Sangar.  About  the  same  time  Siraanoff,  one 
of  the  sailors,  obtained  possession  of  a  large  knife,  which  Golownin  ad- 
vised him  to  preserve  very  carefully,  in  order  to  furnish  them  with  a 
means  of  escape,  if  an  opportunity  should  present  itself.  The  journey 
to  Matsmai  occupied  four  days,  and  on  the  afternoon  of  the  30th  of 
September,  "we  halted,"  says  the  narrative,  "in  a  village  about  three 
versts  distant  from  the  city,  where  we  were  met  by  a  party  of  soldiers 
and  a  vast  crowd  of  people.  We  remained  there  about  half  an  hour, 
during  which  time  our  conductors  put  on  their  best  clothes,  and  we 
then  entered  the  city  with  the  same  foi-malities  as  had  been  obseived  at 
Hakodadi :  the  number  of  spectators  was,  however,  considerably 
greater,  owing  to  the  vast  population  of  the  city.  Having  proceeded 
through  the  town,  to  the  distance  of  about  four  or  five  versts  along  the 
shore,  we  entered  a  largo  open  space,  crowded  with  men,  who  stood 
behind  ropes,  wliich  had  been  fixed  for  the  accommodation  of  the  pro- 
cession. Thence  we  ascended  a  tolerably  high  hill,  passed  along  the 
rampart  which  encompassed  the  castle,  and  entered  a  court-yard,  sur- 
rounded by  a  high  wooden  fence,  entirely  new.  Here  we  met  a  detach- 
ment of  soldiers  in  their  military  uniforms.  From  this  court-yard  a  little 
door  led  through  another  fence,  higher  than  the  preceding  one.  We 
now  entered  a  dark  edifice  like  a  barn.  Mr.  Moor,  Mr.  Chlebnikoff, 
and  myself,  were  shut  up  together  in  a  cage ;  the  sailors  and  Alexei  were 
confined  in  another. 

"The  whole  structure  must  have  occasioned  the  Japanese  govern- 
ment no  inconsiderable  cost.     We  could  not  believe  that  so  much  labor 


i^! 


! 

'     1                                            1 

1 

1; 

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In 

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III 


W 


424 


GOLOWNIN'S    CAPTIVITY    IN    JAPAN. 


and  expense  "would  have  been  incurred  liad  it  been  intended  to  set  U8 
Boon  at  liberty.  The  strength  and  the  j)lan  of  this  i)rison  appeared  to 
denote  that  it  was  to  be  our  dwelling-place  during  the  ri'niainder  of  our 
existence.  This  idea  distressed  us  not  a  little.  "We  s-at  long  in  profound 
silence,  gazing  at  each  other,  and  giving  ourselves  up  for  lost.  A  serv- 
ant at  length  brought  in  our  supper,  which  consisted  of  boiled  rice,  a 
piece  of  fish,  and  a  few  beans  with  syrup." 

Two  days  afterward  they  were  taken  before  the  bim>/o,  or  governor, 
who  interrogated  them  for  some  time  concerning  their  names,  rank, 
families,  and  relations.  After  they  had  retired,  he  announced  his  in- 
tention of  presenting  them  with  dresses,  which  were  alcerward  mad(!  liy 
a  Japanese  tailor.  Their  food  was  also  better  than  it  had  been  in  Ila- 
kodadi.  According  to  the  Japanese  custom,  stev.'ed  rice  and  pickled 
radishes  served  them  instead  of  bread  and  seasoning.  They  were  be- 
sides frequently  furnished  with  good  fresh  and  salt  iish,  boiled  or  fried ; 
soups,  in  which  there  were  various  wild  herbs  or  maccaroni ;  and  some- 
times there  was  prepared  for  them  a  kind  of  Russian  soup  or  sauce, 
made  with  white  fish  and  muscle  broth.  The  fish  Avere  fried  in  oil  of 
poppies,  and  were  seasoned  with  grated  radish  and  soy. 

For  upward  of  a  month  after  their  arrival  they  Avere  taken  before  the 
bunyo  every  day,  regularly,  .nnd  questioned  for  many  hours  in  succession. 
Captain  Golownin's  account  of  this  propensity  of  the  Japanese  is  very 
curious.  '•  The  number  of  questions  which  the  bunyo  asked,"  he  says, 
"was  incalculable.  If  he  put  one  interrogatory  concerning  any  circum- 
stances connected  Avith  our  case,  he  asked  fifty  which  Avere  unimportant, 
and  many  Avhich  Avere  ludicrous.  This  so  puzzled  and  tormented  us, 
that  Avc  sometimes  made  very  irritable  replies.  On  one  occasion,  we 
stated  plainly,  that  Ave  had  rather  they  Avould  put  an  end  to  our  exist- 
ence at  once  than  torture  us  in  the  Avay  they  did.  Wiien  A\e  Avere  caj)- 
tured,  I  had  about  me  ten  or  tAvelve  keys  belonging  to  my  desk  and 
draAvers  and  to  boxes  containing  the  astronomical  instruments  used  on 
board  the  ship.  The  bunyo  wished  to  be  informed  of  the  contents  of 
every  drawer  and  every  box.  When  I  pointed  to  my  shirt,  and  told 
him  that  my  drawers  contained  such  things  as  those,  he  asked  me  hoAV 
many  I  had.  I  replied  that  I  did  not  knoAV ;  and  that  it  Avas  my  serv- 
ant's business  to  keep  that  reckoning.  Upon  this  he  immediately  in- 
quired how  many  serA'ants  I  had,  and  Avhat  AA'ere  their  names  and  ages. 
I  lost  all  ]iatience,  and  asked  why  I  Avas  teased  Avith  such  questions,  and 
Avhat  use  there  could  be  in  answering  them  since  my  property  was  not 
Avith  me.  The  governor  then,  with  great  mildness,  observed  that  he 
hoped  Ave  Avere  not  oftended  by  his  curiosity  ;  that  he  did  not  intend  to 
force  any  answers  from  us,  but  merely  questioned  us  like  a  friend. 

"  To  enable  the  reader  to  form  some  notion  of  the  questions  Avhich 
the  Japanese  put  to  us,  and  the  trouble  it  cost  us  to  explain  the  various 
matters  which  excited  their  curiosity,  I  may  here  subjoin  a  few  of  their 
interrogatories,  scarcely,  however,  the  hundredth  part  of  the  frivolous 


ill 


THE    MARTYRDOM    OP    QUESTIONS. 


425 


inquiries  which  they  were  accustomed  to  make  in  the  course  of  one  day. 
It  must,  moreover,  be  considered  tliat  we  had  to  make  ourselves  under- 
stood to  them  by  means  ot'  the  lialt-wild  Kurilo,  who  knew  scarcely  any 
thing  of  the  subjects  on  which  we  conversed,  and  who  was  acquainted 
with  no  words  in  the  Kurile  language  to  exprcjss  many  of  the  terras 
which  we  made  use  of.  The  Japanese  interrogated  us  without  any  kind 
of  regularity,  and  often  jumped  from  one  subject  to  another.  The  fol- 
lowing is  a  specimen  of  one  of  our  examinations ; 

"What  kind  of  dress  does  the  Emperor  of  Russia  wear — what  does 
he  wear  on  his  head — what  kind  of  birds  are  found  hi  the  neighborhood 
of  St.  Petersburg — how  many  times  do  the  llussians  go  to  church  in 
one  day — what  would  be  the  price  in  Russia  of  the  clothes  we  were  then 
wearing — liow  many  pieces  of  cannon  are  planted  roimd  the  imperial 
palace — what  wool  is  made  use  of  in  Europe  for  manufacturing  cloth — 
what  quadrupeds,  birds,  and  fish  are  eaten  in  Russia — in  what  manner 
do  the  Russians  eat — what  sort  of  dresses  do  the  ladies  wear — wliat  kind 
of  horse  does  the  Emjjcror  usually  ride — who  accompanies  him  when  he 
goes  abroad — are  the  Russians  partial  to  the  Dutch — how  many  foreign- 
ers are  there  in  Russia — what  are  the  chief  articles  of  trade  in  St. 
Petersburg — what  arc  the  dimensions  in  length,  breadth,  and  height, 
of  the  imperial  palace — how  many  windows  does  it  contain — how  many 
festivals  do  the  Russians  observe  in  tlie  course  of  the  year — do  the  Rus- 
sians wear  silk  clothes — at  what  time  of  life  do  the  Russian  women  begin 
and  cease  to  bear  children  ?  They  besides  inquired  the  names  of  the 
Emperor,  and  of  all  the  branches  of  the  imperial  family;  the  names  of 
the  governors-general  of  Siberia  and  Irkutzk,  and  of  the  commandants 
of  Okotsk,  Kamtchatka,  etc. 

*'But  they  vexed  us  most  of  all  by  their  inquiries  respecting  bar- 
racks. I  have  already  observed  that  in  Hakodadi  they  insisted  on  know- 
ing how  many  men  Avere  imdcr  our  command,  according  to  our  rank, 
when  we  were  ashore.  This  question  was  again  rei)eated,  together  with 
a  request  to  know  where  the  sailors  lived  in  St.  Petersburg.  In  bar- 
racks, we  replied.  They  then  requested  Mv.  Moor  to  sketch,  from  the 
best  of  his  recollection,  a  plan  of  St.  Petersburg,  and  to  point  out  in 
what  part  of  the  town  the  sailors'  barracks  were.  This  demand  was  no 
sooner  complied  with,  than  they  made  inquiries  respecting  the  length, 
breadth  and  height  of  the  barracks  ;  the  number  of  their  gates,  windows, 
and  doors ;  into  how  many  stories  they  were  divided  ;  in  what  part  of 
the  building  the  sailors  lived ;  how  they  employed  their  time ;  how  many 
men  were  employed  to  guard  the  barracks,  etc. 

"  But  this  was  not  all :  they  questioned  us  about  the  military  bar- 
racks ;  asked  how  many  buildings  of  that  kind  there  were  in  St.  Peters- 
burg, in  what  part  of  the  town  they  were  situated,  and  what  number  of 
men  they  contained.  We  thought  it  best  to  plead  ignorance  of  most  of 
these  matters  ;  but  this  did  not  exempt  us  from  the  continuance  of  these 
interrogatories.     We  were  aisked  in  what  part  of  the  city  our  dwellings 


I 


m-: 


II  I 


lii'i' 


i;  I 


mu  I 


I 


II! 


i;  I     I 


liijil 


<    :    ! 

C:   I 


M' 


426 


GOLOWNIN'S   CAPTIVITY   IN   JAPAN. 


were  situated,  how  far  they  were  from  the  palace,  and  requested  to  point 
out  the  spot  on  the  sketch  which  Mr.  Moor  had  drawn.  At  length  they 
wished  to  know  how  large  our  houses  were,  and  how  many  servants  wo 
kept.  I  frequently  thought  that  the  Japanese  took  a  pleasure  thus  to 
torment  us  ;  for  to  reply  to  all  the  questions  which  their  hisatiablc  curi- 
osity induced  them  to  put  to  us,  was  a  positive  martyrdom.  We  some- 
times absolutely  refused  to  answer  them,  and  told  them  they  might,  if 
they  pleased,  put  us  to  death.  The  bunyo  would  then  endeavor  to  soothe 
us  by  expressions  of  regard,  and  by  making  inquiries  respecting  matters 
relative  to  our  imprisonment,  but  he  would  soon  resume  his  trifling.  We 
avoided  by  every  possible  mancEuver  giving  any  opportunity  for  uimeces- 
sary  questions ;  we  returned  short  replies,  and  sometimes  only  half  an 
answer.     But  every  word  brought  with  it  a  train  of  interrogatories." 

After  the  prisoners  had  been  driven  to  desperation  by  this  continued 
questioning,  and  refused  to  gratify  any  longer  the  curiosity  of  the  Japan- 
ese, the  latter  asked  them  to  Avrite  out  an  account  of  what  had  happc  led 
to  them  since  they  left  Russia.  In  doing  this,  they  took  occasion  to  re- 
late minutely  the  occurences  at  the  island  of  Kuiiashir.  A  great  deal  of 
time  was  consumed  in  translating  this  document  iiuo  Japanese,  .and  the 
work  was  not  accomplished  until  the  middle  of  November,  with  the  help 
of  the  interpreters,  Alexei  and  Kumaddschero.  Tliey  then  sent  it  to  the 
bunyo,  accomj)auied  by  a  petition,  in  wliicli  they  recjuosU'd  that  the  Ja- 
panese government  would  set  them  at  liberty,  and  st'ud  them  back  to 
Russia.  Alexei  was  honest  enough  to  confirm  the  truth  of  every  thing 
which  they  stated,  contrary  to  the  declaration  of  some  other  Kuriles 
whom  the  Japanese  had  seized,  and  Jiis  testimony  Avas  not  Avithout  its 
value. 

A  few  days  afterward,  they  were  sunmioned  before  the  bunyo,  who 
addressed  them  in  a  speech  of  consider.ablo  length,  which  was  thus  trans- 
lated to  Golownin  :  "  The  Japanese  at  first  suj)poso(l  we  intended  to 
plunder  and  burn  their  villages.  For  this  reason  they  had  enticed  us 
into  their  garrison,  and  had  detaine<l  us  by  force,  with  the  view  of  ascer- 
taining what  had  induced  the  Russians  to  commence  hostilities,  .as  the 
Japanese  had  unilbrnily  entertained  friendly  dispositions  toward  them. 
The  bunyo,  however,  gave  credit  to  our  explanation  of  the  atfair,  and  re- 
garded us  as  innocent :  he  h.ad  accordingly  given  orders  for  removing 
tiie  ropes  with  which  we  were  bound,  and  would  do  all  that  lay  in  liis 
power  to  better  our  condition.  If  it  depended  on  him  to  grant  us  our 
freedom, and  send  us  b.aek  to  Russia,  he  would  do  so  without  hesitation; 
but  we  must  be  informed  that  the  bunyo  of  Matsmai  was  not  the  chief 
individual  of  the  state,  but  that  Japan  was  ruled  by  an  emperor  and  a 
superior  government,  whose  ccmimands  he  was  bound  to  obey  in  all  cases 
of  importance,  and  without  whose  consent  he  could  not  grant  us  our  free- 
dom. On  his  part,  however,  ho  would  use  all  his  influence  with  the  gov- 
ernment in  our  favor,  and  to  facilitate  our  return  to  Russia.  With  this 
view,  he  had  sent  one  of  the  principal  officers  of  JNIatsmai  to  Yeddo,  the 


i'i'   !' 


HOPES   OF   LIBERATION. 


427 


capital,  to  endeavor  to  bring  our  affair  to  the  wished-for  issue.  In  the 
mean  while  he  entreated  us  not  to  give  way  to  despair,  but  to  offer  up 
prayers  to  Heaven,*  and  patiently  to  await  the  decision  of  the  emperor 
of  Japan.  When  Alexei  had  finished  his  explanation,  and  the  Japanese 
perceived  that  we  understood  him,  our  ropes  were  immediately  taken 
off,  and  they  all  sincerely  congratulated  us.  Two  of  the  Japanese,  pres- 
ent at  this  scene,  were  so  moved  that  they  shed  tears. 

"  On  returning  to  our  prison,  we  found,  to  our  astonishment,  every 
thing  changed  ;  and  we  could  scarcely  comprehend  how  so  complete  an 
alteration  could  have  been  effected  in  so  short  a  time.  The  spars  or 
railings  in  front  of  our  cages  Avere  removed ;  the  spaces  which  before 
served  us  for  passages  were  thrown  into  the  cages ;  the  floor  was  laid 
with  planks  in  the  direction  of  its  length,  and  covered  with  new  mats, 
so  that  our  prison  Avas  converted  into  a  roomy  hall,  in  which  we  could 
walk  about  and  converse  at  our  ease.  Near  the  fireplace,  wooden  com- 
partments were  formed,  and  in  them  a  teacup  for  each  of  us  was  placed ; 
on  the  hearth  stood  copper  kettles  with  water  for  tea,  and  a  i)ipe,  with 
a  little  pouch  of  tobacco,  was  laid  ready  for  each.  Instead  of  lamps  with 
fish  oil,  Ave  were  alloAved  candles.  We  wondered  not  a  little  at  this  un- 
expected and  rapid  metamorphosis. 

"  We  had  scarcely  recovered  from  our  astonishment,  Avhcn  several 
civil  functionaries,  accompanied  by  their  children,  came  to  visit  us. 
They  offered  us  their  congratulations,  seated  themselves  by  the  fire,  and 
smoked  and  chatted  Avith  us.  In  a  word,  A\-e  seemed  no  longer  prison- 
ers, but  guests.  Supper  Avas  not  handed  to  us  as  usual,  in  cups  or  basins, 
but  Avas  served  up,  according  to  the  Japanese  custom,  on  trays.  The 
vessels  used  Avere  entirely  new,  .and  a  finer  sort  Avas  allotted  to  the  officers 
than  to  the  sailors.  The  aliments  Avere  better  than  before,  and  the  sagi 
was  no  longer  dealt  out  to  us  in  certain  portions,  in  cups,  but  was  placed 
before  us,  that  Ave  might  fill  it  out  as  Ave  pleased.  This  kind  treatment 
revived  the  hope  of  again  seeing  our  country,  and  Ave  passed  a  trancpiil 
night,  for  the  first  time  since  our  imprisonment.  Tlie  two  following 
days  were  spent  in  a  manner  ecjually  gratifying,  and  Ave  considered  our 
speedy  return  to  Russia  as  certain.  But  this  pleasant  state  of  things  was 
not  of  long  duration.  New  occurrences  induced  us  to  doubt  the  sin- 
cerity of  the  Japanese.  We  soon  had  to  revert  to  our  old  meals,  and 
nothing  remained  except  tlie  new  utensils." 

Matters  remained  in  this  conditi<m  during  the  whole  winter.  The 
caj)tives  Avere  sometimes  treated  kindly,  and  consoled  with  the  hope  of 
a  speedy  release,  Avhile  at  other  times  the  aspect  of  the  Japanese  Avas 
unfriendly  and  threatening.     They  finally  beciame  weary  of  this  fluetuat- 

*  Wlionpvcr  lio  saiil  nny  tiling  to  console  U8,  ho  rpcomniPtuii'd  us  to  rrly  on  God,  a 
circ\itn(itancn  willi  wiiicli  wo  wcro  i)arti(ularly  plcasocl.  It  wiw  rtiitisfurtory  to  reflect, 
thnt  tlio  people  info  whoso  power  fate  liivl  oonsiirned  us,  ontcrtiiincd  n  just  idea  of  tlio 
Ruprome  Heinp,  nnd  pliieod  fiulli  in  the  Alini«hty  Uiiler  of  nations,  before  whom  all  rnuit 
•ooner  or  later  render  aa  occount  of  their  actions. — Uoi.oWNtN. 


1 


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liillii 

428 


GOLOWNIN'S    CAPTIVITY    IN    JAPAN. 


ing,  uncertain  state,  and  determined  to  make  the  attempt  to  escape. 
They  were  partly  led  to  this  conclusion,  by  the  conviction  that  the  Ja- 
panese intended  to  retain  them  as  teachers,  in  order  to  gratify  their 
boundless  curiosity.  A  new  interpreter,  named  Teske,  was  sent  to  them 
from  the  capital,  to  learn  the  Russian  language  ;  he  was  followed  by  an 
astronomer,  who  wished  them  to  teach  him  how  to  make  observations 
for  the  latitude  and  longitude.  All  were  at  first  agreed  upon  the  neces- 
sity of  escaj)ing,  but  in  the  beginning  of  March,  Mr.  Moor,  the  midship- 
man, suddenly  declared  that  he  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  plot. 
From  that  moment  a  complete  change  took  place  in  his  manner  and  be- 
havior. He  began  to  imitate  the  customs  of  the  Japanese ;  he  was  ob- 
sequious toward  them  to  such  a  degree  that  their  laughter  was  excited, 
and  began  to  watch  his  fellow-captives,  evidently  Avlth  the  design  of 
giving  information  against  them.  Golownin  soon  became  convinced  that 
it  would  bo  unsafe  to  trust  him ;  lie  therefore  pretended  to  have  given 
up  the  idea  of  escaping,  while,  with  the  concurrence  of  all  the  others, 
the  preparations  for  it  were  secretly  going  on. 

On  the  1st  of  April  they  were  all  taken  out  of  tlic  cages  and  con- 
ducted to  a  house  which  had  been  exp-ressly  j)repared  for  them.  "  Our 
residence,"  says  Golownin,  "  Avas  in  various  respects  changed  for  the 
better.  We  could  at  least  enjoy  the  sight  of  the  sky,  the  stars,  and 
many  other  objects ;  and  we  could,  when  we  chose,  walk  out  into  the 
yard  and  enjoy  the  fresh  air  We  had  before  been  debarred  from  all 
these  enjoyments.  Our  food  was  likewise  considerably  better.  But, 
nevertheless,  we  were  inconsolable  Avhenever  we  thought  of  the  last 
words  of  the  bunyo.  lie  desired  us  to  regard  the  Japanese  as  our 
brethren  and  countrymen,  and  mentioned  not  a  word  about  Russia,  as 
he  had  been  before  accustomed  to  do.  Wo  could  construe  this  in  no 
other  way  than  that  we  must  make  up  our  minds  to  remain  in  Japan, 
and  banish  every  thought  of  Russia.  But  we  had  firmly  resolved  that 
such  should  not  be  our  fate ;  and  had  even  bound  ourselves  by  an  oath, 
that,  whatever  might  be  the  consequence,  we  would  attempt  either  to 
liberates  ourselves  by  force  from  the  power  of  the;  Japanese,  or  to  escape 
secretly  during  the  night.  We  had  all,  with  the  exception  of  Mr. 
JMoor,  formed  a  detorinuiation  to  perish  rather  than  remain  forever  in 
Japau. 

"•  In  one  of  our  walks  in  the  outskirts  of  the  city  we  found  a  piece  of 
steel,  which  one  of  the  sailors  picked  uj),  under  pretense  of  drawing  up 
liis  boot,  and  slipped  it  into  his  pocket ;  wc  likewise  found  means  to 
provide  ourselves  M'ith  some  flints,  luiperceived  by  our  attendants.  The 
fragments  of  an  old  shirt,  which  we  threw  upon  the  fire  as  if  by  accident, 
served  us  for  tinder ;  we  besides  daily  increased  our  store  of  jirovisions, 
by  secreting  a  portion  of  our  allowanc-es.  We  did  not  neglect  defensive 
precautions.  Having  had  the  good  fortiuie  to  find  among  the  grass  in 
our  yard  a  large  chisel,  which  had  probably  been  left  by  the  carpenters 
who  repaired  our  house,  wc  carefully  hid  it,  and  resolved,  ou  tlie  first 


ESCAPE    OP    THE    CAPTIVES. 


429 


favorable  opportunity,  to  fasten  it  to  a  long  pole,  so  that  it  might  serve 
as  a  pike.  To  a  similar  purpose  we  destined  a  spade,  which  liad  also 
been  left  by  accident  in  our  yard,  and  which  we  appropriated.  The 
proverb,  that  necessity  is  the  mother  of  invention,  was  in  our  case  fully 
verified,  for  Mr.  ChlebnikofF  actually  managed  to  make  a  compass.  We 
requested  our  attendants  to  let  us  have  two  large  needles  for  mending 
our  clothes,  and  afterward  pretended  that  we  had  lost  them.  The 
Jaj)anesc  sometimes  fasten  together  the  beams  of  their  houses  with  cop- 
per ;  this  had  been  done  in  our  house,  although  the  copper  was  very 
rusty.  Mr.  Chlebnikoff  cleaned  a  piece  of  this  copper,  in  the  middle  of 
which  he  bored  a  hole,  so  that  a  needle  might  be  i)laceil  upon  it.  By 
frequently  rubbuig  this  needle  on  a  stone  which  he  selected  lor  the  pur- 
pose, he  succeeded  in  magnetising  it,  and  finally  gave  it  such  a  degree 
of  polarity,  that  it  pointed  with  tolerable  accuracy  to  the  north.  The 
case  was  composed  of  a  few  sheets  of  i>aper  pasted  together  with  rice." 

Their  plan  Avas  to  escape  by  night,  travel  northward  along  the  shore, 
and  take  possession,  at  some  of  the  fishing  villages,  of  a  boat  large 
enough  to  convey  tlienv  across  to  Tartary.  On  the  23d  of  April,  1812, 
they  were  conducted  to  the  outskirts  of  the  city  for  a  walk,  and  made 
use  of  the  opportunity  to  observe  the  foot-paths  leading  to  the  hills.  On 
their  return  to  their  house  the  same  evening,  they  threw  tiiemselves 
uj)()n  their  beds,  as  if  much  fxtigued.  "  During  the  twilight,"  says  the 
larrative,  "  the  sailors  entered  the  kitchen,  and  carried  ott"  two  knives, 
vitliout  being  perceived.  About  half  an  hour  before  midnight,  Simanoft* 
and  Schkajeif  stole  into  the  yard,  and  concealed  themselves  under  the 
steps.  "When  twelve  o'clock  struck,  and  the  Sangar  soldiers  had  gone 
their  rotmds,  they  began  to  make  a  liole  under  the  fence,  through  which 
we  all  (Mr.  IMoor  and  Alexei  excepted)  crept  one  after  another.  I  stum- 
bled in  going  out,  slipped  down,  and  struck  my  knee  against  a  stake 
which  was  sunk  in  the  ground  close  to  the  gap.  The  blow  was  ex- 
treniily  violent,  but  the  pain  soon  diminished.  We  found  ourselves  on 
a  very  narrow  path  between  the  fence  and  the;  hollow,  and  with  great 
dirticiilly  we  succeeded  in  gaining  the  high  road.  With  hasty  steps  wo 
then  jiasst'd  between  the  trees,  crossed  the  mound  and  the  cemetery, 
and,  in  about  half  an  hour,  reached  the  foot  of  the  first  hill  whidi  we  liad 
to  ascend. 

"  Proceeding  in  our  hazardous  enterprise,  we  began,  at  the  distance 
of  about  five  versts  from  the  shore,  to  climb  the  hills,  and  we  endeav- 
ored, wherever  it  was  possible,  to  direct  our  course  northward.  The 
stars  served  to  guiile  us.  While  we  were  ascending  the  first  hill  I  felt 
a  violent  pain  in  my  knee,  whidi  in  a  short  time  s\velle<l  prodigiou.ily. 
When  we  jiroceeded  along  level  ground,  I  could,  with  the  assistance  of 
a  stick,  walk  without  much  difficulty;  but  I  experienced  severe  pain 
either  in  ascending  or  descending,  as  I  was  then  obliged  to  tread  heavily 
with  the  leg  which  had  been  hurt.  Being  thus  unable  to  make  an  ecjual 
use  of  both  feet,  I  was  cpjickly  overcome  with  fatigue.     My  companions 


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430 


GOLOWJIIN'S   CAPTIVITY   IN   JAPAN. 


were,  therefore,  under  the  necessity  of  stopping  every  half  hour,  to 
enable  me  to  recover  myself  and  ease  my  knee  by  resting.  Our  object 
was  to  reach,  before  daybreak,  some  hills,  across  Avhich  a  thick  forest 
extended,  so  as  to  conceal  ourselves  from  the  observation  of  the  enemy; 
for  we  had  now  reason  to  regard  the  Japanese  in  that  character.  Dur- 
ing our  walks  in  the  vicinity  of  the  town,  this  forest  appeared  to  us  to 
bo  at  no  very  considerable  distance,  but  we  soon  foimd  how  greatly  we 
had  mistaken  its  situation.  We  could  trace  no  footpath  leading  to  it, 
and  wc  therefore  advanced  to  it  in  as  straight  a  direction  as  we  could. 
Owing  to  the  darkness  of  the  night,  we  could  see  no  further  than  a  few 
paces  around  us,  and  we  sometimes  unexpectedly  found  ourselves  at  the 
foot  of  a  steep  precipice,  which  it  was  impossible  to  climb.  We  had 
then  to  search  for  a  more  practicable  road  ;  which,  when  found,  wc  con- 
tinued to  ascend  until  new  obstacles  presented  themselves." 

After  having  traveled  for  three  hours  in  this  manner,  they  reached 
the  top  of  the  ridge,  and  discovered  a  beaten  road,  leading  directly  to- 
ward the  forest,  where  they  might  walk  without  fear  of  being  tracked. 
They  had  almost  reached  the  forest,  where  they  would  have  been  toler- 
ably secure,  when  the  sailor  Wassiljeif,  happening  to  look  behind  him, 
exclaimed :  "  They  arc  jtursuing  us  on  horseback  with  lanterns !"  and 
immediately  descended  into  a  deep  hollow  on  one  side  of  the  road.  The 
others  followed  his  example,  but  by  the  time  they  had  reached  the  bot- 
tom of  the  hollow,  which  was  surrounded  with  precipices,  the  sun  had 
risen.  Perceiving  at  last  a  small  apciture  in  the  rock,  which  had  been 
hollowed  out  by  the  action  of  a  waterfall,  they  crept  into  it,  and  although 
the  place  was  not  large  (jnough  to  allow  them  to  sit  down,  they  remained 
there  until  sunset.  As  soon  as  the  stars  appeared  they  climbed  the  hill 
again,  and  proceeded  northward.  Captain  (lolownin  eulFered  so  much 
pain,  from  the  leg  which  had  been  injured,  that  he  found  it  almost  im- 
])ossible  to  advance,  and  rc(juested  the  others  to  leave  him.  This  they 
refused  to  do,  and  the  sailors  took  turns  in  dragging  him  along. 

During  the  whole  of  the  night  they  advanced  northward  over  rugged 
hills,  Rufiering  greatly  from  the  cold,  and  at  daybreak  halted  among 
M)ino  bushes,  for  the  purj)oso  of  cooking  a  little  rice  which  they  had 
brought  with  them.  The  day  was  cold  and  stormy,  and  as  the  mount- 
ains appeared  to  be  entirely  deserted,  they  determined  to  ])roceed.  The 
sailors  were  still  obliged  to  drag  (iolownin,  Mhose  sufferings  were  so 
great  that  he  preferre<l  lying  <lowii  on  the  snow,  and  sliding  down  thf" 
Htcop  sides  of  the  hills.  On  this  day  he  had  a  fearful  adventure,  which 
he  thus  describes  ;  "  Having  ascended  to  a  considerable  height,  we  sud- 
denly found  ourselves  at  the  foot  of  a  steep  rock,  which  we  could  not 
climb  witliout  the  greatest  difficulty  and  danger.  I  had  nearly  reached 
the  topof  the  rock,  when  I  found  myself  under  the  necessity  of  loosening 
my  hold  of  the  girdle  of  Makaroff,  who  otherwise,  overburdened  as  ho 
was,  wo\ild  not  have  been  able  to  have  gained  the  Buinmit.  I  therefore 
placed  the  toes  of  my  Bound  foot  firmly  against  a  stone,  and  throwing 


.imirp 


A    FEARFUL    ADVENTURE. 


431 


my  right  arm  round  a  young  tree,  wliich  was  so  much  bent  down  that 
it  inclined  almost  horizontally,  I  resolved  to  wait  until  Makaroff  should 
reach  the  top,  and  he  able  to  release  me  from  my  perilous  situation. 
But,  powerful  and  vigorous  as  Makaroff  was,  his  great  exertions  had  so 
overcome  him,  that  he  no  sooner  reached  the  summit,  than  he  fell  to  the 
ground  almost  in  a  lifeless  state.  At  this  moment,  the  stone  against 
which  I  rested  my  foot  detached  itself,  and  rolled  to  the  bottom  of  a 
deep  hollow  which  the  rock  overhung.  I  was  thus  left  hanging  by  one 
hand,  without  the  possibility  of  obtaining  any  other  support,  owing  to 
the  excessive  smoothness  of  the  rock. 

"  The  rest  of  the  sailors  were  at  no  great  distance,  but  fatigiie  ren- 
dered thorn  unable  to  afford  me  any  assistance.  Makaroff  still  lay 
stretched  ui)on  the  ground,  and  Mr.  Chlebnikoff  was  laboring  to  climb 
the  rock  at  another  point.  Having  remained  in  this  dreadful  situation 
for  several  minutes,  my  hand  began  to  smart  severely,  and  I  was  on  the 
point  of  ending  my  sufferings  by  precipitating  myself  into  the  gulf,  more 
than  a  htmdrcd  fathoms  beneath  me,  when  Makaroff,  suddenly  recover- 
ing, beheld  my  situation,  and  hastened  to  my  assistance.  Resting  his 
foot  upon  a  stone  which  projected  from  the  rock  under  my  bi-east,  he 
with  one  hand  grasped  a  branch  of  the  tree.  "With  my  hand  which  M'as 
free  I  then  seized  his  girdle,  and,  by  a  great  effort  on  his  part,  I  was 
drawn  to  the  top  of  the  rock.  We  were  no  sooner  both  safe,  than  Ma- 
karoff again  fell  down  in  a  state  of  insensibility.  Had  either  the  stone 
or  the  branch  of  the  tree  given  way,  we  must  both  have  been  precipi- 
tated to  the  bottom,  and  have  perished." 

"Meanwhile,  Mr.  Clilebnikoff  had  climbed  to  the  middle  of  the  rock, 
Avhen  such  obstacles  presented  themselves  that  ho  could  neither  move 
backward  nor  forward.  The  sailors  immediately  tied  together  the  sashes 
they  wore  as  girdles,  and,  having  lowered  one  end  until  he  was  enabled 
to  take  hold  of  it,  drew  him  from  his  perilous  situation." 

They  ])assed  the  night  on  the  sunnnit  of  one  of  the  highest  mount- 
ains of  3Iatsmai,  but  were  not  able  to  sleep  much  on  account  of  the  in- 
tense cold.  Next  morning  they  cooked  some  garlic  and  sorrel  for 
breakfast,  and  then  descended  toward  the  sea-shore,  by  the  bed  of  a 
torrent — a  path  so  difficult,  that  a  single  false  step  would  have  dashed 
them  to  pieces.  Toward  evening  they  found  some  deserted  huts,  in 
which  they  passed  the  iiiglit  with  tolerable  comfort.  On  the  2 7th  they 
emerged  from  the  hills,  and  were  cautiously  making  their  way  northward 
•It  some  distance  from  the  shore,  when  they  suddenly  saw  a  party  of 
soldiers  on  horseback.  They  liad  barely  time  to  conceal  themselves 
among  some  bushes,  and  the  men  passed  on  without  discovering  them. 
After  dark  they  descended  to  the  shore,  M'hich  they  followed  all  night, 
passing  tlirough  a  number  of  fishing  villages,  without  being  seen  by  any 
one.     They  found  several  boats,  but  all  were  too  small  for  their  purpose. 

The  two  following  days  were  spent  in  the  same  maimer,  the  fugitives 
proceeding  along  the  sea-shore  at  night,  and  liiduig  themselves  among 


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432 


GOLOWNIN'S    CAPTIVITY    IN    JAPAN. 


the  hills  by  day.  But  they  now  began  to  suffer  severely  from  hunger, 
and  felt  more  than  ever  the  necessity  of  procuring  a  boat.  They  were 
thoroughly  exhausted  by  the  fatigues  they  had  undergone,  and  yet  were 
unable  to  make  much  progress  on  account  of  tlio  distance  between  the 
shore  and  the  liills,  which  they  were  obliged  to  traverse  twice  a  day. 
On  the  night  of  the  29th,  while  traveling  over  the  ridges  in  the  dark, 
Mr.  Chlebnikoff  slipped  and  fell  into  a  deep  hole.  They  called,  but  re- 
ceived no  answer.  "  We  then  tied  our  girdles  together,"  says  Golownin, 
"  and  fastening  the  one  end  about  Wassiljeff,  let  him  down  into  the  hole 
into  which  Mr.  Chlebnikoff  had  fillcn.  We  lowered  him  gradually  as 
far  as  the  length  of  our  united  sashes  would  admit,  and  then  drew  him 
up  again.  Wassiljeff  informed  us,  that,  notwithstanding  the  depth  to 
which  he  had  descended,  he  could  not  discover  the  extent  of  the  hole  ; 
and  that  he  called  Mr.  Chlebnikoff,  but  received  no  answer.  Wo  there- 
fore resolved  to  remain  on  the  spot  until  daylight,  and  then  to  lower 
another  of  our  party  into  the  hole,  to  ascertain  vrhether  Mr.  Chlebnikoff 
was  yet  living. 

"  We  remained  for  two  hours  in  a  state  of  the  most  painful  uncer- 
tainty respecting  the  fate  of  our  companion.  We  at  length  heard  a 
rustling  among  the  grass,  and  on  looking  round,  to  our  great  joy  and 
astonishment,  we  beheld  him.  It  appeared  that  he  had  first  rolled  down 
about  two  fathoms  from  the  surface,  when  something  stopped  him,  and 
he  endeavored  to  climb  up  again  ;  ho  however  slipped  a  second  time, 
and  fell  ])erpendicularly  into  a  pit,  to  the  depth  of  some  fathoms.  For- 
tunately there  were  no  stones  at  the  bottom  of  the  pit,,  but  he  was, 
nevertheless,  severely  bruised.  Ho  at  length  succeeded  in  climbing  up 
the  side  of  the  pit,  and  reached  the  spot  where  he  surprised  us  by  his 
unexpected  appearance.  After  resting  for  a  short  time,  he  again  walked 
on,  though  complaining  of  severe  pain  in  every  part  of  his  body.  Even 
now,  my  memory  never  reverts  Avithout  horror  to  tho  frightful  gulfs 
and  huge  rocks  of  Matsmai." 

On  the  night  of  the  1st  of  May,  while  passing  through  a  village  on 
the  shore,  they  observeil  a  boat  in  the  water,  and  a  tent  near  it.  They 
advanced  to  inspect  the  boat,  but  Schkajeff,  hoping  to  find  some  pro- 
visions in  tho  tent,  entered,  thrusting  out  his  hand,  and  grasped  tho 
head  of  a  man  who  was  sleeping  there.  Tlic  man  cried  out  loudly,  and 
the  fuffitives  ran  off  and  concealed  themselves  behind  a  stone  wall.  On 
returning  some  time  afterward,  they  found  a  man  sitting  up  in  the  boat, 
and  keeping  watch.  Tho  approach  of  morning  drove  them  once  more 
among  the  hills.  Daylight  surprised  them  on  the  side  of  a  barren  mount- 
ain, covered  only  here  and  therewith  a  few  scanty  bushes.  They  beheld 
footjjaths  on  every  side,  and  villages  along  the  shore,  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  see.  They  concealed  themselves  as  well  as  they  could,  but  soon 
after  suniise  observed  a  woman  on  an  opposite  liill,  who  was  looking  at 
them  atid  making  signals  to  some  persons  whom  they  could  not  see.  In 
a  few  minutes  they  were  surrounded,  and  though  Ciolowniii  and  Maka- 


RECAPTURE    AND    IMPRISONMENT. 


433 


roff  escaped  at  first,  they  were  all  ultimately  recaptured,  bound,  and 
taken  back  to  Matsmai  under  a  stronf^  guard. 

They  were  immediately  taken  before  the  bunyo  and  examined.  Mr. 
IVIoor,  who  was  present,  took  the  part  of  the  Japanese,  and  gave  Golow- 
nin  and  his  companions  much  trouble,  by  contradicting  many  of  their 
statements.  After  this  examination,  they  were  sent  to  the  city  prison, 
in  which  the  Japanese  criminals  were  confined.  Here,  after  being  strip- 
ped and  searched,  Golownin  and  Chlebnikoff  were  put  into  separate 
cages,  and  the  four  sailors  in  a  third,  which  was  larger  and  better  sup- 
plied with  light  and  air.  Oolownin  liad  taken  u])on  himself  the  whole 
responsibility  of  the  fliu'Iit,  informing  the  Ja])anese  that  the  sailors  were 
bound  to  obey  h'"i,  and  were  therefore  not  to  blame.  Nearly  every 
day  the^      or  i-ied  before  the  l)un       .    d  subjected  to  weary  and 

perplexinj^  .nten  ^  tories.  Toward  the  i.ist  of  June  a  new  bunyo  ar- 
rived from  Yedo,  and  matters  apparently  became  more  favorable,  for  on 
the  9th  of  July  they  were  removed  from  the  city  prison  to  the  house 
which  they  had  occupied  previous  to  their  flight. 

They  were  now  also  treated  with  more  kindness  tlian  formerly. 
"  Our  guards,"  says  Golownin,  "  treated  us  with  much  civility,  giving  us 
sometimes  sagi,  fruit,  etc.,  and  these  acts  of  kindness  were  no  longer 
performed  by  stealth.  An  old  man,  seventy  years  of  age,  brought  some 
fans  and  lackered  sjioons  fur  Mr.  Chlebnikoff  and  me,  and  an  ink-stand, 
ink,  and  pencil,  for  Schkajeif,  who,  though  suffering  from  severe  iUness, 
was  exceedingly  anxious  to  ])ractice  reading  and  writing.  This  man, 
though  arrived  at  the  age  of  thirty-two  in  total  ignorance,  had,  while  on 
board  the  sloop,  by  extreme  ajjplication,  learned  to  read,  and  likewise  to 
write  a  little.  To  i)ass  away  the  time,  Mr.  Chlebnikoff  and  I  took  upon 
ourselves  the  task  of  instructing  the  sailors.  SchkajefF,  who  suffered 
severely  from  indisposition,  feared  lest  the  others  might  advance  more 
rapidly  than  lie,  ami,  whenever  he  experienced  the  least  mitigation  of 
his  illness,  never  failed  to  employ  himself  either  in  reading  or  writing, 
lie  ajiplied  to  both  -with  unremitted  assiduity,  while  his  companions  re- 
garded the  task  of  learning  to  read  as  too  difficult,  and  abandoned  it 
before  they  had  acquired  the  ali)habet.  Mr.  Chlebnikoff  gave  liim  in- 
structions every  evenuig,  so  that  in  time  he  could  read  and  write  tolera- 
bly well. 

"  Nothing  remarkable  occurred  until  September ;  but  I  can  not  omit 
mentioning  a  circumstance  which  is  characteristic  of  the  customs  of  the 
Japanese.  One  day,  a  dinner  was  sent  to  us  of  far  better  quality  than 
that  to  which  we  had  been  accustomed,  and  it  was  served  in  elegart 
dishes.  Every  person  who  visited  us  congratulated  us  on  receiving  tfiis 
cnni])linu'nt,  whi(  h  we  concluded  came  from  the  bunyo;  but  we  ath-r- 
Avard  loarneil  that  the  dimier  ha<l  been  sent  by  a  rich  man,  who  was 
KulVcriiig  under  a  dangerous  fit  of  illness;  and  that  in  such  cases  it  was 
customary  for  the  Japanese  to  send  jiresents  of  that  sort  to  the  poor  and 
unfortunate." 

28 


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434 


GOLOWNIN'S    CAPTIVITY    IN    JAPAN. 


On  the  Gth  of  September  tliey  were  conducted  to  the  castle,  and  to 
tlioir  surprise  and  joy,  received  a  letter  from  Lieutenant  Rikord,  statin"* 
that  he  was  at  the  island  of  Kunashir  with  the  Diana;  that  lie  know  not 
Avhether  they  were  dead  or  living,  hut  would  not  leave  until  he  had  re- 
ceived news  of  them.  This  letter  Avas  accompanied  with  an  application 
to  the  Japanese  government  for  their  release.  These  papers  were  trans- 
lated and  forwarded  to  Yedo;  hut'iii  a  fortnight  afterward  the  Japanese 
interpreters  announced  to  Golownnx  that  Kikord  had  sailed  hack  to 
Sibcriii,  taking  with  him  five  of  the  crew  of  a  Japanese  vessel  which  he 
had  encountered.  Ahout  the  middle  of  October  another  letter  was  de- 
li\  ered  to  Golownin.  It  was  from  Lieutenant  Rudakoft',  and  stated  that 
on  first  arriving  at  Kunashir  they  were  informed  that  the  prisoners  had 
been  put  to  death.  They  then  determined  to  commence  hostilities,  and 
accordingly  captured  a  Japanese  junk,  from  the  crew  of  which  they 
learned  that  their  friends  were  still  aiive.  Tiiey  had,  nevertheless,  taken 
the  master  of  the  junk  and  four  sailors  Avith  them,  and  would  return 
early  the  next  year,  to  procure  Golownin's  liberation, 

"  A  ray  of  hoi)e  now  began  to  dawn  u])on  us,"  says  GoloA\Tiin,  "  and 
seemed  to  rescue  us  from  utter  despair.  Thus  perplexed  between  the 
expectation  of  liberty  and  distrust  of  the  Japanese,  Ave  entered  upon  the 
new  year,  1813."  During  the  Avinter  and  spring,  they  lived  in  a  state 
of  great  trouble  and  perplexity,  on  account  of  the  singular  conduct  of 
Mr.  3Ioor,  Avho  sometimes  appeared  to  repent  of  his  past  basonoss,  and 
to  desire  to  regain  their  confidence,  Avhile  at  other  times,  he  did  all  in 
his  power  to  prejudice  the  Japanese  against  them.  Ilis  behavior  Avas  so 
extraordinary  that  Golownin  Avas  forced  to  believe  that  his  mind  Avas 
disordered,  and  subsequent  occurrences  confirmed  him  in  his  opinion. 
"On  the  1 0th  of  3Iay,"  says  the  narrative,  "the  note  Avhich  Ave  had  re- 
quested permission  to  dispatch  to  the  diflferent  fortified  harbors,  to  in- 
form our  friends  that  Ave  were  living  and  avoU,  Avas  returned  from  the 
capital.  The  goA'ernment  had  approved  of  its  contents,  and  consequently 
not  a  single  letter  could  bo  altered.  Having  made  five  copies,  and 
aftixed  our  signatures  to  each,  they  Avcre  dispatched  on  the  same  day  to 
their  several  destinations.     This  note  was  to  the  foUoAvhig  effect : 

"  '  We  are  all,  both  officers  and  seamen,  .and  the  Kurile  Alexei,  alive, 
:md  in  Matsmai.  Wassily  Goloavnin. 

"  '  May  1 0,  1 8 1 3 .  Fjcodou  Moor.' 

"Mr.  C'hlcbnikoflTwas  nnablo  to  sign  the  notes  on  account  of  severe 
illness." 

On  the  20th  of  June  they  received  information  of  the  arrival  of  the 
Diana  at  Kunashir,  and  on  the  following  day  the  interpreters  received 
orders  to  ask  (^olownin  Avhich  of  the  sailors  he  Avished  to  seiul  on  board. 
To  avoid  showing  any  preference  to  one  more  than  another,  he  deter- 
mined that  chance  should  decide  the  matter,  and  the  lot  hai»pened  to 


f 


• 


A   SAILOR'S    RETURN. 


435 


fall  to  Simanoff.  Ho  also  requested  that  the  governor  would  permit 
Alexei  to  accomi>any  him.  To  this  the  latter  consented,  and  they  re- 
ceived orders  to  prepare  for  their  departure.  They  left  Matsmai  on  the 
24th,  accompanied  by  Kamaddschcro,  the  interpreter,  and  Sampey,  the 
deputy  governor.* 

Nothing  further  happened  until  the  19th  of  July,  when  a  letter  was 
received  from  Captain  liikord,  stating  that  lu;  should  sail  immediately 
for  Okhotzk,  and  return  in  September,  biinging  the  declaration  required 
by  the  Japanese  government,  that  ChwostofF's  attack  was  an  act  of  pri- 
vate aggression  merely.  A  few  days  afterward,  Simanoff  and  Alexei 
were  brought  back  to  Matsmai,  the  Diana  having  sailed.  From  this 
tune  forward  the  prisoners  were  kindly  treated.  The  Japanese  govern- 
ment appeared  to  have  decided  to  liberate  them,  and  they  were  relieved 
from  the  torturing  suspense  which  they  had  suffered  for  nearly  two  years. 
On  the  30th  of  August  they  left  Matsmai,  for  Ilakodadi ;  previous  to 
their  departure,  the  officers  came,  with  their  children,  to  bid  them  fare- 
well, and  offered  them  farewell  cards.  The  people,  who  had  assembled 
in  great  multitudes  in  the  streets,  all  pressed  forward  to  bid  them  adieu. 
On  the  2d  of  September,  they  entered  Hakodadi,  and  were  quartered  in 
an  imperial  building,  near  the  garrison. 

On  the  IGth,  they  were  rcvjoiced  with  the  news  that  a  foreign  vessel 

*  In  Captain  Rikord's  account  of  his  negotiations  with  the  Japanese  for  the  release 
of  Golownin  and  his  companions,  he  gives  the  following  desciption  of  Simanoff's  arrival. 
Tatchatay-Kaclii,  the  Japanese  junk  owner,  whom  Rikord  had  carried  off  the  previous 
summer,  informed  him  on  the  26th  of  June,  that  an  imperial  vessel  was  about  to  arrive 
from  Matsmai,  with  the  deputy  of  the  bunyo.  The  next  evening  the  vessel  came  into 
port,  and  Kachi  went  on  shore  to  meet  the  deputy,  promising  to  return  in  the  morning. 
Rikord  then  continues :  "  Faithful  to  his  appointment,  we  saw  him  in  the  morning  com- 
ing down  to  the  shore,  in  company  with  another  man.  Kachi  was  instantly  recognized 
by  the  white  handkerchief  which  he  always  waved  at  the  end  of  his  saber;  and  with  re- 
spect to  the  other,  wo  did  not  remain  long  in  uncertainty,  for  as  they  advanced,  our 
worthy  little  friend  occasionally  vanished  from  our  view,  in  consequence  of  falling  behind 
his  more  bulky  companion.     We  all  exclaimed,  'That  is  one  of  our  Russians.' 

"It  is  impossible  for  me  to  describe  the  moving  scene  which  followed,  when  our 
sailors  beheld  their  comrade  returned  from  captivity.  A  part  of  the  crew  were  filling 
water-casks  at  the  rivulet.  When  the  prisoner  saw  Russians  on  the  other  side  of  the 
stream,  and  probably  recognized  among  them  some  of  his  old  messmates,  he  made  but 
one  step  to  its  banks,  leaving  Kachi  at  least  nine  paces  behind  him.  Surprise  and  joy 
made  our  sailors  forget  that  they  were  prohibited  from  crossing  the  rivulet.  They  waded 
through  it,  and  embraced  the  welcome  visitor  in  the  most  affectionate  manner.  The 
officer  who  had  the  command  of  the  party  on  shore  informed  me,  that  at  first  he  did  not 
know  the  stranger,  he  was  so  altered  by  the  sufferings  he  had  undergone.  At  last,  all 
the  men  cried  out  with  one  voice,  'Simanoff!'  for  that  was  his  name.  He  then  threw  off 
his  hat,  knelt  down,  and  could  not  utter  a  word ;  but  the  tears  rolled  fast  dowTi  his 
cheeks.  This  affecting  speotaclo  was  renewed  when  ho  camo  on  board  the  ship.  1 
saluted  him  first,  and  askod  wlietlier  our  friends  in  Matsmai  wee  well.  '  God  be  praised,' 
he  replied,  'they  are  in  life,  though  not  all  .-lito  well.  Mr.  Chlebnikoff,  in  particular,  is 
dangerously  ill.'  I  roprcpscd  my  desire  to  ..8k  furtlier  questions,  knowing  the  impatience 
with  which  the  men  were  waiting  for  a  talk  with  him." 


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436 


GOLOWNIN'S    CAPTIVITY    IN    JAPAN. 


had  been  seen  off  the  coast.  This  was  the  Dla?ia,  but  she  did  not  enter 
the  harbor  of  Ilakodudi  until  the  28th.  Captain  Kikord  innnediately 
sent  on  shore  the  declaration  of  the  commandant  of  Okhotzk,  which  was 
satisfactory  to  the  authorities;  for,  atlcr  some  fuithcr  negotiations  and 
ceremonies,  the  prisoners  were  linally  summoned  before  the  bunyo  on 
the  6tli  of  October,  to  receive  the  official  notice  of  their  liberation.  The 
bunyo  presented  them  with  the  following  congratulatory  address :  "  You 
have  now  lived  three  years  in  a  Jai)anese  frontier  town,  and  in  a  foreign 
climate,  but  you  are  now  about  to  return  to  your  native  country.  This 
aifords  me  great  pleasure.  You,  Captain  Ciulownin,  as  the  chief  of  your 
companions,  must  have  endured  extreme  anxiety  of  mind,  and  I  sincerely 
rejoice  that  you  have  f  ♦tained  your  happy  deliverance.  You  have,  in 
some  measure,  become  acquainted  with  the  laws  of  our  country,  Avhich 
prohibit  us  from  maintaining  any  commerce  with  the  jjcople  of  foreign 
nations,  and  require  that  we  should  banish  all  foreign  vessels  from  our 
coasts.  Explain  this  to  your  countrymen  on  yoin*  return  home.  It  has 
been  our  wish,  while  you  remained  in  Japan,  to  treat  you  with  all  i)Ossi- 
ble  kindness ;  but,  beforo  you  be<;ame  acquainted  with  our  customs,  our 
behavior  may  have  appeared  to  you  the  very  opposite  of  what  we  in- 
tended. Each  nation  has  its  peculiar  customs,  but  good  conduct  Avill 
everywhere  be  esteemed  as  such.  On  your  return  to  Russia,  infonu 
your  countrymen  of  this  likewise.     I  wish  you  all  a  safe  voyage." 

"  On  the  following  day,  the  7th  of  October,  we  put  on  our  best 
dresses.  The  servants  and  guards  packed  up  our  other  clothes  in  boxes, 
without  omitting  the  least  trifle,  ami  ])laced  them  in  the  portico  of  the 
house.  At  mid-day  wo  were  conducted  to  the  shore.  Our  clothes,  the 
j>resents  we  had  received,  and  the  provisions  for  our  voyage,  were  car- 
ried behind  us  by  a  number  of  attendants.  On  reachhig  the  harbor,  we 
entered  a  building  near  the  custom-house,  where  Mr.  Moor,  Mr.  Chlel)- 
nikoff  aiul  I,  were  shown  into  one  apartment,  and  the  sailors  into  another. 
We  had  been  only  a  few  moments  in  this  place,  when  Captain  Rikord 
came  ashore,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Saweljeft",  the  interpreter,  and  some 
other  individuals,  llikord  and  his  two  companions  were  conducted  to 
the  same  ajiartment  in  which,  a  few  days  before,  my  interview  with  him 
had  taken  place,  and  which  Mr.  Chlebnikoff",  Mr.  Moor  and  I,  were  now 
requested  to  enter. 

"  Every  thing  being  in  readiness  for  our  departure,  we  were  con- 
ducted to  the  bunyo's  barge,  in  which  wo  embarked,  accompanied  by 
Tachatay-Kachi ;  our  clothes,  provisions,  and  the  presents,  being  placed 
in  separate  boats.  On  our  way  from  the  custom-house  to  the  boats,  aU 
the  Japanese,  not  only  those  with  whom  we  were  acquainte<l,  but  the 
strangers  who  were  looking  on,  bade  us  adieu,  and  wished  us  a  safe  voyage. 

"The  officers  and  seamen  on  beard  the />/«««,  received  us  with  a 
degree  of  joy,  or  rather  enthusiasm,  which  can  only  be  felt  by  brothers 
or  dear  f-iends  after  a  long  absence,  and  a  series  of  similar  adventures. 
With  regard  to  ourselves,  I  can  only  say,  that  after  an  imprisonment  of 
two  years,  two  months,  and  twenty-six  days,  on  finding  ourselves  again 


RETURN    TO    RUSSIA. 


437 


on  an  Imporial  Russian  ship,  8i;rroun(lo(l  by  our  conntrymen,  with  wliom 
Avo  liad  for  five  or  six  years  served  in  remote  and  dangerous  voyages, 
Ave  foAt  Aviiat  Tnen  in  sndi  circunistances  are  capable  of  feeling,  but  which 
can  not  l)e  described."* 

The  Diana  sailed  from  Ilakodadi  on  the  10th  of  October,  and 
reached  Kamtschatka  on  the  2d  of  November.  Twenty  days  afterward, 
Mv.  3Ioor,  Avho  had  been  plunged  in  melancholy  since  his  liberation, 
committed  suicide,  Cai)tain  Golowiiin  lost  no  time  in  proceeding  to 
St.  Petersburg,  where  he  arrived  on  the  14th  of  July,  1814,  after  an 
absence  of  se\  en  years,  lie  and  Rikord  Avere  made  Captains  of  the 
second  rank,  and  received  pensions  of  1500  rubles  annually;  Mr.  Clileb- 
nikoff  received  a  p(!nsion  e(pial  to  his  yearly  ])ay,  Avhile  the  sailors  Avho 
liad  been  prisoners  in  Japan,  received  permission  to  retire  from  the 
service,  aiid  Avere  allowed  annual  pensions,  amounting  to  their  full  yearly 
pay.  The  Kurile,  Alexei,  as  a  rcAvard  for  his  good  conduct,  Avas  pre- 
sented Avith  a  hanger,  and  received,  instead  of  a  pension,  twenty  pounds 
of  poAvder,  "and  forty  pounds  of  shot, 

*  Captain  Rikord,  in  liis  narrative,  gives  tlio  followinf»  account  of  this  seono  :  "  At 
twelve  o'clock  I  went  on  board  tho  barge,  accompanied  only  by  Saveljefl' and  KissulefT, 
and  Avo  rowed,  under  white  flags,  to  the  well-known  building,  whore  tho  Japanese  were 
in  waiting  to  receive  us.  Our  prisoners  immediately  appeared  at  the  door.  They  all 
Avore  yellow  drespcs,  with  seann'u's  trowsers,  and  Avaistcoats  of  various  colors.  On  any 
otlicr  occasion  wo  should  have  been  highly  diverted  by  tho  singularity  of  their  appear- 
ance, but  now  it  did  not  even  excite  a  smile.  Friend  gazed  at  friend  Avith  emotion  and 
joy,  and  our  thoughts  were  expressed  more  by  looks  than  by  words.  Tears  of  gratitude 
to  Providence  glistened  in  tho  eyes  of  our  liberated  cotnitr3-men.  The  Japanese  retired 
and  left  us  for  sonio  time  alone,  in  order  that  we  might  give  vent  to  our  feelings.  My 
countrymen  were  then  forinall}'  delivered  over  to  me.  The  papers  of  the  Japanese  gov- 
ernment, wliioii  1  was  to  lay  beloro  the  autliorities  on  my  arrival  in  Russia,  were  pre- 
sented to  nio,  and  refVeslnnents  were  then  iiandcd  to  us  in  the  usual  manner. 

"  Having  once  more  expressed  our  sincere  thanks,  wo  rowed  from  tho  shore  at  two 
o'clock,  accompanied  by  a  countless  number  of  boats,  crowded  Avitli  Japanese  of  both 
se.vcs.  Notwithstanding  a  violent  adverse  wind,  noni^oflho  niunerons  boats  ))y  wliich 
we  were  surrounded  put  b;i,k.  Tho  7>/a)?(i  Avas  decorated  with  (lags,  and  all  her  yards 
Avero  niaiined  by  tho  crew,  who  salute<l  us  Avitli  three  cheers.  Tho  enthusiasm  of  tho 
se.'uncn,  on  once  more  beholding  tlieir  '-cl:.cd  commander  and  his  companions  in  mis- 
fortune, after  a  separation  of  two  years  and  three  months,  was  boundless.  Many  melted 
into  tears.  This  scone,  so  highly  honorablo  to  tho  Avholo  crow,  can  never  bo  eUaced 
from  my  recollection,  llolownin  and  his  comjianions,  wiio  wore  moved  to  their  imnost 
souls,  knelt  down  before  the  sacred  imago  of  the  ship  (the  miracle-working  Saint  Nicolas), 
and  returned  tluudis  to  heaven. 

"Gol'iwiiin  presented  to  mo  his  sword;  the  snmo  AS'hich,  during  his  captivity,  tho 
emperor  of  Japan  liad  expressed  a  Avish  to  see,  and  I  now  proservo  it  as  tho  most  val- 
uable reward  of  my  enterprise.  To  tlm  officers  ho  gave  his  teloscope.i,  pistols,  and  astro- 
nomical instruments,  lie  gavo  to  tho  senior  non-commissioned  officer  one  hundred 
rubles;  to  the  jiiniors  sovenfy-fivo  ;  to  each  seaman  twenty-iivo ;  and  to  the  sailors  who 
had  been  his  coniiianions  in  cajilivity  live  hundred  rubles  each.  But  to  JlakarolT,  Avho, 
as  the  reader  knows,  was  of  particular  use  to  liim,  lie  besitles  granted  a  pension,  amount- 
ing to  a  snaman's  annual  pay,  from  his  estate  in  tho  government  of  Kasan.  To  the 
Kurile,  Alevci.  ho  gave  a  sot  of  carpenters'  tools,  a  rifle,  powder,  shot,  tobacco,  aud  two 
hundred  and  fifty  rubles  in  money." 


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DE  LASCARIS'S 


SECRET     MISSION    AMONG    THE    BEDOUINS. 


M.  RK  Lascaris  Avas  a  Picdmontcsp,  of  one  of  those  (Jrook  families 
which  settlcil  in  Italy  after  the  conquest  of  Coiistniitinopki :  he  was  a 
knight  of  Malta  when  Napoleon  coiuiuored  tl.o  isla-ul.  He  was  then  a 
very  young  man:  ho  followed  the  Corsicin  to  Egypt,  attached  hii;sc'lf 
to  his  fortunes,  and  was  fascinated  by  his  genius.  Fores-  cing  Napo- 
leon's future  eminence,  he  endeavored  to  impress  upon  his  rviiu  that  Asia 
was  a  far  grander  iield  for  his  ambition  than  Europe,  ifc  appears  t' .at 
some  conversations  were  held  on  the  subject :  Nav,  j'  m  did  not  ont  ■  ■  ly 
embrace  the  idea  of  a  magnificent  oriental  cm.iire  which  Avas  the  be- 
wildering dream  of  De  Lascaris  ;  but,  on  the  eve  of  his  departure  for 
Europe,  he  appointed  the  latter  his  secret  agent,  gave  him  uistructions 
and  supj)lied  him  with  ample  means. 

De  Lascaris  settled  himself  at  Aleppo,  to  accpiirc  a  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  Arabic,  and  form  acquaintances  with  tie  Arab  chiefs  of  the 
Syrian  Desert  who  came  to  that  city.  After  some  years'  preparation, 
he  commenced  his  i)erilous  enterprise ;  he  passed,  at  great  risk,  and  un- 
der different  disguises,  through  all  the  tribes  of  Mesopotamia  and  tho 
Eui)hrates,  and  returned  to  Aleppo,  rich  in  tho  knowledge  he  had  ac- 
quired, and  in  the  political  relations  he  had  prepared  lor  Napoleon. 
But  while  accomplishing  his  mission  <'ortune  overthrew  his  hero,  and  he 
learned  his  downfall  on  the  very  unj  when  ho  was  about  to  carry  to 
France  the  fruits  of  his  danger  and  devotion.  This  disappointment  m  as 
fatal  to  him ;  he  went  into  Egypt,  and  died  at  Cairo,  alone,  unknown, 
and  abindoned,  Ilis  journals  a  -.i  notes  are  supposed  to  have  fallen  into 
the  hands  of  Mr.  Salt,  tl'cr  English  Consul  at  Cairo,  and  were  never 
afterward  heard  of. 

While  M.  do  Lamartine  was  traveling  in  Syria,  he  learned,  accident- 
ally, that  an  Arab  named  Fatallah  Sayeghir,  who  was  the  companion  of 
De  Lascaris  on  all  his  journeys,  and  who  had  kept  a  journal  of  all  his 
experiences  and  adventines,  was  then  living  at  Latakia.  Lamartine  hii- 
mediately  sent  a  messenger  to  Fatallah,  oifering  liim  two  thousand  pias- 


I,       i 


\\r^ 


I 


Jii 


1 1 


440 


DK    LASCARIS'S    SECRKT    MISSION. 


tors  for  the  journal.  The  oWcv  was  accoptod  in  llie  oourso  of  timo,  tlio 
voluiuo  translated  into  Itaiiuii  by  Lainartinc's  inloriiretor,  and  finally 
into  French  by  the  poet  liiniself  Although  e.vaggerated  and  romantic 
in  parts,  it  is  vahiable  for  its  illustrations  of  the  life  and  habits  of  the 
"wandering  Bedouin  tribes  of  the  Syrian  Desert,  and  its  descriptions  of 
some  loealities  (espeeially  in  the  district  of  Nedjid),  which  no  European 
traveler  has  yet  reached.  Many  of  the  adventures  related  have  a  strong 
tinge  of  imi»robability  about  them,  and  the  reader  nnist  bear  in  mind 
tliat  the  narrator  is  an  Arab,  .and  not  likely  to  be  free  from  the  liabit  of 
exaggeration  [)i'culiar  to  his  race.  Lamartuie,  however,  seems  to  enter- 
tain no  doubt  of  the  trutli  of  his  story. 

Fatallah  Sayeghir  first  met  with  ]\I.  Lascaris  de  Ventiniiglia  in 
Alej)po,  in  ISO!),  when  he  was  engaged  to  give  liim  k'ssons  in  Ar:d)ic. 
Wlien  M.  Lascaris  had  learned  to  read  and  write  tolerably  well,  he  gave; 
Fatallah  some  money  and  told  him  to  buy  goods,  such  as  were  saleable 
at  Iloms,  at  ITania,  and  the  neighborhood,  saying  that  they  would  trade 
in  tlie  count '-ies  least  frequcTited  by  merchants.  Fatallah  had  bccotne 
attached  to  M.  Lascaris,  and  accordingly  made  the  purchases,  for  which 
I\L  Lascaris  ))aid  eleven  thousand  jiiasters.  Fr<>m  his  dress  and  manners 
the  people  of  Aleppo  thought  ]M.  Lascaris  mad.  lie  wore  his  beard  long 
.aiul  ill-combed,  a  very  dirty  white  turban,  a  shabby  robe,  with  a  vest,  a 
leather  belt,  and  red  shoes  without  stockings  ;  when  spoken  to  he  pre- 
ten<led  n(»t  to  juiderstand  what  was  said.  Ibit  Fatallah  ha<l  confidence 
in  his  iut<grity  and  good  sense,  and,  in  compliance  with  his  reipiest, 
jiromised  to  obey  liim  in  every  thing. 

They  lefl  Aleppo  on  the  IHth  of  February,  JRIO,  with  a  caravan 
bonn<l  fl)r  llama.  Whih^  at  the  latter  place,  ^[.  liascaris  was  viewing 
the  halt-ruiiu'i]  castle,  and  had  begun  to  take  a  sketch  of  it,  when  some 
vagabonds  ran  out  upon  him  from  a  broken  arch  and  threatened  to  de- 
noimce  him  for  wishing  to  carry  off  treasures  juid  i?itroduce  thi'  giaours 
into  the  caslK'.  lie  defended  himself  and  escaped  with  diflicMilty,  but 
soon  afterward  he  and  his  c()ui|ianion  were  arre'>t('d  aud  thrown  into  r. 
<lungeon.  Fatallah  sent  for  a  C'liri-<tian  writer  named  Selim,  by  v  hos(> 
interlereiu-ethev  were  enabled  to  pm'chase  their  libertv.  They  remained 
three  w  eek><  with  Selim  and  his  friends,  and  on  the  iJSth  of  March  pro- 


ceeded  wjiji 


I  carax 


an  to  Iloms.     During  a  stay  of  thirty  days  at  this 


]ilace,  ]\L  Lascaris  olilained  much  information  respecting  the  Medouins, 
from  ji  locksmith  who  passed  nmch  of  his  time  witii  ihcm,  arranging 
their  arms.  They  then  pursued  their  rout*'  to  Saddad,  v.iiere  they  un- 
jiacked  their  goods,  to  sustain  theii-  character  of  nunhants.  The  sliekh 
and  peopK'  of  the  \illagi-  endeavored  to  dissuade  them  from  visiting  llu* 
Uedouins,  whom  they  represented  as  most  criu'l  and  rapacious;  lint  tho 
travelers,  nothing  daunted,  continued  their  journey  to  Ciuietain,  still 
Imping  fo  meet  with  a  detachment  of  15.  .l-Miins,  who  pa«<«  this  region  in 
their  annual  mifralioii><.  Mi'anwhile.  the  locksmith  Naufil,  who  accom- 
patiied  thcni  <'.om  Iloms,  a<lvised  them  to  change  their  nanws,  as  their 


ARAB    HONOR. 


441 


own  ■\vouM  croato  suspicion  in  llio  IJi'doiiins  and  Turks.  Acconlintjly, 
]\I.  Last  .lis  took  tlio  nanio  of  Slu'kli  Ihraliim  el  Cahrossi  (the  Cyprian), 
anil  tiave  to  Fatallah  that  of  Al^dallali  d  Katii).  The  Slickh  Seliin,  of 
Corii'tain,  likewise'  endeavored  to  dlscouraLTt'  them  from  penetratiiiij;  into 
the  desert,  and  repeated  a  thousand  alarming  stories  ahout  the  l>e(hjuins, 
hut  when  ^I.  Lasearis  eonsulted  Fatallali,  tlie  hitter  encouraged  him  to 
i)roceed,  saving  that  if  he  acted  iionorahlv  there  was  nothint;  to  f(!ar. 

"Tnasliort  time,"  says  FataHali,  "we  K'arned  that  tlie  Uedituins 
were  aj)proaching  I'alniyra:  some  were  seen  even  in  the  environs  of 
Corietain.  Presently  there  came  one,  named  Selame  e!  Hassan.  We 
were  at  Selim's  when  ho  entered.  Colleo  was  brought,  an<l  while  mo 
Avere  taking  it,  many  of  the  inhahitants  came  to  the  shekh,  and  said  : 
'  Kight  years  ago,  at  such  a  place,  Hassan  killed  oin*  relative;  and  W(! 
are  coino  to  demand  justice.'  Hassan  denied  the  fact,  and  asked  if  they 
had  witnesses.  '  No,' they  repliiMl  ;  'but  you  "were  seen  jiassing  alouo 
on  the  road,  and  a  little  after  we  found  our  relative  lying  (h.-ad.  AVo 
know  that  there  e\iste<l  a  cause  of  hatred  between  you  ;  it  is  therefore 
clear  that  you  are  his  assassin.'  Hassan  still  denied  the  charge;  and  tlu; 
shckh,  who  from  fear  was  ol)ligi'd  to  exercise  caution  with  the  r»cil(iuins, 
and  besides  hail  no  positive  jiroof  in  the  case,  took  a  jiiece  of  wood  and 
said,  '  liy  Him  who  created  this  stem,  swear  that  you  have  not  killed 
their  relation.'  Hassan  took  the  wood,  looked  at  it  some  minutes,  and 
bent  down  his  hea<l  ;  then  raising  it  toward  liis  accusers,  '  I  will  not  have,' 
said  he,  '  two  crinu's  on  my  heart — the  one  of  being  the  murderer  of 
this  man,  the  other  of  sw<'aring  tiilsely  before  (4od.  It  is  I  who  liave 
killeil  y<»ur  kinsman  :  a\  hat  do  you  demand  for  tlie  price  of  his  ])loiid  i" 
Tlie  shekh,  from  policy,  Avould  not  act  according  to  th(»  full  rigor  of 
lli(!  law  :  and  the  persons  iiresent  being  interesti'd  in  the  n<'gotiation, 
it  was  decided  that  Hassan  should  pay  three  lumdred  piasters  to  the  re- 
lations of  the  dead.  When  it  came  to  the  payment  of  the  money,  ho 
siiid  he  had  it  n<)t  about  liim,  but  that  he  would  bring  it  in  a  l\'\v  <la\s; 
and  as  some  ditlicully  was  made  of  letting  him  go  without  siu-urily,  '  I 
have  no  pleilgc,'  said  he,  '  to  give  ;  but  Ho  will  answer  fi>r  mo  whoso 
iiinne  I  wouhl  not  jirofane  by  a  lalst;  oath.'  He  departed  ;  and  four  days 
allerwanl  returned  with  fifteen  sheep,  each  worth  above  twenty  piasters."' 

M.  Lascaris  being  pleased  with  the  character  of  Has>an,  made  his 
nciiuaintanco  ;  they  became  intimate  friends,  and  when  the  travelers  pro- 
posed to  sot  out  l<)r  Palmyra,  he  engaged  to  conduct  them  thither  in 
Kifi'ty.  On  their  way  .M.  I.a-caris  dislocated  bis  ankle  while  mounting 
his  canu'l,  but  he  would  not  be  (hiained,  and  they  continued  their  mute. 
Siiou  al\erward  they  mi't  a  tido|i  of  armed  P>ed(»uins,  who  innrcdiately 
gave  battle.  Hassan  went  forward  to  meet  them,  and  sust  iiiio(l  Iho 
attack  for  half  an  hou  •,  Imt  he  was  at  length  woimded  by  ;;  l.mce  atid 
fell  from  his  horse.  The  l»e<louins  tlu-n  beLian  to  plunder  the  party, 
when  Hassan,  who  lay  bleeding  \ipoii  (ho  groimd,  thus  addressed  them: 
"  Wliat  are  you  about,  my  friends  V— will  you  then  violate  tim  laws  of 


:     1 

i 

1 

111 

:   ! 

!  ,  ■ 

i^M 


A 


*  . 


M 


Vi  I' 


;  j!ti!!!l 


IM 


I 


T 

'hi 


1 1 


I  'ihi  'I 


442 


DK    LASCARIS'S    SECRET    MISSION. 


Arabs,  tho  usages  of  the  Bedouins  ?  They  whom  you  are  phmdering 
are  my  hrcthren — they  have  my  word  ;  I  am  responsible  for  all  that 
may  befall  them,  and  you  are  robbing  tliemi — is  this  according  to 
honor  V"  The  Bedouins  charged  him  with  conducting  Christians  to 
Palmyra,  without  asking  the  permission  of  the  shekh,  Mehanna  el  Fadel, 
the  chief  of  the  country,  lie  replied  that  the  merchants  were  in  haste, 
and  ^lehanna  Avas  far  away ;  tliat  he  had  ])lcdged  his  word,  and  the 
strangers  had  confided  ia  the  laws  and  usages  of  his  country.  At  his 
words  the  Bedouhis  desisted,  and  only  took  from  the  travelers  what  they 
chose  to  give.  They  then  pursued  their  journey  with  difficulty,  M.  Las- 
caris  suffering  from  his  foot  and  Hassan  from  liis  wound,  and  arrived  at 
Palmyra  on  the  following  day. 

Here  they  liircd  a  house  and  exposed  their  goods  for  sale,  until  M. 
Lascaris  had  recovered,  when  they  went  to  visit  the  temples  and  mag- 
nificent ruins  of  the  place.  "  One  day,"  says  Fatallah,  "  we  saw  many 
people  engagetl  in  surroun<ling  with  wood  a  beautiful  granite  column. 
We  Avere  told  it  was  to  burn  it,  or  rather  to  cause  it  to  tiill,  in  order  to 
obtain  the  lead  which  was  in  the  joinings,  Shekh  Ibrahim,  full  of  indig- 
nation, addressing  me,  exclaimed,  "•  Wiiat  Avould  the  toundeis  of  Pal- 
myra say  if  they  beheld  these  barbarians  thus  destroying  their  work  ? 
Since  chance  has  brought  me  hither,  I  will  opj)ose  this  act  of  Vandalism." 
And  having  learned  what  might  be  the  Avorth  of  the  lead,  he  gave  tho 
fitly  piasters  tlii'v  asked,  atxl  the  column  became  our  proj)erty.  It  was 
of  the  most  l)eautiful  red  granite,  spotted  with  blue  and  black,  sixty-two 
feet  in  length,  and  ten  in  circumference," 

At  length  the  approach  of  the  Beilouins  was  announced,  and  one  day 
a  party  of  eleven  horsemen  arrived,  among  whom  Avas  the  Emir  Nasser, 
the  eldest  son  of  !Mahcnna,  chief  of  the  tribe  of  El  Ilassnnee.  JM.  Las- 
caris was  overjoyed,  and  on  being  j)res«'iited  to  the  emir,  received  assur- 
ances of  protection  fniiii  all  harm.  lie  then  invited  Nasser  to  eat  with 
him,  as  th(!  Bedouins  regard  it  an  inviolable  j)ledge  of  fidelity  to  break 
bread  with  any  one.  'Die  dinner  appeared  excellent,  and  after  coffee, 
when  they  began  to  s])eak  of  dill'crcnt  things,  M.  Lascaris  related  to 
Nassir  the  adventure  with  six  horsemen  of  his  tribe.  The  emir  Avished 
l(j  piniish  them  and  restore  tho  money,  but  the  travelers  intreat(!d  him 
not  to  do  so.  They  would  have  set  out  Avith  him  next  day,  but  he  in- 
duced them  to  aw;xit  the  arrival  of  liis  father,  who  Avas  eight  days'  jour- 
ney di>taut.  lie  promised  to  wend  them  ail  escort  and  camels  to  carry 
their  baggage. 

Might  days  afterward  three  men  came  Avith  the  camels,  and  a  letter 
from  Mehainia  el  I'adel,  bearing  his  welcome  .ami  the  promise  of  his  pro- 
tection. Tlirir  jir«parations  were  soon  made,  and  early  next  morning 
they  lell  Palmyra,  They  met  a  great  many  Bc(h)uins,  who  tpu'stioned 
their  conductors,  and  jtassed  on.  After  a  march  of  ten  hours,  the  plain 
appeared  covered  with  tenti,  and  they  reached  the  camp  of  Melianna. 
Tiny  entend  the  tent  of  the  emir,  who  received  them  with  proofjj  of 


or 

un 

iui. 


MARCH    OP    A    BEDOUIN    TRIBE. 


443 


the  highest  consideration.  Next  day  ho  had  a  camel  killed  to  regale 
them,  a  mark  of  high  respect,  as  the  Bedouins  measure  the  importance 
of  the  stranger  hy  the  animal  they  kill  to  welcome  him. 

After  enjoying  their  hospitality  for  three  days,  the  travelers  opened 
their  bales,  and  sold  many  articles,  upon  most  of  which  they  lost  more 
or  less.  Fatallah  did  not  understand  this  mode  of  dealing,  but  M.  Las- 
caris  reminded  him  of  their  conditions,  and  he  continued  to  sell  accord- 
ing to  the  wishes  of  his  patron. 

One  day  they  saw  fifty  well-armed  horsemen  arrive,  and  hold  a  long 
consultation  with  Nasser  and  his  cousin,  Shekh  Zamel.  Fatallah  carried 
a  present  to  the  wife  of  Nasser,  and  learned  that  her  husband  had  many 
enemies  among  the  Bedouins,  who  hated  him  for  luunbling  the  national 
pride,  and  exalting  the  j)ower  of  the  Turks,  with  whom  he  sought  al- 
liance. The  object  of  the  meeting  was  to  concert  a  ])lan  of  attack  ;  the 
next  day  they  Mould  assail  the  tribe  El  Daffir,  take  their  Hocks,  ';d  do 
them  all  the  mischief  j)ossible.  Tiiis  intelligence  was  i)erplexing  to  M. 
Lascaris,  who,  while  endeavoring  to  attach  himself  to  a  tribe  hostile  to 
the  Osmanlis,  found  himself  with  a  chief  allied  to  them.  Next  morning, 
a  party  of  three  hundred  marched  out ;  three  clays  afterward,  they  made 
their  triumphal  entry,  preceded  by  one  hiuidred  and  eighty  camels,  taken 
from  the  enemy.  Some  time  afterward,  Nasser  received  from  Soliman, 
the  pasha  of  Acre  and  Damascus,  a  message,  engaging  him  to  come  and 
receive  the  c  mnunid  of  the  desert,  with  the  title  of  I'rince  of  the  Be- 
douins.    Overjoyed,  he  departed  for  Damascus  with  ten  horsemen. 

Mehana'i  liavhig  ordered  the  departure  of  the  tribe,  the  next  morn- 
ing by  simrise  not  a  single  tent  Mas  standhig;  all  was  folded  up  and 
loaded,  and  the  departure  began  in  the  greatest,  onler.  Twenty  chosen 
horsemen  fornu'd  the  advance  guard  ;  then  came  the  camels  with  their 
loads,  and  the  flocks;  thi'U  the  armed  men,  mounted ;  after  these  tho 
wouu'u,  those  of  the  ehiets  in  rich  /i)un/,i/i.-<  ;  the  camels  loaded  Mith 
baggage  and  provisions  Mere  bi'hind.  Tim  line  Mas  elosod  by  the  Emir 
Mehanna,  nioutited  on  a  dromedary,  and  surrounded  by  his  slaves,  tho 
rest  of  the  soldiers,  and  the  servants,  on  foot.  It  was  truly  Monderful 
to  witness  the  order  and  celerity  with  which  the  di'parture  of  eight  or 
nine  thousand  persons  was  eflecteil.  .M.  Lascaris  and  Fatallah  were;  on 
horseback,  sometinu's  ahead,  and  sometimes  by  the  side  of  Mihaiina. 
When  they  halteil,  the  Be<louins  sprang  to  the  ground,  fixed  their  lances, 
and  fastened  their  horses  to  them;  the  Momen  ran  on  all  sides,  and 
pitched  their  tents  near  their  husbands*  horses ;  and  thus,  as  if  by  en- 
chantment, thev  found  themselves  in  the  midst  of  a  large  »'itv. 

On  the  fourth  day,  ihey  wore  attacke<l  by  the  tribe  of  I)af11r,  Mho 
sought  to  revenge  themselves  on  Nasser,  and  succeeded  in  carrying  off 
some  of  the  flocks.  The  Bedouins  nmnnured,  .'ittributing  their  mishap 
to  the  caprice  and  vanity  of  Nasser.  Mehamia  sent  a  courier  to  his  son, 
who  immediately  rcturm-d  with  an  ofiieer  of  the  pasha,  and  a  letter 
threatening  vengeance  on  all  mIio  sliould  exhibit  a  rebellious  spirit. 


i-;»! 


:  i  .j'i^H 


i       m 


II 


I  f 


1 

if: 

i1 

4  1 

I; 

1 ; 

^'''fHirl 


:;Mii    Ml 


I 


^i;,! 


444 


DE    LASCARIS'S    SECRET    MISSION". 


Is^assor  made  such  display  of  his  now  dignity  that  he  still  further  offended 
the  Bedouins.  A  young  chief  of  a  neighboring  tribe,  who  had  listened 
with  impatience  to  his  vauntings,  rose  hastily,  and  told  liini  that  the  Be- 
douins detested  him,  and  threatened  to  depart  from  Bagdad  and  join 
l<'bn  Cliahllan,  the  Drayhy,  or  Destroyer  of  the  Turks.  On  the  follow- 
ing day,  he  actually  set  out  with  liis  tribe  for  the  country  of  Geziri,  and 
a  cond)ination  against  Nasser  was  talked  of  in  all  quarters.  Mehaniia 
remonstrated  with  his  son,  but  the  latter  still  endeavored  to  tranquilize 
liim.  The  Bedouins  meanwhile  took  sides  with  one  or  the  other,  the; 
greater  part,  however,  with  the  father.  Mehanna  was  highly  esteemed 
among  the  Bedouins ;  his  influence  arose;  from  his  noble  and  generous 
heart,  and  from  being  the  chief  of  a  very  ancient  and  numerous  family. 

In  October,  they  Avere  in  the  neighborhood  of  Alep])o,  and  Fatallah 
rejoiced  to  tin<l  himself  so  near  home,  but  his  contract  was  such  that  he 
could  not  communicate  with  his  friends.  M.  Lascaris  wished  to  spend 
the  winter  at  Damascus,  and  with  great  difiiculty  they  succeeded  Jn 
reaching  Coiietain,  where  they  were  cordially  received  by  their  friemls. 
They  reported  an  advantageous  speculation,  while  in  reality,  between 
]»resc'nts  and  horses,  they  had  nothing  letl  but  some  goods  they  had  de- 
jiosited  at  this  jilace.  After  a  long  delay,  they  h'nally  departed  on  their 
journey,  as  winter  was  setting  in.  M.  Lascaris  rode  a  miserable  horse, 
and  i-'ataliiih  a  donkey,  and  they  jn-oceeded  whh  four  men  of  the  village 
as  LTiiides.  In  a  delilc  between  two  mountains  thev  were  attacked  bv 
twenty  Bedouin  liorsemen,  who  strii)pi'd  them  of  nearly  all  their  cloth- 
ing, leaving  them  their  sorry  beasts,  which  were  hardly  able  to  walk. 
'*  Night  came  on,"  says  Fatallah,  "and  the  cold  was  excessive,  and  de- 
prived us  of  the  use  of  speech.  Our  eyes  were  red,  our  skin  blue ;  at 
the  en<l  of  ^luu!  time  I  fell  to  the  ground,  fainting  and  frozen.  Shekli 
Ibrahim,  in  despair,  made  gesticulations  to  the  guides,  but  was  utiable 
to  speak.  One  of  them,  a  Syrian  Christian,  took  pity  upon  me  and  the 
grief  of  Shekh  Ibrahim;  he  threw  down  his  horse,  which  was  also  half 
dead  with  cold  and  fatigue,  killi^d  it,  opened  the  belly,  and  placed  me, 
without  consciousness  in  the  skin,  with  only  my  head  out.  At  the  end  of 
half  an  hour,  I  regained  my  senses,  cpiite  astonished  at  finding  myself 
alive  again,  and  in  so  strange  a  jiosition.  Warmth  restoreil  my  speech  ; 
and  I  earnestly  thanked  Shekh  II»rahim  and  the  good  Arab.  I  tookecur- 
nge  and  f  umd  strength  to  proci'e(l.  A  little  after,  our  guides  cried  out, 
'IFeri-'s  the  village  I'  and  we  entereii  the  first  house.  It  belonged  to  a 
liu'rier,  named  Ilanna  el  Bitar.  He  showed  a  lively  sympathy  in  our 
situation,  set  about  covering  us  both  with  camel-dung,  and  gave  us  v,. 
little  wiiu' — a  few  drojts  at  a  time;  having  thus  restored  our  strength 
and  warmth,  he  withdiew  us  tiom  our  dunghill,  ]tut  us  to  Ixd,  and  made 
us  take  srnne  good  soup.  Af\er  a  sleep,  which  was  in«lispensable,  we 
borrowed  two  himdred  jiiasters  to  jiay  o\ir  guides  and  carry  us  to  Damas- 
cus, which  we  reached  the  'j;td  of  December,  ISIO.'" 

<  )ne  day,  in  the  bazaar,  a  Beclouiu,  with  whom  they  had  broken  broad 


li^ 


■i'll 


THE    DRAYUY,    OR    DESTROYER. 


445 


at 

kh 

l.li' 

lu" 

ilf 

no, 

of 

■If 

•h; 

'iir- 

Mlt, 

Id  a 
()\ir 
IS  v.. 
-.'til 

we 

liias- 

[•ail 


in  Nuarut  cl  Nahaman,  camo  to  thorn,  and  after  renowing  tlioir  friend- 
ship, lie  invited  tlieni  to  visit  tlie  tribe  of  Waled  Ali,  to  whieh  he  be- 
longed, Avhose  chieftain,  Douhi,  was  known  to  them.  They  consented, 
and  at  the  time  ngreeil  upon,  he  arrived  Avith  camels  and  guides,  with 
which  they  set  out  on  the  15lh  of  March,  1811.  The  tribe  was  at  Misa- 
rib,  three  days  from  Damascus,  and  after  j)assing  the  niglits  in  the  open 
air,  they  wi-re  amid  tlie  tents  of  Waled  Ali  by  sunset  on  the  third 
day.  The  tents,  surnjunded  by  horses,  camels,  goats,  and  sheep,  formed 
a  pleasing  scene.  The  Emir  Douhi  received  them  with  marked  distinc- 
tion, and  made  them  su|»  with  him.  lie  conunandedlive  thousand  tents, 
and  three  trib(\s,  which  were  joinctl  to  his. 

31.  Lascaris  was  anxious  to  visit  the  drayhy,  and  had  instriK'ted 
Fatallah  to  gain  every  informati(m  res[iecting  his  character,  nu)de  of  life, 
and  the  access  to  him,  directing  him  at  the  same  time  to  study  the  man- 
ners and  customs  of  the  Bedouins,  to  adojit  their  dress  and  imitate  their 
usages,  so  as  to  pass  absolutely  for  one  of  them,  as  he  should  depend  on 
him  to  make  the  journey  thither.  For  this  ])urpose  ho  })roIonged  their 
stay,  and  visited  the  three  tributary  shekhs  of  the  Emir  Doulii,  direct- 
ing Fatallah  to  take  exact  notes  of  all  he  saw  and  learned.  Of  these 
jjcople  Fatallah  observes  : 

"  Tile  numerous  tribes  art;  often  obliged  to  divide  themselves  into 
detachments  of  from  two  huiulred  to  live  hundred  tents,  and  to  occupy 
a  large  space,  in  order  to  j)rocurc  water  and  pasturage  for  their  flocks. 
We  went  successively  throiigli  their  cncaini)ments,  until  we  could  find 
nu'ans  to  transport  ourselves  to  the  drayhy,  who  was  at  war  with  the 
tribes  of  the  territory  ol"  Damascus.  We  were  universally  well  received. 
In  one  tribe  it  was  a  poor  widow  ■who  showed  us  lu)spitality.  In  order 
to  regale  us,  she  killed  her  last  sheep  and  borrowetl  bread.  She  in- 
formed us  that  her  husband  and  her  three  sons  had  been  killed  in  the 
war  against  the  Wahabees,  a  formidable  tribe  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Mecca.  Expressing  our  astonislunent  that  she  should  rob  herself  on 
our  account,  '  He  that  enters  the  house  of  the  living,'  said  she,  '  and  doea 
not  eat,  it  is  as  though  ho  were  visiting  the  dead.'  " 

At  length  tho  drayhy  arrived  in  JMosopotamia,  and  they  engaged  a 
Bedouin  of  a  neutral  tribe  to  take  them  to  him,  but  when  they  went  to 
Corietaiu  for  their  gooils,  they  heard  of  a  victory  gained  liy  a  son  of  the 
drayhy  ov<'r  Nasser,  w  hich  gave  renewed  violence  to  the  war.  The 
tribe  of  Salkeh,  to  which  their  guide  belonged,  had  lieen  attacked  by 
the  drayhy,  and  no  one  dared  to  cross  the  desert.  M.  Lascaris  was  in 
despair;  in  his  exasperation  he  even  found  fault  with  Fatallah.  Tho 
latter  then  requested  an  understanding  in  their  relations,  declaring  it 
madness  to  attempt  this  journey  for  tlie  purpose  of  trading,  but  adding 
that  il' M.  Lascaris  had  other  motives  adecpiate  to  tlu;  c'Xposure  of  life, 
he  must  let  him  know  them,  and  he  would  fiiul  him  ready  to  sacriiico 
himself  ui  his  service.     M.  Lascaritj  thou  told  him  that  tliU  comuierco 


1  <  1 


s 


Tf 


if/: 


)( 


Mil    ! 


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I  ■ 


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Mil 


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iin 


i;;| 


If        i 


446 


DE    LASCARIS'S    SECRET    MISSION. 


"1. 
"2. 
"3. 
"4. 
*'5. 


was  merely  a  pretext  to  conceal  a  mission  with  which  ho  was  charged 
from  Paris.     These  were  his  instructions : 
To  set  out  from  Paris  to  Aleppo. 

To  find  a  zealous  Arab,  and  to  attach  him  to  me  as  interpreter. 
To  acquire  a  knowledge  of  the  language. 
To  go  to  Palmyra. 
To  penetrate  among  the  IJodouins. 

"  6.  To  become  acquainted  with  all  the  chiefs,  and  to  gain  their 
friendship. 

"  7.  To  unite  them  together  in  the  same  cause. 

"  8.  To  induce  them  to  break  oft"  all  alliance  with  the  Osmanlis. 

"  9.  To  get  acquainted  with  the  whole  desert,  the  halting-places,  and 
where  water  and  pasturage  are  to  be  found,  as  far  even  as  the  frontiers 
of  India. 

"  10.  To  return  to  Europe,  safe  and  sound,  after  having  accomplished 
my  mission." 

Fatallah  resolved  to  go  on  foot  to  the  drayhy.  lie  went  to  Wardi, 
the  man  who  had  saved  him  from  ]»erishing  on  the  way  to  Damascus. 
This  man  first  tried  to  dissuade  Fatallah  from  the  rash  undertaking,  but 
afterward  engaged  to  go  with  him  as  a  guide. 

"  It  was  essential,"  says  Fatallah,  "  that  I  should  be  covered  Avith 
rags,  in  order  not  to  excite  suspicion  or  cupidity  if  we  were  discovered 
on  the  road.  This  was  my  costume  for  the  journey:  a  coarse  cotton 
shirt  pieced ;  a  dirty  torn  gombaz ;  an  old  caftie,  with  a  bit  of  linen, 
once  white,  for  a  turban  ;  a  sheep-skin  cloak  with  half  the  wool  off,  and 
shoes  mended  to  the  weight  of  four  pounds :  besides  these,  a  leather 
belt,  from  which  liung  a  knife  worth  two  paras,  a  steel,  a  little  tobacco 
in  an  old  bag,  and  a  pipe.  I  blackened  my  eyes  and  dirtied  my  face, 
and  then  presented  myself  to  Shekh  Ibrahim  to  take  my  leave.  On  see- 
ing me,  he  shed  tears.  '  May  God,'  said  he,  '  give  you  strength  enough 
to  accomplish  your  generous  design  !  I  sliall  owe  every  thing  to  your 
perseverance.  May  the  Almighty  be  with  you  and  preserve  you  Irora 
all  danger !  may  he  blind  the  wicked,  and  l)ring  you  back  that  I  may 
reward  you  !'  I  could  hardly  refrain  from  tears  in  my  turn.  At  last, 
however,  the  conversation  becoming  more  cheerful,  Shekh  Ibrahim  said, 
smilingly,  that  if  I  were  to  go  to  Paris  in  this  costume,  I  should  get 
iiuuh  money  by  showing  myself.  Wo  su])ped ;  and  at  sunset  we  de- 
[larted.  I  walked  without  fatigue  till  inidnight ;  but  then  my  feet  began 
to  swell.  My  shoes  hurt  mi',  atid  I  took  tliem  oft';  the  thorns  of  the 
plants  the  canu'ls  browse  on  jiricked  nu',  and  the  small  stones  wour  .■  -1 
me.  I  tried  io  put  on  my  shoes  ;  and  in  continual  sufl'eriiig  I  walkeu  on 
till  morning.  A  little  grotto  gave  us  shelter  for  the  day.  I  wrapjted 
my  feet  in  a  piece  of  my  cloak  that  I  tore  oft",  and  slept  Avithout  having 
strength  to  take  any  nnurisliment." 

At  sujirise,  on  till'  scvciitli  day,  they  reached  the  Euphrates;  some 
hospitable  Bedouins  look  them  into  their  tents,  where  for  the  first  time 


i  ■    !  n 


MARCH    OF    THE    DRAYHY. 


447 


they  made  a  hearty  moal.  They  learned  that  the  drayhy  was  three 
days  distant,  and  that  it  was  his  intention  to  aiuiihilate  Mehanna  and 
NassfT,  and  return  to  liis  desert  near  Bassora  and  Bagdad.  Fatallah 
therefore  took  a  guide  and  set  forward.  lie  represented  liimself  as  a 
merchant  of  Aleppo,  having  a  correspondent  at  Bagdad  wh,  owed  him 
twenty-five  thousand  piasters,  and  that  in  consequence  of  the  war  he 
was  obliged  to  risk  the  journey  himself,  and  put  himself  inider  the  pro- 
tection of  the  drayliy.  The  emir  received  him  politely  and  welcomed 
him,  hut,  according  to  custom,  could  not  speak  of  business  until  after 
three  days  devoted  to  hospitality  and  repose.  The  emir  happened  to 
be  in  want  of  a  secretary,  and  Fatallah,  Avho  offered  to  assist  him  for 
the  moment,  so  gained  his  confidence  by  his  information  respecting  the 
tribes  he  had  visited,  that  the  emir  desired  him  to  stav.  Fatallah 
seemed  to  yield,  and  soon  persuaded  the  emir  to  cross  the  Euphrates  in 
Older  to  gain  over  the  tribes  by  his  presence,  and  strike  terror  to  his 
enemies.  As  this  was  his  first  march  into  3Iesopotamia,  the  advice  and 
information  of  Fatallah  was  a  great  resource  to  him, 

"  The  departure,"  says  Fatallah,  "  was  superb  to  witness.  The 
horsemen  before,  on  horses  of  high  pedigree  ;  women  on  howdahs  mag- 
nificently draped,  and  on  dromedaries,  surrouiuled  by  negro  slaves. 
Men,  loaded  with  2)rovisions,  Ave-re  running  throughout  the  caravan, 
calling  out :  '  Who  is  hungry  ?'  and  distributhig  bread,  dates,  etc. 
Every  three  hours  a  halt  was  mad(>,  to  take  cofiee ;  and  at  night  the 
tents  were  raised  as  if  by  enchantment.  We  foll<jwed  tlie  banks  of  the 
Euphrates,  whose  clear  Avaters  glcanu-d  like  silver  :  I  myself  was  mounted 
on  a  marc  of  jmre  blood  ;  and  the  whole  journey  appeared  like  a  tri- 
umphal march,  presenthig  a  strong  contrast  with  my  formev  passage  over 
the  same  countrv,  in  my  rags  and  with  mv  tortured  feet." 

They  soon  encamped  on  the  Damascus  territory,  and  kept  advancing 
westv/ard.  The  emir  received  a  threatening  letter  from  ^lehanna,  and 
rcjdiod  in  terms  of  defiance.  By  Fatallah's  advice  lie  sent  word  to  the 
neighboring  shekhs  that  he  had  come  to  free  tliem  iVoin  tlie  yoke  of  the 
Osmanlis,  Seven  out  of  ten  declared  for  hiui  and  came  and  encamped 
around  him.  Hearing  that  Mehaima  liad  sent  to  the  Turks  for  assist- 
ance, the  dr.'iyliy  inunediately  marched  out  his  forces  to  attack  him, 
aiul  "fained  a  l)rilliant  victorv.  In  a  few  davs  ^[clianna  retunu'd  with 
the  Turks,  but  in  their  encounters  the  advantage  was  on  the  side  of  the 
drayhy,  and  Nasser  fell  in  an  engagement  between  his  troops  and  those 
commanded  l)y  Zaher,  the  son  of  the  drayhy. 

As  tlicy  were  now  very  ju'ar  Corietain,  Fatallah  proposed  to  go  fur 
Sliekli  Btrahim,  whom  he  had  otlcn  spoken  i»f  as  his  master  and  supi'rior 
hi  wisdom,  when  tlie  emir  liad  iiraiscd  hiiu  for  his  sage  counsels.  The 
drayhy  accepted  the  oiler  with  eagenu'ss,  and  gave  Fatallah  a  stnmg 
escort.  Fatallah  Avas  overjoyed  at  again  seeing  M.  Lascaris,  and  spent 
the  night  in  relating  all  that  had  passed.     Next  day  they  returned  to 


1^'''' ™llilll 

i  m  :;;. 

MJiiiij.  |':jii 


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^ 


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1  _ 

■I,  . 
1'  ■ 

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il 


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il. 

Ni' 

■  il 

') 

1  ! 

448 


DE    LASCARIS'S    SECRET    MISSION. 


the  camp,  where  Shekh  Ibrahim  was  received  witli  the  highest  distmction 
by  the  emir. 

Soon  afterward  an  attack  of  the  Wahabces  cost  llio  drayhy  some 
horsemen  and  much  cattle.  Next  day  M.  Lascaris  told  Fatallah  that 
the  drayhy  was  just  the  man  lie  wanted,  but  that  it  was  indisjiensable  he 
should  become  the  chief  of  all  the  Bedouins  from  Aleppo  to  the  frontier 
of  India,  and  further  that  he  looked  to  Fatallah  to  arrange  the  matter, 
by  friendship,  by  threats,  or  by  artifice.  Fatallah  set  about  the  task 
imposed  ujjon  him  by  first  endeavoring  to  inspire  the  Bedouins  with  a 
high  idea  of  Shekh  Ibrahim ;  to  this  end  some  cheniical  experiments 
were  employed,  and  prophecies  were  conveyed  by  Fatallah  to  the 
drayhy,  concerning  his  future  greatness.  Tlie  peoi)le  began  to  regard 
Shekh  Ibrahim  as  a  superior  beiiig,  and  the  drayhy  made  him  and  Fa- 
tallah eat  with  his  wife  and  daughters-in-law,  in  the  interior  of  their  tent, 
instead  of  eating  with  strangers  in  the  rabha,  or  outer  apartment. 

Meanwhile  a  peddler  who  Avas  supplanted  by  the  strangers,  began  to 
calumniate  them  before  the  Bedouins,  beginning  with  the  women,  whom 
he  persuaded  that  they  were  magicians,  who  wished  to  transport  their 
daughters  to  a  far  country,  and  throw  a  spell  around  the  women  that 
they  might  have  no  more  children  ;  that  thus  the  race  of  Bedouins  would 
become  extinct  and  tlio  Frank  conquerors  take  possession  of  the  coun- 
try. They  soon  felt  the  efiects  of  this  ;  the  girls  fied  at  their  api)roach, 
the  women  called  them  opprobrious  names,  the  elderly  ones  threatened 
them.  At  length  these  intrigues  of  Absi  the  trader  were  discovered, 
and  the  drayhy  M'ould  have  put  him  to  death,  but  by  the  intercessions 
of  Shekh  Ibrahim  and  Abdallah  he  was  only  banished  from  the  tribe. 
lie  now  spread  wider  his  aspersions,  and  even  Avent  to  Damascus  with 
the  intelligence  that  two  Frank  sjjies  had  gained  the  confidence  of  the 
drayhy.  From  his  aspersions  Solyman  Pasha  sent  an  officer  to  the 
drayhy  with  a  threatening  letter  ordering  him  to  give  uj)  the  two  in- 
fidels to  his  officer,  that  they  might  be  taken  in  cliains  to  Damascus,  and 
publicly  executed.  The  drayhy  was  highly  incensed,  but  Fatallah  took 
him  aside  and  l)egged  permission  to  settle  the  aftair.  He  knew  that 
M.  Lascaris  had  married  a  Georgian  in  Egypt,  who  proved  to  be  a  cousin 
of  Solyman  Pasha,  and  that  subsequently  at  Acre  his  wife  had  made 
known  her  relationship  to  the  pasha,  and  was  loaded  by  him  with  kind- 
ness and  presents,  as  well  as  her  husband.  M.  Lascaris  therefore  Avrote 
to  Solyman  Pasha,  and  the  officer  returned  in  two  days  with  a  most 
friendly  answer,  and  another  to  the  drayhy,  recommending  his  well- 
beloved  friend,  the  great  Shekh  Ibrahim. 

The  drayhy  had  been  surnamed  the  exterminator  of  the  Turks,  from 
a  grand  victory,  gained  with  great  slaughter  over  the  Osnumlis  com- 
manded by  the  pasha  of  Bagdad.  From  this  and  many  other  achieve- 
ments which  M.  Lascaris  heard  of  him,  l;c  devoted  himself  more  and 
more  to  the  project  of  makhig  him  master  of  all  the  other  tribes.  The 
Wahubees  were  formidable  adversaries,  who  soon  afterward  fell  upon 


)ra 

im- 
,'t'- 
|nd 
rho 
loll 


RELIGION    OF    THE    BEDOUINS. 


449 


tlio  tribe  Waled  Ali,  and  spread  over  the  desert  to  subdue  the  Bedouins. 
Many  tribes,  alarmed,  Merc  about  to  submit,  when  M.  Lascaris  pcr- 
,siia<led  the  drayhy  to  take  the  field  and  declare  himself  the  protector  of 
the  oppressed. 

"  The  Wahabees  were  commanded  by  a  doughty  negro,  a  half-s"  vagc, 
whose  name  was  Abu-Nocta.  When  he  prepares  for  battle,  he  tal  3  off 
his  turban  .and  boots,  draws  up  his  sleeves  to  his  shoulders,  and  ivcs 
his  body  almost  naked,  which  is  of  prodigious  size  and  muscular  strength. 
His  head  and  chin,  never  being  shaved,  are  overshadowed  by  a  bushy 
head  of  hair  and  black  beard,  which  cover  his  entire  face,  his  eyes  gleam- 
ing beneath  the  shade.  His  whole  body,  too,  is  hairy,  and  affords  a 
sight  as  strange  as  it  is  frightful.  The  drayhy  came  up  to  him  three 
days  from  Palmyra,  at  a  spot  called  Heroualma.  The  battle  was  most 
obstinate  on  both  sides,  but  ended  in  the  flight  of  Abu-Nocta,  who  re- 
moved to  the  country  of  Nedjid,  leaving  two  hundred  slain  on  the  field 
of  battle.  The  drayhy  searched  out  among  the  spoils  all  that  had  been 
taken  from  the  tribe  Waled  Ali,  and  restored  it.  This  act  of  generosity 
still  further  attached  to  him  the  affection  of  the  other  tribes,  who  were 
coining  daily  to  put  themselves  under  his  protection.  The  report  of 
this  victory  gained  over  the  terrible  Abu-Nocta  was  disseminated  every- 
where. Solyman  Pasha  sent  the  conqueror  a  pelisse  of  honor,  and  a 
magnificent  saber,  with  his  congratulations.  Soon  after  this  exploit  we 
encamped  on  the  frontiers  of  Horan. 

"  One  day,  a  Turkish  mollah  arrived  a,t  the  drayhy's ;  he  wore  the 
largo  green  turban  that  distinguishes  the  descendants  of  Mohammed,  a 
white  flowing  robe,  his  eyes  blackened,  and  an  enormous  beard ;  ho 
wore  also  several  rows  of  chaplets,  and  an  inkstand  in  the  form  of  a 
dagger  at  his  belt.  He  rode  on  an  ass,  and  carried  in  his  hand  an  arrow. 
He  was  come  to  instill  his  fanaticism  into  the  Bedouins,  and  excite  in 
tiicni  a  great  zeal  for  the  religion  of  th(^  Prophet,  in  order  to  attach 
them  to  the  cause  of  the  Turks.  The  Bedouins  are  of  great  simplicity 
of  character,  and  remarkable  for  their  frankness.  They  do  not  under- 
stand differences  of  religion,  and  do  not  willingly  allow  them  to  be 
spoken  of.  They  are  deists;  they  invoke  the  protection  of  God  in  all 
the  events  of  lite,  and  refer  to  Hiiu  their  success  or  their  failures  with 
hiiiublc  resignation;  but  they  have  no  ceremonies  or  obligatory  ritual, 
and  make  no  dlstiiu'tiou  between  the  sects  of  Omar  and  of  Ali,  which 
divide  the  East.  They  never  inquired  what  was  our  religion.  We  told 
tlu'in  that  wo  were  (christians;  their  answer  was,  'AH  men  are  equal  in 
the  sight  of  (Jod,  and  are  His  creatures;  wo  have  no  right  to  hiquiro 
what  is  the  creed  of  other  men.'  " 

l''atallah,  after  visiting  Aleppo  to  procure  goods  and  supplies,  re- 
joined till-  tribe  on  the  banks  of  the  Euphrates,  The  chiefs  of  Bagdad 
and  Bassova  came  daily  to  congratulate  the*  drayhy  on  his  victory,  and 
to  make  acfpiaintance  with  Shekh  D)rahim,  Avhose  renown  had  reached 
thorn.    They  felt  indebted  to  luiu  for  having  counseled  the  war  against 


lilliif! 


i! 


I    ':i 


i 


t 


m 


If  ■■< 


»ijl 


ill' 


) 

1  ■: 

l^li'i! 


-hi; 


i  iiiiM '!' 


,  .., 


:    I 


450 


DE    LASCAUIS'S    SECRET    MISSION. 


the  Wahabcos,  whoso  rap.-icity  had  hccoain  intolerable ;  whose  kinr^, 
Ebn  Sihond,  took  the  tenth  of  their  flocks  and  theirnioney,  and  exacted 
ablutions  and  prayers  iivc  times  a-day,  on  ])ai!i  of  death.  A  treaty  was 
concluded  in  which  the  chiol's  bound  themselves  to  wage  a  war  of  cx- 
tcrmin.atiun  against  the  Wahabees,  to  obey  the  great  drayhy,  Ebn 
Clialillan,  and  to  listen  to  no  calumnies  against  Shekh  Ibrahim  and  Ab- 
dallah.  Couriers  wore  sent  to  other  tribes,  and  the  chiefs  mostly  signed 
the  treaty  Avillingly;  Avhile  many  who  at  first  objected  were  prevailed 
upon  by  Fatallah,  who  became  an  ellicient  diplomatist  of  the  drayhy. 

Al'ter  some  days  spent  in  festivities  they  passed  an  arm  of  the  Eu- 
phrates and  encamped  near  the  tribe  of  El  Cherarah,  celebrated  for  its 
courage,  and  also  for  its  ignorance  and  obstinacy.  A  friendship  existed 
between  its  chief,  Abed,  and  the  minister  of  king  Ebn  Sihoud,  and  ho 
accordingly  refused  to  join  the  alliance.  Saheix  Avas  sent  out  with  live 
himdred  men  to  attack  him,  and  lie  returned  in  three  days  with  one 
hundred  and  forty  camels  and  other  booty  ;  a  few  men  were  killed,  but 
a  great  number  wounded  on  both  sides. 

Abed  collected  his  allies  and  the  war  daily  bccami'  more  serious. 
The  encampment  of  the  drayhy  bi'ing  now  at  some  distance  from  the  river, 
the  Avomen  were  obliged  to  bring  water  on  camels,  and  on  the  third  day 
eight  himdred  of  the  camels  Avere  carried  off  by  the  enemy.  To  avt  nge 
this  outrage  the  drayhy  adAanci'd  rajiidly  on  tiie  tribe  of  Cherarah,  and 
after  marching  a  day  and  a  haltj  pitched  ten  thousand  tents  near  the 
camp  of  Abed.  A  bloody  battle  seemed  inevitable,  but  Fatallah  re- 
solved to  prevent  it  if  possible,  Knowin-r  that  the  Jjcdouins  hold 
women  in  great  resjxct,  .and  consult  them  on  all  their  plans,  he  visited 
Arcpiia  the  M'ife  of  8hekh  Abed,  who  was  a  \'ery  superior  woman,  and 
by  dint  of  compliments  and  j)reseiits  led  lier  on  to  the  subject  of  the 
war,  and  incidentally  explained  to  her  the  advantages  of  an  alliance  with 
the  drayhy.  Meanwhile  her  husband  returned  to  the  camp  and  sent 
orders  to  Arquia  igiiominiously  to  dismiss  the  spy,  as  the  rites  of  hospi- 
tality would  prevciit  him  from  taking  vengeance.  She  hauglitily  n'fused, 
and  in  the  end  prevailed  on  Abed  to  listen  to  the  proposals  of  Fatallah. 
A  few  days  afle!  ward  he  set  his  seal  to  the  treaty  and  exchanged  the 
camels  taken  in  the  war. 

Having  come  near  IJagdad,  M.  Lascaris  R(>cretly  repaired  thitherto 
the  French  consul,  to  negotiate  for  a  largo  sum  of  money.  After  cross- 
ing the  Tigris,  they  learned  that  a  sanguinary  war  was  raging  between 
the  Bedouins,  wlio  took  part  for  or  against  the  alliance.  They  pusluMl 
on,  and  on  reaching  the  frontiers  of  Persia  met  a  messenger  from  the 
chief,  Dehass,  who  demanded  the  assistance  of  the  drayhy  against  ene- 
mies numbering  fifteen  thousand  tents.  They  were  six  days  distant 
from  this  tribe,  but  by  marching  day  and  night,  without  halting  to  eat, 
they  accomplished  the  distance  in  thri'c;  days.  The  greatest  fatigue  fell  on 
the  women,  v  ho  were  obliged  to  make  the  bread,  and  milk  the  camels,  with- 
out delayhig  the  caravan.  Fatallah  thus  describes  this  ambulatory  kitchen : 


<•  I 


INCURSION    INTO    PERSIA. 


451 


"  At  certain  regulated  distances  women  were  placed,  who  were  em- 
ployed without  relaxation.  The  lirst,  mounted  on  a  camel  laden  with 
wheat,  had  a  hand-mill  before  her.  The  corn  once  j^round,  she  passed 
the  meal  to  her  neighbor,  whose  business  it  was  to  knead  it  with  water, 
carried  in  budgets  suspendetl  on  the  sides  oi'her  camel.  The  dough  was 
then  handed  to  a  third  woman,  who  baked  it  in  the  form  of  cakes  on  a 
chafing-dish,  with  charcoal  and  straw.  These  cakes  she  distributed  to 
the  division  of  warriors,  whose  food  slie  was  charged  to  provide,  and 
who  came  every  minute  to  demand  tlieir  portion. 

"  Other  women  walked  beside  the  camels  to  milk  them  into  ca/ia/i.t, 
— wooden  ])ails,  containing  four  litres  :  these  were  passed  from  hand  to 
hand  to  >lake  the  thirst  of  the  troops.  The  camels  ate  as  they  marched, 
from  bags  hung  round  their  necks ;  id  when  their  riders  wished  to 
sleej),  they  lay  at  their  length  on  the  camels,  their  feet  secured  in  the 
sacks  to  protect  them  from  falling.  TIk?  slow  and  measured  step  of  the 
camels  invites  to  sleep,  and  I  luue  never  slept  better  than  on  this 
march." 

Next  day  a  h  tter  was  sent  to  the  five  hostile!  chiefs,  but  their  reply 
being  warlike,  Fatallah  was  dispatchecl  with  presents.  With  but  a 
single  guide  he  had  nearly  reached  the  tent  of  jMohdi  when  the  ad- 
vanced guard  rushed  upon  them,  stripped  them  of  every  thing,  and  lell 
them  upon  the  burning  sand  in  chains.  Soon  allerward  the  perfidious 
Absi  apjtroached  Fatallah,  spit  in  his  fiiee,  and  insulted  him  with  threiit- 
ening  words,  then  Avithdrew  to  fxcite  the  Uedouins,  who  came,  men, 
women,  and  children,  to  overwh(>liu  him  with  outrages.  Toward  the 
evening  of  the  second  day  a  young  jnan  came  uj)  and  drove  away  the 
children,  and  afterward  brought  sonu"  food.  In  the  night  he  loosed  his 
fetters,  and  Fatallah  returned  to  his  friends.  The  battle  raged  with  fury 
two  days,  after  which  the  two  armies  lay  facing  each  other  inactive.  On 
the  third  day  of  truce  the  chief  Saker  came  with  a  single  attendant  to 
the  camp  of  the  drayhy,  to  ransom  his  son,  Avho  Avas  among  the  prison- 
ers. His  jM'esenco  led  to  ex])lanations,  the  calunmics  of  Absi  were  ro 
niovcil,  and  he  ended  by  signing  the  treaty.  31.  Lasearis  told  him  their 
intention  was  to  open  a  passage  from  the  coasts  of  Syria  to  the  frontiers 
of  India,  to  an  army  of  a  hundred  thousand  men,  under  a  powerfid  con- 
queror, who  Would  rtlievi!  the  '.iedouins  from  the  yoke  of  the  Turks,  re- 
store to  them  the  sovereignty  of  the  country,  and  o[)en  to  them  the  treas- 
ures of  India,  lie  also  exjilained  that  the  reti<iious  fanatieism  of  the 
king  of  the  Wahabcc-i  would  counteract  their  plans,  as  his  love  of  do- 
minion, whieii  had  ahvady  inad(>  him  master  of  Yemen,  3Ieeea,  and  Me- 
dina, would  extend  his  ])retenMons  to  Syria.  Saker  entered  fully  into 
these  views,  and  promised  to  ust!  all  his  inlluence  with  the  other  tribes. 
It  was  agreed  that  he  should  be  chief  of  the  IJedouins  of  the  country 
they  were  now  in,  as  tlie  drayhy  was  of  those  of  Syria  ami  ^lesopota- 
mia.  Next  day  ho  sent  word  that  the  chieli  Mohdi  and  Duakhry  no 
longer  opposed  their  projects. 


1.1 


:;■    . ; 

1 

.-.1 

i 

ill 

11 


t'j 


'I.  1 


fi'l 


IM 


!! 


'     !  t' 


i  I   ! 


i 


II  )i 


if." 


n : 

•    ,  :■ 

f 

i     'i 

^^ 

'     1 
1  . 

452 


DE    LASCARIS'S    SECRKT    MISSION. 


M.  Lascaris  deferrod  the  projoct  of  pushing  on  to  ISk.  ''onlicrs  of  In- 
dia, until  tiie  fbllowinj^  year,  when  tho  Sakor  wouUl  ha. .,  'ad  *'nu'  to 
prepare  the  tribes  to  second  him.  After  a  few  days  tho  a-  ny  returned 
to  Mesopotamia.  As  they  continued  their  journey  thoy  learned  that  tho 
tribe  of  El  C/ulfa  was  encamped  at  Zualma,  and  Fatallah,  with  an  escort 
of  six  men  on  dromedaries,  was  sent  to  negotiate  with  Jassem,  its  shekh. 
They  arrived  .at  the  spot  in  three  days,  but  found  no  traces  of  the  camp. 
They  now  w.'vndered  three  entire  d.ays  without  finding  either  w.iter  or 
fooil,  :ind  Falallah's  strength  was  failing,  when  his  companions  descried 
a  well,  and  with  a  cry,  darted  forward.  Fatallali  fell  to  the  ground  in 
desp.'iir,  and  his  companions  had  to  return  to  assist  hira.  "  At  length," 
he  writes,  "  we  arrived  at  the  well,  and  one  of  them  leaning  over  the 
parapet,  drew  his  saber,  declaring  he  would  cut  off  the  head  of  the  first 
m.'ui  who  dared  .'ipproach.  '  Be  governed  by  my  experience,'  said  he, 
'or  you  will  all  perish.'  Tho  authoritative  tone  he  assumed  liad  its 
effect  upon  us,  .ind  we  all  obeyed  in  silence.  lie  called  us  one  by  one., 
begiimiiig  with  me,  and  made  us  first  li'an  over  the  margin  of  the  well 
to  inh.ale  some  of  its  moisture.  Then  drawing  a  small  quantity  of  water, 
lie  wetted  our  lips  with  his  fingers ;  by  degrees  he  allowed  us  to  drink 
a  few  drops,  then  a  small  cup  full ;  and  having  pursued  this  rational 
treatment  for  throe  hours,  he  said,  '  You  may  now  drink  without  risk  ; 
but  if  you  h.ad  not  listened  to  me,  you  would  have  been  all  dead  men  ; 
for  drinking  Avithout  precaution,  after  long  privation,  is  certain  destruc- 
tion.' We  jiassed  the  niglit  on  this  spot,  drinking  continually,  as  much 
for  nourishment  as  to  slake  our  thirst,  which,  notwithstanding  this  indulg- 
ence, seemed  insatiable." 

Afler  some  time  they  discovered  the  tribo  they  were  in  quest  of,  and 
being  kindly  received  by  Jassem,  Fatallah  accomplished  his  mission 
satisthctorily,  and  returned  to  the  drayhy,  Fatallah,  having  learned 
that  Mehanna  el  Fadel  had  formed  a  coalition  against  the  drayhy,  per- 
suaded ]\[.  Lascaris  to  consult  the  Pasha  Solyman,  at  Damascus.  They  re- 
paired thither  and  obtained  a  firman  requiring  the  governors  of  Horns  and 
llama  to  respect  and  obey  the  Drayhy  Ebn  Chahllan,  supreme  chief  of 
the  Desert  of  Damascus.  Meanwhile  Mehanna  advanced  nearer,  certain 
of  the  co-operation  of  the  Osmanlis  ;  but  the  drayhy  sent  the  pasha's  fir- 
man to  Iloms  and  llama,  and  the  two  governors  placed  their  troops  at 
his  disposal,  declaring  ]\Iehanna  a  traitor  for  calling  on  the  Wuhabees, 
the  most  inexorable  enemies  of  the  Turks.  Mehanna  made  preparations 
for  the  struggle,  and  sent  his  son  Fares  to  Horns  for  assistance  which 
had  iiroviously  been  promised  by  the  governor,  but  the  latter  threw 
Faros  in  prison,  and  Mehanna,  dismayed,  found  himself  precipitated  from 
the  supreme  command,  and  obliged,  not  only  to  submit  to  the  drayhy, 
but  even  to  solicit  his  protection  against  the  Turks.  The  drayhy  at  first 
refused  to  accept  the  submission  of  Mehanna,  until  M.  Lascaris  inter- 
posed in  his  behalf.     Fatallah  thus  relates  their  reconciliation : 

"The  drayhy  yielding  at  last,  the  p.lncipal  men  of  the  tribe  marched 


MILITARY    CAMKLS. 


453 


forward  to  meet  Meh.inna,  an  attention  duo  to  liis  years  and  rank.  As 
Boon  as  lie  alighted,  the  drayliy  assigned  Jiini  the  sttut  of  lionor  in  the 
corner  of  tiie  tent,  and  orderi'd  eollee  to  bo  brought.  Alehanna  liere- 
upon  rose :  '  I  will  drink  none  of  thy  cotVoo,'  said  he,  '  till  wo  sliall  bu 
completely  reconciled,  and  liavc  buried  the  seven  stones.'  At  these 
words  the  drayhy  also  rose;  they  drew  and  mutually  jircsented  their 
sabers  to  be  kissed ;  after  whicih  they  embracied,  and  the  example  was 
followed  by  tlieir  attendants,  Mehanna  with  liis  lance  made  an  opening 
in  the  ground,  in  the  center  of  the  tent,  about  a  foot  in  depth  ;  and 
cl  oosing  seven  small  stones,  he  said  to  the  drayhy,  '  In  the  name  of  the 
God  of  peace,  for  your  guaranty  and  mine,  we  thus  for  ever  l)ury  our 
discord,'  As  the  stones  were  cast  into  the  hole,  tl»e  two  sheklis  threw 
earth  over  them,  an<I  trod  it  down  with  tlujir  feet ;  the  women  signaliz- 
ing the  ceremony  with  deafening  shouts  of  joy  :  at  its  termination  the 
chiefs  resumed  thiar  seats,  and  cotfee  was  served.  From  that  moment 
it  was  no  hmger  allowa])le  to  revert  to  the  past,  or  to  mention  war.  I 
Avas  assured  that  a  reconciliation,  to  be  according  to  rule,  ought  always 
to  be  solemnized  in  this  form," 

Their  united  forces  amounted  to  seven  thousand  and  six  himdred 
tents,  and  the  drayhy  now  became  chief  of  all  the  liedouins  of  Syria. 
Saker  went  to  Iloms  to  solicit  the  deliverance  of  P'ares,  whom  lie  brought 
back  attired  in  robes  of  honor,  to  take  part  in  the  general  rejoicing. 

Some  days  afterward  the  drayhy  marched  against  the  Wahabocs, 
Avho  were  l>esieging  Palmyra,  and  encountered  them  at  El  Duah,  with- 
out coming  to  a  pitched  battle,  "  Here,"  says  Fatallah,  "  I  had  leisure 
to  appreciate  the  advantage  of  the  tnardoujfs  in  these  wars  of  the  des- 
ert, in  which  it  is  always  necessary  to  carry  about  the  commissariat  of 
the  army,  and  often  for  a  considerable  time.  These  camels,  mounted 
each  by  two  soldiers,  are  like  moving  fortresses,  provisioned  with  every 
tiling  necessary  for  the  nourishment  and  defense  of  their  riders.  A 
budget  of  water,  a  sack  of  ilour,  and  another  of  dried  dates,  a  jar  of 
sheep's  butter,  and  the  munitions  of  war,  are  formed  into  a  sort  of 
square  tower  on  the  animal's  back.  The  men,  conveniently  placed  on 
each  side  on  seats  composed  of  cordage,  thus  carry  with  them  every 
thmg  of  which  their  temperate  habits  have  need.  When  they  are 
hungry,  they  knead  a  little  of  the  meal  with  butter,  and  eat  it  in  that 
state  without  baking  ;  a  few  dates  and  a  small  quantity  of  water  com- 
pleting their  moderate  repast :  nor  do  they  quit  their  post  to  sleej),  but 
throw  themselves  across  the  camel  in  the  manner  I  have  already  de- 
scribed," The  next  day's  engagi^rnent  was  more  serious,  and  on  the  third 
the  enemy  fled,  leaving  the  drayhy  in  possession  of  the  field.  Having 
no  longer  any  enemies  to  fear  in  the  Syrian  Desert,  M.  Lascaris  M-ent  to 
Homs  to  buy  merchandize  and  write  to  Europe.  They  at  length  set  out 
to  return,  and  at  night  their  guides  persuaded  them  not  to  halt  till  they 
had  completed  the  journey.  In  crossing  a  mountain  at  midnight,  Fa- 
tallah's  horse  lost  its  footing,  and  he  was  hurled  down  a  treraendoua 


ff.1 


',, 


M 


11: 


t     li:' 


t  1: 


l,|li.,l:: 


I     • 


454 


DE    LASCARIS'S    SECRET    MISSION. 


He 


ickcfl 


precipice.  Jle  was  picked  up  insensil)le,  but  life  was  not  quite  extinct, 
and  though  liis  recovery  was  despaired  of  for  two  or  three  months,  lio 
was  finally  restored  to  tolerable  health. 

The  drayliy  was  obliged  to  pursue  liis  migrations  eastward,  and  M. 
Lascaris  remained  with  Fatallah.  Ten  months  passed  away,  and  another 
spring  had  come,  when  a  courier  announced  to  them  the  approach  of 
the  lieilouins.  In  a  few  days  they  rejoined  the  drayhy,  Avho  was  over- 
j(tyed  at  the  recovery  of  Fat.'dlah.  It  was  now  ref»orted  that  the  Waha- 
l)ees,  who  intended  the  coiupiest  of  Syria,  Avere  approaching  with  a 
fbunidable  army,  which  sj)read  terror  and  devastation  everywhere  on 
its  j)assage.  The  drayhj'^  requi-sted  auxiliary  troops  of  the  Pasha  of 
Damascus,  and  "  while  waiting  lor  the  expecteil  reinforcements,"  says 
Fatallah,  "he  caused  a  solemn  declaration  of  war  to  be  made,  according 
to  the  custom  of  the  liedouins  on  very  jtarticular  occasions,  in  the  fol- 
lowing form:  A  white  female  camel  was  selected,  and  bl.ackened  all 
over  with  soot  and  oil;  reins  made  of  black  hair  were  then  put  over 
her,  and  she  was  mounted  by  a  young  maidi-n  dressed  in  black,  witli 
her  face  .ami  hands  also  blackened.  Ten  men  led  lier  fnmi  triljc  to 
tribe,  and  on  reaching  each  she  proclaimed  aloud  three  times — '  Succor! 
succor!  succor!  Which  of  you  will  make  this  camel  white  ?  she  is  a 
reli(^  from  the  tent  of  the  dravhy  menaciuir  ruin.  V\v,  flv,  noble  and 
generous  defenders  !  The  Wahabees  an;  coming  !  they  will  carry  away 
your  allies  .'ir.d  your  brothers :  all  you  who  hear  me,  address  yourjjraj  ..-g 
to  the  prophets  IMohammed  and  Ali,  the  first  and  the  last !' 

"  Saying  which,  sh(f  distributed  among  the  tribe  handfiils  of  black 
hair,  and  litters  from  the  drayhy,  indicating  the  place  of  rendezvous  on 
the  banks  of  the  Orontes." 

The  camp  of  the  drayhy  was  soon  augmented  by  the  coalition  of 
thirty  tribes,  and  the  I'asha  of  Damascus  sent  his  nephew  Ibrahim  Pasha 
with  ten  thousand  men  to  llama,  there  ttt  wait  for  other  troops  from 
Acre  and  Aleppo.  "When  they  had  met,  tlie  drayhy  and  Ibrahim  I'asha, 
assisted  by  Fatallah,  arranged  their  j)lan  of  defense.  In  two  days  the 
eiuniy  appeared  and  «'stablished  their  earnj*,  composed  of  fitly  tribes 
and  seventy-five  thousand  tents,  at  one  liour's  distance  from  tlie  allies. 

"Ibrahim  Pasha,"  continues  Fatallah,  "was  in  consternation,  and 
sent  in  great  liaste  in  search  of  the  drayhy,  who,  having  succe<'ded  in 
reanimating  his  courage  a  little,  returned  to  the  camp,  to  order  tho 
necessary  entrenchments.  I'or  this  purpose  all  tlie  <-amels  were  .nssera- 
bled,  bound  togetlier  by  their  knees,  and  jilaced  in  double  files  in  front 
of  the  tents ;  and,  to  complete  the  rampart,  a  trench  was  dug  behind 
them.  The  enemy  on  liis  jiart  di<l  the  same,  ami  the  drayhy  ordered 
the  llatfi'  to  be  prepared.  This  singular  ceremony  consists  in  selecting 
the  most  beautiful  among  the  Hetlouin  girls,  to  be  placed  in  a  hoiidah, 
richly  ornanientetl,  borne  by  a  tall  white  camel.  The  choice  of  tho 
maiden  wIk)  is  destiiu'il  to  occu])y  this  honorable  but  ])erilous  |)ost  is  very 
important,  for  the  succesa  of  the  battle  dependa  almost  entirely  u|>on 


< 


L_ 


'|i(l 


II 


WMi 


DKFEAT    OP    THE    V/ All  AB  K  ES. 


455 


her.  Placed  opposite  to  the  onemy,  and  surroumlod  l)y  tlio  bravest  war- 
riors,  it  is  her  duty  to  oxrito  them  to  the  combat:  the  inim-ipal  action 
always  takes  place  around  her,  and  prodigies  of  valor  defend  her.  All 
would  be  hist  ^hould  the  halfe  fall  into  the  enemy's  hands  ;  and,  toiivoid 
HO  irrepanible  a  misfortune,  lialf  the  army  must  always  bo  statioiu'd  about 
luT.  Warriors  succeed  each  other  on  this  j)oint,  where  the  battle  is 
always  hottest,  and  each  comes  to  gather  enthusiasm  from  lier  looks. 
A  girl  named  Arkia,  uniting  in  an  eminent  degree  courage,  elocpience, 
and  beauty,  was  chosen  for  our  Jiatle.  The  enemy  also  jjrepared  his, 
and  the  battle  soon  allerward  commenced." 

After  several  days  of  severe  lighting,  during  which  the  drayhy's  for<T8 
Kuilered  heavy  loss,  ;v  lust,  desperate  ellbrt  was  made,  resulting  in  the 
total  defeat  of  tin-  Wahabees.  The  drayhy  made  a  triumphal  entnince 
into  Hama,  escorteil  by  tl"  chiefs  of  the  allied  tribes,  and  was  received 
ill  a  splendid  manner  l)y  the  governor  and  the  agas. 

Kvery  day  trilies  arrived  from  the  Xedji<l  country,  deserting  the 
Wahabees  to  Juin  the  <bayhy  ;  sinne  attracted  by  his  extraordinary 
rei»utation,  others  driven  by  dissensions  with  King  Kbn  8ihoud.  ^I. 
l.ascaris  now  saw  his  hopes  realized  beyond  his  most  sanguine  anticipa- 
tions ;  but  so  long  as  :niy  thing  remained  to  be  done  he  allowed  hini- 
pclf  no  rest  ;  they  therefore  crossed  tli(>  Tigris  and  entered  Persia. 
Here  the  f;ime  of  the  drayhy  had  pncedi'd  him,  and  the  tribes  of  the 
country  c;inie  to  fraternize  with  him,  but  as  M.  Liiscaris  required  the 
cD-operalioH  of  t!ie  gi'cat  jirince,  chiff  of  ;iU  tin.'  Persian  tribes,  the 
Kmir  Sahid  el  l><»khraiii,  whose  connuaml  extends  to  the  frontiers  of 
India,  they  prolonged  their  journey  lo  meet  him.  They  dispatcln'd 
cduriers  to  notify  tin-  emir  of  tlieir  a|)proacli,  and  he  came  t(»  meet  them 
at  the  lieail  of  a  t'ormidable  army.  They  were  at  tirst  intimidali'd,  but 
he  receive<l  them  cordiallv,  eiiteri'd  readilv  into  their  views,  and  fully 
imderstoo'l  the  importance  of  the  commercial  intercourse  tlu'y  were 
desirous  of  establishing  with  India.  He  promised  them  the  co-operation 
of  all  the  trilu'S  of  Persia  lunhr  his  doujinion,  ami  entered  into  a  dis- 
tinct treaty  with  them. 

They  retnriu'(l  by  forced  marches,  .iiid  on  arriving  in  Syria,  re- 
ceived a  courier  from  tln^  king  of  the  Wahabees,  who  brought  a  little 
piece  of  paper  alntut  three  lingers  mi  breadth,  and  twice  as  long.  On 
this  was  a  long  and  imperio\is  letter,  concluding  with  a  command  to 
come  and  see  him  without  fear.  On  the  n ption  of  this  letter,  a  coun- 
cil of  war  was  held,  !uid  alb'r  having  deliberately  weighed  the  perils  of 
the  journey  ;igainst  the  advantages  (»f  the  alliance,  tlu!  «lr!iyhy  deter- 
mined to  comply  with  the  authoritative  invitation.  Ho  accordingly  set 
out  with  a  small  retinue,  accompanied  iiy  Fatallah. 

In  a  [\'\v  days,  they  overtook  a  tribe  of  Wahabees,  frojti  whom  they 
Were  caret'ul  to  «'oiweal  their  pipes,  for  Kim  Sihoud  prohibited  smoking, 
and  iiunishecl  any  infra«'tion  of  iiis  laws  with  death.  Thev  noon  reaclu-tl 
the  Nedjitl,  a  country  intersected  with  mountains  and  valleys,  studded 


f        I    il         ; 


ii. 


L'i 


f    :.(?i 


i  i!i 


B 


\^ 


in 


i  -I 

U 


H 


W^\ 


456 


DK    LASCARIS'3    SECRET    MISSION. 


with  nomad  camps,  and  abounding  in  towns  and  villages,  the  former  of 
which  appear  to  be  very  ancient,  and  attest  a  former  population  much 
richer  and  more  numerous  than  that  by  wliich  they  are  now  occupied. 
The  villages  are  peopled  with  Bedouui  husbandmen  ;  and  the  soil  pro- 
duces corn,  table  vegetables,  and  dates,  in  abundance. 

"At  length,"  continues  Fatallah,  'after  fourteen  days'  journey,  at 
the  pace  of  our  dromedaries,  which  may  bo  reckoned  at  triple  the  dis- 
tance traversed  by  a  caravan  in  the  same  space;  of  time,  we  arrived  in 
the  capital  of  the  Wahabees.  The  city  is  surrounded  and  concealed  by 
a  wood  of  j)alms,  called  the  palm-trees  of  Darkisch,  which  serves  it  as  a 
ramjiart,  and  is  so  thickly  planted  as  scarcely  to  admit  the  ))assage  of  a 
horseman  between  the  trunks  of  the  trees.  Having  made  our  way 
through  these,  we  came  to  a  second  barriiT,  composed  of  little  hillocks 
of  date-stones,  resembling  a  bank  of  small  pebbles,  and  behind  it  the 
town-wall,  along  which  we  rode  to  the  entrance-gate,  and,  ])as.sing 
through  it,  soon  reached  the  king's  palace,  a  large  edifice  of  two  stories, 
built  of  white  hewn  stones. 

"  Ebn  Sihoud,  on  being  informed  of  our  arrival,  ordered  us  to  be  ush- 
ered into  an  elegant  and  well-furnished  apartment,  where  a  jdentiful  re- 
past was  set  before  us.  Tliis  beginning  seemed  to  augur  well,  and  wo 
congratulated  ourselves  upon  not  having  yielded  to  the  susj)icions  which 
had  been  suggested  to  us.  The  same  night,  having  suitably  attired  our- 
selves, we  were  presented  to  the  lang ;  whom  we  found  to  be  about  for- 
ty-five years  of  age,  with  a  harsh  countenance,  a  bronzed  complexion, 
and  a  very  black  beard.  lie  Mas  dressed  in  a  robe  fastened  roiuid  the 
loins  by  a  wliite  sash,  a  Ktrij)ed  turban  of  red  and  Avhite  on  his  head,  and 
a  black  embroidered  mniitle  thrown  over  his  left  shonlder,  holding  in  his 
right  hand  the  scepter  of  the  king  of  Mahlab,  the  ensign  of  his  authority. 
He  was  seated,  surrounded  by  the  grandees  of  his  court,  at  the  extremity 
of  a  large  audience-chamber,  richly  furnished  with  mats,  carpets,  and 
cushions.  The  draperies,  as  well  as  the  king's  habiliments,  were  of  cot- 
ton, or  the  wool  of  Yemen — silk  being  proliibited  in  his  donnnions,  to- 
gether with  every  thing  that  would  recall  the  luxury  or  customs  of  the 
Turks.'» 

Ebn  Sihoud  greeted  them  coldly,  and  when,  after  a  long  silence,  the 
drayhy  opened  the  conlerence,  he  liercely  replie<l  in  a  series  of  charges 
against  him,  and  growing  more  and  more  exasperated  as  he  spoke,  con- 
cluded by  ordering  them  to  leave  his  presence,  and  await  his  pleasure. 
The  drayhy's  eyes  flashed,  and  his  nostrils  dilatcid,  but  recollecting  him- 
self, he  slowly  retired.  For  two  days  and  nights  they  remained  in  tlu-ir 
apartment,  hearing  and  seeing  nothing.  On  the  third  day,  the  drayhy 
sent  a  message  to  the  king;  his  only  reply  was  the  sight  of  twenty-fivo 
arnu'd  negroes,  who  ranged  themselves  belore  the  door.  Ag;iin  he  sent 
to  Kbn  Sihoud,  demanding  the  right  to  speak  to  him.  The  Waliabeo 
granted  an  audience,  but  lell  them  standing,  and  without  responding  to 
their  greeting,  roughly  asked  what  they  wiuUed.    The  drayhy  replied 


THE    KING    OP    THE    WAUABEES. 


457 


L. 


^\-ith  dignity,  saying  that  on  the  strength  of  his  i)ronuscs,  ho  had  come 
with  only  ten  men  while  commanduig  thousands  of  warriors :  he  might 
crush  tiiem  like  ashes,  but  from  the  frontier  of  India  to  the  frontier  of 
Nedjid,  in  Per  ia,  in  Biissora,  in  Mesopotamia,  Ilernad,  the  two  Syrias, 
Galilee,  and  lioran,  every  man  who  wore  the  kat\an  would  take  ven- 
geance for  his  death.  He  appealed  to  liis  honor,  to  restore  him  to  his 
country,  and  openly  contend  with  him,  and  continued  his  remarks  with 
assurances  that  his  death  would  not  diminish  his  tribe,  nor  extinguisli 
the  race  of  Cholan,  The  king  gradually  calmed  himself  after  this  ha- 
rangue, and  said:  "Go  in  peace;  nothing  but  good  will  happen  to  you." 

Next  day,  Ebn  Sihoud  sent  for  them,  and  received  them  very  gra- 
ciously, and  presently  asked  the  drayhy  about  the  persons  who  accom- 
panied him.  Fatallah  trembled,  for  he  knew  tlie  prejudices  of  the  Wa- 
habee.  When  the  drayhy  named  him,  the  king,  turning  toward  him, 
said  :  "  You  are,  then,  Abdalluh,  the  Christian  ?"  On  liis  answering  in 
the  affirmative,  the  king  contituied  :  "I  sec  that  your  actions  are  much 
greater  than  your  st.ature."  After  some  fiu'ther  remark  ■,  he  diinanded 
the  object  of  the  alliance  they  had  been  laboring  so  many  years  io  ac- 
comphsh.  Fatallah  stated  the  desire  of  uniting  all  the  l»ed(Miins  of  Syria 
under  the  commaiul  of  the  drayhy  to  resist  the  power  of  the  Turks  ;  that 
they  had  fought  against  the  armies  of  Ebn  Sihoud  at  I  Ian, a,  <iinply  be- 
cause they  were  an  obstacle  to  their  jirojects.  They  wen-  laboring  ibr 
the  drayhy ;  his  j)ower  (mce  established  in  Syria,  Mesopotamia,  and  to 
the  contines  of  Persia,  they  wi're  willing  to  enter  into  alliance  with  the 
king,  and  bi'come  invuliu'rable  in  the  ])ossession  of  entire  liberty.  For 
this  purpose  they  liad  now  conu-,  and  had  jjroved  tlu'  siiu-erity  of  their 
int<ntion3.  The  king's  eountejianee  eleari'd  up  as  Fatallah  sjioke,  and 
when  he  had  ceased,  he  expressed  his  satisflu-tion.  Then  turning  to  his 
slaves,  he  ordere<l  (forr  cujis  of  eott'ee,  which,  among  the  lledouins,  is  a 
mark  of  the  highest  consideration.  The  rest  of  the  visit  ])assed  olf  well, 
and  they  retired  well  satisfied. 

"So  delighted  was  I  witli  the  recovery  "''tiy  liberty,"  says  Fatallah, 
"that  I  spent  all  the  next  <lay  in  .\alking  ihont  i.nd  visiting  every  part 
of  Darkisch  and  its  environs.  Tin  (own.  iniiit  cf  white  stoni',  eont:iins 
Bcven  thousand  inh.abitants,  almost  all  kinsmen,  mini'^lers,  or  generals  of 
Ebn  Sihoud.  No  artizans  are  f<)unf'  tlii>n\  The  only  trades  exercised 
in  the  town  are  those  of  armorers  aini  farriers,  r.nd  few  persons  are  en- 
paged  even  in  them.  Nothing  is  to  be  pun-hased,  ni>t  even  food,  for 
which  «'very  one  depe'ids  on  his  own  means — that  is  to  say,  upon  an 
estate  or  garden,  proilucing  corn,  vcgetabhis,  and  fruits,  and  .airording 
nonrislunent  to  a  few  fowls.  Their  numerous  herd>  browse  in  the  plain; 
and  every  Wednesday  the  inhabit.ints  of  Yemen  and  .Mecca  asseiiil)le  to 
exchange  their  mercliandise  for  cattle  ;  a  species  olfiir,  which  forms  t)i(5 
sole  commerce  of  the  cour.lry.  The  W(  men  appear  uiuailed,  but  throw 
their  black  mantles  over  their  iiices — a  very  disgracet'u'  custom:  they 
are  generally  ugly  and  excessively  dark-cumplexioned.     The  gardens, 


H 


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! 


l\ 


m 


\\ 


•  "I 


•ill 


\ 

i.h. 

1 

I 
J 
1 

]'^::: 

il! 


I'i'l 


Hi 


458 


DE    LASCARIS'S    SECRET    MISSION. 


fiituatod  in  .1  channinif  valloy  ncai-  tlio  town,  on  llio  opposite  side  to  that 
by  Mliioli  w'c  liad  entered,  produce!  tlic  iinost  fruits  in  tho  world — 
bananas,  oranges,  itomcjiranatt-s,  ligs,  apples,  melons,  etc.,  intenuixed 
with  barley  and  niaizo — and  are  carel'uliy  watered. 

"Tho  next  mornitig,  the  king  again  sunnuoncd  ns  to  him,  received 
lis  A'ery  graciously,  and  (piestioned  me  closely  respecting  the  various 
European  sovereigtis,  especially  Napoleon,  for  whom  he  testified  great 
admiration.  Nothing  dehghted  hun  so  much  as  tho  recital  of  the  em- 
peror's conrpiests  ;  and  liajipily  my  frequent  intercourse  with  M.  Lascaris 
had  fin'nished  mo  with  many  ditails  to  entertain  liim  ^nth.  At  tho 
account  of  every  battle,  he  would  exclaim — 'Surely  this  man  is  an  einis- 
.saryof  (led*  T  am  jK'rsuaded  lie  must  be  in  hitimato  communion  Mith 
his  Creator,  since  he  is  thus  singularly  fiuored.'  His  affability  toward  mo 
having  gradually  but  rapidly  increased,  lu^  suddenly  changed  the  subject 
of  conversation,  and  said  at  la>^t,  '  Abdallah,  I  desire  to  hear  the  truth 
from  von  :  what  is  tho  basis  of  ChristianitvV'  Aware;  of  the  Wahabee's 
prejudices,  T  tr  'ml)led  at  this  question  ;  but  mentally  ])rayiiig  l<jr  Divino 
inspn-ation,  'Th  ■  basis  of  all  religion,  O  S(»n  of  SihoudI'  I  said,  'is  belief 
in  (io<l.  The  C.iristians  deem,  as  yon  do,  that  there  is  one  only  God, 
the  Creator  of  the  nniverse  ;  who  punishes  the  wicked,  jjardons  tho  peni- 
tent, and  recomjienses  the  good ;  that  He  aloiu'  is  great,  merciful, 
•and  almighty.'  '  Very  well,' said  he;  'but  how  do  you  pray?'  I  re- 
peated the  Patrr-nnstcr;  he  made  Iiis  secretary  M'rite  at  my  dictation, 
read  antl  re-read  it,  antl  placed  it  inside  his  vest ;  then,  pursuing  his  in- 
terrogaliiry,  asked  me  to  which  side  W(^  turned  to  pray.  'AVe  jiray  on 
all  hides,'  ai'swered  I,  '  for  CJod  is  everywhere.'  'That  opinion  I  entirely 
.approve,'  ."aid  he ;  '  but  you  must  liavc  precepts  as  well  as  prayers.'  I 
repeated  the  ten  conuiian<bnents  given  by  God  to  His  })roj)het  Moses, 
which  be  appeared  to  know,  and  continued  his  inepiirics.  'And  Jesus 
Christ — in  wliat  light  do  you  consider  him'r"  '  As  the  Incarnate  Word 
of  (ntik'  '  r»ut  ho  was  crucified  ?♦  'As  the  Divine  Word,  he  could  not 
die  ;  but  as  man,  he  suffered  for  the  sins  of  the  wicked.'  'That  is  mar- 
velous. And  the  sacred  book  which  (iod  inspired  through  Jesus  Christ, 
is  it  revereil  among  you?  do  you  exactly  conform  to  this  doctrhie?' 
'We  ])reserve  it  with  the  greatest  reverence,  and  in  all  things  obey  its 
injunctions.'  'The  Turks,'  said  he,  'have  made  a  god  of  thei'*  jtrophet, 
and  prav  over  his  tomb  like  idolaters.  Cursed  be  those  who  ascribe  to 
the  Creator  an  ecpuil  \  may  the  saber  extermin.ate  them  !'  The  king  ap- 
peared delightid  \y\\.\\  our  conversation,  atul  said  to  me — 'I  see  tha;  wo 
mav  ahvavs  learn  something.  I  liave  hitherto  believed  the  Christians  to 
be  the  most  superstitious  of  men;  but  I  am  now  eonviiiced  tiiat  they  ap- 
proach much  nearer  to  the  true  religion  than  the  Turks.' ''  ! 

i'\ir  sever.al  days  they  mot  in  secret  conclave  wi»'         .  Silioud,  and 
an  alliance.'  was  concluded  between  him  ai\d  the  drayny  t(»  their  nnitual 
sati^tiiction,  the   king  declaring   that  their  two  Ixidies  should  be  heni'c-     : 
forth  diri'cted  by  one  soul.     He  then  invited  them,  for  tho  first  lime,  to     i 

I 


DEATH    OF    DE    LASCARIS. 


469 


eat  with  him,  and  tasted  each  dish  before  it  was  offered  to  them.  "  As 
lie  had  never  seen  any  one  eat  otliorwise  than  with  their  fingers,"  says 
Fatalhih,  "  I  carved  a  spoon  and  fork  out  of  a  piece  of  wood,  spread  my 
handkerchief  for  a  napkin,  and  ate  my  dinner  after  the  European  fashion, 
which  highly  diverted  him.  *  Thanks  be  to  God !'  said  he,  '  every 
nation  believes  its  customs  the  best  possible,  and  each  is  therefore  con- 
tent with  its  condition.' " 

When  they  returned  to  their  tribe  and  h.^d  recovered  from  llni  • 
fatigues,  M.  liascaris  told  Fatalkih  that  all  was  accomplished  and 
they  must  nov7  return  to  give  an  account  of  their  mission.  They  left 
their  friends,  in  the  hope  of  soon  seeing  them,  at  the  lu-.'id  of  the  ex- 
pedition to  which  t'loy  had  opene<l  the  way.  They  reached  Constanti- 
nople in  Ajjril,  after  ninety  days'  traveUng,  frequently  across  tracts  of 
snow.  Constant inoj)le  was  ravaged  by  the  plague,  and  during  three 
months  s^jcnt  in  quarantine  they  heard  of  the  burning  of  Moscow.  M. 
Lascaris  was  in  despair,  and  at  length  determined  to  return  to  Syria, 
there  to  await  the  issue  of  events.  They  embarked,  but  a  violent  storm 
drove  them  to  Chios,  where  they  again  encountered  thn  plague.  Having 
lost  their  property  in  the  tempest,  and  being  cut  off  from  external  com- 
munication by  the  contagion,  they  were  nearly  without  clothing,  and 
exposed  to  the  greatest  j)rivations.  Communications  being  at  length 
restored,  ]\I.  Lascaris  went  to  a  conference  with  Generals  Lallemand  and 
Savary,  at  Smyrna,  and  allowed  Fatallah  meanwhile  to  visit  his  mother, 
whom  he  )iad  not  seen  Ibr  six  years. 

While  staying  at  Latakia  with  liis  mother,  and  daily  expecting  the 
arrival  of  a  ship  which  might  convey  him  to  Kgypt,  whither  M.  Las- 
caris had  ordered  him  to  repair,  Fatallah  saw  a  French  brig  of  war 
enter  the  i)ort,  and  hastened  to  incjuire  for  letters.  liut  the  letters 
only  brought  the  afflicting  intellisrencc  of  the  decease  of  his  beucliictor 
at  Cair 


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1 

A 


DENIIAM  AND  CLAPPERTON'S 


EXPEDITION    TO    CENTRAL    AFRICA, 


Amrcu  tho  unsnooossful  attoinpt  of  Mos<;rs.  Ritdiio  and  Lyon  to  po- 
notratc  lo  tlio  interior  of  Afrirn,  in  1810,  tlio  liritisli  [jov('rnin(>nt  dctcr- 
minc'd  to  fit  out  an  expedition  on  a  more  liberal  scale,  for  the  purpose 
of  estahli^liinr;  friendly  and  eonnnereial  relations  witli  some  of  the  al- 
most unknown  countries  of  Soudan.  Dr.  Oudiiey  tirst  volunteered  his 
services,  and,  wliilo  his  plan  was  under  consideration,  met  -with  Lieu- 
tenant C'lajip)  rton,  ot"  the  royal  na\y.  in  Edinljurjj,  in  the  year  IK20. 
He  communicated  his  (h'si<rn  to  the  latter,  who  immediately  oxpresse(l 
Ills  desire  to  he  associated  with  liim,  and  the  offer  was  aecept(>d  by  Lord 
r»;ithurst,  then  Secretary  of  St.ate.  "While  the  prejiarations  for  the  ex- 
pcilition  were  i^oini;  Ibrwanl,  IMajor  I  )enham  volunteered  to  undertake 
a  journey  across  tlie  Desert  to  Timbuctoo,  l)ut  was  afterward,  .-it  his  own 
re(|iu'st,  associate<l  \\'ith  Oudiu'y  and  Clapperlon,  and  received  the  com- 
mand of  the  expedition. 

On  arrivint;  at  IMalta,  Denhani  eniraf^ed  tlio  services  of  AVillian)  Ilill- 
mau.  a  shipwrii^ht  in  the  dock-yard  at  La  Valetta,  the  latter  havin!.^  vol- 
unteered his  services  on  condition  of  receiviui^  .i'l'JO  a  year,  Oudney 
and  (Mai)pert(m  had  already  proceeded  to  Tripoli,  where  Donham  ar- 
rived on  tho  IHth  of  November,  1821.  The  three  travelers  immedi:itely 
called  upon  the  pasha,  who  received  them  kindly,  and  ])romised  to  for- 
Avard  the  party  safely  into  the  interior.  They  ■were  detained,  however, 
for  three  or  four  months,  before  their  preparations  were  completed,  and 
a  f  ivorablc  opportunity  occurred  for  procecdinfjf  to  Mourzidi,  tho  capital 
of  Fezzan.  "On  the  5th  of  March,  1822,"  says  Major  Denhani,  "  T  left 
Tripoli  for  Uenioh'cd,  to  join  my  two  companions,  who  had  advaneetl 
thither  with  our  servants,  horses,  camels,  and  bauri^atje.  They  had  gone 
on  to  Mom<»om,  a  very  pretty  valley,  which,  al  this  season  of  thi;  year, 
was  ureen  M'ith  hci'baLTe,  ami  adorned  by  tlowers  of  various  hues  and 
colors,  richly  scattered  in  beautiful  disorder — but  it  was  the  last  of  tho 
kind  we  woro  fortmiate  enough  to  meet  with  botwccu  this  placo  and 
lJornou.'» 


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464 


TRAVELS    OF    DKNJIAM   AND    CL  A}' PEilTON. 


After  f  lurtoon  <la)s'  travel  they  roacluMl  Sockiia,  a  town  about  half 
way  ]>i't\vt'(  II  Tripoli  and  Monrzuk.  They  were  met  by  the  j:,'overnor 
and  i)riiicij»al  inhabitants,  acconii)anie(I  by  sonu;  hundreds  of  the  coun- 
try people,  who  crowded  around  their  horses,  kissing  tip  'r  hands,  and 
Mclcoining  them  with  every  ai)i»eara)ice  of  sincerity  and  satisfiution. 
This  reception  was  very  encouraging  to  them,  as  they  had  determined, 
on  setting  out,  to  wear  the  Frank  dress  and  to  jtass  f<>c  l-iiglishmen  and 
Christians,  on  all  occasions.  While  walking  in  the  stixcts  of  Sockna, 
two  boys  accosted  them,  saying  that  a  beautiful  woman  wished  to  seo 
tlieiii.  "  W<'  put  ourselves  under  their  guidance,'"  writes  Denham,  "and 
entering  a  better  sort  of  dwelling-house,  were  quickly  surroimded  by  at 
least  half  a  dozen  ladies,  most  of  them  aged  ;  but  who  asked  us  a  thou- 
sand questions,  and,  when  satisfied  Ave  were  not  dangerous,  called 
M\('ial  younger  ones,  who  appeared  to  be  but  waiting  for  permission  to 
ai»j»ear.  Our  dresses  and  ourselves  wore  then  minutely  examined.  The 
yellow  buttons  on  our  waistcoats,  and  our  watches,  created  the  greatest 
astonishment ;  and  a  pair  of  loose  white  trowscrs  that  I  wore,  into  the 
pockets  of  which  I  accidentally  put  my  hands,  raised  tiieir  curiosity  to 
a  v."nderful  degree:  my  hands  were  pulled  out,  and  those  of  three  or 
four  of  the  ladies  thrust  in,  in  their  stead  ;  these  were  replaced  by  others, 
all  d<'manding  their  use  so  loudly  and  violently,  that  I  had  considerable 
dilliculty  in  extricating  myself,  and  Avas  glad  to  make  my  escape." 

The  remaining  half  of  the  journey  to  Mourzuk  was  more  diflicult 
and  dangerous  than  the  first.  They  were  sometimes  two  or  three  days 
without  finding  a  supj)ly  of  water,  which  was  generally  muddy,  bitter, 
and  i)rackish, ;  in  addition  to  Avhich  they  enccuntered  a  severe  sand- 
storm. Th';  r<j)ot  was  pointed  out  to  them,  strewed  with  bones  and 
dt-icd  caTases,  where,  the  year  before,  fifty  sheep,  two  camels,  and  two 
i.ieu  i"  rishcd  fcom  thirst  and  fiitigue,  when  within  eight  hours'  march 
of  a  Weil  which  the  travelers  were  then  anxiously  looking  for.  On  the 
7th  of  April  they  arrived  at  a  village  in  the  midst  of  a  vast  multitude  of 
])alm-tree<.  just  one  day's  journey  short  of  Mourzuk.  They  had  ne- 
glected ser  ding  a\  ord  to  advise  the  Sultan  of  their  approach,  and  their 
reception,  consequently,  was  less  brilliant  than  at  Sockna.  As  they  drew 
Ticar  the  walls  of  the  city,  the  next  afternoon,  they  halted  to  await  the 
return  of  a  messenger  whom  they  had  dispatched  to  give  notice  of  their 
arrival.  After  half  an  hour's  delay,  the  governor  of  the  town  came  out, 
a:id  in  the  sultan's  name  reqiu-sted  that  they  would  accompany  him  to 
the  house  ivhich  had  been  prepared  for  them,  adding,  to  their  great 
surprise,  tha:.  the  English  consul  Avas  there  already.  "The  fact  Avas," 
:Maj<ir  Denha.'n  adds,  "that  a  very  ill-looking  JeAV  servant  of  mine, 
mounted  on  a  vhite  inule,  Avith  a  pair  of  small  canteens  under  him,  had 
preceded  the  camels  and  entered  the  toAVii  by  himself.  lie  Avas  received 
Avith  great  respect  by  all  the  iidiabitants— conducted  through  the  streets 
to  the  house  Avhieh' Avas  destined  to  receive  us ;  and  from  the  circum- 
stance of  the  canteens  being  all  covered  Avith  brass  shining  nails,  a  very 


DELAY    AT    MOURZUK. 


465 


liipjh  idea  of  liis  consociuence  was  formed.  IIo  very  sensibly  received  all 
their  attenticMis  in  silence,  and  drank  the  cool  water  and  milk  wlinli  was 
lianded  to  hini :  and  we  always  had  the  lanfrh  iiLTaiiist  tiiem  alt erwanl, 
for  having  shown  so  much  civility  to  an  Israelite — a  race  they  heartily 
despise.  'We  thought  tlie  English,' said  they,  '  were  better  looking 
than  the  Jews — ileath  to  their  race! — but  then  (Jod  made  us  all,  though 
not  all  hajulsomc  like  Mussuhnen,  so  who  coultl  tell  ?'  " 

Their  interview  with  the  sultan  of  Fezzan  was  any  thing  but  en- 
couraging. He  told  them  that  there  was  no  intention,  as  they  had  been 
led  to  expect,  of  any  expedition  to  ])r()eeed  to  the  southward  for  some 
time  to  come  ;  tliat  an  army  could  only  move  in  the  spring  of  the  year  ; 
that  the  arrangements  for  moving  a  body  of  men  through  a  country 
•where  every  necessary  must  be  '  'irried  on  camels,  both  for  men  and 
horses,  were  so  numerous,  that  1"  m-v  the  following  spring  it  was  scarcely 
possible  to  complete  them,  a**  '  vo  camels  were  required  for  every  man 
and  horse,  and  one  for  every  two  <'n  on  foot.  lie  read  to  them  th 
letter  of  llie  Pasha  of  Tripoli,  ..i  h  it  wan  stated  that  they  were 

commended  t(j  his  protection,  and  wen  to  be  permitted  to  resiih-  in 
Mourzuk,  or  any  other  part  of  Fezzan,  u.;til  he  (the  sultan)  had  paid  a 
visit  to  Tripoli.  The  travelers  returned  to  their  house  with  very  <hs- 
heartened  feelings.  The  heat  was  intense,  the  thermometer  standing  at 
07"  in  the  shade. 

In  a  few  days  after  tliis  their  hopes  were  revived  by  a  visit  from  a 
ricli  native  merchant,  named  lioo-Khaloom,  wlio  was  on  the  eve  of  start- 
ing for  Tripoli,  with  handsome  presents  for  the  ]»asha.  His  secret  er- 
rand was  to  obtain  the  removal  of  jNIustajiha,  the  sultan,  who,  he  well 
knew,  was  employing  his  emissaries  in  Tripoli  {>  liave  his  head  taken 
oir  after  liis  arrival  there.  Boo-Khaloom  di-sired  to  accoiVipany  tin; 
travelers  to  l)ornou ;  his  own  caravan,  with  tlu;  merchants  who  \\  v.ulil 
join  Iiim,  would  be  sufficient  protection  for  them.  Soon  alter  this  con- 
versation, he  left  for  Tripoli,  and  was  followed,  in  a  few  days,  by  the 
sultaii,  who  not  only  strij)ped  Mourzuk  of  its  stores  of  sni)))lies,  but  took 
with,  him  all  the  camels  that  were  to  be  had.  Thus  the  expedition  was 
deprived  of  the  means  of  jjroceeding  further,  and  it  was  iuunediately 
decided  that  Major  Denh.am  should  return  to  Tripoli,  in  order  to  j)ro- 
cure  the  necessary  animals  and  supplies  there. 

Leaving  Mourzuk  on  the  20th  of  IMay,  accompanied  only  by  his  ne- 
gro servant  Barca,  and  two  Arabs,  lie  set  out,  making  the  journey  in 
twenty  days.  Di'nluun  at  once  applied  for  an  audience  with  the  pasha, 
to  whom  he  represented,  in  the  strongest  terms,  their  disappohitment  at 
the  delay,  and  requested  that  he  should  fix  a  specified  time  for  tluiir  de- 
j)arture  for  Bornou.  "  A  voyage  to  IMarseilles,  on  my  way  to  England, 
was  the  consecpience  of  our  altercation  with  the  pasha  ;  and  the  prompti- 
tude with  which  it  was  decided  upon  and  carried  into  effect,  by  means 
of  a  small  French  vessel,  which,  at  the  time,  most  fortunately  lay  in  the 
harbor,  was  not  without  its  good  effects.  The  pasha  sent  three  dispatches 
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466 


TRAVELS    OF    DENHAM    AND    CLAPPERTON. 


after  me,  by  three  diftbrcnt  vessels,  to  Leghorn,  IMalta,  and  the  jiort  I 
had  sailed  to,  which  I  received  in  quarantine,  informing  me  that  Boo- 
Khaloom  was  appointed  with  an  escort  to  convey  us  forthwith  to  Bor- 
nou.  This  was  every  thing  I  wished  for  ;  and  immediately  re-embarking, 
a  seven  days'  passage  brought  me  once  more  to  the  shores  of  Barbary," 
Accompanied  by  Boo-Khaloom,  the  traveler  started  for  Mourzuk,  l»y 
way  of  Sockna,  where  he  arrived  on  the  2d  of  October.  Boo-Khaloom's 
weakness  was  a  love  of  pomp  and  show,  and  he  entered  the  town  in  great 
state,  moimted  on  a  white  horse  which  the  Pasha  of  Tripoli  had  given 
liim.  Two  or  throe  days  afterward  he  became  seriously  ill,  and  insisted 
on  Major  Denham  prescribing  for  him,  saying :  "  I  am  quite  sure  you 
can  cure  me,  if  it  is  the  will  of  God  that  I  shall  live ;  if  not,  nobody 
can."  The  prescriptions  were  finally  successful,  although  his  life  was 
despaired  of  for  two  days. 

They  entered  Mourzuk  on  the  30th  of  October.  Boo-Khaloom,  who 
was  a  truly  charitable  and  benevolent  man,  was  so  jjopular  in  the  place, 
that  on  his  returning  to  it  not  only  safe,  but  standing  high  in  the  pasha's 
favor,  half  of  the  inhabitants  came  out  to  meet  him,  shouting  and  singing, 
to  express  theii' joy.  Major  Denham  was  disaj)i)ointed  that  none  of  his 
friends  came  out  to  meet  him,  but  soon  learned  tliat  they  had  all  been 
very  ill  with  fever  and  ague,  from  which  Clapperton  liad  not  yet  recov- 
ered. During  his  absence,  they  liad  made  a  journey  to  Ghraat,  the  chief 
town  of  the  Tuarick  tribe,  situated  in  the  desert,  twenty  days'  journey 
west  of  Mourzuk.  They  were  now  happily  united,  and  at  once  set  about 
preparing  for  their  fuither  travels.  The  party  consisted  of  thirteen  per- 
sons— Denham,  Clapperton,  and  Oudney ;  llillraan,  the  carpenter ;  a 
native  of  St.  Vincent,  who,  on  account  of  his  voyages  around  the  globe, 
was  nicknamed  Columbus  ;  a  Gibraltar  Jew,  who  acted  as  storekeeper ; 
three  free  negro  servants,  aiul  four  camel-drivers.  They  were  also  ac- 
companied by  several  merchants  from  Mesurata,  Tripoli,  Sockna,  and 
Mourzuk,  who  gladly  embraced  the  ])roteotion  of  their  c  icort  to  ))roceed 
to  the  interior  with  their  merchandize.  The  procuring  of  camels  and 
sujtplies  for  the  long  joui'ney  across  the  desert,  occupied  some  time,  and 
the  caravan  di<l  not  lepve  Mourzuk,  finally,  until  the  2nth  of  November. 

In  three  days  they  arrived  at  Gatrone,  whither  Oudney,  Clapperton, 
and  Ilillman  lia<l  already  proceeded,  hoping  to  improve  tlu-ir  health  by 
the  change  of  air.  Denham  found  them  still  sick,  however,  esj)ecially 
the  last,  who  had  been  twice  given  over  by  the  doctor.  They  moved  on 
slowly  to  the  town  of  Tegerry,  the  last  j)lace  in  Fezzan,  and  there  halted 
tliree  or  four  days  to  rest  the  sick,  as  beyond  this  they  should  travel  for 
fifteen  days  over  a  desert,  where  it  would  ])e  necessary  to  march  from 
Hunrise  imtil  dark.  Ther<i  is  a  well  near  the  gate  of  the  fortress  of  Te- 
gerry, the  water  of  which,  the  travelers  were  gravely  informed,  always 
rose  when  a  caravan  was  coming  near  the  town.  The  inhabitants  stated 
that  they  always  j)repared  what  they  had  to  sell,  on  seeing  this  wutcr 
uicrease  in  bulk,  for  it  never  deceived  them.     "  In  proof  of  this  asser- 


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tion,"  says  Major  Donham,  "  tliey  pointed  out  to  nic  how  nmch  liiglier 
the  water  had  been  i)revious  to  our  arrival  tlian  it  was  at  the  moment  we 
were  standing  on  the  brink.  Tliis  I  couhl  liave  explained  by  the  num- 
ber of  eamels  tiiat'had  drunk  at  it,  but  I  saw  it  was  better  jM>lity  to  lie- 
lieve  what  every  body  allowed  to  be  true.  Even  Boo-Khaloom  exclaim- 
ed :  '  Allah  !  God  is  great,  powerful,  and  wise  I  How  wonderful  I 
Oh !' " 

On  the  l.lth  of  December  the  earavan  left  Tegerry,  and  enteicd  on 
a  desert  plain,  where  the  siek  were  constantly  disheartened  by  the  sight 
of  the  skulls  and  skeletons  of  men  who  had  jierished  on  the  san<ls.  On 
the  22d  Denham  writes :  "  Durhig  the  last  two  <lays,  we  liave  passed  on 
an  average  from  sixty  to  eighty  or  ninety  skeletons  each  day  ;  but  tho 
numbers  that  lay  about  the  wells  at  El-IIammar  were  countless.  Those 
of  two  women,  whoso  i)erfect  and  regular  teeth  bespoke  them  young, 
were  particularly  shockhig ;  their  arms  still  remained  clasped  aroun  ' 
each  other  as  they  had  expired,  although  the  tlesh  had  long  since  ])er- 
ished  by  being  exposed  to  the  burning  rays  of  the  sun,  and  the  black- 
ened bones  only  left.  The  nails  of  the  lingers,  and  some  of  the  sinews  of 
the  hand,  also  remained,  and  part  of  the  tongiu-  of  one  of  them  still  aji- 
peared  through  the  teeth."  Two  days  after  this,  one  of  Denham's  she- 
camels  foaled,  and  he  looked  forward  to  enjoying  the  milk,  which,  the 
Arabs  assured  him,  she  Avould  havc^  in  abimdance  ;  but  all  at  once  the 
animal  suddenly  fell  and  died.  "  The  evil-eye — the  evil-eye  I"  the  Arabs 
exclaimed,  and  some  of  them  added  :  "  She  was  sure  to  die.  I  knew 
it.'' — "  Well,  if  she  had  been  nune,  I  would  rather  liave  lost  a  cliild,  or 
three  slaves!" — "God  be  praised!  (rod  is  great,  powerful,  and  wise : 
those  looks  of  the  people  are  always  fatal." 

On  the  1st  of  January,  18_';{,  Ihey  reached  a  little  oasis  called  AVady 
Ikbar,  and  were  cheered  by  the  sight  of  doum-palms  laden  with  fruit, 
and  grass  in  abutidance.  Tlirce  days  more  brought  them  to  the  village 
of  Anay,  the  ilrst  Tibboo  town,  which  is  built  upon  the  sun;i:'.:t  ;jf  a  sr.iid- 
stone  rock,  a  hundred  feet  liigli.  Tlie  iidiabitanis  ascciul  by  means  of 
ladders,  which  tliey  draw  up  after  them,  whenever  they  arc  attacked  by 
their  enemies,  the  Tuaricks.  The  Sultan  of  the  Tibboos  was  \isiting 
another  village  in  the  neighborhood,  and  sent  W(t(l  to  Iioo-Klialoom 
that  lie  woidd  join  the  caravan  and  keep  company  with  him  as  fir  as 
Bilma,  the  cajiital  of  his  country.  lie  made  liis  appearance  the  next 
day.  "  lie  had  neither  much  majesty  nor  cleanliness  of  appeanmce  ;  lie 
came  to  IJoo-Khaloom's  tent,  accompanied  Ity  six  or  seven  Tibboos,  so;ne 
of  thi'in  ri'ally  hideous.  They  take  a  (piantity  of  snulV,  both  in  their 
mouths  and  Jioses  ;  their  teeth  were  of  a  deep  yellow  ;  the  nose  resem- 
bles nothing  so  much  as  a  round  lump  of  flesh  stuck  on  the  face,  and 
the  nostrils  are  so  large  that  their  lingers  go  up  as  far  as  they  will  reach, 
in  f  der  to  insure  the  snuff  an  admission  into  the  head." 

After  entering  the  Tibboo  country,  the  villages  were  numerous ;  tho 
sterile,  burning  desert  was  exchanged  for  a  broken  country,  uitersectud 


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468 


TRAVELS    OP    DENHAM    AXU    CLAPPERTON. 


Avitli  deep  and  abruiit  valloys,  the  beds  of  ■wliich  were  ccvered  witli  ijrass 
and  trees.  On  ai)i)roaching  the  villages,  the  inhabitants  always  came 
out  to  meet  the  travelers,  and  when  within  about  titty  paces  of  the 
horses  fell  upon  tlieir  knees,  singing  and  beating  a  sort  of  drum,  Avhich 
always  accompanies  their  rejoicing.  They  lialtcd  two  days  to  rest  at  a 
town  called  Dirkee.  So  many  of  Boo-Khaloom's  camels  had  follon  on 
the  road  that  he  determined  to  send  out  a  maraudhig  party  to  plunder 
Nome  more  from  the  Tibboos — a  proceeding  which  ^\as  sanctioned  by  the 
sultan,  Avho,  moreover,  gave  him  instructions  as  to  the  proper  route. 
The  party  returned  with  thirteen,  and  for  several  nights  afterward  a 
strict  watch  was  kept,  through  fear  that  the  owners  would  endeavor  to 
regain  possession  of  them. 

"On  the  12th,"  continues  the  narrative,  "we  reached  IJilma,  the 
capital  of  tlic  Tibboos,  and  the  residence  of  their  sultan,  who,  having 
managed  to  get  before  and  receive  us,  advanced  a  mile  from  the  town 
attended  by  some  fifty  of  his  men-at-arms,  and  double  the  number  of  the 
sex  we  call  fair.  The  men  had  nrost  of  them  bows  and  arrows,  and  all 
carried  spears.  They  approached  Boo-Khaloom,  shaking  them  in  the 
air  over  their  heads,  and  after  this  salutation  we  all  moved  on  toward 
the  town,  the  females  dancing,  and  throwing  themselves  about  with 
screams  and  songs  in  a  maimer  to  us  quite  original.  They  were  of  a 
superior  class  to  those  of  the  minor  towns,  some  having  extremely  pleas- 
ing features,  while  the  pearly  Avhite  of  their  regular  teeth  was  beautifully 
contrasted  with  the  glossy  black  of  their  skin,  and  tlu!  triangular  flaps 
of  j)laited  hair  which  hung  down  on  each  side  of  their  faces,  streaming 
with  oil,  Avith  the  addition  of  the  coral  in  the  nose  and  large  amber  neck- 
laces, gave  them  a  very  seducuig  appearance. 

"  I  now  for  the  first  time  pro(biced  Captain  Lyon's  book  in  Boo- 
Khaloom's  tent,  and  on  turnmg  over  the  ])rints  of  the  natives,  he  swore, 
and  exclaimed,  and  insisted  upon  it,  that  he  knew  every  flice  :  'This  was 
such  a  one's  slave — that  was  his  own ;  he  was  right ;  he  knew  it. 
Praised  be  God  for  the  talents  lie  gave  the  English  !  they  were  s/u/tr, 
clever,  exceedingly  clever.'  Of  a  landsca])e,  however,  I  found  that  he 
ha<l  not  the  least  idea,  nor  could  I  at  all  niako  him  understand  the  in- 
tetition  of  the  print  of  the  sand-wind  in  the  desert,  which  is  really  so 
well  described  by  Captain  Lyon's  drawing;  he  Avould  look  at  it  u])sido 
down,  and  when  I  twice  reversed  it  ''"m,  he  exclaimed:  'Why! 

why  !  it  is  all  the  same !'  A  camel  c"  uman  figure  was  all  T  could 
make  him  nnderstaml,  and  at  these  he  was  ail  agitation  and  delight. 
'■Aijih!  wonderful!'  The  eyes  first  took  his  attention,  then  the  other 
features;  at  the  sight  of  the  sword  he  exclaimed,  '  Allah !  Allah!'  and 
on  discovering  the  guns  instantly  asked,  '  Where  is  the  powder?'  This 
want  of  perception,  as  I  imagined,  in  so  intelligent  a  man,  excited  at  first 
Tny  surprise ;  but  jjcrhaps  just  the  same  would  an  European  have  felt 
under  shnilar  circumstances." 

Beyond  Bilma  the   desert  commeaced  again,  and  their  route,  for 


.    I  : 


-'It 


FIRST    SIGHT    OF    LAKE    TCHAD. 


469 


several  days,  was  over  broad  plains  of  billowy  sail  J,  without  any  sign  of 
vegetation.  They  sometimes  found  wells  of  bitter  water  in  tlie  hollows, 
but  frequently  saw  none  for  two  or  three  days  together.  Many  camels 
fell  and  died  on  this  march  ;  the  heat  was  very  oppressive  ;  but  as  the 
sick  were  much  better  than  they  had  been,  the  travelers  were  all  in  good 
si)irits. 

l>y  this  time  they  had  passed  the  latitude  which  is  the  northern  limit 
of  the  tropical  rains,  and  "on  the  27th,"  says  Major  Denham,  "we  ap- 
])eared  to  be  gradually  approaching  something  resembling  vegetation : 
we  had  rising  sands  and  clumps  of  line  grass  the  whole  way,  and  the 
country  was  not  iinlike  some  of  our  heaths  in  England.  Toward  even- 
ing the  trees  increased  greatly  in  number,  and  where  we  halted  the 
animals  found  abundance  of  food.  The  tulloh-trecs,  the  kossom  (a  very 
beautiful  parasitic  plant),  and  the  herbage,  were  most  refreshing  to  our 
parched  feelings,  although  in  reaUty  they  were  of  the  most  dingy  green 
and  stunted  appearance." 

RECEPTION    IN    BORNOU. 

On  the  31st  there  were  still  naore  marked  signs  of  their  approach  to 
Bornou.  "We  reached  a  well  where  some  really  sweet  milk  was 
brought  to  us  in  immensely  large  basket  bottles,  some  holding  two  gal- 
lons or  more.  No  traveler  in  Africa  should  imagine  that  this  he  could 
not  bear,  or  that  could  not  be  endured.  It  is  wonderful  how  a  man's 
taste  conforms  itself  to  his  necessities.  Six  months  ago,  camels'  milk 
Wduld  have  acted  upon  us  as  an  emetic ;  now  we  thought  it  a  most 
refreshing  and  grateful  cordial.  Tlie  &co  of  the  country  improved  in 
appearance  every  mile.  Wo  jjassed  along  to-day  what  seemed  to  us  a 
most  joyous  valley,  smiling  in  Howery  grasses,  tulloh-trees,  and  koiioom. 
About  mid-day,  wo  halted  in  a  luxurious  shade,  the  ground  covered  ^nth 
creeping  vines  of  the  coloeynth  in  full  blossom,  which,  with  the  red 
flowers  of  the  kossom  which  drooped  over  our  heads,  nuide  our  resting- 
place  a  little  Arcadia."  Boo-Khaloom  now  judged  it  expedient  to  send 
a  messenger  hi  advance  with  letters  to  Shekh  El-Kanemy,  the  chief  of 
Bornou,  giving  news  of  the  ap])roacli  of  the  expedition. 

On  the  4th  of  February,  they  reached  the  town  of  Lari,  the  inhabit- 
ants of  which  fled  in  all  directions,  in  the  greatest  terror,  on  perceiving 
the  caravan.  "13eyond  the  town,  however,"  says  Major  Denliani,  "was 
an  object  full  of  hiterest  to  us,  and  the  sight  of  which  conveyed  to  my 
mind  a  sensation  so  gratifying  and  insjaring,  that  it  would  be  difficult  in 
language  to  cxmvey  an  idea  of  its  force  or  pleasure.  The  great  Lake 
Tchad,  glowing  with  the  golilen  rays  of  tiie  sun  in  its  strength,  ajjpeared 
to  be  within  a  mile  of  the  spot  on  whicli  we  stooil.  My  lieart  bounded 
within  me  at  this  prosptsct,  tor  I  believed  this  lake  to  lie  the  key  to  the 
great  object  of  our  search,  and  I  could  not  refrain  from  silently  im- 
ploring Heaven's  continued  protection,  which  had  enabled  us  to  pro- 


,!*; 


'«' 


m 


ii 


fl 


J 


! 


iK 


l;i! 


jnr 


!■ 


'   I 


fLi:,i    ^'^ 


470 


TRAVELS    OF    DKNIIAM    AND    CLAPPERTON. 


ccc'J  so  far  in  healtli  and  strength,  even  to  the  accomplishment  of  our 
task.  By  sun-rise  next  morning  I  Avas  on  tlio  herders  of  the  lake,  armed 
for  tlio  (h,'structioii  (<f  the  multitude  of  hirds,  who,  all  unconscious  of  my 
l»urj)ose,  seemed  to  ■welcome  our  arrival.  Flocks  of  geese  and  wild 
ducks,  of  a  must  beautiful  plumage,  Avero  quietly  feeding  at  half  jiistol- 
shot  of  where  I  stood.  As  I  moved  towart"!  them  they  only  changed 
their  places  a  little  to  the  right  or  left,  and  appeared  to  have  no  idea  of 
the  hostility  of  my  hitentions.  Pelicans,  cranes,  four  and  live  feet  in 
height,  gray,  variegated  and  white,  were  scarcely  so  many  yards  from 
my  side,  and  a  bird,  between  a  snipe  and  a  woodpecker,  resembling 
both  and  larger  than  either ;  innnense  spoonbills  of  a  snowy  whiteness, 
Avidgeon,  teal,  yellow-legged  plover,  and  a  hundred  species  of  unknown 
water-fowl  were  s])ortuig  before  nie ;  and  it  Avas  long  before  I  could 
disturb  the  traiupiillity  of  the  dwellers  on  these  Avaters  by  iiiing  a  gun. 


LAKE      TCHAD. 

"  In  the  evening  I  visited  tlu*  town  of  Lari.  It  stands  on  an  emi- 
nence, and  may  probably  contain  two  thousand  inhabitants.  The  huts 
are  built  of  the  rush  Avliich  groAvs  by  the  sides  of  the  lake,  have  conical 
tops,  and  lonk  like  Avell-thatched  stacks  of  corn  in  Englaiul.  Th(>y  liavo 
neat  iiu'losurcs  around  them,  made  with  fciu'es  of  tlu;  sanu;  rccil,  and 
imssages  leading  to  them  like  lultyrinths.  In  the  inclosure  is  a  goat  or 
two,  poultry,  and  sometimes  .1  cow.  The  Avomen  Avere  almost  all  spin- 
ning cotton,  Avhich  grows  well,  though  not  abundantly,  near  iho  town 
and  lake.     The  inti'rior  of  the  huts  is  neat.     They  are  completely  circu- 


•al 


APPEOACH    TO    KOUKA. 


471 


lar,  with  no  admission  for  air  or  light,  except  at  the  door,  which  has  a 
mat  by  way  of  safeguard.  I  entered  otie  of  the  best  appearance, 
although  the  owner  gave  me  no  smiles  of  encouragement,  and  followed 
'dose  at  my  heels,  with  his  spear  and  dagger  in  his  hand.  In  one  cor- 
ner stood  the  bed,  a  sofa  of  rushes  lashed  together,  and  supported  by 
six  poles,  fixed  strongly  in  the  ground.  This  was  covered  with  the  skins 
of  the  tiger-cat  and  Avild  bull ;  around  the  sides  were  Ining  the  Mooden 
bowls  used  for  water  and  milk  :  his  tall  shield  rested  against  the  wall. 
The  hut  had  a  division  of  mat-work,  one  half  being  alloted  to  the  female 
part  of  the  family." 

Two  days  after  this  they  arrived  at  the  town  of  Woodie,  Avhere,  on 
account  of  Boo-Khaloom  and  his  Arabs,  it  was  necessary  to  wait  until 
the  shekh  of  Bornou  should  send  his  permission  to  proceed.  The  town 
is  about  one  mile  west  of  the  lake,  and  four  days'  march  from  Kouka, 
the  capital  of  Bornou.  The  people  have  fish  and  game  in  abundance, 
and  are  very  indolent,  the  men  lying  idly  m  their  huts  from  morning  till 
night.  After  waiting  four  days,  two  of  the  shekh's  officers  arrived  "svith 
the  necessary  permission,  and  a  present  of  some  of  the  goroo  nuts  of 
Soudan,  Avhich  have  an  agreeably  bitter  taste,  and  arc  nuich  esteemed 
by  the  people  of  Tripoli.  After  eating  these  nuts,  water  has  a  grateful 
flavor,  be  it  ever  so  bad.  The  Arabs  call  them  the  coffee  of  the  black 
country.  Proceeding  southward  for  two  days  more,  through  a  fertile, 
thickly-inhabited  country,  they  came  to  a  river  called  the  Yeou — a 
stream  fifty  yards  Midc,  Avith  a  hard,  saixly  bottom,  and  flowing  eastward 
at  the  rate  of  three  and  a  half  miles  an  hour.  The  goods  and  passengers 
of  the  caravan  were  ferried  across  in  canoes,  to  which  the  bridles  of  the 
horses  and  camels  were  attached,  :nid  the  animals  made  to  swim. 

On  the  loth  of  February  the  expedition  halted  within  one  hour's 
march  of  Kouka,  in  order  to  make  the  entry  in  state  next  day.  Major 
Denham's  account  of  what  then  took  place  is  too  characteristic,  and  in- 
teresting to  be  omitted.  "  This  was  to  us  a  momentous  day,"  he  writes, 
"  and  it  seemed  ft  >  be  equally  so  to  our  conductors.  Notwithstanding 
all  the  difliculties  that  had  pi'csented  themselves  at  the  various  stages  of 
our  journey,  M-e  were  at  last  Avithiu  a  few  short  miles  of  our  destination, 
were  about  to  become  acquainted  with  a  people  who  liad  never  seen, 
or  scarcely  heard  of,  a  European,  and  to  tread  on  ground  the  knowledge 
and  true  situation  of  which  had  hitherto  been  wholly  unknown.  Our 
accounts  of  the  state  of  this  country  had  been  so  contradictory,  that  no 
opinion  could  be  formed  as  to  the  real  condition  or  tlie  numbers  of  its 
inhabitants.  The  degree  of  credit  which  might  be  attached  to  the  dif- 
ferent reports  was  nearly  balanced  in  the  scales  of  probability  ;  and  we 
advanced  towanl  the  town  of  Kouka  in  a  most  interestijig  state  of  un- 
certainty whether  we  should  find  its  chief  at  the  head  of  thousands,  or 
be  received  by  him  under  a  tree,  surrounded  by  a  few  naked  slaves. 

"  These  doubts,  however,  were  quickly  removed.  T  liad  ridden  on 
a  short  distance  in  front  of  Boo-Khaloom,  with  his  train  of  Arabs,  all 


ii 


!'  ( 


'j^' 


m  \ 


'1!l 


I.I  ' 


iiil 


I'i  I 


■if;: 


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'1^ 

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f  ' 

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■ 

1; 

1 

1 

1 

1 

472 


TRAVELS    OF    DENHAM    AND    CLAPPERTON. 


mounted  and  dressed  out  in  their  best  ai)parel,  and,  from  the  thickness 
of  the  trees,  soon  lost  sight  of  them,  fancying  that  the  road  could  not 
be  mistaken.  I  rode  still  onward,  and  on  approaching  a  spot  less  thickly 
planted,  was  not  a  little  surprised  to  see  in  front  of  me  a  body  of  several 
thousand  cavalry  drawn  up  in  line,  and  extending  right  and  left  as  for  as 
I  could  see  ;  and,  checking  my  horse,  I  awaited  the  arrival  of  my  party, 
under  the  shade  of  a  wide-spreading  acacia.  The  Bornou  troops  re- 
mained quite  steady,  without  noise  or  confusion  ;  and  a  few  horsemen, 
who  were  moving  about  in  front  giving  directions,  were  the  only  persons 
out  of  the  ranks.  On  the  Arabs  appearhig  in  sight,  a  shout  or  yell  was 
given  by  the  shekh's  people,  which  rent  the  air.  A  blast  was  blown  from 
their  rude  instruments  of  music  equally  loud,  and  they  moved  on  to 
meet  Boo-Khaloora  and  his  Arabs.  There  Avas  an  ai)pearance  of  tact 
and  management  in  their  movements  which  astonished  me.  Three  sep- 
arate small  bodies,  from  the  center  and  each  flank,  kept  charging  rapidly 
toward  us,  to  within  a  few  feet  of  our  horses'  heads,  without  checking 
the  speed  of  their  own,  until  the  moment  of  their  halt,  while  the  whole 
body  moved  onward.  These  parties  were  mounted  on  small  but  very 
perfect  horses,  which  stopped,  and  wheeled  from  their  utmost  speed  with 
great  precision  and  expertness,  ^hakuig  their  sjjears  over  their  heads, 
and  exclaiming:  '■Blessing!  blessing!  so7is  of  yotcr  country!  so?is  of 
your  country  !''  and  returning  quickly  to  the  front  of  the  body,  in  order 
to  repeat  the  charge.  While  all  this  was  gomg  on,  they  closed  in  their 
right  and  left  flanks,  and  surrounded  the  little  body  of  Arab  warriors  so 
completely,  as  to  give  the  compliment  of  welcoming  them  very  much 
the  appearance  of  contempt  for  their  weakness.  I  am  quite  sure  this 
was  premeditated.  "We  were  all  so  closely  pressed  as  to  be  nearly 
smothered,  and  in  some  danger  from  the  crowding  of  the  horses  and 
the  clashuig  of  the  spears.  Moving  on  was  impossible,  and  we  therefore 
came  to  a  full  stop.  Our  chief  was  much  enraged,  but  it  was  all  to  no 
purpose  ;  ho  was  only  answered  by  shrieks  of  '  Welcome  !'  and  spears 
most  unpleasantly  rattled  over  our  heads,  expressive  of  the  same  feeling. 
This  annoyance  was  not,  however,  of  long  duration.  Barca  Gana,  the 
shekh's  first  general,  a  negro  of  a  noble  aspect,  clothed  in  a  figured  silk 
tobe  and  mounted  on  a  beautiful  Mandara  horse,  made  his  appearance  ; 
and  after  a  little  delay  the  rear  was  cleared  of  those  who  had  pressed 
in  upon  us,  and  we  moved  on. 

"  The  shekli's  negroes,  as  they  were  called,  meaning  the  black  chiefs 
and  favorites,  all  raised  to  that  rank  by  some  deed  of  bravery,  were 
habited  in  coats  of  mail  composed  of  iron  chain,  which  covered  then; 
from  the  throat  to  the  knees,  dividing  behind,  and  coming  on  each  side 
of  the  horse :  some  of  them  had  helmets,  or  rather  skull-caps,  of  the 
same  metal,  with  chin-pieces,  all  sufliciently  strong  to  ward  ofi"  the  shock 
of  a  sjjear.  Their  horses'  heads  were  also  defended  by  plates  of  iron, 
brass,  and  silver,  just  leaving  sufiicient  room  for  the  eyes  of  the  animal. 

"  At  length,  on  arriving  at  the  gate  of  the  town,  omselves,  Boo- 


CEREMONIES    OB'    RECEPTION. 


473 


Kbaloom  and  about  a  dozen  of  his  followers,  were  alone  allowed  to  enter 
the  gates  ;  and  we  proceeded  along  a  wide  street  completely  lined  with 
spearmen  on  foot,  with  cavalry  in  front  of  them,  to  the  door  of  the  shekh's 
residence.  Here  the  horsemen  were  formed  up  three  deep,  and  we 
came  to  a  stand :  some  of  the  chief  attendants  came  out  and  after  a  great 
many  '  Harca !   bureaus .''   retired,  when  others   pertbrmed   the    same 


BODT-QUARD  OP  THE  8HEKII  OF  BORNOC. 

ceremony.  We  were  now  again  left  sitting  on  our  horses  in  the  sun; 
Boo-Khaloom  began  to  lose  all  patience,  and  swore  by  the  pasha's  head 
that  he  would  return  to  the  tents  if  he  was  not  immediately  admitted. 
He  got,  however,  no  satisfaction  but  a  motion  of  the  hand  from  one  of 
the  chiefs,  meaning  '  wait  patiently ;'  and  I  whispered  to  him  the  ne- 
cessity of  obeying,  as  we  were  hemmed  in  on  all  sides,  and  to  retire 
without  permission  would  have  been  as  difficiUt  as  to  advance.    Barca 


^n 


:  < 


'!  . 


i'l 


^^'1 


'Ni!!i 


1   :• 


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j 

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■  'l  ';< 


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i  !1 


lii' 


li"! 
!  . 

' '      1 

!■    I 


i 


i       ,'' 


! 


474 


TRAVELS    OP    DENHAM    AND    CLAPPERTON. 


Gana  now  appeared,  and  made  a  sign  that  Boo-Khaloom  should  dis- 
mount :  we  were  about  to  follow  his  example,  when  an  intimation  that 
Boo-Khaloom  was  alone  to  be  admitted  again  fixed  us  to  our  saddles. 
Another  half  hour  at  least  passed  without  any  news  from  the  interior  of 
the  building,  when  the  gates  opened  and  the  lour  Englishmen  only  were 
called  for,  and  we  advanced  to  the  entrance.  Here  Ave  were  stopped 
most  unceremoniously  by  the  black  guards  in  waiting,  and  were  allowed, 
one  by  one  only,  to  ascend  a  staircase ;  at  the  top  of  which  we  were 
again  brought  to  a  stand  by  crossed  spears,  and  the  open  flat  hand  of  a 
negro  laid  upon  our  breasts.  Boo-Khaloom  came  from  the  inner  cham- 
ber, and  asked,  '  If  we  were  prepared  to  salute  the  shekh  as  we  did  the 
])asha ';"  We  replied,  '  Certainly  ;'  which  was  merely  an  incUnation  of 
the  head,  and  laying  the  right  hand  on  the  heart.  He  advised  our  lay- 
ing our  hands  also  on  our  heads,  but  we  replied  that  the  thing  was  im- 
possible— we  had  but  one  manner  of  salutation  for  any  body,  except  our 
own  sovereign. 

"  Another  parley  now  took  place,  but  hi  a  minute  or  two  he  returned, 
and  we  were  ushered  into  the  presence  of  this  Slu'kli  of  8])oars.  We 
ibund  him  in  a  small  dark  room,  sitting  on  a  carpet,  plainly  dressed  in  a 
blue  robe  of  Soudan  and  a  shawl  turban.  Two  nt'groes  were  on  each 
sick'  of  him,  anned  with  ])istols,  and  on  his  carpet  lay  a  brace  of  these 
instruments.  His  personal  appearance  was  prei)ossessing,  aj)parently  not 
more  than  forty-five  or  forty-six,  with  an  expressive  countenance  and  a 
benevolent  smile.  AVe  delivered  our  letter  from  the  ])asha,  and  after  he 
had  read  it  he  inquired,  '  What  was  our  object  in  coming  ?'  We 
answered,  '  To  see  the  country  merely,  and  to  give  lui  account  of  its  in- 
habitants, produce,  and  appearance,  as  our  sultan  was  desirous  of  know- 
ing every  part  of  the  globe.'  His  reply  was  that  we  were  welcome,  and 
whatever  he  could  show  us  Avould  give  liim  ])leasure ;  that  he  had  or- 
dered huts  to  be  built  for  us  in  the  town,  and  that  we  might  then  go, 
accompanied  by  one  of  his  j)eople,  to  see  them.  When  we  had  recov- 
ered from  the  fiitigue  of  our  long  journey,  he  would  be  happy  to  see  us 
again.     AVith  this  we  took  our  leave." 

The  huts  were  little  round  mud  buildhigs,  inclosed  within  a  wall,  not 
far  from  the  shekh's  residence.  Here  the  travelers,  greatly  fatigued  witli 
their  entree,  retired;  but  the  luits  Avero  immediately  crowded  with  curi- 
ous visitors,  and  the  heat  was  insufferable.  The  next  day  at  noon  they 
received  a  summons  to  attend  the  shekh,  and  carried  Avith  them  their 
presents,  consisting  of  a  double-barreled  gun,  a  pair  of  pistols,  tAA'o 
])ieccs  of  superfine  broadcloth,  red  and  blue,  a  set  of  china,  and  two  bun- 
dles of  spices.  The  ceremonies  of  entering  the  presence  Avere  even  more 
ridiculous  and  annoying  than  on  the  preceding  day.  They  passed  be- 
tAVoen  double  lines  of  attendants,  who  caught  them  by  the  legs  Avheii 
they  advanced  too  rapidly,  jerked  off  their  slippers,  and  seated  them  on 
a  raised  bench  of  earth.  The  shekh  received  the  presents  with  evident 
satisfaction  and  again  questioned  them  as  to  the  object  of  their  visit. 


VISIT  0   THE  SULTAN  OF  BORNOU. 


475 


IIo  was  very  much  pleased  witli  the  assuranee  that  thu  King  of  England 
had  heard  of  Bornou  and  of  himself;  and,  ininicdiati'ly  turning  to  his 
counselor,  said,  "This  is  in  conseijTience  of  our  defeating  the  Beg- 
harmis ;"  upon  which,  the  chief  who  had  most  distinguislu'd  himself  in 
the  battles,  Bagah  Furh^  (the  gatherer  of  horses),  deniandcil,  "  Did  he 
ever  hear  of  mo?"  The  iuTinediatc  rc])ly  of  "Certainly,"  did  wonders 
tor  the  travelers :  there  was  a  general  exclamation,  and  the  cry  of  "  Ah, 
then,  your  king  must  bo  a. great  man!"  was  repeated  on  every  side. 

After  returning  to  their  residence  the  travelers  received  presents  of 
bullocks,  camel-loads  of  wheat  and  rice,  leathern  skins  of  butter,  jars  of 
honey,  bowls  filled  with  a  paste  made  of  barley-flour,  and  great  quanti- 
ties of  fresh  fish.  Tiiere  was  a  market  in  front  of  one  of  the  principal 
gates  of  the  town,  Avhieh  was  attended  by  upward  of  fifteen  thousand 
people.  The  princiital  five  stock  sold  here  was  slaves,  sheej),  and  bul- 
locks :  wheat,  rice,  and  sugar-cane  were  abundant,  together  with  tamar- 
inds, ground  nuts,  onions,  butter,  sour  milk,  and  honey.  There  was  also 
much  leather,  ocher,  indigo,  and  tlu>  skins  of  serpents  and  crocodiles. 
Auu)ng  other  articles  ottered  to  lJ)enliam  was  a  young  lion,  who  walked 
about  unconcernedly,  confined  only  by  a  small  rope  around  his  neck. 

On  the  2d  of  March,  Boo-Khalooin  went  to  a  town  called  Birnio,  for 
the  purjiose  of  paying  his  respects  to  the  Sultan  of  Bornou,  who  resides 
there,  and  the  travelers  decided  to  accomjjany  liini  Tluy  passed 
through  Angornou,  a  town  of  about  thirty  thousand  hihabitants,  sixteen 
miles  from  Kouka.  Two  miles  beyond  it  was  I}irnie,  a  walled  town, 
containing  about  ten  thousand  iidiabitants.  Here  they  were  met  by  the 
sultan's  chamberlain,  -who  ordered  a  large  tent  to  be  pitched  for  them, 
and  informed  them  that  the  sultan  would  receive  them  at  sunrise  the 
next  mornhig.  In  the  evening,  a  most  jilentiful,  if  not  delicate,  repast 
Avas  brought  them,  consisting  of  seventy  dishes,  each  of  which  would 
have  dined  half  a  dozen  persons  of  moderate  appetites.  The  sultan  him- 
self sent  ten,  his  Avives  thirty,  ami  his  mother  thirty;  the  meat  consisted 
of  mutton  and  poultry,  and  was  baked,  boiled,  and  stewed. 

"  Soon  after  daylight,"  says  Major  Denham,  "  we  were  summom.'d  to 
attend  the  Sultan  of  Bornou.  He  received  us  in  an  open  space  in  front 
of  the  royal  residence ;  Ave  Avere  kept  at  a  considerable  distance,  Aviiile 
his  ])coplo  approached  to  Avithin  about  ono  Imndrcd  yards,  passing  first 
on  horseback  ;  and  after  dismounting  and  prostrating  themselves  beibre 
him,  they  took  their  places  on  the  ground  in  front,  but  Avith  their  backs 
to  the  royal  i)erson,  AA'hich  is  the  custom  of  the  country.  lie  AA'as  seated 
in  a  sort  of  cage  of  can(>  or  Avood,  near  the  door  of  his  garden,  on  a  scat 
Avhich  fit  the  distance  appeared  to  be  covered  Avith  silk  or  satin,  and 
through  the  railing  looked  u]>:iti  the  assendjly  before  liim,  A\ho  formed  a 
sort  of  semicircle  extending  b  'Ui  his  seat  to  nearly  AA'here  Ave  Avere  Avait- 
ing.  "Nothiiig  could  be  more  :U)surd  and  grotescpie  than  the  figures  aa'Iio 
formed  this  court.  Large  bellies  and  large  heads  are  indispensable  for 
those  Avho  serve  the  court  of  Bornou ;  and  those  Avho  unfortunately 


m 


I ,  I 

;•  I  ■ 


1 1 


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I 


!ii 


I  .  V 


t 


476 


TRAVELS  OF  DENHAM  AND  CLAPPERTON. 


1,1,1 


li! 


possess  not  the  former  by  nature,  or  on  whom  lustiness  will  not  bo  forced 
by  cramming,  make  up  the  deficiency  of  protuberance  by  a  wadding, 
which,  as  they  sit  on  the  horse,  gives  the  belly  the  curious  appearance  of 
hanging  over  the  pummel  of  the  saddle.  When  the  courtiers,  to  the 
number  of  about  three  hundred,  liad  taken  their  seats  in  front  of  the 
sultan,  we  were  allowed  to  approach  to  within  pistol-shot  of  the  spot 
where  he  was  sitting,  and  desired  to  sit  down  ourselves,  when  the  ugliest 
black  that  can  be  imagined,  his  cliief  eunuch,  the  only  person  who  ap- 
proached the  sultan's  seat,  asked  for  the  presents.  Boo-Khaloom's  were 
pro(hiced,  inclosed  In  a  large  shawl,  and  were  carried  unopened  to  the 
presence.  Our  glimpse  was  but  a  faint  one  of  the  sultan,  through  the 
lattice-work  of  his  pavilion,  sufficient,  however,  to  see  that  his  turban 
was  larger  than  any  of  his  subjects',  and  tliat  his  face,  from  the  nose 
downward,  was  completely  covered.  Immediately  ailer  the  ceremony 
we  took  our  departure  for  Angernou." 

On  returning  to  Kouka,  Dr.  Oudney  became  very  ill.  The  travelers 
were  greatly  annoyed  by  the  number  of  persons  who  crowded  their  huts 
from  morning  till  night.  Every  little  thing,  from  the  compass  to  the 
pen  and  ink,  from  the  watch  to  the  tin  urinking-cui)S,  excited  their 
curiosity ;  and  as  they  now  became  bolder,  they  seizod  hold  of  every 
thing  which  they  had  formerly  only  eyed  at  a  distance.  It  was  not, 
however,  their  curiosity  alone  which  was  excited — the  jjossession  was 
coveted,  either  for  themselves  or  the  sliekh,  of  every  article.  A  co])y  of 
Captain  Lyon's  book,  the  fame  of  which  had  jjrcceded  the  expedition,  in 
consequence  of  Dr.  Oudney  having  shown  it  to  some  merchants  at 
Mourzuk,  was  demanded  twenty  times  a  day.  It  produced  very  diller- 
ent  effects,  but  in  all  astonishment  and  suspicion.  The  shekh  sent  one 
of  his  slaves  to  borrow  it,  that  he  might  see  it  by  stealth,  not  wishing 
his  peojjle  to  know  that  he  had  made  the  request.  He  also  asked  that 
some  rockets  might  be  sent  up,  in  order  to  sur{niso  and  overawe  some 
of  the  Siiouaas,  his  former  enemies,  who  were  then  in  Kouka.  I'he 
signal  was  given  by  his  chamberlain  lighting  a  Avisp  of  straw  on  the  roof 
of  the  palace.  The  first  rocket  went  up  perp<„  ndicularly,  with  fine  effect; 
the  second,  depressed  a  little,  flew  over  the  tOAvn  at  the  height  of  a  hun- 
dred yards,  and  bursting  in  its  course,  occasioned  a  universal  scream, 
which  lasted  for  some  seconds. 

On  the  10th  of  March,  Major  Denham  writes:  "This  day  I  had  a 
little  respite,  my  visiting-list  being  much  reduced  in  consequence  of  its 
being  market-day ;  there  was,  as  usual,  an  abundance  of  all  neccboaries, 
though  but  few  luxuries ;  and,  as  the  people  got  more  accustomed  to 
my  appearance,  they  became  more  familiar.  One  young  hvdy,  whose 
numerous  bracelets  of  elephant's  teeth,  heavy  silver  rings  on  each  side 
of  her  face,  coral  in  her  nose,  and  amber  necklace,  proclaimed  her  a  per- 
son of  wealth,  nimbly  jumped  off  her  bullock  and  tore  a  corner  from  my 
pocket-handkerchief,  as  she  said,  for  a  souvenir.  I  could  do  no  less  than 
request  her  to  accept  the  remainder  of  so  useful  an  appendage,  and  I 


EXCURSION    TO    LAKE    TCHAD. 


477 


was  happy  to  soe  that  tliis  piece  of  <rallantry  was  not  lost,  even  upon 
savaijes.  They  all  clapped  their  hands  and  cried,  '  liarca !  barca !'  and 
the  lady  herself,  whoso  hands  and  face  were  really  ninnin<»  down  with 
grease,  so  re<jardless  was  she  of  expense,  generously  poured  into  the 
sleeve  of  my  shirt  nearly  a  quart  of  ground  nuts." 

The  next  day  Major  Denhani  received  a  summons  from  the  shekh,  to 
whom  a  report  had  been  made  of  a  musical  box,  which  played  or  stop))ed 
merely  by  a  motion  of  the  finger.  "The  messenger  declared  ho  was 
dying  to  see  it,  and  I  nuist  make  haste.  The  wild  exclamations  of  won- 
der and  screams  of  pleasure  which  this  ])iece  of  mechanism  ilrew  from 
the  generality  of  my  visitors  were  curiously  contrasted  in  the  person  of 
the  intelligent  shekh  ;  he  at  first  was  greatly  astonished,  and  asked  sev- 
eral questions,  cxclaiining,  'Wonderful!  Avonderful !'  Init  the  sweetness 
of  the  Swiss  r(mz  dcs  vaches  which  it  played  at  last  overcame  every 
other  feeling ;  ho  covered  his  face  with  liis  hand,  listened  in  sIIcikh',  and 
on  one  man  near  liim  breaking  the  charm  by  a  loud  exclamation,  he 
struck  liim  a  blow  which  made  all  liis  followers  tremljle.  lie  instantly 
asked  if  one  twice  as  large  would  not  be  better.  I  said  :  '  Yes,  but  it 
Avould  be  twice  as  dear.'  'By  Allah  !'  said  he,  '  if  one  thousand  dollars 
would  purchase  it,  it  Avould  be  cheap.'  Who  will  deny  that  nature  has 
given  us  all  a  taste  for  luxuries  ?" 

The  instrument  was  presented  to  tlie  shekh,  who  was  so  deliglited 
that  he  gave  Major  j)enham  permission  to  visit  Lake  Tchad,  and  sent 
seven  of  his  servants  to  attend  hhn.  After  a  ride  of  fifteen  miles,  they 
reached  the  shore  of  the  lake,  the  waters  of  which  stretched  away  to 
the  horizon.  In  the  grass  marshes,  thousands  of  cattle  belonging  to  the 
shekh  Avcre  peacefully  grazing.  The  traveler  encamped  near  the  water, 
in  spite  of  the  renumstrancosof  his  attendants,  but  was  soon  driven  away 
by  the  swarms  of  mosquitoes  which  ass'ailed  him.  In  +he  evening,  he  saw 
a  herd  of  forty  wild  elephants.  The  next  day,  while  he  was  shooting 
w.ater-fowl,  news  of  three  very  large  elephai.ts  was  brought  to  him,  and 
he  immediately  resolved  to  attack  them.  "■  One  was  an  immense  fellow, 
I  should  suppose  sixteen  feet  high;  the  other  two  \s''i'e  females,  and 
moved  away  rather  quickly,  while  the  male  kept  in  the  rear,  as  if  to 
guard  their  retreat.  We  wheeled  swiftly  around  him ;  ami  IMaraymy 
casting  a  spear  at  him,  which  struck  him  just  under  the  tail,  and  seemed 
to  give  him  about  as  much  pain  as  when  we  prick  our  finger  with  a  pin, 
the  huge  beast  tln-ew  up  his  proboscis  in  the  air  Avith  a  loud  roai",  and 
from,  it  cast  such  a  volume  of  sand,  that,  unprepared  as  I  was  for  such  an 
event,  nearly  blinded  me.  The  elephant  rarely,  if  ever,  attacks,  and  it 
is  only  when  irritated  that  ho  is  dangerous;  but  he  will  sometimes  rush 
upon  a  man  and  horse,  after  choking  them  Avith  dust,  and  destroy  them 
in  an  instant." 

After  an  absence  of  three  days.  Major  Denham  returned  to  Kouka, 
where  he  received  unwelcome  ncAvs.  "  The  horse  Avhich  had  carried  me 
from  Tripoli  to  Mourzuk,  and  back  again,  and  on  Avhich  I  had  ridden  the 


ilj; 


■n. 


M 

1 

M..uk:tlillk 

1   i 

i 

j| 

m^^T 


I  ^1  f^" 


i 
i 

i:-^i 

't  -.      1 

1 

i. 

l.i 


ii: 


Mi 


I 


478 


TRAVELS  OF  DENHAM  AND  CLAPPERTON. 


whole  joiirnoy  from  Tripoli  to  Bornou,  had  dii'd,  u  very  i'i'w  hours  after 
my  departure  for  the  Like.  There  are  situations  in  a  muirs  life  in  Avhich 
losses  of  this  nature  are  felt  most  keenly  ;  and  this  was  one  of  them.  It 
was  not  tirief,  but  it  Avas  something  Aery  nearly  aj)proac'hins;  to  it ;  and 
though  r  felt  ashamed  of  the  degree  of  derangement  A\'hicli  I  suffered 
from  it,  yet  it  A\'as  several  days  ))eti)re  I  could  get  over  the  loss.  Let  it 
be  hoAvever  remembered,  that  the  poor  animal  liad  been  my  support  and 
comfort — niay  I  not  say  companion  ? — through  many  a  dreary  day  and 
night ;  had  endured  both  hunger  and  thirst  in  my  service  Avith  the  ut- 
most patience  ;  Avas  so  docile,  though  an  Arab,  that  he  AA'ould  stand  still 
for  hours  in  the  desert,  while  T  slept  betAveen  his  legs,  his  body  atfordii.g 
me  the  only  shelter  that  could  be  obtained  from  the  powerful  influence 
of  a  noonday  sun  ;  he  Avas  yet  the  fleetest  of  the  fleet,  and  ever  foremost 
in  the  race," 


DKNITAM'S    MILITARY    EXCURSION    TO    MANDARA. 

The  party  hni\  now  been  more  than  a  month  in  Kouka,  Avithout  hav- 
ing made  any  apparent  advance  in  the  object  of  their  mission.  The  de- 
termii  ation  of  the  shekh  seemed  to  be,  not  tc  iiermit  them  to  go  biyond 
the  borders  of  Bornou.  They  Avero  not  disheartened  by  the  suspicion 
and  distrust  Avith  Avhich  they  Avere  met,  but  endeavored,  by  i)atience  and 
the  utmost  ])rudence  in  their  conduct,  to  Avin  by  degrees  the  confidence 
of  the  shekh  and  peoi)le.  Their  situation  at  this  time  AAas  rendered  more 
embarrassing  by  difliculties  Avhich  had  arisen  bctAveen  Boo-Klialoom  and 
the  other  Arab  chieftains.  The  shekh  Avas  planning  an  expedition  against 
the  Fellatas  living  beyond  Mandara,  a  country  to  the  south  of  Bornou, 
for  the  j»uritose  of  capturing  slaves,  and  promised  to  Send  Boo-Khaloom 
and  his  men,  Avith  Barca  (lana,  avIio  Avas  to  command  the  party.  j\[ajor 
Denham  determiiu'd  to  go  likcAvise,  as  the  country  to  be  visited  Avas 
entirely  unknown  ;  but  the  shekh,  at  fu-st,  seemoil  determined  to  tliAAMrt 
his  Avishes.  On  the  Hlh  of  April,  the  expedition,  under  Barca  C4ana, 
l)roceeded  to  Angornou,  Avhence  it  Avas  to  move  soutliAA'ard  on  the  14th. 
Denham  now  lost  no  tinu'  in  consulthig  one  of  the  shckh's  counselors, 
Avho  proi'essed  to  be  his  friend,  j»romising  to  give  him  ?!')0  if  he  Avould 
jiroiure  a  permit  for  him  to  go.  lie  also  had  another  interview  Avith  the 
shekh,  to  Avhom  he  jestingly  said  that  if  he  did  not  Avish  liim  to  go,  he 
nnist  put  him  in  irons.  These  promises  and  importunities  Avore  not  Avilh- 
out  eifect  ;  the  same  night,  jNIaraymy,  one  of  the  sultan's  black  slaves, 
Avho  had  accompanied  Major  Denham  to  Lake  Tchad,  came  lo  him  after 
midnight,  and  urged  him  to  leave  at  once  for  Angornou.  On  the  Avay 
thither,  ^Miiraymy  state<l,  confidentially,  that  the  shekh  had  desired  him 
not  to  leave  him,  but  that,  if  Denham  persisted  in  joining  the  expedition, 
he  Avas  to  conduct  him  to  the  camp  as  tjuickly  as  possible,  and  givo  liitii 
into  the  charge  of  Barca  CJana. 


AFRICAN    ORDER    OF    MARCH. 


479 


This  hint  was  qiiito  sufticieiit  for  IVIajor  Dctiham.  Thoy  reached  Aii- 
gornou  before  suiwise,  and,  finding  tliat  the  expedition  had  marched  on 
to  a  town  about  tliirty-livc  miles  to  the  south,  where  it  would  halt  a  day, 
determined  to  resume  their  journey  at  once,  and  overtake  it.  On  the 
evening  of  the  next  day,  the  17th,  they  reached  a  town  called  Merty, 
near  which  they  discovered  the  tents  of  the  Bornouese  camp.  Maraymy 
at  once  conducted  Major  Denham  to  Barca  (lana,  who,  he  says,  "  re- 
ceived me  with  a  great  deal  of  civility  in  his  tent,  although  lie  kept  mo 
several  minutes  waiting  outside,  until  he  had  sunmioned  his  fi/hi,  or 
charm-writer — an  indispensable  person — and  one  or  two  of  his  chiefs,  to 
attend  him.  '  If  it  was  the  will  of  God,'  he  said,  '  I  should  come  to  no 
liann,  and  ho  would  do  all  in  his  power  for  my  convenience.'  \  sjjot 
was  appointed  for  my  tent  near  his  own ;  and  I  took  my  leave  in  order 
to  visit  the  Arabs.  The  cheers  they  all  gave  mo,  and  the  hearty  shake 
of  the  hand  of  Boo-Khaloom,  made  me  regret  that  I  was  not  to  be 
among  them,  in  spite  of  all  their  bad  qualities.  Boo-Khaloom  repeat- 
edly exdaimecl :  '  I  knew  you  would  con)c ;  I  said  you  would  by  some 
means  or  other  join  us.'" 

The  next  morning  the  tents  were  struck  before  sunrise,  and  Major 
Denham  rode  off  by  the  side  of  Barca  Gana,  in  full  march  for  Mandara. 
They  advanced  thirty-four  miles  that  day,  and  reached  a  Availed  town 
called  Deegoa,  with  a  population  of  thirty  thousand.  The  following  is 
the  description  of  the  order  of  march  :  "  Chiefs  in  tliis  part  of  Africa  are 
aci'omj)anied  by  as  many  j)ersonal  followers  as  they  think  ])roper  to 
maintain,  both  as  horse  and  footmen:  some  of  them  form  the  band,  if  I 
may  so  call  it.  Barca  (»ana  had  five  mounted,  who  kept  close  l)ehind 
him,  three  of  whom  carried  a  sort  of  drum,  wliich  hangs  around  their 
necks,  and  beat  time  while  they  sang  extempore  songs;  one  carried  a 
small  ])ipe  made  of  a  reed,  and  the  other  blew,  on  a  buffalo's  horn,  loud 
and  deep-toned  blasts,  as  we  moved  through  the  wood  ;  but  by  far  the 
nu)st  entertaining  and  useful  were  tlie  running  footmen,  who  i)receded 
the  kashella,  and  acted  as  j)ioneers ;  they  were  twelve  in  munber,  and 
carried  long  forked  poles,  with  wliich  they,  with  great  dexterity,  kept 
back  the  branches  as  they  moved  on  at  a  quick  pace,  constantly  keeping 
open  a  path,  wliich  without  them  would  really  liave  been  scarcely  jiass- 
able.  ]>esides,  they  were  constantly  crying  out  something  about  the 
road,  or  the  expedition,  as  tliey  went  on.  For  example :  '  Take  care  of 
the  holes! — Avoid  the  branches  ! — Here  is  the  road  ! — Take  care  of  the 
tulloh;  its  leaves  are  like  spears — worse  than  spears!'  'Keep  off  the 
branches!'  'For  whom?'  'Barca  (lana!' — 'Who  in  battle  is  like 
rolling  of  thunder?'  'Barca  Gana!' — 'Now  for  Maiidan; ! — now  for 
the  Kerdie;  !— now  for  the  battle  of  spears!  Who  is  our  leader?' 
'  Barca  Gaual' — 'Here  is  the  wady,  but  no  water!  God  be  jtraised! — 
In  battle,  who  spreads  terror  around  him  like  a  bufiiilo  in  his  rage?' 
'Barca  (Jana!'" 

Afler  several  davs  of  sevcro  travel,  the  heat  being  Hometimes  11  J)" 


:i    is ; 


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480 


TRAVELS    OF    DENIIAII    AND    CLAPPERTON. 


ill  the  shade,  the  nriny  .ii)])roaclie(l  the  cajdtal  of  the  country  of  Man- 
(lara,  and  received  a  message  fi-om  the  sultan,  M-ho  statec]  tliat  he  -would 
meet  it  next  day  on  his  way  to  Mora,  his  residence.  The  first  town  of 
Mandara  was  Delow,  a  i)lace  often  thousand  iiiliahitants.  "About  a 
mile  from  his  town,"  says  Major  Denham,  "  v/e  saw  before  us  the  Sultan 
of  3[andara,  surrounded  by  about  five  hundred  horsemen,  posted  on  a 
risijig  jijrouiid  ready  to  receive  us,  when  Barca  (Jaiia  instantly  com- 
manded a  halt.  The  sultan's  guard  was  composed  of  thirty  of  his  sons, 
ail  mounted  on  very  superior  horses,  clothed  in  striped  silk  tobes,  and 
the  skins  of  tlie  tiger-cat  and  leopard  forming  tlieir  shabracks,  Avliich 
hung  fully  over  their  liorses'  haunches.  After  these  had  returned  to 
tlieir  station  in  front  of  the  sultan,  we  approached  at  full  Ppeed  in  our 
turn,  halting  with  the  guard  between  us  and  the  royal  presence.  Tiie 
parley  then  commenced,  and  the  object  of  Boo-Klialoom's  visit  liaving 
been  e\-pl;uned,  we  retired  again  to  the  place  we  had  left ;  while  the  sul- 
tan returned  to  the  town,  preceded  by  several  men  blowing  long  ])i})es 
not  unlike  clarionets,  ornamented  with  shells,  and  two  immense  trum- 
}iets  from  twelve  to  fourteen  feet  long." 


A  U  U  I  V  A  I,     A  T     JI  0  11  A  ,     IN     M  A  N  I)  A  11  A  . 


''Toward  evening,"  Denliam  continues,  "  IJarca  Gana  sent  to  desire 
me  to  mount,  for  the  purpose  of  visiling  tlu'  sultan.  AVe  entered  the 
town,  Hoo-Khuluom  and   myself  riding  on  liis  right  and  left.     At  the 


■  1'  I 


lie 
(he 


THE    SULTAN    OF    MANDARA. 


481 


furthei'  cntl  of  a  largo  square  ■was  the  sultan's  palace.  As  is  usual  on 
approivching  or  visiting  a  great  man,  wo  galloped  up  at  full  speed,  almost 
entering  the  tos.  This  is  a  perilous  sort  of  salutation,  but  nothing 
must  stop  y-  and  it  is  seldom  made,  except  at  the  expense  of  one  or 
jnorc  lives.  <.,n  this  occasion,  a  man  and  horse  which  stood  in  our  way, 
Avere  ri<lden  over  in  an  instant,  the  horse's  leg  broken,  end  the  man 
killed  on  the  spot.  The  trumpets  soiuided  as  we  dismounted  at  the 
palace  gate  ;  our  pa])0uchcs,  or  outward  slippers,  were  quickly  pulled  otf; 
and  we  })roceeded  through  a  wide  entrance,  into  a  large  court,  where, 
under  a  dark  blue  tent  of  8oudan,  sat  the  sultan,  on  a  mud  bench,  cov- 
ered, however,  Avitli  a  handsome  carpet  and  silk  pillows.  lie  was  sur- 
rounded by  about  two  hundi'od  persons,  all  handsomely  dressed  in  tobos 
of  silk  and  colored  cotton,  with  his  five  eunuchs,  the  ])rincipal  men  of 
the  country  sitting  in  front,  but  .all  with  their  backs  turned  toward  him. 
The  manner  of  saluting  is  curious.  Barca  Gana,  as  the  shekh's  repre- 
sentative, approached  to  a  space  in  front  of  the  eunuchs,  his  eyes  fixed 
on  the  ground  :  he  then  sat  down,  liis  eyes  still  fixed  on  the  earth,  with 
his  back  to  the  sultan,  and,  cla])ping  his  hands  together,  exclaimi'(l  : 
'•  Enyoiiboroic  ddgah!''  (May  you  live  forever!)  ^  Allah  Jcittro  !''  (God 
send  you  a  happy  old  age  !)  '■La,  lai  f  harca  !  barca  /'  (How  is  it  with 
you?  blessing!  blessing!)  These  word*  were  repeated  nearly  by  the 
sultan,  and  thm  sung  out  by  all  the  court. 

"The  sultan,  whose  n.ame  was  IMohammed  Bukr,  was  an  intelligent 
little  man  of  about  fifty,  with  a  beard  dyed  of  a  most  beautiful  sky-blue. 
He  had  been  eyeing  mo  for  some  time,  as  I  sat  between  ]>oo-Khaloom 
and  Iiarca  Gana,  and  first  asking  I»oo-Khaloom  his  name,  inquired  who 
I  was  ?  The  answer  that  I  was  a  native  of  a  very  distant  and  powerful 
nation,  friends  of  the  ])aslia  of  Tripoli  and  the  shekh,  who  came  to  see 
the  country,  did  not  aj)pear  much  to  surprise  him ;  anil  he  looked  gr.aci- 
ous  as  he  said:  '  l»ut  v\hat  does  he  want  to  see?'  A  fiital  (piestion  fol- 
loweu,  however,  and  the  answer  appeared  to  petrify  the  whole  asseitd)ly. 
— '  Are  they  Moslem  ?'  '  La  !  la ."  (No !  no  !)  Every  eye,  which  had 
before  been  turned  toward  me,  was  now  hastily  withdrawn,  .and,  looking 
round,  T  really  fi'lt  myself  in  a  critical  situation.  '  Has  the  great  pasha 
inlidel  friends?'  asked  the  sultan.  The  explanati(m  which  followed  was 
of  little  use:  they  knew  no  distinctions:  Christians  they  had  merely 
heard  of  as  the  worst  people  in  tlu'  world,  and  i)robably,  until  they  saw 
nie,  scarcely  believed  them  to  be  human.  We  shortly  atler  returiu'd  to 
our  camp,  aiid  I  never  afterward  was  invited  to  enter  the  Sultan  of  Man- 
dara's  jiresenco." 

It  had  been  Boo-Khaloom's  expectation  that  lie  would  be  sent  against 
some  of  the  Kerdies,  or  tribes  of  neir-.oes  who  inhabit  the  mountains,  in 
order  to  capture  slaves  :  but  he  soon  discovered  that  the  intention  of  the 
Shekh  of  Bornoti,  aided  by  the  Sultan  of  Mandara,  was  to  send  him 
against  the  warlike  Felatalis,  and  give  his  Arabs  a  taste  of  their  arrows 
and  spears.    The  people  of  a  country  called  Musgow,  lying  to  the  south- 

31 


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482 


TRAVELS    OF    DENIIAM    AND    CLAPPERTON. 


cast  of  3Ianclara,  supposed  the  expedition  was  directed  against  them, 
and,  to  propitiate  tlie  sultan,  sent  him  a  present  of  two  hundred  slaves, 
and  tifty  horses.  Major  Dcnham  says  of  these  people :  "  I  saw  them  on 
their  leaving  the  sultan's  palace  ;  and  both  then,  and  on  their  entrance, 
they  threw  themselves  on  the  ground,  pouring  sand  on  their  heads,  and 
uttering  the  most  piteous  cries.  On  their  heads,  which  were  covered 
with  long  woolly,  or  rather  bristly  hair,  comhig  quite  over  their  eyes, 
lliey  wore  a  cap  of  the  skin  of  the  goat,  or  some  fox-like  animal,  and 
around  the  necks  of  each  were  from  one  to  six  strings  of  what  I  was 
assured  were  the  teeth  of  the  enemies  they  had  slain  in  battle  :  teeth 
and  pieces  of  bone  were  also  pendant  from  the  clotted  locks  of  their 
hair,  and,  with  the  red  patches  Avith  which  their  boi.ies  Avere  marked  in 
ditl'erent  places  (which  color  also  their  own  teeth  Avero  stained),  they 
really  had  a  most  strikingly  Avild  and  savage  appearance.  What  very 
much  increased  the  interest  I  felt  in  gazing  upon  these  beings,  Avho  Avere 
the  most  savage  of  their  race,  Avas  the  positive  assertion  of  Boo-Klialoom 
that  they  Avere  Christians!  Some  of  them,  hoAvever,  begging  jicrmission 
to  regale  themselves  on  the  remains  of  a  horse,  Avhich  had  died  during 
the  night  in  our  camp,  gave  me,  as  I  thought,  an  unanswerable  argument 
against  him.  I  can  scarcely,  lioAvever,  at  this  moment  forget  how  dis- 
concerted I  felt  Avhen  here])li('d:  'That  is  nothing:  I  certainly  never 
heard  of  Christians  eating  dead  horse-flesh,  but  I  know  that  they  eat  the 
llesh  of  swine,  and  God  knoAA's  that  is  Avorse!'  " 

After  several  more  days  of  delay,  dm'ing  Avhich  a  viok'iit  hurricane 
])assed  over  the  valley,  tearing  uj)  trees,  loosening  rocks  from  the  mount- 
ain sides,  and  prostrating  the  tents  of  the  army,  the  order  Avas  given  to 
advance.  The  united  troops,  connnanded  by  liarca  Gana  and  the  Sul- 
tan of  ]Mandara,  moved  on  through  the  pass  of  Ilairey,  in  the  Mandara 
Mountains.  The  road  lay  through  a  narrow  glen,  surroimded  by  rugged 
moimtains,  Avhich,  for  picturesque  appearance,  might  be  compared  to  the 
Jura  or  the  Apennines.  The  next  day  they  entered  the  pass  of  Ilorza, 
Avhich  Avas  only  about  five  hundred  yards  Avide,  overhung  on  either 
side  by  precii)ices  of  naked  rock  tAvo  thousand  five  lumdred  feet  high. 
On  encamping  that  night  preparations  Averc  made  for  an  attack  on  the 
Felatahs,  who  Avere  said  to  be  only  sixteen  miles  distant.  The  chiefs 
j)Ut  on  their  closely-linked  shirts  of  inm  mail,  and  the  hannners  of  the 
clumsy  native  armorers  rang  through  the  camp  all  night. 

To  resume  the  narrative.  "  As  the  day  broke  on  the  morning  of  the 
28th  of  April,  a  most  interesting  scene  })resented  itself  The  Sultan  of 
Mandara  was  close  on  our  flank,  mounted  on  a  A'ery  beautiful  ci-eani- 
colored  horse,  Avith  several  large  red  marks  about  him,  and  followed  by 
his  six  lavorito  eunuchs,  and  thirty  of  his  sons,  all  finely  dressed  and 
mountt'd  on  really  superb  horses.  ]}arca  (iana's  })i'ople  all  Avore  their 
red  scarfs,  or  bornouses,  over  their  steel  jackets,  and  the  Avhole  had  a 
very  fine  effect.  I  took  my  posit'  "  at  his  right  hand,  and  at  a  spot 
called  Duggur  we  entered  a  very  thiCK  wood,  in  two  columns,  at  tho 


•  .' 


iili 


rza, 
hor 
lull, 
tlio 
licfs 
the 

tlio 

of 

;un- 

iiul 

ic'ir 

1(1  a 

8})0t 

the 


BATTLE  WITH  THE  FELATAHS. 


483 


end  of  wliich  it  was  paid  wo  werG  to  find  the  enemy.  *  *  *  On 
emerging  from  the  wood,  the  large  Felatah  touni  of  Dirkulla  was  per- 
ceivable, and  the  Arabs  were  formed  in  front,  headed  by  J?oo-KhaIoom ; 
they  were  flanked  on  each  side  by  a  large  body  of  cavalry,  and  as  they 
moved  on,  sliouting  the  Arab  Avar-cry,  which  is  very  inspiring,  I  thonght 
I  could  perceive  a  smile  pass  between  Barca  Gana  and  his  chiefs,  at  Boo- 
Khaloom's  expense.  Dirkulla  was  quickly  burned,  and  another  smaller 
town  near  it ;  and  the  few  inhabitants  who  were  fomid  in  them,  who 
were  chiefly  infants  and  aged  persons  imable  to  escape,  were  put  to 
death  without  mercy,  or  thrown  into  the  flames." 

They  now  came  to  a  third  town,  called  Musfeia,  built  in  a  very  strong 
position  between  two  low  hills,  with  a  swamp  in  front,  beyond  which 
were  several  deep  riivines,  impassable  for  more  than  two  or  three  Iiorsc- 
mcn  at  a  time.  The  town  was  also  surrounded  with  a  strong  fence  of 
pointed  palissades,  flistened  together  with  thongs  of  raw  hide.  The 
Ara>)s,  unsupported  by  either  the  Bornou  or  Mandara  troojts,  moved  on 
gallantly,  and,  in  spite  of  showers  of  poisoned  arrows,  drove  away  the 
Felatahs,  who  retreated  up  the  hills,  where  they  rolled  down  huge 
masses  of  rock  on  their  pursuers.  Barca  Gana,  with  about  one  himdred 
spearmen,  now  moved  up  to  the  assistance  of  lioo-Klialoom  ;  but  the 
Sultan  of  Mandara,  and  the  remainder  of  the  army,  kept  out  of  the 
reach  of  the  arroAvs,  on  the  other  side  of  the  ravines.  "  The  Felatahs, 
finally,  seeing  tlioir  backwardness,  now  made  an  attack  in  turn  ;  the 
arrows  fell  so  thick  that  there  was  no  standing  against  them,  and  the 
Arabs  gave  Avay.  The  Felatah  horse  now  came  on,  and  had  not  the 
little  band  around  Barca  Gana  and  Boo-Klialoom,  with  a  few  of  his 
mounted  Arabs,  given  them  a  very  spirited  check,  not  one  of  us  would, 
probably,  have  lived  to  see  the  following  day.  As  it  Avas,  Barca  (^ana 
had  three  horses  hit  under  liim,  two  of  Avhich  died  almost  immediately, 
the  arrows  being  poisoned  ;  and  poor  Boo-Khaloom's  liorse  and  himself 
received  their  death-AVounds.  My  horse  Avas  badly  Avounded  in  the 
neck,  just  above  the  shoulder,  and  in  the  near  hind  leg  :  an  arrow  had 
strucli  me  in  the  fiico  as  it  passed,  merely  drawing  the  blood,  and  I  had 
two  sticking  in  my  bornous.  No  sooner  did  the  Mandara  and  Bornou 
troops  see  the  defeat  of  the  Arabs,  than  they,  one  and  all,  took  to  flight, 
in  the  most  dastardly  manner,  Avithout  having  been  once  exposed  to 
the  arrows  of  the  enemy,  and  in  the  utmost  confusion.  The  (Sultan  of 
Mandara  led  the  Avay. 

"  I  now,  for  the  first  time,  as  I  saAV  Barca  Gana  on  a  fresh  liorse,  la- 
mented my  own  lolly  in  so  exposing  myself,  badly  jtrejjared  as  I  Avas  for 
accidents.  If  either  of  my  horse's  wounds  Avere  from  poisoned  arroAvs, 
I  felt  that  nothing  could  save  me  ;  however,  there  Avas  not  much  time 
for  reflection.  We  instantly  l)ecame  a  flying  mass,  and  plunged,  in  the 
greatest  disorder,  into  that  wood  we  hat!  b>it  a  ihw  liours  before  moved 
through  with  order,  and  very  ditferent  feelings.  I  had  got  a  little  to 
the  Avestward  of  Barca  Gana,  in  the  confusion  which  took  j)lace  on  our 


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484 


TRAVELS    OF    DENHAM    AND    CLAPPERTON. 


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passing  the  ravine,  where  upwanl  of  one  hundred  of  the  Bomouese  were 
speared  by  the  F'elatahs,  and  was  following  at  a  round  gallop  the  steps 
of  one  of  the  Mandara  eunuclis,  who,  I  observed,  kept  a  good  look-out, 
his  head  being  constantly  turned  over  his  left  shoulder,  Avith  a  face  ex- 
pressive of  the  greatest  dismay,  when  the  cries  behind,  of  the  Felatah 
horse  pursuing,  made  us  both  quicken  our  paces.  The  spur,  however, 
had  the  effect  of  incapacitating  my  beast  altogether,  as  the  arrow,  I 
found  afterward,  had  reached  the  shoulder-bone,  and  in  ])asshig  over 
some  rough  ground  he  stumbled  and  fell.  Almost  before  I  was  upon  my 
legs,  the  Felatahs  were  upon  me.  I  had,  however,  kept  hold  of  the 
bridle,  and  seizing  a  pistol  from  the  holsters,  I  presented  it  at  two  of 
these  ferocious  savages,  who  were  pressing  me  with  their  spears.  They 
instantly  went  oif;  but  another,  who  came  on  me  more  boldly,  just  as 
I  was  endeavoring  to  mount,  received  the  contents  somewhere  in  his  left 
shoulder,  and  again  I  was  enabled  to  place  my  foot  in  the  stirrup. 
Remounted,  I  again  pushed  my  retreat.  I  had  not,  however,  proceeded 
many  hundred  yards,  when  my  horse  again  came  down  with  such  vio- 
lence as  to  throw  me  against  a  tree  at  a  considerable  distance,  and, 
alarmed  at  the  horses  behind  lam,  he  quickly  got  up  and  escaped,  leav- 
ing me  on  foot  and  unarmed. 

"The  eunuch  and  his  four  followers  W(!re  liore  butchered,  after  a  very 
slight  resistance,  and  stripped  within  a  few  yards  of  me.  Their  cries 
were  dreadful ;  and  even  now  the  feelings  of  that  moment  are  fresh  in 
my  memory — my  hopes  of  life  were  too  faint  to  deserve  the  name.  I  was 
almost  instantly  surrounded,  and,  incapable  of  making  the  least  resistance 
as  I  was  unarmed,  was  as  speedily  stripped,  and  while  attempting,  first 
to  save  my  shirt  and  then  my  trowsers,  I  was  thrown  on  the  ground. 
My  pursuers  made  several  thrusts  at  me  Avith  their  spears,  which  badly 
wounded  my  hands  in  two  places,  and  slightly  my  body,  just  under  the 
ribs,  on  the  right  side  ;  indeed,  I  saw  nothing  before  me  but  the  same 
cruel  death  I  had  seen  unmercifully  inflicted  on  the  few  who  had  fallen 
into  the  power  of  those  who  noAv  had  passession  of  me  ;  and  they  were 
alone  prevented  from  murdering  me,  in  the  first  instance,  I  am  per- 
suaded, by  the  fear  of  injuring  the  value  of  my  clothes,  which  appeared 
to  them  a  rich  booty — but  it  was  otherwise  ordained. 

"  My  shirt  was  now  absolutely  torn  off  my  back,  and  I  was  loft  per- 
fl'ctly  naked.  When  my  plunderers  began  to  quarrel  for  the  spoil,  the 
idea  of  esea])e  came  like  lightning  across  my  mind,  and  without  a 
moment's  hesitation  or  reflection  I  crept  under  the  belly  of  the  horse 
nearest  me,  and  started  as  fast  as  my  legs  could  carry  me  for  the  thickest 
])art  of  the  Avood ;  two  of  the  Felatahs  followed,  and  I  ran  on  to  the 
eastward,  knowing  that  our  stragglers  wotdd  be  in  that  direction,  but 
still  almost  as  much  afraid  of  friends  as  foes.  My  pursuers  gained  on 
me,  for  the  ])rickly  underwood  not  only  obstructed  my  ])assage,  but  tore 
my  flesh  miserably ;  and  the  delight  with  which  I  saw  a  mountain-stream 
gliding  along  at  the  bottom  of  a  deep  ravine  can  not  be  imagined.     My 


NARROW    ESCAPE   i'ROM    DEATH. 


485 


strength  had  almost  left  me,  and  I  seized  the  young  branches  issumg 
from  the  stump  of  a  large  tree  which  overhung  the  ravine,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  lettmg  myself  down  into  the  water,  as  the  sides  were  precipit- 
ous, when,  under  my  hand,  as  the  branches  yielded  to  the  weight  of  my 
body,  a  large  liffa — the  worst  kind  of  serpent  this  country  prodiices — 
rose  from  its  coil,  as  if  in  the  very  act  of  striking,  I  was  horror-struck, 
and  deprived  for  a  moment  of  all  recollection — the  branch  slipped  from 
my  hand,  and  I  tumbled  headlong  into  the  water  beneath.  This  shock, 
however,  revived  me,  and  Avith  three  strokes  of  my  arms  I  reiiched  the 
opposite  bank,  which,  with  difficulty,  I  crawled  up ;  and  then,  for  the 
first  time,  felt  myself  safe  from  my  pursuers. 

"  I  now  saw  horsemen  through  the  trees,  still  further  to  the  oast,  and 
determined  on  reaching  them,  if  iwssible,  whether  friends  or  enemies  ; 
and  the  feelings  of  gratitude  and  joy  with  which  I  recognized  Barca 
Gana  and  Boo-Khaloom,  with  about  six  Arabs,  although  they  also  were 
closely  pressed  by  a  party  of  the  Felatahs,  was  beyond  description. 
The  guns  and  pistols  of  the  Arab  shekhs  kept  the  Felatahs  in  check, 
and  assisted  in  some  measure  the  retreat  of  the  footmen.  I  hailed  them 
with  all  my  might ;  but  the  noise  and  confusion  which  prevailed,  from 
the  cries  of  those  who  were  falling  under  the  Felatah  spears,  the  cheers 
of  the  Arabs  rallying,  and  their  enemies  pursuing,  would  have  drowned 
all  attempts  to  make  myself  heard,  had  not  Maraymy,  the  shekh's 
negro,  seen  and  known  me  at  a  distance.  To  this  man  I  was  indebted 
for  my  second  escape :  riding  up  to  me,  he  assisted  me  to  mount  be- 
hind him,  while  the  arrows  whistled  over  our  heads,  and  we  then  gal- 
loped oif  to  the  rear  as  fast  as  his  Avounded  horse  could  carry  us.  After 
we  had  gone  a  mile  or  two,  and  the  jjursuit  had  somewhat  cooled,  in 
consecpience  of  all  the  baggage  having  been  abandoned  to  the  enemy, 
Boo-Khaloom  rode  up  to  me,  and  desired  one  of  the  Arabs  to  cover  mo 
with  a  bournous.  This  Avas  a  most  welcome  relief,  for  the  burning  sun 
had  already  begun  to  blister  my  neck  and  back,  and  gave  me  the  great- 
est pain.  Shortly  after,  the  effect  of  the  poisoned  wound  in  his  foot 
caused  our  excellent  friend  to  breathe  his  last :  Mai'ajTny  exclaimed, 
'  Look !  look !  Boo-Khaloom  is  dead !'  I  turned  my  head,  almost  as 
great  an  exertion  as  I  was  capable  of,  an<l  saw  him  drop  from  the  horse 
into  the  arms  of  his  favorite  Arab — he  never  spoke  after.  They  said  h(> 
had  only  swooned ;  there  was  no  water,  however,  to  revive  him,  and 
about  an  hour  after,  when  we  came  to  Makkeray,  he  was  past  the  reach 
of  restoratives. 

*'  On  coming  to  the  stream,  the  liorsos,  whh  blood  gushing  from 
their  nostrils,  rushed  into  the  shallow  water,  and,  letting  myself  down 
from  behind  Maraymy,  I  knelt  down  among  them,  and  seemed  to  im- 
bibe new  life  by  the  copious  draughts  of  the  nniddy  beverage  Avhich 
I  swallowed.  Of  what  followed  I  have  no  recollection  ;  Maraymy  told 
me  afterward  that  I  staggered  across  the  stream,  which  was  not  above 
my  hips,  and  fell  down  at  the  foot  of  a  tree  on  the  other  aide.     About 


J I 


«»l 


l! 


\k 


;;.i 


rl 


k'li'i'r" 


;  ill 


j! 


•hi, 


[, 


■>i   ; 


r: 


*■  * 


M\h  i  ! 


486 


TRAVELS    OP    DENIIAM    AND    CLAPPERTON, 


a  quarter  of  an  hour's  lialt  took  place  here  for  the  benefit  of  stragglers, 
and  to  tie  poor  Boo-Khaloom's  body  on  a  horse's  back,  at  the  end  of 
which  Maraymy  awoke  me  from  my  deep  sleep,  and  I  found  my  strength 
wonderfully  increased ;  not  so,  however,  our  horse,  for  he  had  become 
stiff  and  could  scarcely  move.  As  I  learned  afterward,  a  conversation 
had  taken  place  about  mo  while  I  slept,  which  rendered  my  obligations 
to  Maraymy  still  greater ;  he  had  reported  to  Barca  Gana  the  state  of 
his  horse,  and  the  impossibility  of  carrying  me  on,  when  the  chief,  irri- 
tated by  his  losses  and  defeat,  replied :  '  Then  leave  hhn  behind.  By 
the  head  of  the  prophet !  believei'S  enough  have  breathed  their  last  to- 
day. What  is  there  extraordinary  in  a  Christian's  death  ?'  My  old  an- 
tagonist, Malem  Chadilly,  replied :  '  No,  God  has  preserved  him ;  let  us 
not  forsake  him.'  Maraymy  returned  to  the  tree,  and  said  '  his  heart 
told  him  what  to  do.'  He  awoke  me,  assisted  me  to  mount,  and  we 
moved  on  as  before,  but  with  tottering  stejw  and  less  speed.  The  effect 
produced  on  the  horses  that  were  wounded  by  poisoned  arrows  was  ex- 
traordinary ;  immediately  after  drinking  they  drojjped  and  instantly 
died,  the  blood  gushing  from  their  noses,  mouths,  and  ears. 

"  In  this  Avay  we  continued  our  retreat,  and  it  was  after  midnight 
Avhen  we  halted  in  the  sultan  of  Mandara's  territory.  Hiding  more  than 
forty-five  miles,  in  such  an  unprovided  state,  on  the  bare  back  of  a  lean 
horse,  the  powerful  consequences  may  be  imagined.  I  was  in  a  deplora- 
ble state  the  whole  night ;  and  notwithstanding  the  irritation  of  the  flesh- 
wounds  was  augmented  by  the  woollen  covering  the  Arab  had  thrown 
over  me,  it  was  evening  the  next  day  before  I  could  get  a  shirt,  when 
one  man  who  had  two,  both  of  which  he  had  worn  eight  or  ten  days  at 
least,  gave  me  one,  on  a  promise  of  getting  a  new  one  at  Kouka.  I 
slept  inider  a  tree  nearly  the  whole  night  and  day,  except  at  intervals 
Avhen  my  friend  Maraymy  supplied  me  with  a  drink  made  from  parched 
corn,  bruised,  and  steeped  in  water. 

"Mai  Meegamy,  the  dethroned  sultan  of  a  country  to  the  south-west 
of  Angornou,  and  now  subject  to  the  shekh,  took  me  by  the  hand  as  I 
crawled  out  of  my  nest  for  a  few  minutes,  and  with  many  exclamations 
of  sorrow,  and  a  countenance  full  of  commiseration,  led  me  to  his  leather 
tent,  and  sitting  down  quickly,  disrobed  himself  of  his  trowsers,  insisting 
I  should  put  them  on.  Really,  no  act  of  charity  could  exceed  this !  I 
was  exceedingly  affected  at  so  unexpected  a  friend,  for  I  had  scarcely 
seen,  or  spoken  three  words  to  him  ;  but  not  so  much  so  as  himself,  when 
1  refused  to  accept  of  them.  He  shed  tears  in  abundance  ;  and  thinking, 
which  was  the  fact,  that  I  conceived  he  had  offered  the  only  ones  he  had, 
immediately  called  a  slave,  whom  he  stripped  of  those  necessary  appen- 
dages to  a  man's  dress,  according  to  our  ideas,  and  putting  them  on 
hhuself,  hisisted  again  on  my  taking  those  he  had  first  offered  mo.  I  ac- 
cepted this  offer,  and  thanked  him  with  a  full  heart ;  and  Meegamy  was 
my  great  friend  from  that  moment  until  I  (piitted  the  shekh's  dominions. 

"  We  returned  with  great  expedition,  considering  the  wretched  state 


THE    RUINS    OF    OLD    BIRNIE. 


487 


we  were  in.  On  the  sixth  day  after  our  departure  from  Mora,  we  arrived 
in  Kouka,  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles ;  the  wounded 
Arabs  remained  behind,  being  unable  to  keep  up  -with  the  chief,  and  did 
not  arrive  until  four  days  after  us.  I  suifered  much,  both  in  mind  and 
body,  but  complahied  not ;  indeed  all  complaint  would  have  been  ill- 
timed,  where  few  were  enduring  less  than  myself.  My  black  servant 
had  lost  mule,  canteens,  and  every  thing,  principally  from  keeping  too 
near  me  in  the  action ;  and,  by  his  obeying  implicitly  the  strict  orders  I 
had  given  him  not  to  fire  on  the  Felatahs,  he  had  narrowly  escaped  with 
his  life.  Bruised  and  lame,  he  could  render  me  no  assistance,  and  usually 
came  in  some  hours  after  we  had  halted."  On  reaching  Angornou,  the 
shekh  sent  Major  Denham  some  linen  and  a  dress  of  the  country,  in 
which  he  made  his  entry  into  Kouka. 


THE    RAINY    SEASON    IN    BORNOU. 

Soon  after  the  return  of  the  unfortunate  expedition  to  Mandara,  the 
shekh  of  Bornou  detenmned  to  send  a  force  to  subdue  the  iieople  of 
Munga,  a  country  lying  to  the  westward.  For  this  purpose,  he  assem- 
bled eight  or  nine  thousand  spearmen,  and  five  thousand  Shouaas,  and 
set  out  on  the  18th  of  May.  Major  Denham  and  Dr.  Oudney  obtained 
permission  to  accompany  him,  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  the  ruins  of  the 
towns  of  Gambarou  and  Old  Birnic ;  Captain  Clapperton  remained  at 
Kouka.  The  travelers  accompanied  the  shekh  the  first  day,  and  then, 
leaving  the  army,  took  a  course  more  to  the  northward,  to  the  river 
Yeou,  or  Gambarou,  near  which  are  the  ruins  of  Old  Birnie.  On  the 
26th  of  May,  they  passed  a  lake  three  miles  long,  called  Mugg'\by,  or 
the  lake  of  the  Sultan  of  Bornou.  "  We  proceeded  by  the  high  road  to 
Soudan,"  says  Major  Denham,  "  and  after  about  two  miles  came  to  the 
spot  on  which  once  stood  the  capital  of  Bornou ;  the  ruins  of  the  city 
certainly  tended  to  convince  us  more  strongly  of  the  power  of  its  former 
sultans,  than  any  of  the  tales  Ave  had  heard  of  their  magnificence. 
We  had  seen  upward  of  thirty  large  towns  which  the  Felatals  had  com- 
pletely razed  to  the  ground  at  the  time  they  destroyed  the  capl*:al,  and  we 
wore  now  arrived  at  the  ruins  of  the  capital  itself.  Old  Birnie  covered  a 
space  of  five  or  six  square  miles,  and  is  said  to  have  had  a  population  of 
two  hundred  thousand  souls.  The  remains  of  the  walls  were  in  many 
places  still  standing,  in  large  masses  of  hard  red  brick-work,  and  were 
from  three  to  four  feet  in  thickness,  and  sixteen  to  eighteen  feet  in 
height.  From  the  top  of  one  of  these  we  obtained  a  sight  of  the  river 
Gambarou,  running  nearly  east,  notwithstanding  its  windings,  and  only 
a  few  miles  distant. 

"  Close  to  the  bank,  and  just  at  the  hollow  of  a  slight  curve  in  the 
river's  course,  fourteen  years  ago  stood  the  town  of  Gambarou,  the  chosen 
place  of  residence  of  the  late  and  former  Sultans  of  Bornou  ;  and  the 


Till 

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Ml 


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I       '     ' 


488 


TRAVELS    OF   DENHAM    AND    CLAPPERTON. 


ruins  now  standing  give  a  proof  of  the  buiklings  liaving  been,  for  this 
country,  of  a  princely  kind ;  the  walls  of  a  mosque,  which  were  more 
than  twenty  yards  square,  arc  still  visible,  and  those  of  the  sultan's  house, 
with  gates  opening  to  the  river,  still  remain  ;  a  private  mosque  ajjpears 
also  to  have  been  attached  to  the  sultan's  residence.  The  buildings  were 
all  of  brick,  and  must  have  had  a  superior  appearance  to  any  town  we 
had  seen  in  Africa.  The  situation  was  beautiful,  and  although  labyrinths 
of  thickets  and  brambles  now  overspread  the  banks  of  the  river,  while 
wild  plants  and  useless  grass  were  in  the  meadows,  yet  I  Mas  assured 
that  the  whole  neighborhood  of  Gambarou  was  once  in  a  superior  state 
of  cultivation,  and  that,  in  the  old  sultan's  time,  boats  were  constantly 
moving  to  and  from  Kabshary,  and  other  to^nis  to  the  west.  Kouka 
was  at  that  tune  not  in  being,  and  Angornou  but  a  small  parcel  of  huts." 

The  travelers  were  here  alarmed  by  reports  that  the  people  of  ]\[unga 
Avere  in  the  neighborhood,  and  hastened  to  rejoin  the  shekh's  army.  On 
their  way  they  came  upon  a  herd  of  fourteen  wild  elephants,  which  the 
negroes  made  to  dance  and  frisk  like  so  many  goais,  by  beathig  a  brass 
basin  violently  with  a  stick.  They  were  two  days  in  reaching  the  Bov- 
nou  camp,  and  on  the  way  both  Dr.  Oudney  and  the  servant  Columbus 
came  near  losing  their  lives  by  falling  into  pits  set  for  wild  beasts,  Avith 
sharp  stakes  at  the  bottom.  On  rejoining  the  sultan,  they  found  him 
within  tlie  territory  of  Munga,  having  already  gahied  several  advantages 
over  his  enemies.  On  the  5th  of  June,  many  hundreds  of  the  Munga 
people  came  to  the  camp,  bowing  to  the  ground,  and  throwing  sand  upon 
their  heads,  in  token  of  submission.  At  night,  preparations  were  made 
for  marchhig  upon  the  capital,  but  the  people  sent  word  that  iftheshckh 
remained  where  he  was,  they  "would  come  to  him  and  surrender  them- 
selves. 

On  the  following  day,  several  towns  sent  their  chiefs,  but  INIalam  Fa- 
naamy,  the  chief  of  the  rebels,  refused  to  come,  because  he  feared  to  lose 
his  head,  offering  at  the  same  time  two  thousand  slaves,  one  thousand 
bullocks,  and  three  hundred  horses,  for  the  shekh,  as  the  price  of  peace. 
The  same  evening,  the  shekh  requested  Major  Denham  to  send  up  some 
rockets,  which  was  successfully  done.  The  night  was  very  dark,  and  the 
appearance  of  the  rockets  created  great  wonder  and  consternation. 
Some  of  the  Munga  messengers  fell  on  their  faces  and  began  to  pray  most 
fearfully,  Avhen  the  rockets  burst  in  their  descent.  Next  morning,  Ma- 
lem  Fanaamy  came,  mounted  on  a  wliito  horse,  at  the  head  of  a  thousand 
followers,  to  make  his  submission.  The  shekh  received  his  humble  ac- 
knowleclginents  of  subjection,  and  Avhen  the  rebel  expected  to  hear  the 
order  for  his  throat  to  be  cut,  ho  was  clothed  with  eight  handsome  tobes, 
and  his  head  made  as  big  as  six  Avith  turbans  fi-om  Egypt. 

A  circumstance  occurred  during  this  expedition  Avhich  created  a 
great  sensation  among  the  chiefs,  and  Avhich  oftered  a  striking  illustra- 
tion of  the  absolute  authority  of  the  Shekh  of  Bornou.  Says  Major 
Denham  :  "  Barca  Gana,  the  shekh's  general  and  his  favorite,  a  governor 


:i]i<. 


BARCA    GANA'S    HUMILIATION. 


489 


of  six  largo  districts,  the  in:in  wliom  liu  dolij^litcd  to  honor,  who  had 
more  than  fifty  fumale  and  a  hundred  male  slavi's,  was  tauglit  a  lesson 
of  humility  that  made  me  fuel  for  him.  In  gi\  ing  jjrcsents  to  the  chiefs, 
the  shekh  had  inadvertently  sent  him  a  horse  which  he  had  ijreviously 
promised  to  some  one  else,  and  on  Harca  Gana  behig  requested  to  give 
it  up,  he  took  such  great  offense  that  he  sent  back  all  the  horses  which 
the  shekh  had  previously  given  him,  sayhig  that  he  would  in  future  walk 
or  ride  his  own.  On  this  the  shekh  inunediately  sent  for  him,  had  him 
stripped  in  his  presence,  and  the  leather  girdle  put  round  his  loins  ;  and, 
after  reproachmg  him  with  his  ingratitude,  ordered  that  he  should  he 
forthwith  sold  to  the  Tibboo  merchants,  for  he  was  still  a  slave.  The 
favorite  thus  humbled  and  disgraced,  fell  on  his  knees  and  acknowledged 
the  justness  of  his  punishment.  lie  begged  for  no  forgiveness  for  him- 
self, but  intreated  that  his  wives  and  children  might  be  provided  for,  out 
of  the  riches  of  his  master's  bounty.  But  on  the  following  day,  Avhen 
preparations  Avere  made  for  carryuig  this  sentence  into  effect,  the  black 
Mamelukes  and  Shouaa  chiefs  about  the  shekh's  person  fell  at  his  feet, 
and,  notwithstandhig  the  haugtiness  of  Barca  Gana's  carriage  to  them 
since  his  advancement,  to  a  man  intreated  pardon  for  his  offenses.  The 
culprit  appearing  at  this  moment,  to  take  leave,  the  shekh  threw  him- 
self back  on  his  cushion,  wept  like  a  child,  and  suffered  Barca  Gana,  who 
had  crept  close  to  him,  to  embrace  his  knees,  and  calling  them  all  his 
sons,  pardoned  his  repentant  slave.  In  the  evening,  there  was  great 
and  general  rejoicing.  The  timbrels  beat :  the  Kanemboos  yelled  and 
struck  their  shields  ;  every  thing  bespoke  joy,  and  Barca  Gana,  in  nev/ 
tobes  and  a  rich  bornous,  rode  around  the  camp,  followed  by  all  the 
chiefs  of  the  army." 

After  an  absence  of  a  month,  the  shekh  returned  to  Kouka,  and  the 
troops  were  disbanded.  The  travelers  establislied  themselves  in  the 
house  which  had  been  appropriated  to  them,  to  pass  the  rainy  season, 
which  had  commenced.  Major  Denham  commenced  the  study  of  the 
Arabic  and  Bornou  languages.  Dr.  Oudney  and  Ililhnan  were  both  ill 
with  the  fever,  and  the  whole  party  was  aftected  by  the  heat  of  the  days 
and  the  dampness  of  the  evenings.  Major  Denham  gives  the  following 
description  of  the  rainy  season  :  "  We  had  frequent  and  violent  showera 
of  rain,  with  thunder  and  most  vivid  lightning :  the  waters  covered  the 
face  of  the  country  in  extensive  lakes,  and  our  excursions  in  search  of 
game  were  noV  confined  to  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  our  resi- 
dence. The  sugar-cane  had  increased  in  height  greatly ;  and  at  this 
season  of  the  year  there  are  other  reasons  beside  the  fall  of  rain  which 
induce  people  to  remain  in  their  habitations — when  the  great  lake  over- 
flows the  immense  district  which,  in  the  dry  season,  affords  cover  and 
food  to  the  numerous  animals  with  which  Bornou  abounds,  they  are 
driven  from  the  Avilds,  and  take  refuge  in  the  standing  corn,  and  some- 
times in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  towns.  Elepliants  had  al- 
ready been  seen  at  Dowergoo,  scarcely  six  miles  from  Kouka ;  and  a 


•   . 


!'. 


■ii 


J    ; 


■  Ij 


■'M';]  '!' 


Ml 


'■•1 


ill 


I  I 


J  1 
•• 

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t 

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1  ;,! 
!  ;.* 
I  '  i 

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i    .- 
i   ■     1 

i  i ' 

490 


TRAVELS    OF    DENIIAM    AND    CLAPPBRTON. 


female  slave,  while  she  was  returning  homo  from  woeiling  the  corn  to 
Kowa,  not  more  than  ten  miles  distant,  had  been  seized  and  carried  off 
by  a  lioness." 

The  party  now  began  to  be  embarrassed  for  want  of  fnntls.  A  mer- 
chant of  Mourzuk,  named  Hadji  Ali,  to  whose  brother  they  had  intrust- 
ed some  money,  declined  to  pay  it,  and  they  were  almost  destitute. 
This  circumstance  came  to  the  ears  of  the  shekh  and  of  some  relatives 
of  Iladji  Ah,  who  at  last  came  to  Major  Denham,  stating  that  he  would 
let  tiiem  have  as  nmch  as  they  wanted,  in  i)ieces  of  cotton  cloth,  for 
which  he  must  first  send  to  Mourzuk  ;  Ijut  he  had  no  money.  This  was 
very  unsatisfiictory,  but  they  thought  it  best  to  nuike  no  objection. 
Captain  Clapperton  was  now  seized  with  fever  and  deliriiun :  Ilillman, 
though  he  still  had  occasional  attacks  of  delirium,  recruited  a  little,  but 
Dr.  Oudney  grew  visibly  weaker  every  day.  The  season  appeared  to 
be  an  unhealthy  one  for  the  natives  also,  and  a  great  number  of  them 
died. 

Toward  the  end  of  September,  Clapperton,  whose  life  had  been  de- 
spaired of,  began  slowly  to  recover.  The  carpenter,  Ilillman,  employed 
himself  in  making  a  gun-carriage  for  a  four-pounder,  which  the  Sultan 
of  Fezzan  had  presented  to  the  shekh,  and,  notwithstanding  the  difli- 
culties  he  had  to  encounter,  in  the  scarcity  of  iron,  and  the  clumsiness 
of  the  negro  blacksmith,  he  succeeded  very  well.  The  providing  of  balls 
was  a  great  difficulty ;  but  after  trying  a  number  of  musket-balls  in  a 
small  linen  rag,  which  would  not  answer.  Major  Denham  succeeded  in 
getting  from  the  negro  blacksmith,  by  means  of  a  paper  model,  a  small 
tin  canister,  the  size  of  the  bore  of  the  j)iece,  and  holding  sixteen  mus- 
ket-balls. The  shekh's  delight  at  this  acquisition  to  his  implements  of 
war  Avas  extreme,  and  he  became  impatient  to  see  the  guns  exercised. 
The  distance  to  which  they  threw  the  balls,  and  the  loudness  of  the  re- 
port, created  the  greatest  astonishment,  but  the  shekh  would  not  suffer 
a  second  canister  to  be  shot.  "  No,  no !"  said  he,  "  they  are  too  valua- 
ble ;  they  must  not  be  thrown  away.  Curses  on  their  race,  how  these 
will  make  the  Begharmis  jump!"  Major  Denham  had  cut  out  a  harness 
in  paper  as  a  pattern,  which  had  been  tolerably  imitated  in  leather  :  this 
was  attached  to  each  gun,  with  a  man  mounted  on  the  mule  that  drew 
it,  and  altogether  the  guns  had  a  far  better  appearance  and  effect  than 
was  anticipated. 

About  the  middle  of  October  cool  winds  began  to  blow,  which  in  the 
course  of  two  or  three  weeks  produced  a  great  change  in  the  climate. 
The  sick  became  cheered  and  invigorated,  and  the  travelers  now  began 
to  plan  new  journeys  to  the  eastward  and  westward  of  Bornou.  The 
shekh  intended  to  send  off  two  expeditions,  one  to  Begharmi,  a  country 
lying  south-east  of  Lake  Tchad,  and  the  other  to  Kanem,  lying  to  the 
north-east,  on  the  borders  of  the  desert.  Major  Denham  determined  to 
accompany  the  former.  Captain  Clapperton  and  Dr.  Oudney  succeeded 
in  obtaining  the  permission  of  the  shekh  to  accompany  a  caravan  which 


ARRIVAL    OF    ilR.    TOOLE. 


491 


was  about  starting  for  Kano,  in  tlie  Sultan  of  Iloussa's  dominions.  Dr. 
Oudney  was  oxtrenn  'y  debilitatt'd,  but  as  no  other  caravan  was  ex- 
pected to  start  for  months,  in  consequence  of  the  non-arrival  of  the  cara- 
van from  jNIourzuli,  be  determined  to  go,  though  aware  tlint  liis  strength 
was  scarcely  equal  to  the  journey.  They  left  Kouka  on  the  14th  of  De- 
cember. 

On  the  'Jlst  Majoi  T)('nham  was  delighted  with  the  intelligence  that 
a  small  caravan  had  arrived  at  Woodie  from  IMourzuk,  and  that  there 
was  an  Englishman  accompanying  it.  "  Tlie  following  day,"  he  Avrites, 
"  was  a  <lay  of  great  anxiety  ;  an<l  on  the  2:]d,  very  soon  aller  daylight, 
I  was  overjoyed  at  seeing,  instead  of  ]Mr.  Tyrwhit,  whose  bodily  iniirmi- 
ties  made  me  always  consider  his  joining  me  doubtful,  a  robust,  healthy- 
looking  young  man,  with  a  doidile-barreled  gun  slung  at  his  back. 
^VTicn  he  presented  himself  at  the  door  of  my  hut,  his  very  countenance 
was  an  irresistible  letter  of  recommendation,  and  I  opened  the  packages 
which  were  to  account  for  his  appearance,  with  considerable  eagerness. 
Mr.  Tyrwhit,  I  found,  had  been  prevented  by  sickness  from  profiting  by 
the  consul's  recommendation ;  and  that  on  application  beuig  made  to  the 
Governor  of  Malta,  as  a  substitute,  Mr.  Toole,  an  ensign  hi  tlie  80th 
regiment,  had  volunteered  to  join  me,  and  left  Malta  at  twenty  hours' 
notice.  He  had  made  the  long,  dangerous  and  difficult  journey  from 
Tripoli  to  Bornou,  in  the  short  space  of  three  months  and  frurteen  days, 
having  left  the  former  ])hu'o  on  the  6tli  of  September  :  and  overcoming 
all  obstacles  by  perseverance  and  resolution,  both  at  Mourzuk  and  in  the 
Tibboo  country,  had  arrived  liere  with  only  the  loss  of  five  camels.  His 
arrival  gave  a  most  favorable  turn  to  my  situation  at  Kouka.  I  had  now 
money,  health,  and  a  desirable  companion." 


EXCURSIONS   TO   LOGGUN,    AND   AROUND   LAKE    TCHAD. 

On  the  12th  of  January,  1824,  news  came  to  Kouka,  that  the  shekh's 
troops  who  had  been  stationed  on  the  western  bank  of  the  Shary,  a  largo 
river  which  flows  into  Lake  Tchad  from  the  south,  had  gained  a  victory 
over  the  troops  of  the  Sultan  of  Begharmi,  which  latter  had  retreated 
from  the  river.  It  was  therefore  possible  to  visit  the  country  of  Log- 
gun,  on  the  Shary,  with  entire  safety,  and  the  shekh  not  only  gave 
Major  Dcnham  permission  to  proceed  thither,  but  appointed  one  of  liis 
negroes,  named  Belial,  to  accompany  liim.  "  While  I  was  waiting  to 
take  leave  of  the  shekh,"  says  Denham,  "  a  note  was  brought  to  me 
from  Dr.  Oudney,  by  a  Bornouese  from  Katagum  :  it  had  no  date,  and 
was  indeed  his  last  effort.  The  acknowledgment  of  being  weak  and 
helpless  assured  me  that  he  was  really  so :  for  during  the  whole  of  his 
long  sufferings  a  complaint  had  scarcely  ever  escaped  his  lips.  On  the 
shekh's  sayhig  to  him,  when  he  first  expressed  his  wish  to  accompany 
the  caravan,  '  Surely  your  health  is  not  such  as  to  risk  a  journey  ?'  he 


!     1 


• 


u 


'.'it 


: 


m 


Il  I 


'M 


i 


'   ■:! 


' 


'1! 


it 
lli 


492 


TRAVELS  OP  DENHAM  AND  GLAPPERTON. 


merely  replied  :  '  Why,  if  I  stay  here  I  shall  die,  and  probably  sooner, 
as  traveling  always  improves  my  health.'  " 

Accompanied  by  Mr.  To^le  and  the  negro  Belial,  Major  Denham 
left  Kouka  on  the  23d  of  January,  and  on  the  28th  reached  the  town  of 
Showy,  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Shary.  The  magnitude  of  the  stream 
drew  from  them  an  exclamation  of  surprise :  it  appeared  to  be  full  half 
a  mile  in  width,  running  northward  at  the  rate  of  two  or  three  miles  an 
hour.  On  the  2d  of  February  they  embarked,  intending  to  descend  the 
river  to  Lake  Tchad.  They  were  accompanied  by  the  Kadi,  or  Gov- 
ernor of  Showy,  with  eight  canoes,  carryuig  ten  and  eleven  men  each. 
"  The  river,  fuU  as  it  is  of  water  at  this  season,  had  a  highly  interesting 
apjiearance :  one  noble  reach  succeeded  another,  alternately  varying 
their  courses  by  handsome  sweeps,  some  of  them  three  and  four  miles 
hi  length  ;  the  banks  were  thickly  scattered  with  trees  rich  in  foliage, 
and  all  overhung  Avith  creeping  jjlants,  bearing  various  colored  and 
aromatic  blossoms,  among  Avhich  the  purple  convolvulus  flourished  in 
great  beauty."  On  reaching  the  lake,  a  heavy  swell  from  the  north-east 
prevented  them  from  advancing  further ;  with  the  aid  of  a  good  tele- 
scope no  land  could  be  discerned  in  that  direction.  The  natives  who  ac- 
companied them  were  in  groat  fear  of  the  liiddoomas,  a  fierce  people, 
who  inhabit  some  islands  in  the  lake,  and  the  party  therefore  re- 
turned up  the  river  to  Showy,  which  they  reached  after  an  absence  of 
six  days. 

The  travelers  now  continued  then*  journey  l)y  land,  and  after  four 
days  of  toilsome  travel,  over  dee{»  marshes  and  through  dense,  thorny 
forests,  reached  Kussery,  on  the  Shary.  ]Mr.  Toole  became  ill,  and 
Major  Denham  therefore  decided  to  rest  a  day  or  two,  to  recruit  him. 
"  Kussery,  however,"  says  Denham,  "  was  the  last  ]»lace  one  should  have 
chosen  for  rest  and  tranquillity:  during  several  hours  in  the  day,  the 
inhabitants  themselves  dare  not  move  out,  on  accoimt  of  the  flies  and 
bees.  The  formatioTi  of  the  houses,  which  are  literally  one  cell  within 
another,  five  or  six  ii\  inimber,  excited  my  surprise ;  which  Avas  not  a 
little  increased  when  I  found  that  they  were  built  expressly  as  a  retreat 
from  the  attacks  of  these  insects.  Still  I  was  incredulous,  until  one  of 
our  people,  who  had  carelessly  gone  out,  returned  with  his  eyes  and  head 
in  such  a  state  that  he  was  extrotnely  ill  for  three  days.  Kussery  is  a 
strong  walled  town,  governed  by  an  independent  sultan,  named  Zar- 
mawka,  Avho  has  twice  been  in  rebellion  against  the  shekh.  Belial  was 
obliged  to  tak(>  ofl"  his  red  cap  and  tiu'ban,  and  enter  the  presence  with 
Ivs  head  and  feet  bare — a  ceremony  which  had  previously  been  dispensed 
with  on  our  journey.  Th(!  sultan  merely  ])eei)ed  at  us  tln-ough  a  lattice- 
work of  bamboo,  but  inepiired  particularly  why  T  turned  my  face  to- 
ward him  as  T  sat.  T,  of  course,  rejilied,  that  turning  my  back  would  be 
a  gross  aflVont  in  my  country,  at  which  he  laughed  heartily." 

The  travelers  inunediately  set  out  for  Loggun,  which  was  thirty 
niiles  distant,  but  were  detained  on  the  frontier  of  tin;  country  until  the 


m 


RECEPTION   AT   LOGGTJN. 


493 


sultan  had  been  consulted.  They  entered  the  town  by  the  western  gate, 
which  leads  to  the  principal  street — a  wide  avenue,  with  large  dwellings 
on  each  side,  built  with  great  uniformity,  each  having  a  court-yard  in 
front,  surrounded  by  walls,  and  a  handsome  entrance,  with  a  strong 
door  hasped  with  iron.  A  number  of  the  inhabitants  were  seated  at 
their  doors  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  the  strangers  enter.  The  next 
morning  Major  Denham  Avas  sent  for  to  appear  before  the  sultan.  Ten 
immense  negroes,  of  high  birth,  gray-bearded,  bare-headed,  and  carrying 
large  clubs,  preceded  him  through  the  streets.  lie  was  conducted  to  u 
large  scjuaro  court,  where  some  hundred  persons  were  assembled,  all 
seated  u])on  the  ground :  in  the  middle  was  a  vacant  space  where  the 
Major  was  desired  to  seat  liimself.  The  sultan  was  concealed  behind  a 
lattice-work  of  cane,  which  bchig  removed  ut  a  given  signal,  something 
alive  was  discovered  on  a  carpet,  with  the  head  enveloped  in  shawls, 
and  nothing  but  the  eyes  visible.  The  whole  court  prostrated  them- 
selves and  poured  sand  on  their  heads,  while  a  harsh  salute  was  blown 
from  loud  horns.  After  rcceivmg  his  present  the  sultan  whispered  a 
weleonu' ;  for  it  is  considered  so  veiy  ill-bred  in  a  Loggun  gentle- 
man to  speak  out,  that  the  sound  of  their  voices  can  with  dilllculty 
be  heard. 

"  Loggun,"  says  IMajor  Denham,  "  the  capital  of  which  coujitry,  Ker- 
nuk  Loggun,  is  on  the  banks  of  the  Shary,  and  in  11°  7'  north  latitude, 
is  a  very  pupulous  country.  Kernuk  has  fifteen  thousand  inhabitants 
at  least.  They  speak  !i  language  nearly  IJegharmi.  The  Shouaas  are 
all  aioiiud  them,  and  to  them  they  are  indebted  for  the  plentiful  supply 
of  bullocks,  milk,  and  liit  with  which  the  market  abounds.  They  have, 
also,  a  metal  currency  in  Loggun,  the  first  I  had  seen  in  Negrolaud.  It 
« ousists  of  thin  plates  of  iron,  something  in  th'j  shape  of  the  tip  with 
wliich  they  shoe  race-horses.  These  are  made  into  parcels  often  and 
twelve,  according  to  the  weight,  and  thirty  of  these  parcels  arc  ccpial  in 
value  to  ten  rottola,  or  a  dollar." 

On  the  l!)th,  !Mr.  Toole  seemed  better,  and  Major  Denham  left  him 
for  the  purpose  of  proceeding  up  the  Shary  for  a  day  or  two.  lie  had 
proceeded  l)ut  a  few  miles,  liowevi-r,  wlien  an  express  from  the  sultan 
overtook  him,  announcing  that  the  IJegharmis  were  again  marching  on 
Loggnii,  and  that  he  should  return  at  once.  On  visiting  the  sultan,  he 
endeavored  to  j)ersuade  him  to  allow  him  to  remain.  "  ^lorc  than  half 
my  people  arc  Kegharmi,"  said  tlie  sultan.  "  I  have*  no  jirotection  to 
give — go  wliile  you  can  !"  3Ir.  Toole  was  fastened  upon  a  horse,  as  he 
was  uiialsle  to  sit  uj) ;  and,  Avith  no  provisions  l)ut  a  sack  of  parched 
corn  wliii'h  the  sultan  gave  them,  at  four  o'clock  the  sanu'  day  they 
quitted  the  town,  when  the  three  gates  were  shut  upon  them  by  an 
imtm.iise  crowd  of  peoj)lc.  For  three  days  they  contimu.'d  their  flight, 
with  scarcely  any  rest,  until  they  reached  Angala,  in  the  Slu-kh  of 
Boriiou's  donuiiions,  where  they  considered  themselves  comparatively 


rii  '^m  1 

IM 

1      sM 

1      '  H 

!     II 

J!      '     i  'Mi; 

u 

'i             :  i  1! 

'    1 
1 

p                ,;;    ,i 

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1         ,    :    ■ 

■ :      '^i     H 

i 

i 

1 

;   . 

' 

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i  :  'W 


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mm 


In 


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t  y 


,   .1 

1^ 

1 

11 

1  ; 

' 

'      ! 

1  .:  ; 

lill 


1  1 


"\  • 


494 


TRAVELS  OP  DENHAM  AND  CLAPPERTON. 


safe.     Mr.  Toole  was   alternately  senseless   and   delirious   during   this 
journey. 

"  At  Anijala,"  says  Major  Denham,  "  we  took  up  our  old  quarters ; 
and  Mr.  Toole,  on  being  told  where  he  was,  exclaimed  :  '  Thank  God  ! 


U.OHH-VO.UX 

I.ANTER  OF  THE   Kl'LUN   OF   BKOIIAHMI. 


then  T  shall  not  die  !'  And  so  niuoh  hotter  was  lie  for  tlio  two  follow- 
ing days,  that  I  had  great  hopes  of  liis  recovery ;  .about  four  o'clock, 
howi  cr,  on  the  niorning  of  the  'JOth  of  February,  these  hopes  were  at 
an  end.  A  cold  shivering  had  seized  him,  and  hi><  extri'mitics  wi'rc  like 
ice.  I  gave  him  both  tea  .and  rice-water ;  and  there  w.as  but  little  alter- 
ation iti  him  imtil  just  before  noon,  when,  without  a  struggle  or  a  groan. 


his 

rs; 


■k, 

!lt 
k.- 

Ul, 


DEATHS    OF    TOOLE    AND    OUDNEY. 


495 


he  expired,  completely  worn  out  and  exhausted.  The  same  afternoon, 
just  as  the  sun  was  sinking  below  the  horizon,  I  followed  his  remains  to 
their  last  resting-place,  a  deep  grave  which  six  of  the  Sultan  of  Angala's 
slaves  had  prepared,  under  my  direction,  to  the  north-west  of  the  town, 
overhung  by  a  clump  of  mimosas  in  full  blossom.  The  prime  minister 
attended  the  procession  with  his  staff  of  office,  and  a  silent  prayer, 
breathed  over  all  that  remained  of  my  departed  friend,  was  the  best 
funeral  service  circumstances  allowed  me  to  perform.  After  raising  over 
the  grave  a  pile  of  thorns  and  branches  of  the  prickly  tulloh,  several  feet 
high,  as  a  protection  against  the  herds  of  hyenas  who  nighty  infest  the 
burying-places  in  this  country,  I  returned  to  the  town." 

An  immediate  return  to  Kouka  was  now  rendered  necessary,  and 
]\Iajor  Denham  arrived  there  on  the  2d  of  March.  The  fiitigue,  anxiety 
of  mind,  and  loss  of  rest  which  he  had  endured,  brought  on  an  attack 
of  fever  which  contined  him  to  bis  mat  for  ten  days.  A  few  days  afler 
his  arrival  a  courier  returned  from  Kauo,  bringing  hitelligence  of  the 
death  of  Dr.  Oudncy,  at  a  place  called  Murmur,  on  the  12th  of  January. 
On  the  28th  of  INIarch  the  Shekh  of  Bornou,  who  had  gone  with  what 
troops  he  could  raise  to  rei)el  the  Begharmis,  met  them,  five  thousand 
strong,  near  Angala,  and,  with  the  assistanceof  his  four-pounders,  routed 
them  with  great  slaughter.  Of  two  hundred  Begharmi  chiefs,  only 
one  escaped  aliv-:- ;  se\en  sons  of  the  sultan  and  seventeen  lumdred 
men  were  among  the  slain.  The  plunder  amoimted  to  four  Imndred 
and  eighty  horses,  two  hundred  Avonien,  and  the  baggage  of  the 
l^'inces.  The  rejoicings  in  Kouka  o\er  this  victory,  lasted  for  several 
days. 

IVFajor  Deidiam  took  advantage  of  the  shekh's  good-humor  to  a]»ply 
for  his  protection  e.i  a  journey  to  the  eastward,  lioping  to  penetrate 
thnmgh  to  Semiaar.  The  shekh,  however,  declared  that  the  jmiject 
was  impossible  ;  })ut  toward  the  end  of  A})ril,  Denham  ascertained  that 
a  secret  ex|)edition  Avas  preparing  to  mardi  agauist  a  tribe  of  Arabs  east 
of  Lake  Tchad,  who  were  allies  of  the  Sultan  of  Begharmi.  He  received 
permission  to  take  ])art  in  tins  foray,  ami  left  Kouka  on  tlut  4th  of  May  ; 
but  as  the  Kamadan,  or  ^Moslem  liist,  was  just  commencing,  the  expe- 
dition was  ](Ut  off  for  a  inonlh.  On  the  10th,  news  canu'  that  Mr.  Tyr- 
wliit  had  arrived  at  the  river  Yeou,  an<l  Major  Denham  went  out  the 
next  day  to  meet  him.  This  gentleman  liad  been  sent  out  by  the  Ibilisli 
government  to  strengthen  the  party.  He  was  tlie  bearer  of  )>resents 
to  the  shekh,  in  acknowledgment  of  the  kuid  reception  the  expedition 
had  met  with,  and  was  also  aci;om|>anied  by  the  shekh's  children,  who 
had  been  detaini'tl  at  Mourzuk  by  the  intrigues  of  the  late  Sultan  of 
Fezzau. 

"  On  the  22d  of  ^lay,"  says  Major  Denham,  "  we  delivered  the  pres- 
ents from  his  majesty  in  full  form,  consisting  of  two  swords  of  very 
beaut  iful  workmanship,  two  pair  of  pistols,  a  dagger,  and  two  gold 
watches.     The  delight,  nay  ecstiisy,  with  which  these  well-selected  Bpeci- 


ip! 


■\  ■ 


1  '      '' 


1 

1  1 

( 

1 

■ 
I 
1 

1 

( 

1 

"J 


IpllJii 


I  ■ 


496 


TRAVELS  OF  DENHAM  AND  CLAPPERTON. 


mens  of  our  manufactories  were  received  by  El  Kanemy,  was  ap])arent 
in  every  feature  of  his  intelligent  countenance,  and  in  the  quick  glances 
of  his  sparkling  and  penctratmg  eye.  The  dagger  and  the  watch  with 
the  second  movement,  were  the  articles  which  struck  hun  most  forcibly ; 
and  when  I  mentioned  that,  agreeably  to  liis  request,  a  parcel  of  rock- 
ets had  also  been  forwarded,  he  exclaimed :  '  What !  beside  all  these 
riches !  there  are  no  friends  like  these  !  they  are  all  truth ;  and  I  see, 
by  the  Book,  that  if  the  Prophet  had  lived  only  a  short  time  longer, 
they  would  all  have  been  Moslem  !'  " 

On  the  16th  of  June  Major  Denham  set  out  for  the  eastern  side  of 
Lake  Tchad,  accompanied  by  IVIr.  Tyrwliit,  The  military  expedi- 
tion was  commenced  by  Barca  Gana,  who  was  directed  to  take  all 
possible  care  of  the  travelers.  They  crossed  the  Shary  at  Showy, 
and  advanced  between  forty  and  fifty  miles  further  to  the  eastward, 
along  the  shore  of  Lake  Tchad,  till,  on  approaching  Mendoo,  a  largo 
town  in  the  I'cbel  country,  Barca  Gana  ordered  them  to  halt  imtil 
the  town  should  be  taken,  and  they  were  obliged  to  comply.  Their 
situation  was  very  impleasant,  as  they  were  exposed  to  attack,  and 
from  their  vicinity  to  the  lake,  suffered  greatly  from  the  Hies  and 
mosquitoes.  Here  they  remained  several  days  in  the  greatest  sus- 
pense, their  provisions  daily  becoming  more  scanty.  Fhially,  on  the 
evenhig  of  July  5th,  Barca  Gana  returned  with  about  half  his  troops; 
he  had  found  the  enemy  so  strongly  entrenched  at  Maou,  the  cai^ital, 
that  he  did  not  dare  to  attack  them.  Four  days  afterward  he  set  out  to 
capture  the  rebel  sultan  Amanook,  Avho  had  taken  refuge  on  one  of  the 
islands  in  the  lake,  but  was  repulsed  with  severe  loss,  receiving  himself 
a  spear-wound  in  the  back.  Major  Denham  dressed  the  wound  with  an 
application  of  burnt  fat  and  sulphur,  and  succeeded  in  healing  the  gen- 
eral, who  advised  him  urgently  to  return  to  Kouka.  "  The  excursion," 
he  said,  "  which  you  wish  to  make,  is  now  impracticable.  "We  must 
wait  for  the  shekh's  api)earanco  before  wc  can  do  any  thing,  and  I  think, 
as  the  rains  have  now  begun  to  fall,  you  will  find  that  the  shekh  will  not 
come,  and  that  we  shall  all  return." 

As  we  had  not  more  than  four  days'  provisions  left,  IVIajor  Denham, 
after  another  consultation  with  Barca  Gana,  determined  to  follow  his 
advice  and  return.  He  had  now  been  ten  days  among  this  tribe  of 
Shouaas,  who  M'ero  a  superior  class  to  any  lie  had  met  with  ;  they  were 
rich  in  cattle  and  in  camels,  and  seemed  to  live  in  plenty  and  jiatriarchal 
simplicity.  They  were  a  handsome  race,  the  "woTneii  especially,  who 
brought  the  travelers  bowls  of  fresh  milk,  night  and  morning,  in  ex- 
change for  bits  of  amber.  Says  Major  Denham :  ■■'  There  is  something 
HO  curious,  and  singularly  interesting  and  expressive  in  the  Shouaa  man- 
ners and  languages  that  I  am  at  a  loss  h(»w  to  describe  it.  A  girl  sits 
down  by  your  tent  with  a  bowl  of  milk,  a  dark-blue  cotton  wrajjper  tied 
around  her  waist,  and  a  mantilla  of  the  same  thrown  over  her  head,  with 
which  she  hides  her  face,  yet  leaves  her  bust  naked.   She  says  '  A  happy 


1 1  an 


lam, 
his 
of 
were 
chill 
wlio 
1  ex- 
ling 
nail- 
sits 
tied 
with 

4>py 


RETURN  OF  CAPTAIN  OLAPPERTON. 


497 


day  to  you !  Your  friend  has  brought  you  milk ;  you  gave  her  some- 
thing so  handsome  yesterday,  she  has  not  forgotten  it.  Oh  !  how  her 
eyes  ache  to  see  all  you  have  got  in  that  wooden  house  ;'  pointing  to  a 
trunk.  '  We  have  no  fears  now ;  we  know  you  are  good ;  and  our  eyes, 
which  before  could  not  'ook  at  you,  now  search  after  you  always.  They 
bade  us  beware  of  you  at  first,  for  you  were  bad,  very  bad ;  but  we 
know  better  now.     How  it  pains  us  that  you  are  so  white !'  '♦ 

On  the  18th  of  July,  after  having  experienced  heavy  rains  and  hurri- 
canes on  the  way,  the  travelers  again  reached  their  residence  in  the  cap- 
ital of  Bornou.  "  On  our  arrival  at  Kouka,"  says  the  narrative,  "I  found 
that  Captain  Clapperton,  with  a  small  caravan,  had  returned  from  Sou- 
dan. It  was  nearly  eight  months  since  we  had  separated,  and  although 
it  was  mid-day,  I  went  immediately  to  the  hut  where  he  was  lodged ; 
but  so  satisfied  was  I  that  the  sun-burnt,  sickly  person,  who  lay  extended 
on  the  floor,  rolled  in  a  dark-blue  shirt,  was  not  my  companion,  that  I 
was  about  to  leave  the  place,  when  he  convinced  me  of  my  error  by 
calling  me  by  my  name.  Tho  alteration  in  him  was  certainly  most 
striking.  Our  meeting  was  a  melancholy  one ;  he  had  buried  his  com- 
panion, and  I  had  also  closed  the  eyes  of  my  yoimger  and  more  robust 
colleague,  Mr.  Toole.  Notwithstanding  the  state  of  weakness  in  which 
I  found  Captain  Clapi>crton,  he  yet  spoke  of  returning  to  Soudan  after 
the  rains." 


CLAPPERTON'S    JOURNEY    TO    SACKATOO. 

Captain  Clapperton  and  Br.  Oudney,  it  will  be  remembered,  had  left 
Kouka  on  the  14lh  of  December,  1823,  for  Soudan,  intendmg  to  explore 
the  unknown  region  lying  between  Bornou  and  the  Niger.  They  took 
with  them  Jacob,  the  (libraltar  Jew,  two  servants,  and  three  natives  of 
Fezzan.  The  caravan  consisted  of  twenty-seven  merchants,  two  of  whom 
were  shcrecfs,  or  descendants  of  the  prophet.  They  took  the  road  to 
the  ruuis  of  Old  Birnie,  wliich  Denham  and  Oudney  had  already  visited, 
and  then  proceeded  westward  along  the  banks  of  the  Yeou,  which  was 
much  swollen  from  tho  summer  rains.  After  a  journey  of  twelve  days, 
they  entered  tho  territory  of  Bedeguna,  which  formerly  belonged  to  tho 
Sultan  of  Bornou ;  the  inhabitants  spoke  the  Bornou  language.  They 
are  regarded  as  a  race  of  outlaws,  and  are  subject  to  be  carried  off  as 
slaves  both  by  the  natives  of  Bornou  and  Tloussa. 

On  the  2d  of  January,  the  travelers  approached  the  city  of  Katagum, 
and  were  met  by  a  servant  of  the  governor,  with  a  small  basket  of  goora 
nuts.  He  was  followed  by  a  party  of  horsemen  who  came  up  at  full 
gallop,  braniVishing  their  spears.  The  leader  remained  behind  with  the 
baud  of  music.  The  horsemen,  after  saluting  the  travelers,  wheeled 
around  and  rode  on  before  them,  the  drummers  beating  their  drums, 
and  two  bards  singing  the  praises  of  their  master,  one  of  them  taking 


mm 

1  1   ; 

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! 

A 

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.(LLUjiii 

m 

li'i! 


i! 


1  id 


'^F' 


ff\^ 


m 


If.- 


i  : 


i 


M 
■1 
,1 


498 


TRAVELS    OF    DENHAM    AND    CLAPPERTON. 


the  song  and  the  other  responding  with  the  chorus.*  The  governor  re- 
ceived them  in  a  very  friendly  manner.  They  remained  at  this  place 
eight  days,  partly  on  account  of  Dr.  Oudney's  illness,  and  partly  to  wait 
for  one  of  the  Bornouese  who  was  to  accompany  them  to  Sackatoo,  and 
who  had  gone  off  to  a  town  called  Hadeeja.  Dr.  Oudney  was  very 
feeble  and  troubled  with  a  distressing  cough,  to  relieve  which  one  of  the 
natives  cupped  him  on  the  side. 

They  left  on  the  10th  of  January,  but  were  obliged  to  stop  the  next 
day  at  noon,  on  account  of  the  increasing  weakness  of  Dr.  Oudney.  He 
had  been  wasting  away  in  a  slow  consumption,  ever  since  leaving  the 
hills  of  Obarree,  in  Fezzan,  where  he  was  seized  Avith  inflammation  of  the 
chest,  in  consequence  of  sitting  down  in  a  current  of  cold  air  after  being 
heated.  On  the  12th,  Captain  Clapperton  writes  :  "  Dr,  Oudney  drank 
a  cup  of  coifee  at  day-break,  and,  by  his  desire,  I  ordered  the  camels  to 
be  loaded.  I  then  assisted  him  to  dress,  and,  with  the  support  of  his 
servant,  he  came  out  of  the  tent ;  but,  before  he  could  be  lifted  on  the 
camel,  I  observed  the  ghastliness  of  death  hi  his  countenance,  and  had 
him  immediately  replaced  in  the  tent.  I  sat  down  by  his  side,  and  with 
unsfieakable  grief,  witnessed  his  last  breath,  which  was  Avithout  a  strug- 
gle or  a  groan.  I  now  sent  to  the  governor  of  the  town  to  request  his 
permission  to  bury  the  deceased,  Avhich  he  readily  granted  ;  and  I  had  a 
grave  made  near  an  old  mimosa-tree,  a  little  beyond  the  southern  gate 
of  the  town.  The  body  being  first  washed,  after  the  custom  of  the  coun- 
try, was  dressed  by  my  directions  in  clothos  made  of  turban  shawls, 
which  we  were  carrying  with  us  as  presents.  The  corpse  was  borne  to 
the  grave  by  our  servants,  and  I  read  over  it  the  funeral  service  of  the 
church  of  England,  before  it  was  consigned  to  the  earth.  I  afterward 
caused  the  grave  to  he  inclosed  with  a  wall  of  clay,  to  keep  oif  beasts  of 
prey,  and  had  two  sheep  killed  and  distributed  among  the  poor." 

Clapperton  now  continued  his  journey  alone,  and  two  days  afterward 
entered  the  kingdom  of  Iloussa.     The  country  was  highly  cultivated, 

*  Captain  Clapperton  gives  the  following  translation  of  the  song : 
"  Give  flesh  to  the  hyenas  at  day-break : 

Oh,  the  broad  spears  I 
The  spear  of  the  sultan  is  the  broadest— 

Oh,  the  broad  spears  I 
I  behold  thoo  now,  I  desire  to  see  none  other ; 

Oil,  the  broad  spears  I 
My  horse  is  as  tall  as  a  higli  wall : 

Oh,  the  broad  spears  I 
The  elephant  of  the  forest  brings  me  what  I  want : 

Oh,  the  broad  spears! 
Bo  brave !  be  brave  I  my  friends  and  kinsmen : 

Oh,  the  broad  spears  I 
God  is  great  I  I  wax  fierce  as  a  beast  of  prey : 

Oh,  the  broad  spears  1 
God  ia  great  I    To-day  those  I  wished  for  are  oomo ; 

Oh,  the  broad  spoaral" 


;'r '  n:  H'l 


RESIDENCE    AT    KANO. 


499 


and  diversified  by  hill  and  dale.  There  were  many  large  •n-allcd  towns, 
quite  deserted,  the  inhabitants  having  been  carried  off  and  sold  by  tlieir 
conquerors,  the  Felatahs.  On  the  20th  of  January,  he  approached  the 
large  city  of  Kano,  and  prepared  himself  for  the  reception  by  arraying 
himself  in  his  naval  uniform.  "At  11  o'clock,"  says  he,  "  we  entered 
Kano,  the  great  emporium  of  the  kingdom  of  Houssa ;  but  I  had  no 
sooner  passed  the  gates  than  I  felt  grievously  disappointed ;  for  from  the 
flourishing  description  of  it  given  by  the  Arabs,  I  expected  to  see  a  city 
of  surprising  grandeur.  I  found,  on  the  contrary,  the  houses  nearly  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  walls,  and  hi  many  parts  scattered  into  de- 
tached groups,  between  large  stagnant  pools  of  water.  I  might  have 
spared  all  the  pains  I  had  taken  with  my  toilet ;  for  not  an  individual 
turned  his  head  around  to  gaze  at  me,  but  all,  intent  on  their  own  busi- 
ness, allowed  me  to  pass  by  without  notice  or  remark." 

lie  immediately  called  upon  a  person  named  Hat  Salah,  to  ^^•hom  he 
had  a  letter  of  recommendation  from  the  shekh  ofBornou.  This  person, 
having  heard  of  his  coming  the  day  before,  had  hired  a  house  for  him, 
but,  says  Clapperton,  "  the  house  provided  for  me  was  situated  at  the 
end  of  a  marsh,  the  pestilential  exhalations  of  which,  and  of  the  pools  of 
standing  water,  were  increased  by  the  sewers  of  the  houses  all  opening 
in  the  street.  I  was  fatigued  and  sick,  and  lay  down  on  a  mat  which 
the  owner  of  the  house  spread  for  me.  I  was  immediately  visited  by  all 
the  Arab  merchants  who  had  been  my  fellow-travelers  from  Kouka,  and 
were  not  j)revented  by  sickness  from  coming  to  see  me.  They  were 
more  like  ghosts  than  men,  as  almost  all  strangers  were  at  this  time  suf- 
fering from  intermittent  fever." 

Two  days  afterward,  Clapperton  visited  the  governor,  who  was 
then  encamped  about  five  miles  cast  of  the  city.  lie  took  with  him  a 
number  of  presents,  among  which  was  a  broken  thermometer,  which,  he 
was  given  to  understand,  would  be  very  acceptable.  A  thermometer  was 
descriptively  named  by  the  natives  "  a  watch  of  heat,"  and  was  everywhere 
regarded  by  them  as  a  great  curiosity.  The  governor,  who  was  the 
father  of  fifty  sons — a  circumstance,  which  procured  him  much  respect 
and  honor — received  him  with  great  kindness,  and  promised  to  send  a 
messenger  to  the  sultan,  at  Sackatoo,  requesting  permission  for  him  to 
proceed.  This  permission,  however,  did  not  arrive  fur  a  month,  during 
which  time  the  traveler  remained  domiciled  at  Kano. 

"  The  city,"  says  he,  "  may  contain  from  thirty  thousand  to  forty  thou- 
sand resident  inhabitants,  of  whom  more  than  one  half  are  slaves.  It  is  ren- 
dered very  unhealthy  by  a  large  morass,  which  almost  divides  it  into  two 
parts,  besides  many  pools  of  stagnant  water,  made  by  digging  clay  for 
building  houses.  On  the  north  side  of  the  city  are  two  remarkable 
mounts,  each  about  two  hundred  feet  in  height,  and  a  trifling  distance 
apart.  The  city  is  of  an  irregular  oval  shape,  about  fifteen  miles  in  cir- 
cumference, and  surrounded  by  a  clay  wall  thirty  feet  high,  with  a  dry 
ditch  along  the  inside,  and  another  on  the  outside.     There  arc  fifteen 


i 


■  'A  .i: 


1' 

I 

1 

1: 

■      i 
■ 

i  I 


fi 


1     :       i     I 


niiii  i)  i 


600 


TRAVELS    OF    DKNHAM    AND    CLAPPEP.TOX. 


gates  of  wood,  covered  with  sheet-iron,  wliicli  are  regularly  opened  and 
shut  at  sunrise  and  sunset.  The  houses  are  built  of  clay,  and  are  mostly 
of  a  square  tbrni,  in  the  Moorish  fashion,  with  a  central  hall  of  audience 
and  store-rooms  on  the  ground-floor,  and  a  second  story  containing  the 
sleeping  apartments.  I  bought  in  the  market,  for  three  Spanish  dollars, 
an  English  green  cotton  umbrella,  an  article  I  little  expected  to  meet 
with,  yet  by  no  means  uncommon  ;  my  Moorish  sen'ants,  in  their  figu- 
rative language,  were  wont  to  give  it  the  name  of '  the  cloud.' " 

Cai)tain  Clapperton  had  hoard  a  great  deal  about  the  boxers  of 
Iloussa,  and  was  anxious  to  Avitness  their  performances.  He  sent  one 
of  his  servants  to  offer  2,000  cowries  for  an  exhibition  before  his  house. 
As  the  death  of  one  of  the  combatants  was  almost  certain,  ho  prohibited 
all  fighting  in  earnest.  "A  ring  was  soon  formed,  by  the  master  of  tin; 
ceremonies  throwing  dust  on  the  spectators  to  make  them  stand  back. 
The  drummers  entered  tlio  ring,  and  began  to  drum  lustily.  One  of  the 
boxers  followed,  quite  naked,  except  a  skin  around  the  middle.  He 
placed  himself  in  an  attitude,  as  if  to  oppose  an  antagonist,  and^vrouglit 
his  muscles  into  action,  seemingly  to  lind  out  that  every  sinew  was  in 
full  force  for  the  approaching  combat ;  then,  coming  from  time  to  time 
to  the  side  of  the  ring,  and  presenthig  his  right  arm  to  the  bystanders, 
he  said  :  '  I  am  a  hyena ;  I  am  a  lion  ;  I  am  able  to  kill  all  that  oppose 
me.'  The  spectators,  to  whom  ho  presented  himself,  laid  their  hands 
upon  his  shoulders  repeating:  '  The  blesshig  of  God  be  upon  thee  !  thou 
art  a  hyena  ;  thou  art  a  lion.'  He  then  abandoned  the  ring  to  another, 
who  showed  olf  in  the  same  manner.  The  right  hand  and  arm  of  the 
jMigilists  were  now  bound  with  narrow  country  cloth,  beginning  with  a 
fold  around  the  middle  fmger,  when  the  hand  being  first  clinched  with 
the  thumb  between  the  fore  and  mid  fingers,  the  cloth  Avas  passed  in 
many  turns  around  the  fist,  the  wrist,  and  the  fore-arm.  After  about 
twenty  had  separately  gone  through  the  attitudes  of  defiance,  and  ap- 
peals to  the  bystanders,  they  were  next  brought  forward  by  pairs.  If  they 
happened  to  be  friends,  they  laid  their  left  breasts  together  twice,  and  ex- 
claimed :  '  AVe  are  lions ;  Ave  are  friends.'  If  the  two  did  not  recognize 
each  other  as  friends,  the  set-to  immediately  commenced.  On  taking 
their  stalion^^,  the  two  pugilists  first  stood  at  somo  distance,  parrying 
Avith  the  left  liaiid  ojx.'ii,  and,  whenever  an  opportunity  offered,  strik- 
ing with  the  right.  They  generally  aimed  at  the  pit  of  the  stomach,  and 
under  the  ribs.  When  they  break  loose,  they  never  fail  to  give  a  swing- 
ing blow  Avith  the  heel  under  the  ribs,  or  sometimes  under  the  left  ear. 
It  is  tliese  blows  Avliich  are  so  often  fatal." 

Tiie  permission  of  the  Sultan  of  Iloussa,  for  AAhich  Cai^tain  Clapper- 
ton  had  been  waiting,  anived  on  the  22d  day  of  February,  and  on  the 
following  <lay  he  left  Kano  for  Sackatoo.  After  traveling  eighteen  days, 
Avithout  particular  incident,  he  reached  the  town  of  Quarra,  Avliere  he 
Avas  met  by  an  escort  of  an  hundred  and  fifty  liorsemen,  sent  forward  by 
the  Sultan  of  Iloussa.    On  the  third  day  afterAvard  ho  approached  Sacka- 


,  i 


INTERVIEW    -WITH    SULTAN   BELLO. 


501 


too,  followed  by  his  escort  and  a  numerous  retinue,  with  a  loud  flourish 
of  horns  and  trumpets.  To  impress  the  natives  still  further  with  his 
official  imjwrtance,  he  arrayed  himself  in  liis  lieutenant's  coat,  trimmed 
with  gold  lace,  Avhite  trowsers,  silk  stockings,  and,  to  compU  uis  finery, 
red  Turkish  slippers  and  a  turban.  The  valleys  between  the  hills  be- 
came wider  as  they  approached  Sackatoo,  which  they  first  beheld  from 
the  top  of  an  eminence.  At  noon  they  entered  the  capital,  where  a 
great  number  of  people  was  assembled  to  look  at  the  traveler,  who 
entered  the  city  amid  the  hearty  welcomes  of  young  and  old.  lie  was 
conducted  to  the  house  of  the  vizier,  where  apartments  had  been  pre- 
pared for  him. 

The  next  day  ho  called  upon  Sultan  Bello,  who  received  him  very 
cordially.  He  was  a  noble-looking  man,  forty-four  years  of  age,  five  feet 
ten  inches  high,  portly  in  person,  with  a  short,  curling  black  board,  a 
small  mouth,  a  fine  forehead,  a  Grecian  nose,  and  large  black  eyes. 
He  asked  many  questions  about  Europe,  and  the  religious  distinctions 
of  the  Franks.  He  was  acquainted  mth  the  names  of  the  ancient  sects, 
and  asked  whether  the  English  were  Nestorians  or  Socinians.  Cap- 
tain Clapperton  also  read  him  some  passages  out  of  a  book,  in  order 
that  he  might  hear  the  soimd  of  the  English  language,  which  he  thought 
beautiful.  On  being  presented  with  a  compass,  spy-glass,  and  other 
articles,  he  said :  "  Every  thing  is  wonderful ;  but  you  are  the  greatest 
curiosity  of  all."  He  perused  the  letter  of  the  Shekh  of  Bornou,  and 
assured  Clapperton  that  he  was  at  liberty  to  visit  every  part  of  his 
dominions,  including  Yaouri  and  Nyffe,  which  the  latter  was  anxious  to 
reach,  in  the  hope  of  learning  something  further  concerning  the  fate 
of  Tark. 

From  an  interview  a  few  days  after  this,  however,  Clapperton  saw 
that  the  sultan  was  becoming  suspicious.  Ho  observed  that  there  were 
two  roads  leading  to  Nyffe — one  direct,  but  beset  by  enemies,  the 
other  safer,  but  circuitous ;  that  by  either  route  he  would  be  detained, 
during  the  rains,  in  a  country  then  in  open  rebellion.  "  I  assured  him," 
says  Clapperton,  "  that  I  had  already  taken  the  matter  into  considera- 
tion, and  that  I  was  neither  afraid  of  the  dangers  of  the  road  nor  of  the 
rains.  '  Think  of  it  >vith  prudence,'  he  replied,  and  we  parted.  From 
the  tone  and  manner  with  which  this  was  spoken,  I  folt  a  foreboding 
that  my  intended  visit  to  Yaouri  and  Nyffe  was  at  an  end.  I  could  not 
help  suspecting  the  intrigues  of  the  Arabs  to  be  the  cause  ;  as  they  well 
knew,  if  tlie  native  Africans  were  once  acquainted  with  English  com- 
merce by  the  way  of  the  sea,  their  o^\^l  lucrati\e  inland  trade  would 
from  that  moment  cease."  Clapperton's  surmises  were  correct,  and 
after  several  further  consultations  on  the  subject  he  was  obliged  to 
give  up  the  plan  of  proceeding  beyond  Sackatoo.  After  a  residence 
of  six  weeks  in  the  Felatah  capital,  during  which  he  had  a  severe  attack 
of  fovor,  he  began  to  pre))aro  for  his  return  journey  to  Bornou. 

Ho  gives  tlie  follo\nng  description  of  the  city :  "  It  lies  in  latitude 


,1 
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TEAVELS  OF  DENHAM  AND  CLAPPERTON. 


13°  4'  north,  ami  longitude  G''  12'  east,  about  foiu'  Jays  journey  from  the 
Quorra,  or  Niger.  The  name,  in  their  language,  signifies  a  '  halting- 
place  ;'  the  city  was  built,  as  near  as  I  could  learn,  about  the  year 
1805.  It  occupies  a  long  ridge  which  slopes  gently  toward  the  north, 
and  appeared  to  me  the  most  populous  town  I  had  visited  in  the 
interior  of  Africa,  for  unlike  other  towns  in  Iloussa,  Avhere  the  houses 
are  thinly  scattered,  it  is  laid  out  in  regular,  well-built  streets.  The 
wall  is  between  twenty  and  thirty  feet  high,  and  has  twelve  gates, 
which  are  regularly  closed  at  sunset.  There  is  a  s])aciou3  market- 
place in  the  center  of  the  city,  and  another  large  square  in  front  of 
the  sultan's  residence.  The  dwellings  of  the  jmncipal  people  are  sur- 
rounded by  high  Avails,  which  inclose  numerous  flat-i'oofed  houses  built 
in  the  Moorish  style.  The  inhabitants  are  principally  Felatahs,  possess- 
ing numerous  slaves." 

Captain  Clapperton  set  out  on  his  return,  on  the  4th  of  May,  pro- 
ceeding to  Kano  by  way  of  the  large  town  of  Kashna.  On  the  8th  of 
July  he  reached  Kouka,  during  Major  Denhani's  absence  on  a  visit  to 
the  eastern  shore  of  Lake  Tchad,  llillman,  the  car{)enter,  was*  busily 
employed  in  finishing  a  covered  cart,  to  be  used  as  a  conveyanci  for  the 
shekh's  wives.  The  workmanship,  considering  the  materials,  rot^ected 
the  greatest  credit  on  his  ingenuity ;  the  wheels  were  hooped  with  iron, 
and  the  cart  A^as  extremely  strong,  though  neither  light  nor  handsome. 
Captain  Clapperton  immediately  waited  on  the  shekh,  who  inquii-ed  after 
his  health,  and  expressed  much  regret  at  Dr.  Oudney's  death. 


RETURN    TO    EUROPE. 

The  travelers  had  now  accomplished  the  principal  objects  of  their 
mission  and  explored  as  nmch  of  Central  Africa  as  was  practicable  Avith- 
out  remaining  another  season,  which,  in  their  state  of  health,  a\  as  not 
advisable.  They  therefore  determined  to  return  to  Tripoli  with  the 
annual  caravan  of  slaves,  Avhich  passed  through  Bornou  on  its  Avay  from 
Soudan.  This  caravan  arrived  at  Kouka  on  the  13th  of  August.  "  On 
Monday,  the  16th,"  says  Major  Denham,  "avo  took  our  final  leave  of 
Kouka,  and  not  Avithout  many  feelings  of  regret,  so  accustomed  had  avo 
become,  particularly  myself,  to  the  people.  In  the  morning  I  had  taken 
leave  of  the  shekh  in  his  garden,  Avhen  he  had  given  me  a  letter  to  the 
kmg  and  a  list  of  requests :  he  Avas  all  kindness,  and  said  he  had  only 
one  wish,  Avhicli  Avas  that  I  might  find  all  my  fiiends  Avell,  and  once 
more  return  to  them.  He  gave  me  his  hand  at  parting,  which  excited 
an  involuntary  exclamation  of  astonishment  from  the  six  eunuchs  and 
the  vizier,  who  Avere  the  only  persons  present." 

The  travelers  preceded  the  caravan  a  fcAv  days,  hi  order  to  attempt 
to  reach  the  unvisited  eastern  side  of  Lake  Tchad,  through  the  country 
of  Kauem.     On  the  23d  they  crossed  the  river  Yeou,  and  Denham  ob- 


WELCOME    AT    MOURZUK.  >3 

serves:  "My  feelings  on  seeing  this  river  for  a  second  i< me  were  y 
different  from  wliat  tliey  had  been  when  I  first  looked  on  its  watt-rs. 
Wo  had  then  an  escort  of  two  hundred  men,  and  yet  could  not  feel  our- 
selves in  i)erfect  safety  one  hundred  yards  from  our  tents.  Now  I  had 
only  one  attendant — the  people  about  mo  were  all  natives,  and  I  wan- 
dered about  the  banks  of  the  river  with  perfi'ct  freedom,  and  slept  with 
my  tent-door  open,  in  as  great  a  security  as  I  could  have  done  in  any 
part  of  England,  had  I  been  obliged  so  to  travel.  Other  feelings  also 
obtruded  themselves ;  I  was  about  to  return  home,  to  see  once  more 
dear  friends  and  a  dear  country,  after  an  ab.-,once  of  nearly  three  years, 
on  a  duty  full  of  perils  and  difficulties  ;  two  out  of  four  of  my  companions 
had  fallen  victims  to  climate  and  disease,  while  those  who  remained  were 
suffering,  in  no  small  degree,  from  sickness  and  debility." 

At  Woodio  Major  Denham  met  with  Barca  Gana,  who,  after  an  ab- 
sence of  five  months,  had  completed  the  circuit  of  the  lake.  The  latter 
gave  him  a  guard  of  eighteen  men,  with  which  he  advanced  about  fifty 
miles  eastward  along  the  shore  of  the  lake,  when  the  journey  became  so 
dangerous,  that  the  guard  refused  to  go  further,  and  Denham  was  com- 
pelled to  return.  He  therefore  pitched  his  tent  at  Woodie,  to  await  the 
arrival  of  the  caravan  from  Kouka,  Avhich  did  not  finally  depart  for  the 
desert  until  the  14th  of  September.  "  We  had  the  satisfaction,"  says 
Major  Denham,  "  to  find  throughout  our  journey,  that,  yoimg  as  wo 
were  at  desert  traveling,  yet  we  got  on  as  well,  if  not  better,  than  our 
companions  ;  and  though  children  of  the  soil,  they  always  looked  to  us, 
instead  of  ns  to  them,  both  for  safety  and  protection,  as  well  as  the 
direction  of  the  route." 

The  caravan  arrived  at  Bilma  on  the  11th  of  October,  and  proceeding 
by  easy  journeys  toward  Fezzan,  reached  Gatrono  on  the  14th  of  No- 
vember. This  place,  before  so  miserable  in  their  eyes,  now  seemed  a 
little  paradise.  Seven  days  afterward  they  entered  Mourzuk,  and  took 
up  their  residence  in  their  old  habitation.  Prayer  was  offered  up  in  the 
mosque  for  their  safe  return  home.  "  All  welcomed  our  return ;  we  had 
bowls  ofbazcen  and  kooscosoo  night  and  morning,  and  visitors  from  day- 
light until  long  after  sunset.  *  *  *  On  the  12th  of  December  wo 
were  all  ready  for  our  departure,  and  on  the  13th  took  our  leave.  The 
cold  of  IMourzuk  had  pinched  us  terribly,  and  notwithstanding  we  used 
an  additional  blanket  both  day  and  night,  one  of  us  had  cold  and  swelled 
neck,  another  ague,  and  a  third  pains  in  the  limbs — all,  I  believe,  prin- 
cipally from  the  chilliness  of  the  air :  yet  the  thermometer,  at  sunrise, 
was  not  lower  than  forty-two  and  forty-three  degrees. 

"  On  the  25th  of  January,  1825,  we  reached  a  well  within  ten  miles 
of  Tripoli ;  and  previous  to  arriving  there  were  met  by  two  canvasses  of 
the  pasha,  with  one  of  the  consul's  servants.  We  found  the  consul's 
tents,  but  he  had  been  obliged  to  return  on  business  to  the  city ;  and 
the  satisfaction  with  which  we  devoured  some  anchovy  toasts,  and 
washed  them  down  with  huge  draughts  of  Marsala  wme,  in  tumblers — 


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TRAVEL3    OF   DBNHAM    AND    CLAPPERTON, 


luxuries  we  had  so  long  indeed  been  strangers  to — was  quite  indescriba- 
ble. "We  slept  soundly  after  our  feast,  and  on  the  26th,  were  met  by  the 
consul  and  his  eldest  son,  whose  satisfaction  at  our  safe  return  seemed 
equal  to  our  own.  We  entered  Tripoli  the  same  day,  where  a  house  had 
been  provided  for  us.  Our  long  absence  from  civilized  society  appeared 
to  have  an  effect  on  our  manner  of  speaking,  which,  though  wc  Avere  un- 
conscious of  it,  occasioned  the  remarks  of  our  friends :  even  in  common 
conversation  our  tone  was  so  loud  as  almost  to  alarm  those  we  addressed, 
and  it  was  some  weeks  before  we  could  moderate  our  voices  so  as  to 
bring  them  in  harmony  with  the  confined  space  in  which  we  were  now 
exercising  them." 

Denham  and  Clapperton  had  a  stormy  passage  to  Leghorn,  where 
they  were  obliged  to  perform  a  quarantine  of  twenty-five  days.  From 
Leghorn  Hillman  was  sent  home  by  sea  with  the  living  animals,  collec- 
tions, and  baggage  of  the  expedition.  The  two  travelers  crossed  the 
Alps,  and  reached  London  on  the  1st  of  June,  after  an  absence  from 
England  of  three  years  and  a  half. 


CLAPPERTON'S 


SECOND     JOURNEY    TO    SAGKATOO, 


During  Captain  Clapperton's  first  visit  to  Sackatoo,  in  the  year 
1824,  he  was  given  to  understand  that  the  estabUshment  of  a  friendly 
mtercourse  with  England  would  be  most  agreeable  to  Sultan  Bello  ;  that 
the  latter  wished  particularly  for  certain  articles  of  English  manufacture 
to  be  sent  out  to  the  sea-coast,  where  there  was  a  large  port  belonging 
to  him,  called  Fimda.  He  also  desired  that  an  English  physician  and 
consul  should  be  sent  to  another  port,  called  Rakka,  promising  to  send 
an  agent  to  the  latter  place,  to  transact  all  matters  of  business  between 
the  two  governments. 

On  the  return  of  Denham  and  Clapperton  to  England,  T.ord  Bath- 
urst  (then  Colonial  Secretary),  considering  this  a  favorable  opportunity 
of  establishing  an  intercourse  with  the  interior  of  Africa,  and  probably 
of  checking  the  trade  in  slaves,  adoj^tcd  Clapperton's  suggestions,  and 
dispatched  him  on  a  second  mission  to  Sackatoo,  by  way  of  the  Bight 
of  Benin,  with  suitable  presents  to  Sultan  Belle.  It  had  been  arranged 
that  the  latter  should  send  doAvn  his  messengers  to  Whydah,  on  the 
coast,  to  meet  Captain  Clapperton  and  his  companions.  On  the  arrival 
of  the  latter  at  Benin,  however,  they  could  neither  gain  any  intelligence 
of  Bello's  messengers,  nor  did  the  people  know  any  thing  of  such  places 
as  Funda  and  Rakka.  It  has  since  been  ascertained  that  both  these 
towns  are  upon  the  Niger,  at  least  two  hundred  miles  from  the  sea. 

Captain  Clapperton  was  allowed  to  take  with  him,  as  companion,  a 
surgeon  by  the  name  of  Dickson,  who  had  been  seasoned  by  a  residence 
in  the  West  Indies.  In  an  enterprise  of  so  hazardous  a  nature,  it  was 
deemed  advisable  to  add  two  others  to  the  party,  in  order  to  accomplish 
a  more  thorough  survey  of  the  different  countries  of  Soudan.  For  this 
purpose.  Captain  Pearce,  of  the  navy,  and  Dr.  Morrison,  a  naval  surgeon, 
were  selected;  one  being  a  good  draughtsman,  and  the  other  well 
versed  in  natural  history.  Captain  Clapperton  also  took  with  him  his 
servant,  Richard  Lander,  and  the  mulatto  Columbus,  who  had  been  in 
the  service  of  Major  Denham,,    The  party  sailed  from  England  on  the 


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506      CLAPPERTON'S    SECOND    JOURNEY    TO    SACKATOO. 


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27th  of  August,  and  arrived  in  llio  IJlglit  of  Uonin  on  tho  20lh  of  No- 
vember, 1S25.  Ur.  Dickson,  being  desirous  of  i)roueeding  alone  to 
Sackatoo,  Avas  Linded  at  Whydali,  and  acoompanied  by  Columbus,  j)ro- 
ceeded  to  Dahomey,  where  lie  was  well  received.  He  was  sent  forward 
to  a  place  called  8har,  seventeen  days'  journey  further,  beyond  Avhich 
nothing  more  was  ever  afteruard  lieard  of  him. 

Captaui  Clapperton  was  ])ersuaded  by  a  trader  named  Iloutson,  to 
make  I^adagry  liis  starting-j)oint ;  he  agreed  to  accompany  liim  as  far 
as  Eyeo,  or  Katunga,  the  cai)ital  of  the  kingdom  of  Yoriba.  They 
landed  on  the  27th  of  Xovember,  and  after  liaving  made  arrangements 
to  have  their  baggage  sent  after  them,  started  on  their  journey  into  the 
interior  on  the  7th  of  December.  As  they  Avere  under  the  protection 
of  the  King  of  IJadagry,  they  met  with  no  difficulties  in  the  early  part 
of  their  route.  At  the  dift'erent  towns  they  were  always  received  by  the 
cahoveo's,  or  chief  men,  to  whom  they  made  small  presents,  and  who 
suj)plied  them  with  lodgings  and  ])rovisions.  In  two  or  three  days  they 
entered  the  territories  of  the  king  of  Yoriba,  after  which  they  ex- 
perienced some  trouble  in  procuring  men  and  beasts  to  transport  their 
baggage.  Their  road  led  through  dense  forests,  the  dampness  of  which, 
added  to  the  fact  of  their  traveling  partly  by  night,  brought  on  attacks 
'  of  fever  and  ague,  with  which  the  Avhole  party  sutlered. 

On  the  l;5th  they  reached  the  town  of  Laboo,  The  country  now 
became  more  agreeable,  rising  into  hill  and  iale,  with  fine  prospects. 
They  api»roached  the  town  by  the  moonlight  through  an  avemie  of 
majestic  trees,  Avith  fetish-houses  placed  here  and  there,  and  solitary 
lights  burning  in  each.  Two  days  atVerward  they  reached  the  large 
town  of  Jamiah,  where  the  caboceer,  who  at  first  received  them  in  rather 
a  reserved  and  ceremonious  mamu'r,  finally  assured  them  that  they 
might  procee(l  safely  as  fiir  as  Eyeo,  the  capital,  l)ut  he  did  not  believe 
that  the  king  would  allow  them  to  go  beyond  it.  "I  can  not,"  sa}.'» 
Clapperton,  "  omit  bearing  testimony  to  the  singular  and  ])erhaps  nnj)re- 
cedented  fact  that  we  have  already  traveled  sixty  miles  in  eight  days, 
with  a  luunerous  and  heavy  baggage,  and  aboiit  ten  dift'er 'nt  relays  of 
carriers,  without  losing  so  much  as  tho  value  of  a  shilling,  public  or 
private." 

Meanwhile  the  sick  continued  to  grow  worse,  Avith  tho  exception  of 
Hichard  Lander,  Avho,  alter  being  Itled  on  the  temple  and  blistere(l  on 
tho  head,  im[)roved.  On  the  2;td,  Dr.  Morrison  Avaa  so  Aveak  that  lie 
determined  to  return,  and  3Ir.  Iloutson  Avas  sent  back  to  take  charge 
of  him.  On  the  folloAving  <lay,  at  a  town  called  Egga,  a  seaman  naint  d 
George  Dawson,  died,  and  Avas  l)uried  the  same  <;vening.  Three  days 
afterward,  Captain  Pearco  died,  and  Avas  biuieil  near  the  town  of  En- 
gAva,  the  wliole  of  the  population  attending  the  fimeral.  The  grave 
was  staked  around  by  the  natives,  and  a  shed  built  over  it  :  Kichard 
Lander  carved  an  inscription  on  a  board,  ami  placed  it  at  the  liead. 
Clapperton  noAV  determined  to  Avait  for  Mr.  Iloutson,  Avho  returneil  on 


Hi 


ARRIVAL    AT    KATUNGA. 


507 


the  31st,  will  I  tho  nows  tliat  Dr.  IMorrisoii  liacl  died  at  Jannali,  on  the 
same  day  as  Cajitain  Pcui-fc.  Thus  in  the  sliort  space  of  tliree  weeks, 
three  jtersons,  or  one  half  llie  ])arty,  liad  perished ;  yet  the  survivors 
manfully  pushed  on,  althougli  Clajiperton  was  so  ill  that  he  was  obliged 
to  be  carried  in  a  lianunock. 

The  ccnintry  became  more  hilly  and  picturesque  as  they  advanced. 
On  the  i;uh  of  Jaiuiary,  1820,  they  entered  a  narrow  defile,  leading 
through  a  range  of  granite  mountains.  "  The  road  through  this  mount- 
ain pass,"  says  Clapperton,  "  was  grand  aiid  imj>osing,  sometimes  rising 
almost  per])endiculariy,  and  tlien  descending  into  deep  dells.  In  every 
clefl  of  the  liills,  wlu.'rev.'r  there  appeared  the  least  soil,  were  c(jtluges, 
surrounded  by  small  plantations  of  millet,  yams,  or  plantains,  givhig  a 
beautiful  variety  to  the  rude  scenery.  The  road  continueil  rising,  liill 
above  hill,  for  at  least  two  miles,  until  our  arrival  at  the  large  and  populous 
town  of  Chaki,  situated  on  the  top  of  the  very  highest  hill.  On  every 
hand,  on  the  hills,  on  the  rocks,  and  crowding  on  the  rf)ad,  tlie  inhabit- 
ants were  assembled  in  thousands ;  the  Avomen  welcoming  us  with  hold- 
ing up  their  hands  ami  chanting  choral  songs,  and  the  men  with  tho 
usual  salutations  and  every  demonstration  of  joy." 

Here  they  were  kindly  re(;eived  by  a  caboceer  with  two  thousand 
wives,  and  continued  their  journey  next  day.  The  country  beyond  this 
Avas  pojiidous  and  well  cultivated  ;  and  they  were  everywhere  hospita- 
bly treati'd.  On  the  2-'d  they  reached  the  large  town  of  Tshow,  where 
a  messenger  from  the  King  of  Yoriba  was  in  waiting,  to  conduct  them 
to  Katiuiga.  The  caboceer  visited  them,  aiid  after  having  shaken  hands 
with  thiMii,  ridtbed  his  face  and  body,  in  order  that  he  might  impart  tho 
blessing  of  a  white  man's  touch  to  all  ])arts  of  his  frame.  The  next  day, 
at  noon,  from  the  top  of  u  high  ridge,  they  saw  the  city  of  Katunga,  or 
Eyeo.  "  Ilefore  us  lay  a  finely-cultivated  valley,  extending  as  far  as  tho 
eye  could  reach  to  tlie  westward  ;  the  city  lying,  as  it  wx-re,  below  us, 
surrounded  and  studded  with  green  shady  tri'cs,  forming  a  belt  around 
the  base  of  a  rocky  mountain,  composed  of  granite,  of  about  three  miles 
in  leiitj;th,  forming  as  beaiitiful  a  view  as  I  ever  saw."' 

On  enti'ring  the  city,  a  messenger  nu't  tho  travelers,  stating  that  the 
king  wanted  to  see  them.  Clapperton  gives  the  following  dt'scription 
of  their  reception  :  "  A  band  of  music  accompanied  us  and  llie  escort, 
with  ai\  inunens((  nmltitude  of  men,  women,  and  chililren.  As  thens 
was  juuch  open  and  cultivated  ground,  the  dust  they  caused  almost  suf- 
focated us,  though  tlie  escort  tried  all  gentle  means  to  keep  them  off*. 
At  last,  after  riding  full  five  miles,  we  came  to  the  place  Mhere  the  king 
was  sitting  midcr  the  verandah  of  his  Iiousc,  markeil  by  two  red  and 
blue  cloth  umbrellas,  supportecl  by  large  poles  held  by  slaves,  with  tho 
staff'  resting  upon  the  ground.  After  we  got  as  far  ns  the  umbrellas  in 
front,  the  space  was  all  clear  In'fore  the  king,  ami  for  about  twenty  yards 
on  each  side.  We  walked  up  to  the  verandah  with  oiu-  hats  on,  until 
wo  cume  into  the  shade,  when  wo  took  ulV  uur  hats,  made  a  bow,  and 


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508   CLAPPERTON'S  SECOND  JOURNEY  TO  SACKATOO. 

shook  hands :  he  lifting  up  our  hands  throe  tinics,  repeating,  ^Ako,  aho  /' 
(how  do  you  do  ?)  the  women  behind  him  standing  up  and  cheering  us, 
calling  out,  '  Oh,  oh,  oh  !'  (hurrah  !)  and  the  men  on  the  outside  joining. 
It  was  impossible  to  count  the  number  of  his  ladies,  they  were  so  densely 
packed  and  so  Aery  numerous.  If  I  might  judge  by  their  smiles,  they 
seemed  as  glad  to  see  us  as  their  master.  The  king  was  dressed  in  a 
large  white  shirt,  with  a  blue  one  under ;  around  his  neck  some  three 
strings  of  large  blue  cut-glass  beads,  and  on  his  head  the  imitation  of  a 
European  crown  of  blue  cotton  covered  over  j)astoboard,  made  appar- 
ently by  some  European,  and  sent  up  to  him  from  the  coast." 

The  city  of  Eyeo  (Katunga,  in  the  language  of  Iloussa),  is  situated 
in  latitude  eight  degrees  fifty-nine  minutes  north,  longitude  six  degrees 
twelve  minutes  east.  It  is  built  on  the  sloping  side  and  around  the  base 
of  a  small  range  of  granite  hills,  which,  as  it  were,  form  the  citadel  of 
the  town  :  they  are  composed  of  stupendous  blocks  of  gray  granite  of 
the  softest  kind,  some  of  which  are  seen  hanging  from  the  summits,  in 
the  most  frightful  manner,  as  if  the  least  touch  would  send  them  down 
into  the  valley  beneath.  A  belt  of  thick  wood  runs  around  the  walls, 
which  are  built  of  clay,  about  twenty  feet  high,  and  surrounded  by  a 
dry  ditch.  There  are  ten  gatos  in  the  walls,  Mhich  are  fifteen  miles 
in  circumference,  of  an  oval  shape,  about  four  miles  in  diameter  one  way 
and  six  miles  the  other,  the  south  end  leaning  against  the  rocky  hills, 
and  forming  an  inaccessible  barrier  in  that  quarter.  The  king's  houses 
and  those  of  his  women  occupy  about  a  scpiare  mile,  and  are  on  the  south 
side  of  the  hills,  having  two  large  parks,  one  in  front  and  another  facing 
the  north. 

Clapperton  was  detained  at  Katimga  during  the  whole  month  of 
February,  the  king  refusing  to  allow  him  to  proceed,  under  mw  pretext 
or  another.  lie  kept  him  well  8ui)plied  with  provisions,  but  as  the 
traveler  was  obliged  to  make  frequent  presents  to  him,  his  sons,  and  tho 
caboceers  or  head  men  of  the  city,  these  gifts  were  well  paid  for.  Cap- 
tain Clapperton  applied  for  permission  to  visit  llakka,  on  the  Niger,  and 
to  puss  onward  to  the  kingdom  of  Nyfle,  lying  east  of  Yoriba,  which 
was  refused,  on  tho  ground  that  the  road  was  not  safe.  Finally,  after 
fixing  a  day  for  Clapperton's  departure  five  or  six  times,  and  as  often 
])ost{)<)ning  it,  lie  sent  word  to  liim,  on  the  (Jth  of  March,  that  a  messen- 
ger  was  about  to  start  for  the  city  of  Kiama,  an<l  would  accompany  and 
give  liim  in  charge  to  the  Sultan  Yarro,  who  would  forward  him  to  the 
kingdom  of  Yaouri.  Clapi)erton,  therefore,  immediately  arranged  his 
baggage  and  started,  leaving  Mr.  Iloutson,  who  intended  returning  to 
liadagry.* 

On  the  way  to  Kiama  Lander  became  so  ill  that  he  could  not  travel 

without  being  held  on  the  liorse.     They  reached  that  city  on  the  l.'lth, 

and  rode  immediately  to  the  housi-  of  Sultan  Yarro,  whom  they  found 

sitting  at  the  door  of  his  house.     He  was  a  stout,  good-looking  mini,  pust 

*  Mr.  Iloutsun  reached  Dodagrjr  in  loTotj,  but  died  sooa  aftcrwar'. 


JOURNEY    TO    BOUSSA. 


609 


the  middle  age,  dressed  i  a  white  tobe  or  large  shirt,  with  a  red  Moor- 
ish cap  on  his  head.  He  received  Clappertoii  kindly,  and  gave  him  a 
very  comfortable  house.  Atler  the  heat  of  the  day  was  over  Yarro  came 
to  visit  him,  mounted  on  a  beautiful  red  roan,  attended  by  a  number  of 
armed  men  on  horseback  and  on  foot,  and  six  young  female  slaves,  car- 
rying spears.  He  promised  to  send  the  travelers  to  Wawa,  whence  they 
would  be  forwarded  to  Boussa  on  the  Niger.  The  town  of  Kiama,  ac- 
cording to  Clapperton's  estimate,  contains  thirty  thousand  inhabitants, 
who  are  looked  upon  as  the  greatest  thieves  and  robbers  in  Africa.  The 
traveler,  however,  Avas  fortunate  ;  he  esca])ed  being  plundered,  and  alter 
a  stay  of  five  days,  w^as  allowed  to  proceed,  in  company  with  a  caravan 
bound  for  Kano,  in  Houssa. 

His  road  now  led  through  a  thickly  wooded  coimtry,  ])roken  by  pic- 
turesque rocky  ranges.  In  passing  through  one  of  the  villages,  a  IJorgoo 
hunter  came  in  from  the  chase.  *'  He  had  a  leopard's  skin  over  his 
shoulder,  a  light  spear  in  liis  hand,  and  his  bow  and  arrows  slung  at  his 
back.  He  was  followed  by  three  cream-colored  dogs,  a  Ijreed  as  if  be- 
tween the  grayhound  and  the  cur ;  they  were  adorned  with  round  col- 
lars of  different  colored  leather.  The  hunter  and  his  «h)gs  marched 
through  the  village  as  independently  as  I  ever  saw  a  man,  Avilhout  tak- 


AFUICAN   POnEHT. 


ing  tlip  least  notice  of  US,  or  even  looking  at  us."  Tlie  road  continued 
through  tropical  woods  of  the  nn»st  luxuriant  foliage.  They  were  shaded 
from  the  heat  of  the  sun,  which  was  intense  at  nonnday,  and  were 
cheered  by  their  ajiproai'h  to  tlii^  Niger,  the  proximity  of  which  was 
announced  by  its  nunu-njus  tributaries. 


f^'i 


j  i 


iili    ;h 


;i: 


f  ^  1  r 

r^ 

W 

liJjiiii 


1 1  ) 


510       CLAPPERTON'S    SECOND    JOURNEY    TO    SACKATOO. 

On  the  21st,  Clappcrton  reached  the  large  town  of  "Wawa,  wliere  he 
■was  indifForently  received  by  the  governor,  who  Avrapped  uj)  liis  luviid  in 
his  sleeve,  for  fear  the  touch  of  a  white  man  would  kill  him.  Soon  after 
his  arrival  he  was  visited  by  an  Arab  widow  named  Zuma,  who  desired 
to  have  a  white  husband.  She  was  said  to  be  the  richest  person  in  the 
town,  having  the  best  house  and  a  thousand  slaves.  "  She  showed  a 
great  regard  for  my  servant  Richard,  who  is  younger  and  better  looking 
than  I  am,"  says  Captain  Clapperton ;  "  but  she  had  passed  her  twentieth 
year,  was  fat,  and  a  perfect  Turkish  beauty,  just  like  a  walking  water- 
butt.  All  her  arts  were  unavailing  on  Richard  ;  she  could  not  induce 
him  to  visit  her  at  her  iiouse,  though  he  had  my  permission."  In  s])ite 
of  these  rebuffs,  the  widow  furnished  the  traveler  with  abundance  of 
cooked  provisions  every  day.  She  oifered  Clapperton's  servant  Pascoe 
a  wife  if  he  could  persuade  his  master  to  marry  her.  Clapperton  visited 
her  one  day,  and  received  an  estimate  of  all  her  wc^alth  ;  she  exhibited 
to  him  her  gold  bracelets,  her  coral  beads,  silver  rings  and  other  trinkets, 
and  her  apartments,  splendidly  adorned  Avitli  pewter*  dishes  and  brass 
pans.  She  then  proposed  to  send  for  a  priest  and  have  the  marriage 
ceremony  performed — whereupon  the  ea])tain  speedily  retreated. 

After  spending  nine  days  at  Wawa,  a  messenger  of  the  Sultan  of 
Boussa  arrived,  to  conduct  the  travelers  through  his  dominions.  The 
governor  of  Wawa  promised  to  send  all  the  baggage  to  the  town  of 
Koolfu,  beyond  the  Niger,  on  the  direct  road  to  Kano,  and  Clapperton 
therefore,  leaving  Lander  to  take  charge  of  it,  rode  on  to  J?oussa.  The 
same  afternoon  he  reached  a  branch  of  the  Niger,  called  the  Menai.  It 
was  not  more  than  twenty  yards  across,  but  twelve  feet  doej).  After 
being  ferried  over,  an  hour's  ride  brought  him  to  the  town  of  Roussa. 
lie  was  much  surprised,  after  entering  the  gate,  to  see  only  dusters  of 
huts  here  and  there,  and  no  regular  town,  as  he  had  been  led  to  expect. 
lie  proceeded  at  once  to  visit  the  sultan,  whom  lie  found  sitting  under 
the  verandah  of  one  of  his  huts,  with  his  principal  wife  beside  him.  The 
Bultan  received  him  very  kindly,  and  said  that  the  Sultan  of  Yaouri  had 
kejtt  seven  boats  waiting  several  days,  to  take  him  up  the  river.  Clap- 
])erton  informed  him  that  on  account  of  the  war  between  Yaouri  and 
Roussa,  he  intended  taking  the  route  of  Koolfu  and  Nyffe,  on  his  way 
to  Hornou.  The  sultan  Avas  a  handsome  man  of  about  twenty-live  years 
of  age,  live  feet  ten  inches  in  height,  with  a  lofty  f()r('head,  Roman  nose, 
good  teeth,  and  a  short  chin  covered  with  a  beard  two  inches  long. 

('lappert(m's  j)n'sents  the  next  day  procured  him  a  still  more  favora- 
ble reci'ption,  and  he  was  informed  that  he  would  l)e  allowi>d  to  e^n- 
tinue  his  journey  on  the  morrow.  "I  next  inquired  of  him,"  says  the 
traveler,  "atTter  some  white  men  who  were  lost  in  the  river  near  Roussr. 
twenty  years  ago.  lie  seemed  rather  mieasy  at  this  question,  an<l  I 
observed  that  he  stammered  in  his  speecli.  He  assured  me  that  he  had 
nothing  Ix'Ionging  to  them;  that  he  was  a  little  boy  when  the  event 
happened.     I  said,  I  wanted  nothing  but  the  books  and  papers,  and  to 


THE  PLACE  OF  PARK'S  DEATH. 


511 


learn  from  him  a  corroct  account  of  the  manner  of  their  deatli ;  and  that, 
with  liis  permission,  I  would  go  and  visit  the  spot  where  they  were  h^st. 
He  said  no,  I  must  not  go ;  it  was  a  very  bad  place.  Having  heard 
that  part  of  the  boat  still  remained,  I  asked  him  if  it  was  so.  lie  re- 
])lied  that  such  a  report  was  untrue;  that  she  did  remain  on  the  rocks 
for  some  time  .nflter,  but  had  gone  to  ])ieces  and  floated  down  the  river 
long  ago.  I  said  if  he  would  give  me  the  books  and  papers,  it  would  be 
the  greatest  favor  he  could  jiossibly  confer  upon  me.  He  again  assured 
me  that  nothing  remained  with  him ;  every  thing  of  that  kind  had  gone 
into  the  hands  of  the  learned  men ;  but  that  if  any  were  now  in  existence 
he  would  procure  them  and  give  them  to  me.  I  then  asked  him  if  he 
would  allow  me  to  inquire  of  the  old  people  in  the  town  the  particulars 
of  the  afi'air,  as  some  of  them  must  have  seen  it.  He  appeared  very  un- 
easy, gave  me  no  answer,  and  I  did  not  press  him  further." 

Clapperton  w^as  afterward  informed  by  the  sultan  that  the  late  imam, 
or  i)riest,  Avho  was  a  Felat.ah,  had  had  j)ossession  of  all  of  Park's  books 
and  papers,  but  th.at  he  had  iled  fro'.i  l^oussa  some  time  before.  Tlio 
inhabitants  appeared  uneasy  .and  embarrassed  whenever  he  asked  for  in- 
formation, but  they  pointed  out  the  place  where  the  boat  struck  and 
the  unfortunate  travelers  perished.  ''  Even  this,''  Clapperton  remarks, 
"M'as  done  with  caution,  and  as  if  by  stealth;  though,  in  everything  un- 
connected A\  ith  that  aiVair,  tliey  were  most  ready  to  give  me  what  in- 
formation I  .asked,  and  never  in  my  life  have  I  been  treated  Avith  more 
hospitaHty  and  kimlness.  Tiie  place  pointed  out  to  me  is  in  the  eastern 
chainiel,  the  river  being  divided  into  three  branches  at  this  place,  not 
one  of  whii'ii  is  more  than  a  good  pistol-shot  across.  A  low,  flat  island, 
of  about  a  quarter  of;,  mile  in  breadth,  lies  between  the  town  of  B()ussa 
and  the  fatal  sjiot.  The  bank  is  not  particularly  high  at  present,  being 
only  about  ten  feet  above  tlie  level  of  this  branch,  which  here  breaks 
over  a  gr.ay  slate-rock,  extending  quite  across  to  the  eastern  shore." 

Clapperton  left  lloussa  on  the  'id  of  April,  and  j)roceeded  down  the 
river  two  days'  journey  to  Comie,  or  the  king's  ferry,  where  the  caravans 
to  and  from  lloussa  cross  the  Niger.  His  baggage,  much  to  his  sur- 
prise, had  not  arrived  from  Wawa,  and  he  foinnl,  on  inquiry,  that  it  liad 
been  det.ained  by  tlu;  orders  of  the  ])ersevering  widow  Zunia.  He  im- 
mediately returned  to  Wawa,  and  Lander  arrived  there  at  the  same 
moment  from  IJoussa,  whither  lie  had  gone  to  seek  his  m.aster  and  ac- 
quaint him  with  the  detention  of  his  property.  The  sultan  had  treated 
Lander  with  great  kindness,  and  sent  two  armed  men  back  with  liim  to 
desire  the  governor  of  Wawa  to  allow  th(!  baggage  to  h-ave — "  a  con- 
vincing proof,"  says  Clai)perton,  "  that  the  minds  of  men  here  must  bo 
much  changed  for  the  better  since  the  days  of  Park  and  Martyn."  Hut 
thoy  were  not  yet  done  with  the  widow.  The  governor  would  not  give 
up  the  baggage  until  sht^  arrived,  as  she  was  then  absent.  She  made 
her  entry  in  state  the  next  day,  astride  of  a  fine  horse,  with  a  drummer 
before  her,  and  a  train  of  bowmen  and  spearmen  behind.     She  wore  red 


Ifjill 

'ir-:    I 

'■;■■   ■'       :'; 

}r     * 

!  !.! 


)■: 


II 


If  I 


m 


ii  •  1 

IW  ! 


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1.  ) 


■'llllii 

^ii' 

11 

i  ■ 

'   1 

i 

512      CLAPPEETON'S   SECOND    JOUENET    TO    SACKATOO. 

silk  trowsers  and  red  morocco  boots,  with  a  white  turban  upon  her 
head,  and  over  her  shoulders  a  mantle  of  silk  and  gold.  "  Had  she  been 
somewhat  younger  and  less  corpulent,"  says  her  victim,  "  there  might 
have  been  great  temptations  to  head  her  party,  for  she  has  certainly 
been  a  very  handsome  woman."  She  was  immediately  summoned  be- 
fore the  governor,  who  gave  her  a  lecture  on  disobedience  and  vanity, 
and  finally  ended  by  giving  up  Clapperton's  baggage,  and  allowing  him 
to  depart  the  next  day. 

After  crossing  the  Niger,  Clapperton  proceeded  toward  Kano 
through  the  country  of  Nyffe,  and  on  the  12th  arrived  at  a  town  called 
Tabra,  on  the  river  Mayarrow,  where  he  was  obliged  to  remain  several 
days.  While  here,  a  messenger  came  to  hira  from  the  Sultan  of  Yaouri, 
bringing  a  present  of  a  camel.  lie  stated  that  the  sultan  had  in  his 
possession  two  large  printed  books  which  had  belonged  to  the  white 
men  who  were  lost  in  the  boat  at  Boussa,  and  had  been  oftered  a  hun- 
dred and  seventy-five  pieces  of  gold  for  them.  Clapperton  was  obliged 
to  make  a  journey  of  two  or  three  days,  to  the  camp  of  the  kmg  of 
Nyfie,  in  order  to  obtain  permission  to  proceed  further.  lie  reached 
Koolfn,  the  capital  of  the  country,  on  the  2d  of  May.  Tliis  is  a  })lace 
of  twelve  or  fifteen  thousand  uihabitants,  situated  on  the  river  Mayarrow. 
It  is  surrounded  by  a  clay  wall  about  twenty  feet  high,  with  four  gates. 
He  here  heard  the  story  of  Park's  death  related  in  the  same  manner  as 
at  Boussa,  and  there  seems  no  reason  to  doubt  its  correctness.  The  only 
uncertain  point  is,  whether  the  travelers  were  shot  by  the  natives,  or 
Avere  drowned  in  attempting  to  escape.  Soon  after  their  death  the 
country  was  visited  by  a  pestilence,  which  the  superstition  of  the  na- 
tives attributed  to  that  occurrence,  and  they  all  seemed  disinclined  to 
converse  on  the  subject.  Clapperton  r;  marks  :  "  I  was  often  puzzled  to 
think,  after  the  kindness  I  had  received  at  Boussa,  what  could  have 
caused  such  a  change  in  the  minds  of  these  people,  in  the  course  of 
twenty  years,  and  of  their  different  treatment  of  two  European  travelers. 
I  was  even  disposed  at  times  to  flatter  myself  that  there  was  something 
in  me  that  belonged  to  nobody  else,  to  make  them  treat  me  and  my 
peojtle  with  so  much  kindness." 

After  having  been  detained  six  weeks  at  Koolfu,  partly  by  his  own 
and  Lander's  sickness,  and  j)artly  by  the  difliculty  of  procurhig  an  escort 
to  Kano,  Clapperton  set  out  for  the  latter  place  on  the  19th  of  June. 
His  progress  was  slow  and  toilsome,  the  rainy  season  having  set  in.  IIo 
reached  the  city  of  Zaria  on  the  lOtli  of  July.  This  is  a  i)lace  of  more 
than  fifty  thousand  inhabitants,  situated  on  a  plain  near  a  long  chain 
of  hills.  Its  appearance  is  made  very  picturesque  by  the  long  avenues 
of  trees,  resembling  jjoplars,  which  border  the  roads  leading  to  it.  This 
was  within  the  territory  of  Iloussa,  and  Clapperton  now  congratulated 
himself  that  all  his  difliculties  were  over.  The  country  aroimd  Zaria 
reminded  iiiin  of  England  in  April,  and  grew  more  pleasant  as  he  ap- 
proached Kano.     "  The  land,  everywhere  the  eye  turned,  looked  beau- 


AllRIVAL    AT    BELLO'S    CAMP. 


513 


tiful ;  the  grtiin  was  just  high  enough  to  wave  with  the  wind ;  httlo 
towns  and  villages  were  numerous  ;  the  trees  full  of  foliage,  few  being 
left  except  such  as  were  tit  for  use,  as  the  butter-tree  and  the  tainar 
ind  ;  lierds  of  line  cattle  were  seen  grazing  on  the  IJillow-gnjund  ;  and 
horses  and  mares  wore  tethered  hi  the  small  spaces  letl  between  tlie 
cultivated  iields." 

On  the  evening  of  July  20th,  tliey  entered  Kano,  and  went  to  tlu; 
house  of  his  former  agent,  Hat  Salah.  The  latter  was  in  low  spirits  on 
account  of  the  war  between  Iloussa  and  JJornou,  wliifh  had  shut  them 
out,  for  some  time,  from  all  convmunication  with  Fe/zan  or  Trij)o!i. 
CInpperton  only  remained  four  days  in  Kano,  and  then  left  for  the  camp 
of  Sultan  IjcUo,  Avith  the  presents  he  luid  brought,  leaving  Lander  be- 
hind him,  to  take  charge  of  those  intended  for  the  Shekh  of  JJornou. 
It  Avas  now  the  height  of  tlie  rainy  season;  severe  storms  occurred 
nearly  every  (hiy  ;  the  rivers  Avere  swollen  ;  the  marslu's  almost  impass- 
able, and  he  made  but  slow  progi'css.  On  the  way  to  llic  camp  he  met 
the  vizier,  Avhom  he  had  already  known  hi  Sackatoo,  and  who  received 
him  in  a  A'cry  friendly  maimer.  Soon  after  this  one  of  his  horses  Avas 
lost,  and  Avith  it  one  of  liis  journals,  so  that  there  is  a  hiatus  of  more 
than  two  months  in  his  narrative — an  omission  Avhich  does  not  appear 
to  liave  been  replaced  afterAvard. 

We  are,  therefore,  ignorant  of  the  causes  Avhich  delayed  ]\\m  on  liis 
Avny  to  ]5elIo\s  cam)),  Avliich  he  did  not  reach  until  the  15th  of  October. 
"  The  sultan's  reception  of  me,"  he  says,  "  Avas  most  kind  and  gratifying. 
lie  asked  after  the  health  of  tlie  King  of  England,  and  if  Ave  Avere  still 
at  peace,  and  how  I  had  found  all  my  friends.  He  was  surprised  Avhen 
I  said  I  had  not  seen  them,  and  that  I  had  remaiiUMl  only  lour  months 
in  England,  lie  said  he  had  not  received  either  of  my  h'tters,  the  one 
from  liornou,  or  that  which  had  been  sent  by  Avay  of  (Ihadames  from 
Tripoli.  He  asked  me  if  I  had  not  ex[)erienced  a  great  many  dilHculties 
in  getting  through  Yoriba ;  said  he  had  heard  of  me  when  I  Avas  at 
Katnnga,  and  had  sent  a  messenger  to  that  jilace  to  assist  me  in  get- 
ting through,  .as  Avell  as  another  to  Koolfu — but  neither  of  whom,  as  I 
told  him,  had  I  seen." 

Clapperton  accompanied  the  sultan  in  ;m  attack  upon  tlie  town  of 
Coonie,  in  which  the  Felatah  troops  Avere  repulsed,  .and  then  directed 
liis  course  toward  Sackatoo,  Avliere  he  arrived  on  tlic  20th  of  October, 
lie  Avas  immediately  visited  by  tlie  Arabs  of  the  place,  Avho  first  paid 
him  a  great  many  com])liments,  and  then  begged  for  presents,  lie  re- 
maii  ed  hi  Sackatoo  for  several  months,  during  Avhich  time  he  made  sca- 
eral  excursions  into  the  country  around,  mostly  at  the  command  of  the 
sult.'in,  Avho  frecpiently  had  communications  to  make  to  him.  He  Avas 
very  desirous  of  proceeding  to  Rornou,  but  as  the  two  countries  Averc  at 
war,  Bello  refused  his  ])ermission.  He  promised,  however,  to  send  him 
to  Europe,  through  the  country  of  the  Tuaricks,  to  Fezzan. 

Ou  the  22d  of  December,  he  v\as  8urprise<l  by  the  arrival  of  Richard 

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514      CLAPPERTON'S    SECOND    JOUKNEY    TO    SAOKATOO. 

Laiulei"  from  Kano,  with  tlie  remainder  of  tlio  Laggage,  inclutling  the 
l^resents  for  the  Shekli  of  Bornou.  Lander  had  been  brought  to  Saeka- 
too  by  the  order  of  the  sultan,  who  used  the  fact  of  the  war  with  Bornou 
as  a  jiretcxt  to  seize  uyton  tlie  presents  intended  for  the  sliekh.  Lander 
had  suftered  a  great  deal  of  fatigue  and  anxiety  on  account  of  the  knavery 
of  the  servant  Pascoc,  who  had  three  times  deserted,  after  breaking  open 
some  of  Captain  Clapperton's  trunks,  and  steaUng  the  contents.  On  the 
first  and  second  of  these  occasions,  Lander  liad  himself  followed  liim  fur 
several  days,  and  overtaken  him.  Clapperton  Avas  now  informed  by  the 
sultan  that  if  he  Avished  to  go  home,  he  must  go  by  way  of  Fezzan  or 
Timbuctoo,  but  should  not  be  allowed  to  visit  Boi-non.  He  also  de- 
manded the  letter  to  tlie  shekli  of  the  latter  country,  which  Clapperton 
refiLsed  to  give  up.  This  treachery  on  the  part  of  the  Sultan  Bello  ap- 
])ears  to  have  depressed  Clai)2)erton  profoundly,  and  when  the  former 
again  sent  to  him,  demanding  his  stores  of  ])owder  and  ammunition,  un- 
der the  pretext  that  they  Avero  intended  for  the  Sliekh  of  Bornou,  his 
customary  2)rudence  entirely  deserted  him.  He  reproached  the  vizier 
and  his  brother  with  the  baseness  and  falsehood  of  this  proceeding ;  harsh 
epithets  were  used  on  both  sides,  and  a  breach  was  made  between  the 
traveler  and  the  rulers  of  Iloussa,  Avhich  Avas  never  afterAvard  healed. 

Toward  the  ck)se  of  P\'bruary,  1827,  news  came  to  Sackatoo  of  the 
defeat  of  the  Shekli  of  Bornou,  and  his  retreat  to  Kouka,  Avith  the  Itjss 
of  all  his  baggage,  camels,  and  tAvo  hundred  and  nine  horses.  During 
the  winter.  Captain  Clapperton's  journal  i-ecords  little  except  some  excur- 
sions around  Sackatoo,  and  the  difficulty  he  had  in  procuring  the  skins 
and  skeletons  of  some  Avild  hogs,  lie  does  not  appear  to  have  made  any 
preparations  for  his  return  to  Europe.  His  journal  terminates  abruptly 
on  the  11th  of  3[areh,  after  Avhich  avo  must  have  recourse  to  the  narra- 
tive of  liichard  Lander,  for  the  particulars  of  his  last  illness  and  deatli. 

Lauder  relates  that  liis  master  Avas  taken  ill  on  the  12th  of  3Iarcli, 
Avith  dysentery.  As  it  Avas  tlie  fast  of  Ramadan,  none  of  the  servants 
Avould  render  the  least  assistance,  and  he  AA'as  obliged  to  AA'ash,  cook, 
Avatch  at  night,  and  flm  the  invalid.  The  Aveather  Avas  insufferably  hot, 
the  thermometer  being  107"  in  the  shade.  Lander  carried  lum  ui  his  arms 
every  day  to  a  sliady  place  on  the  outside  of  the  hut,  as  he  AA'as  too  Aveak 
even  to  raise  hhnself  on  his  couch.  Tiio  former  fancied  that  he  had  been 
poisoned  by  some  of  the  Arabs  or  Tuaricks,  in  drinking  camel's  milk  ; 
but  Clapperton  replied,  "  No,  my  dear  boy,  no  such  thirighas  been  done, 
I  assure  you.  Do  you  remember  that  Avhen  on  a  sliooting  excursion  in 
the  early  part  of  February,  after  Avalking  the  Avhole  of  the  day,  exposed 
to  the  scorching  rays  of  tlic  sun,  I  Avas  fatigued,  and  lay  doAvn  under  the 
branches  of  a  tree  for  some  time  ?  The  earth  Avas  soft  and  wet,  and  from 
that  hour  to  the  jn'csent,  I  luu-enot  been  free  from  cold  ;  this  has  brought 
on  my  ))resent  disorder,  from  whicli,  I  believe,  I  shall  never  re<'over.'' 

"  For  twenty  days,"  says  Lander,  "my  poor  master  remained  in  a 
low  and  distressed  state.     lie  told  inc  he  felt  no  pain ;  but  this  was 


ins    LAST    ILLNESS. 


515 


spoken  only  to  comfoit  mo,  for  lu;  s.-nv  I  \sas  dispiritod.  His  sufferings 
must  have  been  .'ic-tile.  Duriiijjj  this  tiine  lie  was  irradually,  but  percept- 
ibly, decliniiitj; ;  his  btxly,  from  beiiii^-  robust  and  vigorous,  became 
■weak  and  emaciated,  and  indeed  was  little  better  than  a  skeleton.  I 
was  the  only  person,  with  one  exception,  he  saw  in  his  sickness.  Ab- 
derachman,  an  Arab  fron'  '"':zzan,  came  to  him  one  day,  and  wished  to 
pray  with  him,  afler  the  manner  of  liis  countrymen,  but  was  desired  to 
leave  the  apartment  instantly.  I  read  to  him  daily  some  2)ortions  of  the 
Xew  Testament,  and  the  ninety-tifth  Psalm,  which  he  was  never  weary 
of  listening  to,  and  on  Sundays  added  the  church  service,  to  which  ho 
invariably  paid  the  profoundest  attention.  The  constant  agitation  of 
mind  and  exertions  of  body  I  had  myself  undergone  for  so  long  a  time, 
never  having  in  a  single  instance  slept  out  of  my  clothes,  weakened  me 
exceedingly,  and  a  fever  came  on  not  long  before  my  nuister's  death, 
Avhich  hung  upon  me  for  fitleen  days,  and  ultimately  brought  me  to  the 
very  verge  of  the  gi'ave. 

"On  the  1st  of  April,  he  became  considerably  worse,  and  though 
evidently  in  want  of  repose,  his  sleej)  became  more  and  more  disturbed. 
On  the  9th,  Maddie,  a  native  of  Bornou,  whom  master  had  retained  in 
his  service,  brought  him  about  twelve  oimces  of  green  bark  from  the 
butter-tree,  and  said  it  would  do  him  nuich  good.  Xotwithstanding  all 
my  remonstrances,  master  immediately  ordered  a  decoction  of  it  to  bo 
prepared,  observing,  'No  man  Avill  injure  nie.'  Accordingly  Maddie 
himself  boiled  tAvo  basins-full,  the  whole  of  which  he  drank  in  less  than 
an  hour.  Next  morning  he  was  much  altered  for  the  worse,  and  regret- 
ted his  not  liaving  followed  my  advice.  About  twelve  o'clock  of  the 
same  day,  he  said,  'Richard,  I  shall  shortly  be  no  more;  I  feel  myself 
dying.'  Almost  choked  with  grief,  I  replied,  '  (Tod  forbid,  my  dear 
master :  you  Avill  live  many  years  yet.'  '  Don't  be  so  much  affected,  my 
dear  boy,  I  entreat  you,'  said  he :  '  it  is  the  will  of  the  Almighty  ;  it  can 
not  be  helped.  Take  care  of  my  journal  and  papers  after  my  death ; 
and  when  you  arrive  in  London,  go  inunediately  to  my  agents,  send  for 
my  uncle,  who  will  accomjiany  you  to  the  Colonial  Office,  and  let  him 
see  you  deposit  them  safely  into  the  hands  of  the  secretary.  After  I  am 
buried,  ajiply  to  Bcllo,  and  borrow  money  to  purchase  camels  an<l  pro- 
visions for  your  journey  over  the  desert,  and  go  in  the  train  of  the  Arab 
merchants  to  Fezzan.  *  *  *  Remark  what  towns  or  villages  vou 
pass  through  ;  pay  attention  to  whatever  the  chiefs  may  say  to  you,  and 
put  it  on  paper.  The  little  money  I  liave,  and  all  my  clothes,  I  leave 
you:  sell  the  latter,  and  put  what  you  may  receive  for  them  into  your 
pocket ;  and  if,  on  your  joiu'ney,  you  should  be  obliged  to  expend  it, 
government  will  repay  you  on  your  return.'  I  said,  as  well  as  my  agita- 
tion would  permit  me,  'If  it  be  the  will  of  (Jod  to  take  you,  you  may 
rely  on  my  fliithful  performing,  as  far  as  I  am  able,  all  that  you  have 
desired ;  but  I  trust  the  Almighty  will  spare  you,  and  you  will  yet  live 
to  sec  yoin-  country.'     '  I  thought  I  should  at  one  time,  Richard,'  con- 


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516       CLAPrKRTON'S   SECOND    JOURNEY    TO    SACKATOO. 

tinned  he,  'but  all  is  noAv  over;  I  shall  not  be  long  for  this  AvorUl ;  but 
C4od's  will  bo  done.'  lie  then  look  my  hand  betwixt  his,  and  looking 
mo  full  in  the  faee,  -while  a  tear  stood  glistening  in  his  eye,  said,  in  a 
low  but  deeply  afteeting  tone,  'My  dear  Richard,  if  you  had  not  been 
with  me,  I  should  have  died  long  ago;  I  ean  oidy  thank  you,  with  my 
latest  breath,  for  your  kindness  and  attachment  to  me,  and  if  I  could 
have  lived  to  return  with  yo>i,  you  should  have  been  i)laced  beyond  the 
roach  of  want ;  but  God  will  reward  you.'  This  conversation  occupied 
nearly  two  hours,  in  tlut  course  of  which  my  master  fainted  several 
times,  and  was  distressed  beyond  measure.  The  same  evening  he  fell 
into  a  shunber,  from  Avhich  he  awoke  in  much  perturbation,  and  said  he 
had  heard  with  much  distinctness  the  tolling  of  an  English  funeral  bell : 
I  entreated  lum  to  be  coinjioscd,  and  observed  that  sick  people  fre- 
(piently  timcy  tiiey  hear  and  see  things  which  can  ])ossibly  have  no  ex- 
istence,    lie  made  no  reply. 

"  About  six  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  1 1th,  ou  asking  how  he 
did,  my  master  answered  ho  was  nmch  better,  aiul  requested  me  to 
shave  him.  On  the  morning  of  the  i;ith,  however,  being  awake,  T  was 
much  alarmed  by  a  ])eculiar  rattling  noise,  proceeding  from  my  master's 
throat,  and  his  breathing  was  loud  and  ditficult ;  at  the  same  instant  ho 
called  out  'Richard I'  in  a  low  and  hurried  tone.  I  was  inunediately 
at  his  side,  and  was  astonished  at  Lseeing  him  sitting  u))rigiit  in  his  bed, 
and  staring  wildly  around.  I  held  him  in  my  arms,  and  placing  his 
head  gently  on  my  loft  shoulder,  gazed  a  moment  on  his  ]>ale  and  altered 
features:  some  indistinct  oxjiressions  quivered  on  his  lips  ;  he  strove,  l)ut 
hieifectually,  to  give  them  utterance,  and  expired  whiiunt  a  struggle  or 
a  sigh.  When  I  found  my  jjoor  master  so  very  ill,  I  called  out  with  all 
my  strength,  '  O  God,  my  master  is  dying!'  which  brought  Pascoo  and 
Mudey  into  the  apartment.  Shortly  after  the  breath  had  left  his  body, 
I  desired  ]*:";scoo  to  fetch  some  water,  with  which  I  washed  the  cor])se. 
I  then  got  Pascoo  and  Mudey  to  assist  mo  in  taking  it  outside  of  the 
hut,  laid  it  ou  a  clean  mat,  and  wrapped  it  in  a  shoot  and  blanket. 
Leaving  it  in  this  state  two  hours,  I  put  a  largo  clean  mat  over  the 
whole,  and  sent  a  mossengor  to  Sultan  liello,  to  accpnunt  him  of  the 
mournful  event,  and  ask  his  permission  to  bury  the  body  after  the  man- 
ner of  my  own  country,  and  also  to  know  in  what  particular  ])lace  his 
rt'inains  wore  to  bo  interred.  The  nu^ssongor  soon  returned  Avith  the 
sultan's  consent  to  the  former  jjart  of  my  request ;  and  about  1 2  o'clock 
at  noon  of  the  same  day  a  person  came  into  my  hut,  accompanied  by 
four  slaves,  sent  by  Bello  to  dig  the  grave.  I  Avas  di.'sired  to  follow 
thom  Avith  the  corpse.  Accordingly  I  saddled  my  camel,  and  puttuig 
the  body  on  its  back,  and  throAving  a  union-jack  over  it,  I  bade  thom 
proceed.  Ti'aveling  at  a  slow  pace,  avc  halted  at  Jungavio,  a  small 
village,  built  on  a  risuig  ground,  about  Aax'  miles  to  the  south-east  of 
Sackatoo.  The  body  Avas  then  taken  from  the  camel's  back,  and  placed 
in  a  shed,  Avhile  the  slaves  wore  digging  the  grave  ;  Avhich  being  quickly 


HIS    BURIAL. 


617 


done,  it  was  conveyed  close  to  it.  I  tlion  opened  a  pvayer-hook,  and, 
amid  showers  of  tears,  read  the  I'lineral  service  over  the  remains  of  my 
valued  master.  Not  a  siiijjjle  iK^rson  listened  to  this  peeuliarly  distress- 
ing ceremony,  the  slaves  being  at  some  distance,  (piarrelitig  and  making 
a  most  indecent  noise  the  whole  of  the  time  it  lasted.  This  behig  done, 
the  miion-jack  was  taken  off,  and  the  body  was  slowly  lowered  into  the 
earth,  and  I  wept  bitterly  as  I  gazed  fur  the  last  time  upon  all  that 
remained  of  my  generous  and  intrepid  master.  The  pit  was  speedily 
filled,  and  I  returned  to  the  village  about  thirty  yards  to  the  east  of 
the  grave,  and  giving  the  most  respectable  inhabitants,  both  male  and 
female,  a  few  trifling  presents,  entreated  them  to  let  no  one  disturl)  its 
sacred  contents.  I  alSo  gave  them  two  thousand  cowries  to  build  a 
house,  four  feet  high,  over  the  spot,  which  they  promised  to  do.  I  then 
returned,  disconsolate  and  opj)ressed,  to  my  solitary  habitation,  and 
leaning  my  head  on  my  hand,  could  not  help  being  deei)ly  affected  with 
my  lonesome  and  dangerous  situation ;  a  hundred  and  fifteen  days' 
journey  from  the  sea-coast,  surrounded  by  a  selfish  and  cruel  race  of 
strangers,  my  only  friend  and  protector  moldering  in  his  grave,  and 
myself  suffering  dreadfully  from  fever.  I  felt,  indeed,  as  if  I  stood 
alone  in  the  world,  and  earnestly  wished  I  had  been  laid  by  the  side  of 
my  dear  master :  all  the  trying  evils  T  had  endured  never  aft'ccted  me 
half  so  much  as  the  bitter  reflections  of  that  distressing  period."* 

*  Captain  Tlugh  Clappcrton  was  born  in  Dumfriesshire,  Scotland,  in  the  year  1788,  and 
CQ-isoquontly  was  thirty-nine  3'ear3  old  at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  reeeivod  very  littlo 
education,  except  in  trigonometry  and  navigation,  and  was  .apprenticed  on  board  a  mer- 
chant vessel,  at  the  ago  of  thirteen.  Having  been  impressed  by  the  frigato  Renomni'e, 
at  Gibraltar,  in  180G,  he  was,  through  the  influence  of  an  uncle,  who  was  captain  of  tho 
marines,  ai)pointed  midshipman.  Ho  afterward  made  a  voyage  to  India  in  the  frigato 
Chrinch;  and  in  181-1  was  sent  to  Bermuda  and  Halifax,  and  then  to  Upper  Canada.  Ho 
was  distinguished  as  an  excellcui,  swordsman,  a  good  vocalist,  an  admirable  story-teller, 
a  frank,  whole-souled  companion,  and  a  fai'.hful  friend.  "  In  the  winter  of  1815,"  says 
his  biographer,  "he  was  placed  in  commanu  of  a  blockhouse  on  Lake  Ontario.  He  had 
only  one  b'nall  gun  for  its  defense ;  ho  was  attacked  by  an  American  schooner ;  tho 
blockhouse  was  soon  demolished  by  tlie  superiority  of  the  enemy's  fire,  and  ho  found  tliat 
himself  and  tho  party  must  either  become  prisoners  of  war,  or  form  the  resolution  of 
crossing  Lake  Ontario  on  the  ice,  a  journey  of  forty  miles,  to  York  (Toronto),  tlie  nearest 
British  depot.  Notwithstanding  tho  difficulty  and  danger  attending  a  journey  of  such 
length  over  the  ico  in  tho  depth  of  winter,  tho  alternative  was  soon  adopted  and  the 
party  set  out  to  cross  the  lake,  but  had  not  gone  more  than  ten  or  twelve  miles,  before  a 
boy,  one  of  the  party,  was  unable  to  proceed  from  tlie  cold.  The  sailors  all  declared  that 
they  were  unable  to  carry  him,  as  they  were  so  benumbed  with  the  cold,  and  had  scarcely 
strength  sufficient  to  support  themselves.  Clapperton's  generous  nature  could  not  bear 
the  idea  of  a  fellow-creature  being  left  to  perish  under  such  appalling  circumstances,  for 
a  dreadful  snow-storm  had  commenced.  He  therefore  took  the  boy  upon  his  back,  hold- 
ing him  with  his  left  hand,  and  supporting  himself  from  slipping  with  a  staff  in  his  right 
In  this  manner  he  continued  to  go  forward  for  eight  or  nine  miles,  when  he  perceived  that 
the  boy  relaxed  his  hold,  and  on  examining  tho  cause,  found  tiiat  he  was  in  a  dying  state 
from  tho  cold,  and  soon  after  expired.  The  sufferings  of  the  whole  party  were  great  be- 
fore they  reached  York;  the  stockings  and  shoes  completely  worn  off  their  feet,  and 


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518      CLAPPERTON'S    SECOND    JOURNEY    TO    SACKATOO. 


RETURN    JOURNEY    OF    RICHARD    LANDER. 

After  the  death  of  his  master,  Ricliard  Lander  was  very  ill  for  many 
days.  The  Arabs  in  the  city  visited  liim  daily,  and  iJrcteiided  to  con- 
dole with  and  comfort  him.  The  weather  was  so  warm  that  lie  was 
obliged  to  keep  a  tub  of  water  at  his  side,  into  which  he  frequently 
plunged  his  liands  and  arms.  After  he  had  given  up  all  hope  of  recov- 
ery,  his  health  suddenly  improved  on  the  2Gth  of  April,  and  the  next 
day  he  was  able  to  sit  up.  The  vizier  came  and  searched  the  boxes, 
which  he  had  been  informed  were  filled  with  gold  and  silver ;  but  to  his 
surprise,  found  that  Lander  had  not  money  enough  to  take  him  back  to 
the  sea-coast.  The  latter  concealed  about  his  person  the  watches  of 
Clapperton  and  Pearce.  The  sultan  tlien  demanded  the  arms  and  am- 
munition, promising  to  pay  for  tliem.  Lander  charged  him  two  hun- 
dred and  forty-five  thousand  cowries  (about  seventy-five  dollars)  and 
received  an  order  on  Hat  Salah,  of  Kano. 

By  making  some  presents  to  an  old  Arab  named  Ben  Gumso,  who 
had  considerable  influence  over  Sultan  Bello,  Lander  finally  succeeded 
in  obtaining  permission  to  depart  from  Sackatoo.  The  sultan  insisted 
that  he  should  go  from  Kano  through  the  country  of  the  Tuaricks  to 
Fezzan,  while  Lander  had  made  up  his  mind  to  return  by  way  of  Boussa, 
over  the  road  he  had  already  traveled.  Bello  also  declared  his  uitention 
to  keep  Pascoe,  for  the  purpose  of  cleaning  his  guns,  but  was  persuaded 
to  let  him  go  as  far  as  Kano,  as  interpreter.  "  Finding,"  says  Lander, 
"  that  the  sultan  had  nothing  more  to  say,  I  bowed  profoundly  and  re- 
tired.   I  never  saw  him  again." 

The  brave-hearted  young  man  left  Sackatoo  on  the  4th  of  May,  but 
on  the  very  next  day  narrowly  escaped  perishing  of  thirst.  Sitting  un- 
der a  tree  nearly  sufibcated,  he  implored  the  himdreds  of  Felatahs  and 
Tuaricks  who  were  passing,  to  sell  him  a  drop  of  water,  but  they  merely 

their  bodies  in  a  dreadful  state  from  tlie  want  of  nourishment,  having  had  nothing  during 
tlie  journey  but  one  bag  of  meal.  From  the  long  inaction  of  Clapperton's  left  hand,  in 
carrying  the  boy  upon  his  back,  ho  lost,  from  the  effects  of  the  frost,  the  first  joint  of  his 
thumb." 

Clapperton  remained  upon  the  lakes  until  1817,  when  ho  returned  to  England,  on  tho 
breaking  up  of  tho  lake  fleet,  and  was  put  upon  half-pay.  Ho  then  resided  witli  his  rel- 
atives in  Scotland  until  1820,  when,  happening  to  meet  Dr.  Oudney  at  Edinburg,  ho 
made  application  to  join  the  mission  to  Central  Africa,  and  his  offer  was  accepted.  The 
remainder  of  his  history  is  contained  in  this,  and  the  foregoing  narrative. 

Captain  Clapperton  was  about  five  feet  eleven  inches  high ;  he  had  gioiit  breadth  of 
chest  and  expansion  of  shoulders,  and  was  otherwise  proportionately  strong ;  he  was  a 
handsome,  athletic,  powerful  man,  yet  with  an  expression  of  genial  kindness  and  human- 
ity on  his  features.  Ono  of  liis  medical  friends  placed  so  much  reliance  on  the  native 
vigor  of  his  constitution,  that  ho  supposed  he  could  not  bo  overcome  by  disease,  and  until 
the  return  of  Lauder,  would  not  believe  that  ids  death  (the  news  of  which  had  pre- 
viously reached  England),  had  happened  in  any  other  way,  except  through  accident  or 
violence. 


* '  rl?11 


ro- 


n  tho 
rol- 
,  ho 
The 


LANDER'S    JOURNEY    SOUTHWARD. 


519 


exclairaod:  "He  is  a  kaffir  (infidel);  let  him  die."  Finally,  a  young 
man,  in  spite  of  the  remonstrances  of  the  other  natives,  gave  him  a  cala- 
bash full,  which  revived  himself  and  his  horse,  and  enabled  them  to  go 
on.  Reaching  Kano  on  the  25th,  he  called  upon  Hat  Salah,  who  instead 
of  the  sultan's  cowries,  gave  hun  a  female  slave,  with  some  red  caps  and 
beads.  After  four  days'  stay,  he  left,  for  Funda,  taking  with  him  Pas- 
coe,  who  was  no  less  desirous  than  himself  to  escape  from  the  territory 
of  Houssa.  His  course  was  to  the  southward  and  eastward  of  that  whicsh 
Clapperton  had  pursued  in  going  from  Badagry  to  Kano,  and  had  never 
before  been  traveled  by  a  European. 

On  the  18tL  of  June  he  arrived  at  the  town  of  Dunrora  (Darroro  of 
Barth),  in  the  kingdom  of  Yacoba.  "  Our  route,  some  parts  of  this 
day,"  says  he,  "  lay  over  steep  and  craggy  precipices,  of  a  most  awful 
height.  On  the  summit  of  one  of  these  places  the  path  was  barely  wide 
enough  for  a  single  beast  to  pass.  The  horse  that  carried  the  portman- 
teaus, in  which  were  the  journal,  papers,  watches,  etc.,  struck  himself 
against  a  piece  of  rock  and  was  precipitated  a  distance  of  eighty  yards, 
the  ropes  which  were  bound  around  the  portmanteaus  arresting  his  fur- 
ther progress.  This  accident  occasioned  us  two  hours'  delay,  but  the 
horse  was  not  materially  hurt.  We  had  been  traveling  about  half  an 
hour  after  leaving  this  spot,  when  we  came  to  a  place  from  which  there 
was  an  extensive  and  bea\itiful  jjrospect  of  the  surrounding  country,  and 
eight  days' journey  might  be  plainly  seen  before  us.  About  half  a  day's 
journey  to  the  east  stood  a  lofty  hill,  at  the  foot  of  which  lay  the  largo 
city  of  Yacoba.  Mohammed  affirmed  that  there  is  a  river  called  Shar, 
or  Shary,  about  half  a  mile  from  that  place,  which  derives  its  source  from 
Lake  Tchad  ;  and  that  canoes  can  go  from  the  lake  to  the  Niger  at  any 
season  of  the  year.* 

As  he  was  about  leaving  Dunrora  the  next  day,  on  his  way  south- 
ward, messengers  suddenly  arrived  from  the  King  of  Zegzeg  (a  small 
country  through  which  he  had  already  i)assed),  commanding  him  to  re- 
turn. In  spite  of  all  remonstrance,  he  was  obliged  to  comply.  "  Thus," 
he  remarks,  with  a  naive  and  touching  sincerity,  "  after  seventeen  days' 
perilous  traveling  from  Kano,  with  a  fair  prospect  of  reaching  Funda  hi 
twelve  or  thirteen  more,  from  whence  four  days'  sail  would  bring  me  to 
the  salt  water — a  new  country  opening  before  me,  and  filled  with  the 
most  lively  anticipations  of  solving  the  geographical  problem  which  had 
for  so  long  a  time  puzzled  Europeans,  of  ascertaining  whether  tho  Niger 
actually  joins  the  sea  in  that  direction — was  I  obliged  to  abandon  my 
fondest  and  long-cherished  hopes,  and  return  to  Zegzeg  ;  from  thence  to 
be  transported  the  Lord  knows  whither.     I  felt  depressed  and  unhappy 

*  At  Dunrora,  Lander  was  but  two  or  three  days'  journey  from  the  Cliadda,  or  Binuu, 
and  narrowly  escaped  tlio  geographical  discovery  made  by  Dr.  Barth  in  1851.  The 
Chadda,  however,  rises  in  tho  mountains  of  Adamowa,  and  has  no  connection  with  tho 
Shary,  which  flowa  into  Lako  Tchad  from  the  south-oast.  The  two  rivers  approach  each 
other  at  one  point,  and  are  often  confounded  by  the  natives. — B.  T. 


iiit 


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,  I  '  .  I 


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■II  ■ 


I 


.•  .1. 


520      CLAPPERTON'S    SECOND    JOURNEY    TO    SACKATOO. 

at  this  sudden  turn  in  my  affairs,  and  cared  not  much  whether  I  lived  or 
died." 

The  rainy  season  had  now  commenced  and  he  was  detained  so  long 
by  the  rising  of  the  rivers  that  he  did  not  reach  Zegzeg  until  the  22d 
of  July.  He  had  reason  to  believe  that  the  king  had  sent  for  him  merely 
to  gratify  his  curiosity,  as  he  had  never  seen  a  white  man.  He  was  de- 
tained but  two  days,  and  received  a  present  of  a  bullock  and  a  female 
slave  at  parting.  He  now  judged  it  prudent  to  take  the  direct  route  to 
lioussa,  as  there  was  less  risk  of  being  arrested  on  the  Avay.  He  reached 
the  Niger  in  safety,  and  on  the  24th  of  August  arrived  at  Wawa,  just 
one  month  after  leaving  Zegzeg.  The  natives  had  been  very  kind  to 
him  on  the  road,  and  he  experienced  no  serious  difficulty  anywhere. 
In  the  villages  people  frequently  applied  to  him  to  write  charms,  and  as 
his  means  were  greatly  reduced,  he  gave  them  fragments  of  old  English 
ballads,  which  they  took  with  a  devout  belief  in  their  efficacy. 

The  old  Governor  of  Wawa  received  him  with  great  kindness  and 
cordiality,  and  kept  him  luitil  the  4th  of  September,  detaining  some 
mei'chants  who  were  bound  iur  Kiama,  in  order  that  they  might  accom- 
pany him.  The  road  was  at  this  time  infested  with  robbers,  but  Lander 
reached  there  safely  on  the  9th,  and  remained  five  days.  The  generous 
old  king  supplied  him  with  provisions  in  abundance.  On  the  25th  he 
reached  Katunga,  the  cai)ital  of  Yoriba.  The  king  would  not  allow  him 
to  wait  on  him,  lest  he  should  wet  his  feet,  but  came  himself  to  \isit 
Lander,  accompanied  by  five  hundred  of  his  wives.  Lander  remained 
at  Katunga  luitil  the  21st  of  October,  when  he  left  for  Badagry,  the 
king  giving  him  a  present  of  4000  cowries  (a  little  more  than  a  dollar) 
at  jtarting.  He  arrived  at  Badagry  without  accident,  on  the  21st  of 
November,  having  been  one  month  on  the  road. 

While  at  this  place  ho  had  a  disagreeable  adventure,  which  ho  thus 
relates  :  "  Three  of  the  Portuguese  slave-merchants  residing  at  Badagry, 
went  to  the  king  one  day,  and  told  him  and  his  principal  men  that  1  was 
a  spy  sent  l)y  the  English  government,  and  if  suffered  to  leave,  would 
soon  retiu'n  with  an  army  and  conquer  their  country.  This  the  credu- 
lous people  believed,  and  I  was  treated  with  coldness  and  distrust  by 
the  king  and  his  subjects,  who  seldom  came  to  see  me.  All  the  chief 
men  at  K'ligth  assembled  at  the  fetish  hut,  and  having  come  to  a  resolu- 
tion that  I  was  to  drink  a  i'otish,  sent  for  me  to  appear  before  them.  On 
entering,  one  of  the  men,  presenting  me  with  a  bowl  in  which  was  about 
a  ((uart  of  a  liquid  resembling  water,  commanded  me  to  drink  it,  saying: 
'  If  you  come  to  do  bad,  it  will  kill  you  ;  but  if  not,  it  can  not  hurt  you.' 
There  being  no  resource,  I  inmiediately  and  without  hesitati<»n  swallowed 
the  contents  of  the  bowl,  and  walked  hastily  out  of  the  Imt,  through 
the  armed  men,  to  my  own  lodgings,  took  powerful  mediciiu'  and  plenty 
of  warm  water,  which  instantly  ejected  tlie  whole  from  my  stomach,  and 
I  felt  no  ill  effects  from  the  fetish.  When  thekitigand  chief  men  found, 
after  five  days,  that  the  fetish  had  not  hurt  rae,  they  became  extremely 


LANDER'S    RETURN. 


521 


kind,  and  sent  me  presents  of  provisions,  etc.,  daily,  and  frequently  said 
I  was  protected  by  God,  and  that  it  was  out  of  the  power  of  man  to  do 
me  an  injury. 

"Captain  Morris,  of  the  brig  J/c/mi',  of  London,  liearhig  of  my  being 
at  Badagry,  kindly  came  from  Wliydali  to  fetch  me,  and  on  the  20th 
of  January,  1828,  I  went  on  board,  atid  arrived  at  Cape  Coast  on  the 
31st.  Here  I  gave  my  faithful  slaves  tiieir  freedom,  who  testitied  their 
sorrow  on  my  departure  by  heaping  sand  on  their  heads,  and  other 
marks  of  grief  peculiar  to  the  African  race. 

"  Sailed  from  Cape  Coast  m  the  Esk,  sloop-of-war,  February  3d,  and 
arrived  in  England  on  the  30th  of  April  following." 


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EXPLORATIONS  OF  THE  NIGER. 


DISCOVERIES  OF  RICHARD  AND  JOHN  LANDER. 


>4. 


^jrashna/ 


1  Aftku  returning  to  En- 
gland, llichard  Lander  made 
a  proposition  to  the  Englisli 
government  to  midertake  an 
exploration  of  the  eourso  of 
the  Niger,  from  Uoiissa  to  the 
sea,  and  on  the  31st  of  De- 
cember, 1 829,  received  a  letter 
accepting  his  offer,  with  in- 
structions as  to  the  course  lie 
should  pursue.  He  was  fur- 
nished with  all  the  articles 
necessary  for  the  journey,  and 
a  sum  not  exceeding  iivo  him- 
dred  dollars,  the  government 
agreeing  to  pay  one  hundred 
pounds  to  his  wife  for  the  first 
year  after  his  absence.  His 
brother  John,  who  also  volun- 
teered for  the  service,  was 
permitted  to  accompany  him, 
but  the  government  refused  to 
allow  him  any  compensation. 
The  brothers  embarked  at 
Portsmouth  on  the  0th  of 
January,  I8;i(),  and  reached 
Cape  ('oast  on  the  22<l  of  February.  Here  they  cngageil  old  I'ascoe 
and  liis  wife,  and  two  IJornou  men  who  were  familiar  with  the  English, 
and  could  speak  the  language  of  Houssa.  They  M'ere  detained  s<mio 
time,  waiting  for  a  vessel,  and  did  not  reach  iiadagry  until  the  'Jlst  of 
March.    The  kuig  received  them  rather  coldly,  and  so  lUr  from  being 


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524 


EXPLORATIONS    OF    THE    NIGER. 


grateful  for  the  handsome  presents  tlioy  had  brought  liun,  continually  de^ 
nianded  more.  A  portion  of  the  hihabitants  aitpcarcd  to  be  hostile  to 
their  undertaking,  and  tried  to  jjersuadc  the  king  to  demand  of  them 
a  larger  sum  than  they  could  attbrd  to  pay,  in  order  to  prevent  them 
from  going.  Endless  difficulties  were  thrown  in  their  way  ;  half  of  their 
supply  of  goods  and  money  for  the  interior  was  begged  or  extorted  from 
them  ;  every  effort  at  conciliation  was  met  with  insolence  and  comi)laiut  •, 
yet  the  travelers  persisted  hi  their  demands  for  boats  and  horses,  witb 
the  utmost  patience  and  perseverance.  Finally,  on  the  31st,  after  te  i 
days  of  infinite  vexation,  they  succeeded,  and  about  ten  o'clock  at  nigat 
commenced  their  voyage  up  the  Badagry  Kiver. 

On  the  Oth  of  April  they  arrived  at  Jannah,  Adhere  they  were  re- 
ceived with  much  ceremony  by  the  governor,  who  treated  them  Avith 
kindness  and  courtesy.  Here  they  Avere  compelled  to  remain  eight  days, 
to  Avait  for  one  of  their  horses  Avhich  had  not  yet  arrived  from  Badagry. 
They  again  set  out  for  the  cajatal  of  Yoriba  on  the  14th.  Richard 
Lander  says  :  "  Several  strangers  accompany  us  from  town  to  ti>wn,  in 
order  to  evade  the  duty  Avhich  is  exacted  at  the  turupike-gates,  by  stat- 
ing themselves  to  be  of  the  number  of  our  attendants.  Women  have 
also  placed  themselves  under  the  protecti(jn  of  our  men  from  Cape 
Coast  Castle,  that  they  may  enjoy  the  like  advantage  ;  in  return  for  this 
favor  they  do  us  many  httle  kind  offices,  and  are  usefid  in  making  fires, 
preparing  food,  etc.,  for  our  people."  A  Aveek  afterward  John  Lander 
had  a  severe  attack  of  fever  ;  liis  state  Avas  very  critical  for  two  or  three 
days,  but  mider  the  care  of  his  brother,  he  recovered  sufficiently  to  pro- 
ceed. 

Their  jotirney  through  tlie  kingdom  of  Yoriba,  by  nearly  the  same 
road  as  Captain  Clapperton  had  traveled  four  years  previous,  Avas  ex- 
ceedingly interesting,  and  John  l^ander  relates  many  curious  auecdotcs 
of  their  intercourse  Avith  the  inhabitants.  They  encountered  no  serious 
difficulty,  and  on  the  i:Jth  of  May  approached  the  city  of  Katunga,  to 
Avhich  lU'ws  of  their  coming  had  ah'cady  been  Ibrwanled.  Richard  gives 
the  following  account  of  their  arriAal:  "  Hundreds  of  people,  aiul  per- 
haps if  I  Avero  to  say  thousands  the  number  would  not  be  overrated, 
preceded  and  IblloAved  us  on  the  pathway  ;  an<l  as  they  Avound  through 
thick  forests,  ahmg  narnnv  roads,  their  blue  and  Avhite  clothing,  con- 
trasted Avith  the  deep  green  of  the  ancient  trees,  produced  an  eminently 
pleasing  etVect.  After  a  hasty  ride  of  tAvo  hours  avc  came  in  sight  of  tlu 
town  of  Eetcholee,  outside  of  Avhichare  munerous  trees,  and  luidernexth 
their  Avidely-spreading  brandies  Ave  observed  various  groups  of  people 
seated  on  the  turf,  taking  refreshment.  We  joined  them,  partook  of  a 
little  corn  and  water,  Avhich  is  our  usual  traAeling  fare,  and  then  re- 
ncAved  our  journey.  I  sounded  my  bugle,  at  which  the  nati\'es  Avere  as- 
tonished and  pleased  ;  but  a  black  trumpeter,  jealous  of  the  performance, 
challenged  a  contest  for  the  superiority  of  the  respective  instruments, 
■which  termuiated  ui  the  entire  defeat  of  the  African,  who  Avas  hooted 


n 


ILLNESS  — THE    WIDOW   ZUMA. 


and  laughed  at  by  his  companions  for  his  presumption,  and  gave  up  the 
trial  in  despair.  Thus  escorted  we  traveled  onward ;  and  ai'tor  a 
hasty  ride  of  fsix  hours  from  Eetcho  beheld  from  a  little  eniinence  those 
black,  naked  hills  of  granite  at  whose  base  lies  the  metropolis  of  Voriba. 
About  an  hour  atlerward  we  entered  the  gates  of  that  extensive  city. 
As  is  the  custom,  we  staid  under  a  tree  just  inside  the  Avails,  till  the 
king  and  his  eunuchs  were  informed  of  our  arrival,  which  having  been 
done,  after  a  wearisome  delay,  we  rode  to  the  residence  of  Ebo,  the 
chief  eunuch,  who,  next  to  the  king,  is  the  most  inHuential  muu  in  the 
place."' 

The  king  received  them  kindly,  but  l)y  the  advice  of  the  eunuch, 
they  said  nothing  to  him  of  the  real  olycct  of  their  journey,  pretendhig 
that  they  were  on  their  way  to  Yaouri,  for  the  })urpose  of  procuring 
Park's  pn])ers.  Contrary  to  their  exj)ectations,  he  did  not  detani  them 
more  than  a  week,  at  the  end  of  which  tune  they  conthnu'd  their  jour- 
ney toward  Kiama.  As  they  apju-oacbed  the  IJorghoo  country,  the 
coiuitry  became  more  populous  and  cultivated,  and  the  jieople,  nuuiy  of 
whom  were  I'Ylatahs,  treated  them  hospitably.  They  reached  Kiama  on 
the  28th  of  May,  and  went  directly  to  the  house  of  the  king,  who  had 
sent  an  armed  escort  to  meet  them,  and  ajipeared  well-pleased  to  see 
them.  During  their  stay  at  this  jilace,  there  were  several  public  festi- 
vals, attend(>d  with  music,  dancing,  and  horse-races.  The  khig  would 
not  permit  the  ni  to  visit  \Va\va,  but  refjuired  that  they  should  go  direct 
to  1-Joussa. 

John  I.aiidcr  was  taken  ill  immediatelv  after  leavinij  Kiama,  and 
coiitiMiicd  to  grow  worse  from  day  to  day.  During  the  intervals  of  his 
delirium,  he  gave  directions  with  regard  to  his  iiunily,  supposing  that  he 
could  not  live.  Kicliard  watched  him  with  great  distress  an<l  anxiety; 
hut  on  the  night  of  June  lOtli,  his  disorder  took  a  favorable  turn,  and 
he  grailiially  ri'covere(l.  While  liichard  was  occupied  in  nursing  him, 
an  old  woman  applied  to  him  for  mediciiu!  that  would  pnxluce  her  an 
entire  new  set  of  teeth  ;  or,  said  she, ''if  lean  only  be  supplied  with 
two  larg<'  and  strong  ones,  1  shall  be  satisfied  with  them."  TIu'  woman 
was  becoming  rattier  impertinent,  when  Landi'r  reconnnendeil  her  to 
|)ro''ure  two  ii'on  ones  from  a  blacksmith,  which  so  much  displeased  her 
that  she  went  away  in  a  j)et. 

They  reached  I'loussa  on  the  17th,  and  were  heartily  welconicfl  by 
the  kiu'j,-  and  his  wife,  ,vho  stated  that  they  had  both  been  weepinii'  all 
the  morning,  on  accoimt  of  the  death  of  Clappertoii,  thougli  their  ikces 
showed  no  evidene(>  of  it.  The  next  day  Lander  writes :  "Tlu'  noted 
widow  Zurna  visited  us  to-dav  without  thi'  sliifhtcst  i)retensi()ns  to  fmerv 
of  any  kind,  either  in  her  dress  or  ornanu'Uts,  for  she  was  clad  in  very 
humhle  ajiparel  of  country  cli;th.  She  relatetl  to  us,  with  gnat  go(»d- 
humor,  her  (piarrels  with  h(>r  prince,  tlie  ruler  of  Wawa,  and  her  eori- 
sciiueiit  llight  from  that  city  to  escape  his  resi'nlment.  It  appi'ars,  that 
in  order  to  ell'ect  \\n<,  she  wivi  actually  oblitjed  to  climb  over  the  citv 


VI' 


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526 


EXPLORATIONS   OF   THE   NIGER. 


wall  in  the  night,  and  travel  on  foot  to  Boussa,  which  is  a  very  long 
journey,  and  to  a  woman  of  her  size  must  have  been  an  arduous  task. 
She  alleged  that  she  had  done  nothing  whatever  to  merit  the  displeas- 
ure of  the  Wawa  chief,  notwithstanding  which  he  had  robbed  her  of 
all  lier  household  furniture  and  a  number  of  her  slaves. 

"  We  imagined,"  conthiues  Lander,  "  that  it  would  have  been  bad 
poliov  to  have  stated  the  true  reason  of  our  visiting  this  country,  know- 
ing the  jealousy  of  most  of  the  people  with  regard  to  the  Niger ;  and 
therefore,  in  answer  to  the  king's  inquiries,  were  obliged  to  deceive  him 
with  the  assertion  that  our  object  was  to  go  to  Bornou  by  way  of 
Yaouri,  requesting  at  the  same  time  a  safe  conveyance  through  his  ter- 
ritoiies.  This  answer  satisfied  the  king,  and  he  promised  us  every  as- 
sistance in  his  power.  Our  visitors  remained  with  us  a  considerable 
time,  and  in  the  course  of  conversation,  one  of  them  observed  that  they 
liad  in  their  possession  a  tobe  which  belonged  to  a  white  man  who  came 
from  the  north  many  years  ago,  and  from  ^\•hom  it  had  been  purchased 
by  the  king's  father.  VTo  expressed  great  curiosity  to  see  this  tobe, 
and  it  Avas  sent  us  as  a  present  a  short  time  after  their  departure.  Con- 
trary to  our  expectations,  we  foimd  it  to  be  made  of  rich  crimson 
damask,  and  very  heavy  from  the  immense  quantity  of  gold  embroidery 
with  which  it  was  covered.  As  the  time  when  the  late  king  is  said  to 
have  purchased  this  tobe  corresponds  very  nearly  to  the  supposed  period 
of  Mr.  Park's  death,  and  as  we  never  heard  of  any  other  Avhite  man  hav- 
ing come  from  the  north  so  fir  south  as  Boussa,  we  are  inclined  to  be- 
lieve it  to  be  part  of  the  spoil  obtained  from  the  canoe  of  that  ill-fated 
tra\eler." 

The  next  day  a  man  brought  them  a  book  which  had  been  picked 
up  in  the  river  alter  Park's  death.  It  jjroved  to  be  an  old  volume  of 
navigation,  of  no  value,  but  between  the  leaves  Avere  some  loose  papers, 
one  of  which  was  an  invitation  to  dimier,  addressed  to  I'ark.  In  a  day 
(»r  two  afterward  messengers  arrived  to  conduct  them  to  the  Sultan  of 
Vaouri,  from  whom  they  hoped  to  obtain  more  satisfactory  relics  of 
Park's  expedition.  They  embarked  in  a  canoe,  and  proceeded  up  the 
Niger;  the  river,  which  is  split  into  three  channels  and  obstructed  Avith 
rapids,  near  Boussa,  gradually  Avidened  to  the  extent  of  two  miles,  and 
coiititmed  so,  as  iiir  as  the  eye  could  reach.  In  most  ])laces  it  Avas  ex- 
tremely shallow,  l)ut  in  others  deep  enough  to  float  a  frigate.  "The 
banks  were  literally  covered  Avith  hamlets  and  villages;  line  trees,  bend- 
ing under  tlie  Aveight  of  tlu'ir  dark  and  impenetrable  foliage,  e\'cry where 
relieveil  the  eye  from  the  glare  of  the  sun's  rays,  and,  contrasted  Avilh 
the  lively  verdure  of  the  little  hills  and  plains,  produced  the  most  pleas- 
ing effect." 

Afler  a  voyage  of  four  tlays,  they  landed  at  a  village  on  the  eastern 
))ank,  eight  miles  from  the  city  of  Vaouri,  Avhich  lies  inland,  on  the  top 
of  a  sleep  hill.  The  path  up  the  hill  was  bo  narrow  that  two  men  could 
haidly  i)ass,  and  terminated  in  an  arched  Avay  through  the  Avail  of  the 


DETENTION   AT   YAOURI. 


527 


city,  closed  by  a  gate  covered  with  plates  of  iron.  Three  days  after 
their  arrival,  the  travelers  were  conducted  to  the  sultan.  Says  Richard 
Lander,  "  He  is  a  big-headed,  corpulent,  and  jolly-looking  man,  well 
stricken  in  years  ;  and  though  there  is  something  harsh  and  forbidding 
in  his  countenance,  yet  he  was  generally  smiling  during  the  conference. 
The  conversation  commenced  in  the  usual  complimentary  way ;  and  then 
our  object  in  visiting  Yaouri  was  briefly  and  indirectly  hinted  at.  When 
we  asked  him  whether  he  did  not  send  a  letter  to  the  late  Captain  Clap- 
perton,  while  that  officer  was  at  Koolfu,  in  which  he  had  affirmed  that 
he  had  certain  books  and  papers  in  his  possession  which  belonged  to  Mr. 
Park,  he  appeared  very  much  confused.  After  thinkhig  and  hesitating 
a  good  while,  he  answered  with  an  affected  laugh,  '  How  do  you  think 
that  I  could  hf^"^'-  tl  oks  of  a  person  that  '  'obt.  at  Boussa?' and 
this  was  all  he  ^^.-  on  i      iubject." 

After  remaining  at  Yaouri  seven  days,  vainly  endeavoring  to  procure 
further  information  concerning  Park,  the  patience  of  the  travelers  was 
exhausted,  and  they  sent  Pascoe  with  a  message  to  the  sultan,  that  they 
earnestly  wished  to  receive  a  final  and  decisive  ansAver  with  regard  to 
the  restoration  of  Mr.  Park's  papers,  which  they  declared  to  have  been 
the  sole  object  of  their  visiting  him,  and  that  it  was  their  desire  to  quit 
Yaouri  immediately.  "  This  bold  and  to  us  unusual  language  seemed 
to  have  surprised  and  startled  the  sultan,"  says  Richard  Lander,  "  and 
lie  instantly  dispatched  the  old  Arab  to  inform  us,  '  that  he  declared  to 
God,  in  the  most  solemn  manner,  that  he  had  never  had  in  his  possession, 
nor  seen,  any  books  or  pa])ers  of  the  white  travelers  that  i)erished  at 
Houssa.'  The  Arab  likewise;  assured  us  that  wc  were  at  liberty  to  pro- 
cee<l  on  our  joui-ney  whenever  wc  should  tlunk  proper."  They  were 
thus  obliged  to  give  up  all  hopes  of  recovering  Park's  journals,  but  suc- 
ceeded in  obtahiing  one  of  his  muskets  from  a  native  of  Yaouri.  There 
can  be  no  doubt  that  Park  reached  Boussa,  and  met  his  death  in  the 
manner  stated. 

The  sultan  afterward  requested  the  travelers  to  remain  a  few  days 
longer,  until  he  could  write  to  the  King  of  England  an  explanation  of 
his  conduct  toward  Mungo  Park,  and  an  accoiuit  of  the  death  of  the  lat- 
ter. Meanwhile,  there  were  indications  of  a  war  between  NyrtV-  and 
Yaouri,  which  would  make  their  journey  to  Funda,  on  the  Niger,  haz- 
ardous by  land.  They  therefore  sent  a  messenger  to  the  King  of  Boussa. 
stating  that  they  would  be  obliged  to  return  to  the  salt  water  to  obtain 
more  money  atul  presents  before  proceeding  to  Bornou — (they  had  pre- 
viously stated  that  they  were  on  their  way  to  Bornou,  on  account  of  the 
great  jealousy  of  the  natives  conceniing  any  exploration  of  the  Niger) — 
and  would  bo  glad  if  he  would  furnish  them  with  a  canoe  to  Funda,  as 
the  King  of  Badagry  had  treated  them  so  ill  that  they  were  afraid  to 
return  thither.  On  the  1 8th  of  July,  the  messenger  returned,  and  to 
their  great  joy  stated  that  the  King  of  Boussa  would  fumili  them  with 
a  canoe  to  Funda,  provided  the  road  by  land  was  not  safe,  but  advised 


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528 


EXPLORATIONS    OF    THE    NIGER. 


them  to  obtain  also  the  permission  of  tlie  Kingof  Wawa,  and  other  petty 
sovereigns  whose  territories  extended  to  tlie  river.  They  were  now 
ready  to  leave,  but  the  sultan  detained  them  irom  day  to  day,  on  the 
most  frivolous  and  contradictory  pretexts,  until  iinally,  on  the  26th,  a 
messenger  arrived  from  the  Khig  of  Boussa,  to  request  their  immcdiute 
release.  On  the  1st  of  August,  they  received  permission  to  depart,  and 
innnediately  left,  after  a  residence  of  five  weeks  in  Yaouri,  which  Kich- 
ard  Lander  describes  as  the  largest  city  in  Central  Africa,  its  walls  being 
moio  than  twenty  miles  in  circuit. 

Soon  after  their  return  to  IJoussa,  the  king  declared  that  he  should 
go  down  and  ask  the  Dark  Water  (as  the  Niger  is  termed  by  the  na- 
ti  .es),  whether  it  Avould  be  favorable  to  their  undertaking.  They  Avaited 
in  some  anxiety  for  the  result,  and  were  not  a  little  relieved  when  he 
came  to  them  next  morning  with  a  cheerfid  countenance,  and  stated 
that  the  answer  Avas  good,  the  river  having  promised  to  conduct  them 
in  safety  down  its  current.  They  then  set  out  for  Wawa,  to  procure  the 
])ermission  of  the  king  of  that  country,  whose  territory  borders  on  the 
Niger  below  Boussa.  lie  received  them  with  the  greatest  kindness,  at 
once  acceded  to  their  request,  and  sent  a  messenger  to  Comic,  or  the 
king's  ferry,  to  engage  a  canoe  for  them.  Richard  Lander  was  taken 
very  ill,  and  obliged  to  return  to  Boussa,  Avhore  he  had  left  his  medicine- 
chest.  Here  he  soon  recovered,  and  was  joined  by  his  brother  John,  on 
the  21st  of  August.  The  canoe  offered  them  by  the  King  of  Wawa 
{)roved  to  be  too  small,  and  they  were  greatly  delayed  by  the  difficulty 
of  ])rocin-ing  a  suitable  one.  In  addition  to  this,  the  king  had  sent  a  mcs- 
aengcr  to  Kabba  (llakka  of  Clappcrton),  anil  the  intermediate  towns  on 
the  river,  recjuesting  permission  for  the  travelers  to  pass  down  in  safety, 
aiul  desired  tliem  to  Avait  until  he  liad  received  an  ansAver. 

They  Avere  thus  obliged  to  remain  at  Boussa  mitil  the  19th  of  Se])- 
tember,  Avhen  "  to  our  unspeakable  joy,"  says  Lander,  "  the  long- 
exj)ected  and  Avished-for  messenger  arrived  in  this  city  from  Kabba, 
accompanied  l)y  tAvo  messengers  from  the  king  of  Nyffe,  one  of  Avhom. 
a  modest-looking,  respectable  young  man,  is  his  own  son.  These  me  « 
are  to  be  our  guides  as  far  as  Kabba,  afler  avc  have  passed  Avhich  city, 
all  the  Nyrtc  territory  t<j  the  southward  is  under  the  surveillance  of 
Kdercsa  and  his  ])artisaus.  '  The  magia,' says  the  Boussa  embassador, 
'  was  delighted  Avith  the  intelligence  that  Avhile  men  Avere  to  honor  his 
dominions  Avith  their  presence  ;'  he  shoAA'cd  me  the  presents  sent  to  him 
by  Captain  Clappcrton  three  years  ago,  and  said  a  great  deal  in  his  fiiAor 
and  conunendation.  'And  as  a  proof,'  continued  the  man,  'of  his 
friendly  disposition  toward  you,  and  his  interest  in  your  Avelfln-e,  he  has 
not  only  sent  his  son  as  your  companion  and  guide,  but  lie  has  likewise 
dispatched  a  messenger  to  every  tOAA'n  on  the  banks  of  the  Niger  cither 
considerable  or  unimportant,  even  as  flu- as  Finida.' 

"  The  king  of  l>oi;ssa  Avas  overAvhelmed  Avith  delight  at  this  intelli- 
gence;  he  capered  around  his  hut  Avith  transport,  Avhen  lie  saw  our 


'li 


AFFECTING    DEPARTURE    FROM    B0U3SA, 


529 


dli- 
our 


guides  and  heard  their  message ;  and  after  a  bnrst  of  joy,  lie  began  to 
cry  Hke  a  child,  his  heart  was  so  full.  '  Noav,'  said  he,  when  he  had 
become  more  composed,  '  whatever  may  liappen  to  the  Avhite  men,  my 
neighbors  can  not  but  acknowledge  that  I  have  taken  every  care  of 
them,  treated  them  as  became  a  king,  and  done  my  best  to  promote 
their  happiness  and  interests.  They  will  not  be  able,'  continued  the 
monarch  with  exultation,  'they  dare  not  have  the  eifrontery  to  cast  at 
me  a  reproach  like  that  which  they  bestowed  upon  my  ancestor.'  " 

The  next  morning  they  quitted  Boussa,  and  embarked  in  their  canoes, 
full  of  joy  at  their  success  thus  far,  and  hopeful,  notwithstanding  the 
certain  perils  that  awaited  them.  Lander  thus  describes  their  liu'ewell 
to  IJoussa,  wliere,  in  spite  of  delays,  they  had  been  treated  with  steady 
kindness  and  good  faith,  "  When  we  quitted  the  hut,  Ave  found  our 
yard  filled  Avith  neighbors,  friends,  and  acquaintances,  Avho  all  fell  down 
on  their  knees  to  bid  ns  good-by.  They  blessed  us  earnestly  Avitli  up- 
lifted hands,  and  those  among  them  that  Avere  of  the  Mohammedan 
religion  fervently  implored  for  us  the  favor  and  protection  of  Allah  and 
tlieir  prophet.  The  eyes  of  many  of  them  Avere  streaming  Avlth  tears, 
and  all  Avere  more  or  less  affected.  As  we  passed  by  these  i)oor  crea- 
tures, Ave  spoke  to  them  all,  and  thanked  them  again  aiul  again  for  iheir 
good  Avishes.  Our  liearts  must  have  been  of  marble  if  we  could  liave 
beheld  such  a  scene  Avithout  some  slight  emotion.  On  our  Avay  toAvard 
the  river,  also,  the  ])ath  Avas  lined  Avith  people,  some  of  Avhom  saluted  us 
on  one  knee,  and  some  on  both,  and  Ave  received  their  benedictions  as 
we  Avalked  along." 

The  current  Avas  very  SAvift  and  the  navigation  dangerous  until  they 
had  passed  the  frontier  of  Boussa  at  the  king's  feriy,  where  the  Niger 
becomes  broader  and  deeper.  They  halted  at  the  island  of  Patashie, 
luitil  they  could  procure  a  larger  canoe,  Avhich  they  had  jiurchased  of 
the  king  of  WaAva,  but  Avere  again  subjected  to  vexatious  delays.  Ivicli- 
ard  Lander  Avas  obliged  to  proceed  once  more  to  AVawa,  and  part  Avith 
more  jiresents  from  his  rapidly  diminishing  store,  before  the  matter  could 
be  arranged.  JMeanAvliilc  they  Aveie  treated  Avith  the  greatest  kindness 
and  hospitality  by  the  natives,  and  supplied  Avith  more  pi'ovisions  than 
tliey  Avere  able  to  consume.  The  king  of  WuAva  had  promised  to  send 
the  canoe  to  a  large  town  called  I^ever,  a  short  distance  below  Patashie  : 
they  started  again  on  the  30th,  but  Avere  astoimded  on  arriv  iug  at  Lever, 
to  iind  that  the  place  Avas  not  in  the  territory  of  AVawa,  and  tin-  king 
did  not  possess  a  single  canoe  there.  They  Avere  therefore  oltliged  to 
detain  a  large  canoe  Avhich  they  ha<l  borrowed  at  the  island  of  Patashie, 
the  Wawa  niessengers  promising  that  the  king  AA'ouId  pay  for  it.  Soon 
afterward  the  chief  of  Patash.ie  sent  lor  it,  but  the  governor  of  Lever 
refused  to  giA'e  it  iq),  and  detained  the  travelers  from  day  to  day,  until 
their  ])atience  Avas  at  an  emL  Although  hey  Avere  Avholly  in  the  poAver 
of  the  natives,  they  went  to  the  chief  priest,  who  Avas  at  the  bottom  of 
these  intrigues,  and  in  the  presence  of  hun  and  the  governor,  declared 

34 


i'  :■  M     •   ■  V'   1 


' ' 


l> 


I 
I  til 


ill' 


• 


i(    : 


ii! 


530 


EXPLORATIONS    OF    THE    NIGP:R. 


that  they  would  no  longer  submit  to  the  delay,  and  would  shoot  down 
any  man  who  attempted  to  prevent  them  from  leaving.  This  produced 
an  immediate  effect ;  the  governor  and  priest  became  j)olite  and  suh- 
missive,  and  the  travelers  seized  upon  the  moment  to  embark,  and  push 
into  the  middle  of  the  current,  which,  in  a  short  time,  carried  them  out 
of  bight  of  the  place. 


S  r  K  :.•  E  K  Y     OP     THE     LOWER     X  I  0  E  R  . 

They  stoj^ped  for  the  night  at  a  town  called  Bajebie,  and  started  next 
morning  (October  5),  at  sunrise.  "  Just  below  the  town,"  says  Lander, 
"  the  Niger  spreads  itself  into  two  noble  branches,  of  nearly  equal  width, 
formed  by  an  island,  AVe  preferred  journeying  on  the  eastern  branch, 
l)Ut  for  no  particular  reason.  Tiie  country  beyond  the  banks  was  very 
line.  The  island  in  the  middle  of  the  river  is  small,  but  verdant,  woody, 
and  handsome ;  and  we  passed  by  the  side  of  it  in  a  very  few  minutes, 
with  considerable  velocity.  It  was  then  that  both  banks  presented  the 
most  delightful  appearance.  They  Avere  embellished  with  mighty  trees 
and  elegant  shrubs,  which  were  clad  in  thick  and  luxuriant  foliage,  some 
of  lively  green,  and  others  of  darker  hues  ;  and  little  birds  were  singing 
merrily  among  their  branches.  Magnificent  festoons  of  creeping  p.lants, 
always  green,  hung  from  the  tops  of  the  tallest  trees,  and  drooping 
to  the  water's  edge,  formed  immense  natural  grottoes,  pleasing  and 
grateful  to  the  eye,  and  seemed  to  ))c  fit  abodes  for  the  Naiads  of  the 
river." 

On  the  following  day  they  approached  Rabba,  and  stopped  at  an 
island  in  the  river,  while  they  dispatched  a  messenger  to  the  king.  He 
returned  in  the  evening,  vnth  a  message,  stating  that  they  should  remain 
where  they  were  until  they  had  been  visited  by  the  "  King  of  the  Dark 
Water."    This  monarch  came  the  next  morning  in  a  canoe  propelled  by 


DANGER    FROM    HIPPOPOTAMI. 


531 


twenty  young  nacn,  wlio  sang  in  time  to  the  motion  of  the  paddles.  The 
king  sfvt  under  an  awning  hung  with  scarlet  cloth,  and  was  attended  by 
six  of  his  wives  and  two  handsome  pages.  lie  was  a  stately  man,  well- 
stricken  in  }'ears ;  his  skin  was  coal-black  and  his  features  coarse,  but 
commanding.  He  received  the  travelers  cordially,  presented  them  with 
honey  and  goora-nuts,  and  oflfered  to  accompany  them  to  the  island  of 
Zagoshi,  opposite  Rabba,  Avhere  they  were  to  remain. 

Here  they  were  detained  eight  days  by  the  deceit  and  rapacity 
of  the  King  of  Rabba  and  the  King  of  the  Dark  Water.  The  former 
at  first  expressed  himself  delighted  with  the  presents  they  sent  him,  but 
in  a  short  time  changed  his  tone,  and  said  they  were  not  fit  for  a  child. 
The  travelers  had  a  rich  crimson  robe,  which  had  been  found  among 
Park's  goods,  and  was  presented  to  them  by  the  King  of  Boussa.  This 
they  were  compelled  to  part  with ;  but  the  king  was  so  much  pleased 
that  he  promised  to  procure  them  a  large  canoe,  and  refused  to  listen  to 
the  proposals  which  were  made  to  him  to  plunder  them.  They  had  the 
greatest  difficulty,  nevertheless,  in  getting  a  canoe  sufficiently  large  and 
strong,  while  the  natives  positively  refused  to  sell  their  paddles,  and 
the  Landers  were  therofore  compelled  to  permit  their  men  to  steal  as 
many  as  they  wanted,  by  night.  At  length,  after  much  suspense  and 
anxiety,  and  no  little  peril,  considering  the  nature  of  the  people  with 
whom  they  had  to  deal,  they  pushed  off  on  the  16th,  and  resumed  their 
voyage  down  the  stream. 

Afler  paddling  all  day,  during  which  they  made  about  thirty  miles, 
they  attempted  to  go  ashore  for  the  night,  but  found  the  banks  so 
marshy  that  it  was  impossible  to  land.  Tlie  men  became  very  much 
fatigued,  and  they  finally  permitted  the  canoe  to  float  with  the  current. 
"  But  here,"  says  Richard  Lander,  "  a  fresh  evil  arose,  which  we  were 
unprepared  to  meet.  An  incredible  number  of  hippopotami  arose  very 
near  us,  and  came  plashing,  snorting,  and  ])lunging  all  round  the  canoe, 
and  placed  us  in  inmiinent  danger.  Thinking  to  frighten  them  oft",  we 
fired  a  shot  or  two  at  them,  but  the  noise  only  called  up  from  the  water, 
and  out  of  the  fens,  about  as  many  more  of  their  unwieldy  companions, 
and  we  were  more  close'y  beset  than  before.  Our  peo})le,  who  had 
never  in  all  their  lives  been  exposed  in  a  canoe  to  such  huge  and  formi- 
dable beasts,  trembled  with  fear  and  apprehension,  and  absolutely  wept 
aloud  ;  and  their  terror  was  not  a  little  increased  by  the  dreadful  peals 
of  thunder  which  rattled  over  their  heads,  and  by  the  au'ful  darkness 
which  prevailed,  broken  at  intervals  by  flashes  of  lightning,  whose 
powcrfial  glare  was  truly  awful.  Our  people  tell  us  that  these  formida- 
ble animals  frequently  upset  canoes  in  the  river,  when  every  one  in  them 
is  sure  to  perish.  These  camo  so  close  to  us,  that  we  could  reach  them 
with  the  butt  end  of  a  gun." 

Duruig  the  night  a  violent  storm  came  on,  and  for  several  hours  the 
canoe  was  in  great  danger  of  being  swamped  by  the  agitation  of  the 
waves.     At  last  they  succeeded  m  attaching  it  to  a  tree  in  the  current, 


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532 


EXPLORATIONS    OF    THE    NIGER. 


and  lay  tlicre  until  dawn,  wlion  they  started  again.  During  that  day 
and  the  next  they  went  slowly,  on  account  of  the  rains,  but  were  not 
molested  by  the  natives  whoju  they  met.  On  the  forenoon  of  the  inth, 
they  were  informed  that  the  large  town  of  Egga,  where  they  had  been 
advised  to  stop,  was  near  at  hand,  "  We  journeyed  onward  for  half  an 
hour,"  says  the  narrative,  "when  we  jjcrccived  a  large,  handsome  town 
behind  a  deep  morass.  Heveral  little  inlets  led  through  it  to  the  town, 
distant  about  three  miles  from  the  bank  of  the  river,  which,  as  we  drew 
iieai",  we  learned  was  the  ]»lace  of  which  we  were  in  quest.  It  was  the 
long-sought  Egga,  and  we  instantly  proceeded  up  a  creek  to  the  landing- 
place.  The  town  is  upward  of  two  miles  m  length,  and  we  were  struck 
with  the  inmicnso  nundx'r  of  large,  bulky  canoes  which  lay  otF  it,  and 
which  were  filled  with  trading  conunodities,  and  all  kinds  of  merchandise 
Avhich  are  common  to  the  country.  They  also  had  huts  in  them,  like 
the  canoes  we  had  seen  before.  All  of  them  had  blood  smeared  on 
their  sterns,  and  feathers  stuck  in  it  as  a  charm  or  preservative  against 
robbers  and  the  evil-disposed." 

They  were  well  received  at  Egga,  but  were  much  annoyed  by  the 
curiosity  of  the  natives,  who,  never  having  before  seen  white  men, 
crowded  into  the  liouse  xmtil  they  were  nearly  suffocated.  They  re- 
mained at  this  place  two  days :  the  chief  did  not  attempt  to  prevent 
them  from  leaving,  but  their  men  were  so  terrified  by  the  reports  of  the 
fierce  tribes  further  down  the  river,  that  they  refused  to  proceed,  and 
demanded  their  pay.  This  the  travelers  would  not  give  :  the  chief  was 
a))])ealed  to  by  the  boatmen,  but  declared  himself  neutral  in  the  inattei", 
and  the  difficulty  ended  in  the  men  coming  back  the  Ibllowing  morning, 
and  taking  their  ])lace  in  the  canoe.  Soon  after  leaving  Egga,  tlicre 
were  indications  of  an  approach  to  the  sea.  A  gull  flew  over  their 
heads:  and  the  native  canoes  crrcatlv  resembled  those  on  the  Calabar 
liiver.  "  For  many  miles,"  says  Lander,  "  we  could  see  nothing  but 
large,  open,  well-built  villages  on  both  banks  of  the  river,  but  more 
especially  on  the  eastern,  and  tracts  of  land  covered  with  verdure,  or 
prepared  for  cultivation,  between  them.  Hero  nature  seems  to  have 
scattered  her  favors  with  an  unsparing  hand.  Yet  we  touched  at  none 
of  these  goodly  places,  but  continued  our  journey  till  the  sun  began  to 
decline,  aiul  the  men  to  be  fatigued,  Avhen  we  stopped  at  a  small  hamlet 
on  an  island,  intending  to  sleej)  there." 

Here,  however,  they  were  not  received  in  a  friendly  manner,  and  the 
natives  advised  them  to  go  on  to  a  city  called  Kacunda,  where  the  Iloussa 
language  was  spoken.  They  arrived  at  this  place  in  the  evening,  and 
were  welcomed  by  a  IMohammedan  priest,  who  entertained  them  for  the 
night.  The  next  mornuig  the  king's  brother  came,  and  received  them 
with  no  less  kindness  and  cordiality.  He  made  them  presents,  which 
they  were  too  jioor  to  return  adequately,  but  he  was  more  than  satisfied 
by  the  gift  of  some  little  trifles  which  lu>  saw  about  the  room.  Becom- 
ing more  friendly  and  confidential,  he  gave  them  a  terrible  account  of 


id  tlifi 
'oussa 
and 
lov  the 
them 
which 
tisfied 
lecom- 
int  of 


PERILOUS    VOYAGE    BY    NIGHT. 


583 


tlic  natives  further  down  the  river,  and  advised  tliem  to  return  by  the 
M-ay  they  came.  As  he  found  them  resolved  to  depart,  he  then  said,  "  If 
you  will  not  be  jiersuaded  by  nio  to  turn  back,  and  save  your  lives,  at 
least  you  must  not  leave  this  by  daylight,  but  stop  initil  the  sun  goes 
down,  and  you  may  then  go  on  your  journey — you  will  then  pass  the 
most  dangerous  town  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  and  jierhaps  save  your- 
selves." The  travelers  placed  faith  in  the  representations  of  this  man, 
and  therefore  judged  it  prudent  to  post])one  their  departure  luitil  the  fol- 
lowing afternoon.  While  at  Kacunda,  they  learned  that  Funda  was  not 
on  the  Niger,  but  on  the  Chadda,  the  mouth  of  which  river,  it  was  stated, 
was  but  a  day's  journey  distant.  They  were  promised  a  guide,  but  he 
disappeared  just  before  the  appointed  time ;  the  chief  used  every  argu- 
ment except  force  to  prevent  their  departure,  but  they  were  resolute, 
and  put  oft'  from  Kacunda  on  the  24th. 

"At  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,"  says  •  zander,  "  we  offeied  up  a 
prayer  to  the  Almighty  Disposer  of  all  human  events  for  jjrotection  on 
our  future  voyage,  that  He  would  deign  to  extend  to  us  ITis  all-saving 
power  among  the  lawless  barbarians  it  was  our  lot  to  be  obliged  to  pass. 
Having  done  this,  we  next  ordered  Pascoe  and  our  ])eop;e  to  <'oni'Mence 
loading  the  canoe.  I  shall  never  forget  them,  ])Oor  fellows ;  tl''^_^  ./ere 
all  in  tears,  and  trembled  with  fear.  One  of  them,  uamed  Antonio,  a  na- 
tive of  Bonny,  and  son  to  the  late  chief  of  that  river.  •,.  rs  as  much  .af- 
fected as  the  rest,  but  on  a  dift"erent  account.  For  hin  self,  ho  said  that 
he  did  not  care  ;  his  own  life  was  of  no  consequence.  All  he  feared  was, 
that  my  brother  and  I  should  bo  murdered ;  he  loved  us  dearly :  he  had 
been  with  us  ever  since  we  had  left  the  sea,  and  it  would  be  as  bad  :is 
dying  himself  to  see  us  killed. 

"We  were  now  fairly  oft',  and  prepared  ourselve ;  for  the  Avorst. 
'Now,' said  I,  'my  boys,'  as  our  canoe  glided  down  with  the  stream,  '  let 
us  all  stick  together.  I  hope  that  we  have  none  among  \is  who  will  ftinch, 
come  what  may.'  Antonio  and  Sam  said  they  were  dt'tcrmiiu'cl  to  stick 
to  us  to  the  last.  The  former  I  have  before  alluded  to  ;  the  latter  is  a 
native  of  Sierra  Leone,  and  I  believe  them  both  to  be  firm  fellows  when 
required.  Old  Pascoe  and  Jowdie,  two  of  my  former  people,  I  kncAv 
could  bo  depended  on  ;  but  the  new  one.',  ..i'Lough  they  boasted  nuich 
when  they  found  that  there  was  no  avoiding  it,  I  hail  not  much  depeiul- 
ence  on,  as  I  had  not  had  an  oj)portunity  of  trying  them.  We  directed 
the  four  muskets  and  two  pistols  to  b  •  loaded  with  ball  and  slugs,  deter- 
mined that  our  opponents,  whoever  they  might  l)e,  shouKI  nu'et  with  a 
warm  reception  ;  and  having  nuide  every  preparation  for  our  defense 
■which  we  thought  would  be  availhig,  and  encouraging  our  little  band  to 
behave  themselves  gallantly,  we  gave  three  hearty  cheers,  and  com- 
mended ourselves  to  Providence. 

"  Our  Uttle  vessel  moved  on  hi  grand  style  under  the  vigorous  and 
animated  exertions  of  our  men.  Shortly  after  leaving  Kacunda,  the 
river  took  a  turn  due  south,  between  tolerably  high  hills ;  the  strength 


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634 


EXPLORATIONS    OF    THE    NIGER. 


of  the  current  continued  much  about  the  same.  A  few  miles  further  on, 
we  found  ourselves  opposite  a  large,  spreading  town,  from  which  issued 
a  great  and  confused  noise,  as  of  a  multitude  quarreling,  or  as  the 
waves  of  the  sea  rolling  upon  a  rocky  beach ;  we  saw  also  other  towns 
on  the  Avestern  bank  of  the  river,  but  we  cautiously  avoided  them  all. 
The  evening  was  calm  and  serene,  the  heat  of  the  day  was  over,  the 
moon  and  stars  now  aflforded  us  an  agreeable  light,  every  thing  was  still 
and  pleasant ;  we  glided  smoothly  and  silently  down  the  stream,  and  for 
a  long  while  we  saw  little  to  excite  our  fears,  and  heard  nothing  but  a 
gentle  rustling  of  the  leaves,  occasioned  by  the  wind,  the  noise  of  our 
paddles,  or  now  and  then  the  plashing  of  fishes,  as  they  leaped  out  of  the 
water. 

"  About  midnight  we  observed  lights  from  a  village,  to  which  we 
were  very  close,  and  heard  peo^jle  dancing,  singing,  and  laughhig,  in  the 
moonshuie  outside  their  huts.  We  made  haste  over  to  the  opposite  side 
to  get  away,  for  fear  of  a  lurkmg  danger,  and  we  fancied  that  a  light 
was  foUowmg  us,  but  it  was  only  a  '  will  o'  the  wisp,'  or  sonu!  such  thing, 
and  trees  soon  hid  it  from  our  sight.  After  the  nujoii  had  gone  down, 
it  became  rather  cloudy,  so  that  we  could  not  discern  the  way  as  j)lahily 
as  we  could  have  Avished,  and  the  consecpience  was,  that  we  were  sud- 
denly drifted  by  the  current  into  an  eddy,  and,  in  sj)ite  of  all  our  exer- 
tions to  get  out  of  it,  Ave  swept  over  into  a  small,  shallow  channel  Avhich 
had  been  formed  by  the  overflowing  of  the  river,  and  it  cost  two  hours' 
hard  labor  to  get  out  hito  the  main  streain  again, 

"  At  live  o'clork  in  the  morning,  Ave  found  ourselves  nearly  opposite 
a  very  considerable  river,  entering  the  Niger  from  the  eastward;  it  ai> 
peared  to  be  three  or  four  miles  wide  at  its  mouth,  and  on  the  bank  we 
saAv  a  large  town,  one  part  of  Avhich  tliced  the  river,  and  the  other  the 
Quorra.  We  at  first  supposed  it  to  be  an  arm  of  that  river,  and  running 
from  us ;  and  therefore  directi'(l  our  course  for  it.  We  proceeded  up  it 
a  short  distance,  but  finding  the  current  against  us,  and  that  it  increased 
as  Ave  got  Avithin  its  entrance,  and  our  ])eople  being  tired,  Ave  Avere  com- 
jielled  to  give  up  the  attempt,  andAvore  easily  swept  back  into  the  Niger. 
Consequently  we  passed  on,  but  dtterniinedon  niaking  inquiries  concern- 
iiig  it  the  first  couvcuient  opportunity.  I3ut  Ave  concluded  this  to  be  the 
Chadda. 

"  At  10  a.  m.  avo  passed  a  huge  and  naked  white  rock,  m  the  form 
of  a  perfect  donu*,  arising  from  the  center  of  tlu*  river.  It  was  about 
twenty  feet  high,  and  covereil  Avith  an  immense  (juantity  of  wliite  birds,  in 
consequence  of  Avliieh  we  named  it  the  liird  Hock  :  it  is  about  three  or  fi)ur 
miles  distant  from  lJoc(iua,  on  the  same  sidi'  of  the  river.  We  passed  it 
on  the  western  side,  and  Avere  very  nearly  lost  in  a  Mhirlpool,  It  was 
Avith  the  utmost  ditticulty  we  preserved  the  canoe  from  l)i'ing  carried 
away,  and  dashed  against  the  rocks.  Fortunately,  1  saw  the  danger  at 
first,  and,  fin''iiig  we  could  not  get  clear  of  it,  my  brother  and  I  took  a 
paddle.  ai"I  animating  our  men,  we  exerted  all  our  strength,  and  «uc- 


!   I 


A    CONFLICT    AVOIDED. 


535 


ceeded  in  preventing  her  from  turning  around.  Had  our  canoe  become 
unmanageable,  we  should  inevitably  liave  perished.  Shortly  after,  seeing 
a  convenient  place  for  landing,  the  men  being  languid  and  weary  with 
hunger  and  exertion,  we  halted  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  which  we 
imagined  was  most  convenient  for  our  purpose. 

"  Totally  unconscious  of  danger,  we  were  reclining  on  our  mats — 
for  we  too,  like  our  people,  were  wearied  with  toil,  and  overcome  with 
drowsiness — when  in  about  twenty  muuites  after  our  men  had  returned, 
one  of  them  shouted,  with  a  loud  voice,  '  War  is  coming !  O,  war  is  com- 
ing !'  and  ran  toward  us  with  a  scream  of  terror,  telhng  us  that  the  na- 
tives were  hastening  to  attack  us.  We  started  up  at  this  unusual  excla- 
mation, and,  looking  about  us,  Ave  beheld  a  large  party  of  men,  almost 
naked,  running  in  a  very  irregular  maimer,  and  with  uncouth  gestures, 
toward  our  little  encampment.  They  were  all  variously  armed  with 
muskets,  bows  and  arrows,  knives,  cutlasses,  barbs,  long  spears,  and 
other  instruments  of  destruction  ;  and,  .-s  we  gazed  upon  this  band  of 
wild  men,  with  their  ferocious  looks  and  hostile  appearance,  which  wits 
not  a  little  heightened  on  observmg  the  weapons  hi  their  hands,  we  ft'lt 
a  very  uneasy  kind  of  a  sensation,  and  wished  ourselves  safe  out  of  their 
hands. 

"  One  of  the  natives,  who  proved  to  be  the  chief,  we  perceived  a  little 
in  advance  of  his  companions  ;  and,  throwing  down  our  pistols,  which  we 
had  snatched  up  in  the  first  moment  of  surjjrise,  my  brother  and  I 
walked  very  conijiosedly  and  unarmed  toward  him.  As  we  approached 
him,  we  made  all  the  signs  and  motions  we  could  with  our  arms,  to  deter 
him  and  his  people  from  firing  on  us.  His  (juiver  was  dangling  at  his 
side,  his  bow  was  bent,  and  an  arrow,  which  was  jxnaleii.  at  our  breasts, 
already  trembled  on  the  string,  when  we  wen-  within  a  i'aw  yards  of  his 
person.  This  was  a  highly  critical  moment — the  next  might  be  our  last. 
But  the  hand  of  Providence  avertecl  the  blow  ;  lor  Just  as  the  chief  was 
about  to  jiuil  the  fatal  cord,  a  man  that  was  nearest  him  rushed  tbrward 
and  stayed  his  arm.  At  that  instant  we  stood  before  him,  and  imme- 
diately held  Ibrth  our  hands  ;  all  of  them  trembletl  like  aspen  leaves  ;  the 
chief  looked  up  full  in  our  Dices,  kneeling  on  the  ground — light  seeiiieil 
to  flash  from  his  dark,  rolling  eyes — his  body  was  ctjiivulsed  all  over,  as 
though  he  were  enduring  the  utmost  torture,  and  witli  a  timorous,  yi-t 
undciinable  expressi(»n  of  countenance,  in  which  all  the  passions  of  our 
nature  were  strangely  blended,  he  drooped  his  head,  eagerly  grasped 
our  jirott'ered  hands,  and  burst  into  ti'ars.  This  was  a  sign  of  friendship 
— harmony  followed,  and  war  and  bloodshed  wi-re  th<Might  of  no  more. 

"At  first  no  one  could  understainl  us ;  but  an  old  man  inai.e  his 
appearance  sliortly  after,  wiio  understood  tlie  Houssa  language.  Him 
the  chief  employed  as  an  iiterpreter,  and  every  one  listenitl  with  .mxiety 
to  the  following  explanation  which  he  gave  us;  'A  few  minutes  .alter 
you  first  landed,  one  of  my  ju'ople  came  to  me,  and  said  tliat  a  number 
of  strange  people  had  arrived  at  the  market-place.     I  sent  him  back  again 


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o36 


EXPLORATIONS    OK    THE    XIGEU. 


to  get  as  near  to  you  as  lie  could,  to  hoar  what  yon  intended  doing.  lie 
soon  after  returned  to  nie,  and  said  that  you  spoke  in  a  language  which 
he  could  not  understand.  Xot  doubting  that  it  was  your  intention  to 
attack  my  \  illage  at  night,  and  carry  oiY  my  people,  I  desired  them  to 
get  ready  to  light.  We  were  all  i)repared  and  eager  to  kill  you,  and 
came  down  breathing  vengeance  ami  slaughter,  supp(jsing  that  you  were 
my  enemies,  and  had  landed  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  ri\  er.  Hut 
when  you  came  to  meet  us  imarmed,  and  we  saw  your  white  tiices,  we 
were  all  so  frightened  that  we  could  not  pull  our  bows,  nor  move  hand 
or  foot ;  and  when  you  drew  near  me,  and  extended  yom-  hands  toward 
me,  I  felt  my  heart  faint  within  me,  and  believed  that  you  were  "  (7iil- 
dn'u  of  JA't/n/i,''^  and  had  dro))ped  from  the  skies.'  Such  was  the  ell'ect 
Ave  had  produced  on  him  ;  and  under  this  impression  he  knew  not  what 
he  did.  '  And  now,'  said  he,  '  white  men,  all  I  want  is  your  Ibrgive- 
ness,' '' 

The  chief  assured  them  that  they  had  ]>assed  the  most  dangerous 
j)or(ions  of  the  river,  and  there  was  no  further  necessity  l<)r  traveling  at 
night.  Seven  days  nuire,  he  added,  would  bring  them  to  the  sea.  llo 
cautioned  them,  however,  to  avoid  a  large  town  on  the  eastern  bank, 
called  Atta,  a  little  below,  the  governor  of  which  would  probalily  attempt 
to  detain  them.  They  started  early  the  lU'.vt  morning,  and  alxuit  noon 
observed  a  town  which  they  supposed  to  be  Atta,  and  took  care  to 
avoid  observation  by  keeping  close  to  the  opposite  shore.  Both  banks 
of  the  river  were  hilly  and  fringed  with  jirinicval  woods,  which  were 
bending  over  the  water.  "^'For  upward  of  thirty  miles  after  jiassing 
Atta,"  observes  Lander,  "  not  a  town,  or  a  village,  or  even  a  single  hut, 
could  anywhere  be  seen.  The  whole  of  this  distance  our  canoe  passed 
smoothly  along  the  Niger,  and  every  thing  w.as  silent  and  solitary;  no 
sound  could  be  distinguished  save  our  own  voices  and  the  plashing  of 
tlie  jtaddles  Avith  their  echoes ;  the  song  of  bird.s  was  not  heard,  nor 
could  any  animal  Avhatever  be  seen  ;  the  banks  seemed  to  be  entirely 
deserted,  and  the  magnificent  Niger  to  be  slumbering  in  its  own 
grandeur." 

They  Kt<ijiped  that  evening  at  a  village  called  Abbazacca,  where  they 
foinid  a  man  who  spoke  the  IJomiy  language,  which  one  of  their  men 
understood.  The  chief  of  the  place  invited  them  to  a<'Conip;my  him  tho 
next  day  to  a  large  town,  of  which  liis  brother  was  governor,  further 
dipwn  tlu'  river,  and  when;  tliey  Avould  lind  people  from  lioimy,  Calabar, 
and  Mrass.  They  hi*  <nit  again  ne.\t  morning,  the  chief  preceding  them, 
lie  spread  news  of  their  coming  everywhere,  so  that  they  found  the 
shoiis  erowtled  with  peopli',  to  look  at  them.  In  the  alti'rnoon,  as  they 
were  passing  a  large  town,  they  were  hailed  by  a  native  in  ;ui  Knglish 
soldier's  jacket.  As  they  paid  no  attention  to  hiui,  a  dozen  canoes  fol- 
lowed, ;ind  insisted  on  their  going  back  to  pay  their  respects  to  the  king 
ot'tlie  plaei'.  This  they  were  obliged  to  do.  The  chief,  who  had  a  mild 
and  benevolent  liice,  received  them  in  a  very  friendly  manner,  gave  them 


;■■)*, 


KIND    RECEPTION    AT    DAMUGGOO. 


537 


a  hut  for  the  night,  and  when  they  were  annoyed  by  the  crowd  of  cu- 
rious natives  who  jiressed  around  them,  told  them  they  might  kill  as 
many  as  they  pleased. 


ABOKKO. 


The  name  of  the  town  wns  Danniggoo.  T\w  next  morning  the  chief, 
whose  name  w..,,  Aliokko,  paid  them  a  visit,  liriugiiig  jiresents  of  palm- 
wine,  eggs,  bananas,  and  yams.  '•  lie  desired  us,"  says  IJiehard  Lander, 
"to  ask  for  anything  we  miglit  want,  tilling  us  that  we  should  have 
every  thing  we  wished  that  the  town  could  alford.  Me  told  us  that 
ueitlier  he  nor  his  father  had  seen  a  white  man,  allli(»ugh  they  had  nmch 
wished  it,  and  that  our  jucscnic  mali'  Iiiiii  quite  happy.  He  then  gave 
us  a  iiressing  invitation  to  come  to  see  liini,  which  we  rea<lily  accepted. 
He  seemed  to  be  one  of  the  worthiest  lellows  whom  we  havi'  yet  met." 
The  man  in  a  soldier's  jacket,  proved  to  be  a  messcngiu*  from  the  King 
oflJonny,  and  iiropose<l  to  accompany  them  down  the  river  to  the  terri- 
tories of  his  master.  At  tlic  same  tinu-  ,\bokko,  who  ordered  a  grand 
public  itstival  next  tlay  in  honor  of  i  heir  arrival,  and  presented  tliem  with 
abullock,  ottered  them  a  good  canoe,  with  a  crew  of  his  own  people, 
provided  they  would  wait  until  the  latter  ntiniieil  from  the  itiarket  at 
Hoctpia.  lie  assured  them  that  they  would  be  able  to  coulinue  their 
voyage  to  the  sea  in  this  mamwr,  with  pcrlect  satity. 

Tiu»  Landers  jutlged  it  prudent  to  accede  to  iiis  jiroposition,  and 
diu'iug  the  remaiiuhr  of  tluir  slay  were  very  well  treated.  The  only 
aiuioyauce  they  sulfered  was  from  the  curiosity  of  the  natives,  and  the 
procrastination  ot'tlie  chief,  t<»  m  hom  time  was  no  oliject,  and  who,  with 
nil  his  kindness,  delayed  their  de|iarturc  consiilerably.  Finally,  on  the 
evening  of  November  -Ith,  at\«'r  a  stay  of  eight  days  at  Damugsoo,  they 
set  olVin  one  of  ,\bokko's  canoes,  in  addition  to  their  own,  iic<'onipaiiied 
by  the  messenger  of  the  King  ui'  Uonny.    Their  departure  was  attended 


I 


i- 


1  iir 


i, 

,1 

1, 

ll ' 

t 

i 

!l' 


!ii 


111 


688 


BXPLORATIONS   OF   THE    NIGER. 


by  renewed  festivities.  *'  The  palm-wine  circulated  freely  in  the  bowls," 
says  Richard  Lander,  "  and  the  natives  of  the  village,  who  witnessed  all 
our  proceedings  with  no  little  anxiety,  seemed  to  be  greatly  delighted 
at  seeing  their  chief  and  the  priests  so  familiar  with  white  men.  3Iean- 
while  several  elephants'  tusks,  and  a  number  of  slaves  and  goats,  were 
put  into  the  canoe  as  presents  to  the  chief  of  Bonny.  A  fatted  goat  was 
given  us  as  a  parting  gift,  and  a  small  decanter  of  rum  was  thrust  in  my 
brother's  bosom  as  a  cordial  during  the  night." 

They  passed  rapidly  down  tlu;  river  during  the  night,  and  in  the 
mornhig  reached  a  large  market-place  called  Kirree.  Richard  Lander 
was  in  the  Damuggoo  canoe,  considerably  in  advance  of  his  own,  in 
which  was  his  brother ;  and  soon  after  passing  Kirree,  was  astonished 
at  the  sight  of  fifty  largo  canoes  comhig  up  the  river,  in  some  of  which 
the  English  flag  was  flying  from  a  bamboo  staif.  Each  canoe  had  n  four- 
pounder  in  the  bow,  and  contained  forty  or  fifty  men,  all  of  Avhoni  were 
armed  with  muskets.  Delighted  with  the  sight  of  the  flags,  he  ap- 
proached them  unhesitatingly.  The  foremost  canoe  instantly  ran  up  to 
his  own,  and  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  every  thing  was  taken  out  of  it, 
himself  and  his  men  violently  disarmed,  plundered  of  their  clothing,  and 
taken  prisoners.  The  boats  were  on  their  way  to  the  market  of  Kirree, 
whither  he  was  conducted,  with  but  faint  hopes  of  recovering  any  of 
his  property,  or  even  of  preserving  his  life.  liy  this  time  the  other 
canoe,  in  which  was  John  Lander,  was  observed  and  jjiu'sued.  The 
boatmen  nttempted  to  escape,  but  were  soon  run  down  with  such  vio- 
lence that  the  canoe  was  caj)sized,  and  sunk.  John  Lander  was  thro\ni 
into  the  water,  and  sustained  himself  by  swimming  until,  having  ap- 
proached one  of  the  hostile  canoes,  he  was  hauled  on  board  by  a  native. 
Meanwhile  the  greatest  tumult  and  confusion  prevailed.  In  the  struggle 
to  get  possession  of  the  plunder,  several  «)f  the  native  canoes  were  upset 
and  their  crews  thrown  into  the  water.  The  Landers  were  conducted 
t  J  a  small  island  opposite  Kirree  ;  the  Damuggoo  people  and  the  King 
of  Bonny's  messenger  made  their  appearance  and  protested  violently 
against  the  outrage,  as  they  were  on  friendly  terms  with  the  ix'ople  of 
Eboe,  who  had  jierpetrated  it ;  and  a  grand  palaver,  or  council,  was 
held. 

After  a  time  a  search  was  commenced  in  the  canoes,  for  the  goods, 
some  of  which  were;  f<)imd,  although  the  greater  part  of  them  were  at 
the  bottom  of  the  river.  "  We  Avere  iu)W  invited  to  land,"  says  Richard 
Lander,  "  and  told  to  look  at  our  goods,  in  order  to  see  if  they  were  all 
there.  To  my  great  satisfaction  I  imnu-diately  recognized  the  bo.\  e()n- 
taining  our  books,  and  one  of  my  brother's  journals.  The  medicine- 
chest  was  by  its  side,  but  both  were  tilled  with  water.  A  large  carpet- 
bag, containing  all  our  wearing  apparel,  was  lying  cut  o{)en  and  deprived 
of  its  contents,  with  the  exception  of  a  shirt,  a  |»air  of  trousers,  and  a 
waistcoat.  Many  valu.able  articles  which  it  had  contained  were  gone. 
Tho  whole  of  my  juurual,  with  the  exception  of  a  note-book  with  ro- 


THE    TRAVELERS    TAKEN   PRISONERS. 


539 


marks  from  Ilabba  to  tliis  place,  was  lost.  Four  guns,  one  of  which  had 
been  the  property  of  the  late  Mr.  Park,  four  cutlasses,  and  two  pistols, 
were  gone.  Nine  elephants'  tusks,  the  finest  I  had  seen  in  the  country, 
which  had  been  given  me  by  the  Kings  of  Wawa  and  Boussa,  a  quan- 
tity of  ostricli-featliers,  some  handsome  leopard-skins,  a  great  vai'iety  of 
seeds,  all  our  buttons,  cowries,  and  needles,  wliich  were  necessary  lor  us 
to  purchase  })rovisions  with — all  were  missing,  and  said  to  have  been 
sunk  in  the  river.  The  two  boxes  and  the  has:  were  all  that  could  be 
found. 

"  At  about  three  in  the  afternoon  we  were  ordered  to  return  to  the 
small  island  from  Avhcnco  we  had  come,  and  the  setting  of  the  sun  being 
the  signal  for  the  council  to  dissolve,  we  wore  again  sent  lor  to  the 
market.  The  peoi)le  had  been  engaged  ui  deliberation  and  discussion 
during  the  whole  of  the  day,  and  with  throbbing  hearts  we  received 
their  resolution  in  nearly  the  followuig  words  : — '  That  the  king  of  the 
country  being  absent,  they  had  taken  upon  themselves  to  consider  the 
occurrence  which  had  taken  ])lace  in  the  morning,  and  to  give  judgment 
accordingly.  Those  of  our  things  which  had  been  saved  from  the  water 
should  be  restored  to  iis,  and  the  ])erson  that  had  first  commenced  the 
attack  on  my  brother,  should  lose  his  head,  as  a  just  retribution  for  his 
offense,  having  acted  -without  his  chief's  j)erniission ;  that  with  regard  to 
us,  we  must  consider  ourselves  as  prisoners,  and  consent  to  be  conducted 
on  the  following  morning  to  Obie,  King  of  the  Eboe  country,  before 
whom  we  should  undergo  an  examination,  and  whose  will  and  pleasure 
(  oncerning  our  persons  would  thi-n  be  ('X])lained.'  We  received  the  in- 
telligence with  i'eelings  of  raj)ture,  and  with  bursting  hearts  we  oft'ered 
up  thanks  to  our  Divine  Creator  for  his  signal  preservation  of  us 
throughout  this  disastrous  day." 

On  the  morning  of  the  Cth  they  letl  Kirree  for  the  Eboe  country, 
accompanied  by  two  large  war  canoes.  On  the  morning  of  the  8th, 
after  a  voyage  of  two  days,  the  Niger  ex})anded  into  a  lake,  out  of 
which  it  fiowed  in  three  separate  channels.  Tlu'ir  conductors  took  the 
central  stream,  and  about  noon  they  reached  the  Eboe  town,  the  resi- 
denoj  of  King  Obie.  On  landing  they  were  hailed  in  broken  English 
by  a  large  negro  who  called  himself  King  Gun,  and  said  tiiat  he  mus 
one  of  the  chiefs  «d' the  Brass  coinitry.  He  added,  to  thi'ir  gre,"t  joy, 
that  an  English  vessel,  called  the  Tlio)nas,  of  Liverpool,  was  lying  in  the 
First  Brass  Uiver,  two  or  three  days'  journey  below.  The  tiavelers 
were  conducted  to  a  hut,  and  soon  afterward  taken  befon-  King  Obie, 
whom  they  found  to  be  a  sprightly-lookhig  yoiuig  negro,  dressed  in  a 
Bcarlet  jacket  and  trowsers,  with  strings  of  coral  and  bells  around  his 
wrists  and  ankli's.  The  story  of  the  attack  and  capture  was  told  by  the 
Bomiy  messenger  in  a  speech  of  two  hours  in  length,  afti-r  which  some 
yams,  stewed  in  rancid  |>alin-()il,  M'ere  given  to  the  travelers.  At  the 
end  ()f  two  days,  during  which  tiiey  were  greatly  annoyeil  by  the  curios- 
ity of  the  nativoB,  who  allowed  them  no  rest,  either  by  day  or  night, 


Hi 


\^ 


i.hi 


Si 


*«! 


r  ! , 


t  f 


I  : 


i ,   i 


ili! 


I  i, 


1*1 


540 


EXPLORATIONS    OF    THE    NIGER. 


they  received  the  decision  of  King  Obic.  It  was  to  the  effect  that,  as 
circumstances  had  thrown  them  into  his  hands,  ho  intended  to  keep  them 
until  the  master  of  some  English  vessel  would  be  willing  to  ransom 
them  for  the  price  of  twenty  slaves.  They  could  not  proceed  to  Bonny, 
because  the  branch  of  the  Niger  leading  to  that  country  was  dried  up, 
and  the  only  channel  navigable  from  Eboe  to  the  sea,  was  that  through 
the  domhiions  of  the  King  of  Brass. 

Shortly  afterward  they  noticed  that  earnest  conferences  were  held 
Ix'tween  King  Obie  and  Kuig  Boy,  the  son  of  the  old  King  of  Brass, 
and  their  suspense  was  soon  relieved  by  the  latter,  who  stated  that  he 
liad  arranged  to  i)ay  King  Obie  their  ransom,  provided  they  Avould  give 
him  an  order  on  Captain  Lake,  of  the  brig  Tliomas^  for  their  value  in 
English  goods,  with  a  cask  of  rum  and  some  additional  articles.  He 
agreed  to  convey  them  on  board  the  vessel,  as  soon  as  the  captain  had 
paid  him  the  amount  of  the  order.  They  were  overjoyed  at  ♦^liis  pros- 
])ect  of  release  and  innnediately  wrote  a  request  to  Captain  Lake,  not 
doubting  but  that  he  Avould  immediately  ransom  them.  "Fearing," 
says  Richard  Lander,  "  that  something  might  yet  occur  to  detaui  us, 
and  ultimately  change  the  king's  resolution  altogether,  we  were  most 
eager  to  get  out  of  the  reach  of  him  and  his  people  as  quickly  as  pos- 
sible. Therefore  Ave  lost  not  a  monuMit,  but  hastened  to  our  lodgings, 
and  iiaving  sent  our  peoi)le  on  board  Boy's  canoe,  Ave  hurrieil  after  them 
innnrdiatt'ly,  and  embarked  at  three  in  the  afternoon,  November  11th. 
And  thus  termiiuvted  four  of  the  most  Avretched  days  of  our  exist- 
ence." 

They  sailed  doAvn  the  main  branch  of  the  Niger  for  tiiree  days  and 
one  night.  The  shores  AA'ere  thickly  inhabited,  and  the  villages  sur- 
rounded Avith  jilantations  of  yams,  bananas,  ami  otlier  kinds  of  fruit 
and  vegetables.  As  they  approached  the  sea,  lioAA'ever,  the  shores  be- 
fiime  low  and  swam])y,  and  lined  Avith  a  dense  groAvth  of  mangrove. 
'I'lie  Landers  Avere  greatly  cramped  and  ineonmujded  in  King  Jioy's 
canoe,  and  Avere  but  scantily  sup]»lied  Avith  food.  On  the  third  day  they 
remai-ked  Avith  joy  the  appearance  of  tide-water,  and  at  noun,  on  the 
fourth,  reached  lirass  ToAvn,  only  sixty  miles  from  tlie  mouth  of  the 
Niger,  A\hich,  they  Averc  informed,  Avas  here  called  the  River  Nun.  On 
landing,  they  Avere  surprised  to  see  a  white  man,  who  proved  to  be  the 
captain  of  a  Spanish  slaver  lying  in  tlie  Brass  liiver.  The  next  day  it 
Avas  decided  by  King  Boy,  :uul  his  tiitlier,  King  Forday,  that  tiie  ibrmer 
should  go  with  Richard  liander  to  the  English  vessel,  leaving  his  brother 
John  as  a  security  for  the  amoimt  of  ransom  to  be  paid.  Tlu  travelert, 
now  looked  ujion  their  jourm-y  as  ctmipleted,  and  considered  tiiat  all 
tlii'lr  trials  and  dilliciilties  Avere  at  an  end. 

The  cam)e  Avith  Lander  and  King  lioy  reached  the  Nun,  or  First 
Brass  River,  early  on  the  morning  of  November  IKth.  "About  acpiar- 
ter  of  an  hour  atler  we  had  entered  the  Rivi-r  Nun,"  says  Lander,  "wo 
descried,  at  a  ilistance  before  us,  two  vessels  lying  at  anchor.     The  emo- 


MEETING  WITH  THE  ENGLISH  CAPTAIN. 


541 


tions  of  delight  which  the  sight  of  them  occasioned  are  quite  beyond  iiiy 
powers  of  dcscii])tion.  The  nearest  to  us  was  a  schooner,  a  Spanish 
slave-vessel,  whose  captain  we  had  seen  at  Brass  town.  Our  canoe  Avas 
quickly  hy  her  side,  and  i  went  on  board.  The  captain  received  me  very 
kindly,  and  invited  me  to  take  some  spirits  and  water  Avith  him. 

"  Wo  now  directed  our  com-se  to  the  English  brig,  which  was  lying 
about  three  hundred  yards  lower  down  the  river.  Having  reachcMl  lu>r 
with  t'eeUngs  of  delight  mingled  Avith  doubt,  I  went  on  board.  Here  I 
found  everv  thin^  in  as  sad  a  condition  as  I  had  in  the  schooner  ;  four 
of  the  crew  had  just  died  of  fever;  four  more,  which  completed  the 
whole,  were  lying  sick  in  their  hummocks,  and  the  captain  appeared  to 
be  in  the  very  last  stage  of  illness.  He  had  recovered  from  a  severe  at- 
tack of  fever,  ami  had  suiVered  a  relapse  in  consequence  of  having  ex- 
posed himself  too  soon,  which  had  nearly  been  fatal  to  him.  I  now 
stated  to  him  who  I  was,  exjilained  my  situation  to  him  as  fully  as  I 
could,  aii<l  had  my  instructions  read  io  him  by  one  of  his  own  people, 
that  he  might  sec  I  was  not  imposing  on  him.  I  then  recpiested  that 
he  Avould  redeem  us  l)y  paying  Avhat  had  been  demai\iled  by  King  15oy, 
and  assured  him  that  Avhatcver  he  might  give  to  him  on  our  account 
Avould  certainly  be  repaid  hiui  by  the  llritish  government.  To  my  utter 
surjjrise  and  consternation,  he  flatly  refused  to  give  a  single  thing,  and, 
ill  and  Aveak  as  he  Avas,  made  use  of  the  most  offensive  and  shameful 
oaths  T  over  heard." 

Lander,  disappointed  and  mortified  beyond  expression,  then  requested 
King  l)oy  to  take  him  to  Bonny,  Avliere  there  were  probably  other  En- 
glish vessels;  but  the  latter  declared  that  if  one  captain  Avould  not  pay, 
another  would  also  refuse.  Fhially,  on  Lander's  representing  to  the 
caiitain  that  sonu'  of  his  men  Avould  be  usetiil  to  assist  in  Avorking  the 
vessel,  the  latter  re(iuested  King  Boy  to  go  back  and  bruig  John  Lander 
and  tile  boatmen,  declaring  tliat  nothing  wouhl  be  paiil  until  they  Avere 
on  board.  Tiie  captain  then  added  that  if  they  were  not  brought  Avithin 
three  days,  iie  would  sail  without  them.  The  intervening  tinu'  Avas 
passed  by  Lander  in  great  anxiety  and  distress,  and  on  the  evening  of 
the  thinl  ilay  the  brutal  ca])taiu  declared  that  he  Avould  put  to  sea  the 
next  morning.  Fort\niately  there  Avas  sucii  a  swell  on  the  l)ar  that  lu; 
Avas  afraid  to  cross,  as  he  had  refused  to  jiay  the  native  pilot  anIio  had 
brought  him  in,  and  the  place  Avas  very  dangerous  for  large  vessels. 
Tliat  evening  iJiehard  Lainler  saw  sonu,  canoes  coming  down  the  river, 
and  early  in  the  morning  King  Boy  l>rouglit  his  brother  on  board,  with 
their  servants  :md  boatmen. 

Captain  Lake  received  John  liander  civilly,  but  immediately  expri'ssed 
Ills  determination  to  dismiss  King  Boy  Avitliout  giving  him  a  single  ar- 
ticle, and  then  make  tiu"  best  of  his  Avay  out  of  the  river.  The  travelers 
had  tin-ee  silver  l»iacelets  ami  some  trinkets  letl  among  their  scanty  bag- 
gage, which  they  gave  to  Boy,  Avho  treated  them  Avith  the  greatest  in- 
dignation and  contempt.      Kichard  Lander  tlnis  desjcribes  the   scene 


I!! 


i, 


I,    ( 
t      .  ■■ 


ril 


I 


li 


i. 


|!;   ! 


( 


f 


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m 


h  jii, 


ri:M; 


: 

! 

j 

f: 

1 

■  i 

'*  '', 

! 

542 


EXPLORATIONS    OP   THE    NIGER. 


which  followed  :  "  Boy  now  ventured  to  approach  Captain  Lake  on  the 
quarter-deck,  and,  Avith  an  anxious,  petitioning  countenance,  asked  for 
the  goods  which  had  been  promised  him.  Prepared  for  the  desperate 
game  he  was  about  to  piny,  it  was  the  object  of  Lake  to  gam  as  much 
tune  as  possible,  that  he  might  get  his  vessel  under  way  before  he  came 
to  an  open  rupture.  Therefore  he  pretended  to  be  busy  in  writing,  and 
desired  Boy  to  wait  a  moment.  Becoming  impatient  with  delay.  Boy 
repeated  his  demand  a  second  and  a  third  time,  '  Give  me  my  bars.' — 
'  I  xo  WILL !'  said  Lake,  in  a  voice  of  thunder,  which  one  could  hardly 
have  expected  from  so  emaciated  a  frame  as  his.  '  I  no  will,  I  tell  you ; 
I  Avon't  give  you  a  flint.'  Terrified  by  the  demeanor  of  Lake,  and  the 
threats  and  oaths  he  made  use  of,  poor  King  Boy  suddenly  retreated, 
and  seeing  men  going  aloft  to  loosen  the  sails,  ap])reliensive  of  Ijcing 
carried  off  to  sea,  he  quickly  disappeared  from  the  deck  of  the  brig, 
and  was  soon  observed  making  his  way  on  shore  in  his  canoe,  with  the 
rest  of  hi^  people  ;  this  was  the  last  wo  saw  of  him." 

It  was  four  days  before  the  brig  succeeded  in  getting  over  the  bar, 
and  after  :  11  the  perils  through  Avhich.they  had  passed,  the  intrepid  trav- 
elers narrc  wly  escaped  a  watery  grave.  The  vessel  twice  drifted  to  the 
edge  of  th)  breakers,  and  at  one  time  there  seemed  no  hope  of  her  es- 
ca])e.  Finally,  at  noon  on  the  27th,  they  reached  the  open  sea  and 
sailed  for  Fernando  Po,  where  thoy  arrived  on  the  1st  of  December. 
The  Landers  were  very  kindly  received  by  Governor  Becroft,  who  sup- 
plied all  their  wants,  and  treated  them  with  the  greatest  hospitality. 
AfU'r  remaining  on  the  island  until  the  20th  of  January,  1831,  waiting 
in  vain  for  a  chance  of  getting  to  England,  they  took  i)assage  to  Rio 
Janeiro  in  the  ship  Caernarvon.  A  fever  broke  out  on  board  soon  after 
they  sailed  ;  several  of  the  crew  died,  and  for  many  days  the  Landers 
and  three  black  men  were  the  only  persons  strong  enough  to  manage 
the  slii|i  and  attend  to  the  sick.  They  did  not  reach  liio  Janeiro  until 
the  16th  of  March. 

The  admiral  of  the  British  squadron  on  the  coast  of  Brazil  inmie- 
diately  gavi!  them  a  passage  to  England  on  board  of  a  tr-i'sport  ship, 
which  sailed  for  Portsmouth  on  the  20th.  "  On  the  9th  of  June,"  says 
Richard  Lander,  "  we  arrived  at  Portsmouth,  and  gladly  landed,  with 
hearts  full  of  gratitude  for  all  our  deliverances." 

"  Thus,"  remarks  Captain  Allen,  "  the  solution  of  the  problem  which 
has  excited  the  interest  of  so  many  ages,  has  been  accomplished  by  the 
most  modest  of  means,  while  many  costly  and  more  imposing  undertak- 
ings have  fiiiled.  A  solitary  j)edestrian  discovered  the  long-hidden 
Niger  in  its  course  through  hit'>.erto  almost  unheard-of  countries  ;  and 
two  unpretending  young  men,  committing  themselves  in  a  frail  bark  to 
its  mysterious  bosom,  were  borne  by  it  through  unknown  regions,  a  dis- 
tance of  more  than  six  hundred  miles,  to  its  termination  in  tlie  vast  and 
multitudinous  ocean." 


liioh 
the 

rtak- 
ilon 
and 
kto 
dis- 
and 


STEAMERS    ON    THE    NIGER. 


543 


LAIRD    AND    OLDFIELD'S    VOYAGES    ON    THE    NIGER. 

On  the  return  of  the  Landers,  from  their  remarkable  and  successful 
discovery  of  the  outlet  of  the  Niger,  they  gave  such  a  flourishing  r  > 
count  of  the  quantity  of  ivory  to  be  found  on  its  banks,  that  some  entc 
prising  merchants  of  Liverpool — actuated  by  the  spirit  of  legitims 
trade,  which  had  assumed  in  that  city  the  excitement  of  the  former 
tr.afRc  in  human  beings — fitted  out  an  expedition  for  the  jjurpose  of  as- 
certaining and  opening  out  the  resources  of  the  country. 

This  mercantile  expedition  was  composed  of  one  small  brig,  to  be 
stationed  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  to  receive  the  expected  cargo  of 
ivory,  and  two  steamers ;  the  smaller  of  which — the  first  iron  vessel  that 
had  crossed  the  Atlantic — was  built  by  JVIr.  Macgregor  Laird,  whose 
family  were  large  subscribers  to  the  expedition,  and  who  himself  bore  a 
considerable  share  in  the  conduct  of  it,  though  the  nonunal  command 
was  held  by  Richard  Lander,  to  whom  it  had  been  ofterod,  previous  to 
the  formation  of  the  company,  and  on  whom  devolved  the  duty  of  select- 
ing the  articles  of  trade.  The  large  steamer  was  named  the  Qnorra 
(Niger),  and  contained  a  crew  of  tAVonty-six  men,  all  told ;  the  other 
was  called  the  Alburkah  (Blessing),  and  carried  fourteen  men. 

The  expedition  sailed  from  Milford  Haven  on  the  2nth  of  July,  1832, 
and  after  touching  at  Cape  Coast  Castle,  where  Lander  re-engaged  Pas- 
coc,  Jowdie,  and  others  of  his  former  men,  reached  the  river  Nun,  on 
the  16th  of  October.  Here  Captain  Harries  of  the  Qnorra  and  one  of 
the  engineers  died  of  fever,  which  had  already  made  its  ai)pearance  on 
board.  There  M'as  a  Liverpool  trader  lying  in  the  Brass  River,  the 
captain  of  which  had  purchased  from  King  Boy,  Richard  Lander's  jour- 
nal of  his  voyage  down  the  Niger,  which  had  been  lost  during  the  attack 
on  himself  and  his  brother  at  Kirrce.  After  an  interview  \\\th.  King 
Boy  and  King  Forday,  they  furnished  a  pilot  named  Louis,  and  recom- 
mended them  to  take  a  certain  channel,  which  they  stated  was  the  best 
for  the  steamers.  The  pilot,  however,  privately  informed  Mr.  Laird 
that  the  chiefs  wished  to  run  the  vessels  aground,  and  that  the  deepest 
channel  was  a  very  narrow  creek,  which  he  pointed  out.  Lander,  hav- 
ing ascended  this  creek  in  a  small  boat  for  the  purpose  of  sounding, 
fovmd  sufficient  water,  and  on  the  28th  the  steamers  set  out,  the  Albur- 
kah taking  the  lead.  After  passing  thirteen  other  arms  of  the  Niger, 
they  safely  reached  the  main  stream  in  the  evening,  having  made  forty- 
five  nules. 

On  the  evening  of  November  Ist,  as  they  were  slowly  ascending  the 
river.  Lander  sent  a  note  to  Mr.  Laird,  stating  that  he  had  received  in- 
*')rraation  that  the  Eboes  intended  attacking  the  steamers.  Wliile  the 
guns  were  being  got  in  readiness  on  board  the  Quorra,  "  we  heard  the 
report  of  several  shots,"  says  Mr.  Lairil,  "  and  on  going  on  deck  ob- 
Bcrved  the  whole  bush  on  our  left,  which  was  the  right  bank  of  the  river 


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544 


EXPLORATIONS    OF    THE    NIGER. 


and  about  sovonty  yards  from  ns,  in  a  ])laze  of  iiuisketry,  wluob  the  .1/- 
hnrhth  was  retuniiii''.  Mr.  liaiider  liailod  mo  and  .said  he  Avas  skAw"  to 
droj)  doAvii  tli(>  river;  but  on  luy  offering  to  go  l)t'twt'C'n  bini  and  lln- 
fire,  lie  sent  Louis,  the  Eboo  pilot,  on  board.  We  immediately  got  un- 
der M'eigb,  and  tbe  pilot  placed  tlic  Qnorra  within  ]>istol-sbol  abreast  of 
the  town.  T  was  much  amused  by  the  coolness  and  selt-jiossession  of 
this  pilot.  He  could  speak  tolerable  English  ;  so  I  lold  hhn,  if  ho  ran 
us  aground,  the  instant  the  vessel  touched  I  would  blow  his  brains  out. 
The  fellow  laughed,  and  oi)eniug  liis  country-cloth,  showed  me  the  butt- 
end  of  two  jtistols  ;  a  gentle  hint  that  two  could  play  at  that  game.  I 
gave  directions  for  the  guns  to  be  loaded  Avith  round  and  canister,  and 
in  about  twenty  minutes  v.'o  silenced  the  firing  on  shore. 

"At  dayUght  of  the  following  day  the  iiring  from  the  bush  recom- 
menced, and  I  now  discovered  that  our  invisible  enemies  (for  Ave  hardly 
saAv  one)  had  two  sAvivels.  The  Qitorrd  o[)i'ned  her  fire  on  the  town  at 
six  o'clock  Avith  four  four-pounders  and  tlu(  tAVOTity-four-pound  SAvivel; 
but  finding  th'it  aa'O  made  no  impression  on  the  mud-walls  or  the  huts, 
although  Avc  had  silenced  tbe  firing,  Mr.  Lander  hailed  us,  and  Ave  agreed 
to  land  and  burn  the  town  as  an  example  to  the  rest.  Accordingly  the 
gig  under  my  command  led  thoAvay;  Captain  ^Miller  in  the  cutter  fol- 
loAA'od,  and  also  the  launch  Avith  eight  men  ;  Avhile  the  tAvo  Tnates,  engin- 
eers, and  T)r.  IJriggs  Averi'  left  to  keep  up  a  fire  ol"  musketr\  over  our 
heads."  This  was  accomplished,  Avithout  the  loss  of  a  man,  and  they  af- 
terward learned  that  three  natives  had  been  killed  and  several  Avounded. 
The  chiefs  of  the  villages  Avhich  ihey  jiassed  next  day,  came  to  con- 
gratulate them,  and  ajipeared  higidy  delighted  at  their  victory. 

On  the  morning  of  the  Gth  they  reached  the  mouth  of  the  creek 
Avliich  leads  to  the  town  of  Eboc,  and  made  preparations  fen*  visiting 
King  Obie.  j\Ir.  Laird  gives  the  folloAving  account  of  the  intervicAv: 
"  Mr.  Lander  in  a  generars .  uniform,  Avitli  a  feather  hi  his  cockeddiat 
that  almost  reached  the  groimd,  ^Ir.  Jordan  in  a  colonel's  uniform,  and 
Lieutenant  Allen  in  his  own,  led  the  Aan,  and  attracted  so  much  of  the 
natives'  attention,  that  Dr.  IJriirt's  and  myself  almost  regretted  that  aa'g 
had  not  visited  ]Monmouf  h-street  beloro  our  dejjarture  from  England. 
Preceded  by  old  Paseoc,  Jowdie,  and  some  other  men  Avho  had  accom- 
piuiied  Mv.  Lander  on  his  f)rmer  journey,  and  Avho  Avere  noAv  returning 
in  triunijih  to  the  scene  of  their  f{)rmer  ex})loits,  dressed  in  soldiers' 
jackets  and  military  cajis,  bloAving  trumpets  and  beating  drums,  accom- 
j)aniiil  by  King  Boy  and  about  forty  Eboe  canoes  emulating  them  in 
(heir  discordant  noises,  avo  advanced  up  the  narroAV  creek  more  like 
merry-andrcAvs  than  sensible  jieople ;  and  after  a  row  of  about  three 
<piarters  of  a  mile,  hi  one  of  the  hottest  days  I  ever  experienced,  Ave 
landed  at  the  upper  end  of  the  toAvn  among  a  great  assemblage  of  peo- 
ple of  both  .sexes.  From  our  landing  we  had  still  more  than  half  a  mile 
to  Avalk,  surrounded  by  a  mob  of  al)out  a  thousand  people  armed  with 
all  manner  of  muskets,  spears,  cutlasses,  bayonets  and  knives  fastened 


MORTALITY    ON    BOARD. 


545 


on  tho  ends  of  poles.  After  waiting  about  ten  minutes,  a  side-door 
opened,  and  in  rushed  Obie,  a  tall  man  with  a  pleasing  eountetianee, 
dressed  in  scarlet  cloth.  ]*oor  Jordan  was  tho  first  ho  saw,  and  rushiui; 
upon  him  at  once  ho  gave  him  a  most  fraternal  hug;  then  shaking 
hands  with  Lander  and  myself,  he  took  his  seat  on  the  throne,  jtlacing 
us  on  each  side  of  him." 

King  Ohio  afterward  visited  Lander  on  board  of  tho  Alhurhth^ 
where  he  was  receivKl  with  a  salute.  During  the  visit  of  tho  steamers 
the  members  of  the  expedition  Avoro  treated  with  great  kindness  by  tho 
king  and  tho  natives,  but  they  accomplished  very  little  in  the  way  of 
trade.  The  principal  article  to  be  ha<l  was  ])alm-()il,  and  no  ivory  was 
to  be  seen.  On  the  evening  of  the  9th  thcv  resumed  their  voyage,  and 
proceeded  slowly  up  the  river,  being  oblig  I  to  stop  fretpiently  lor  tho 
purpose  of  cutting  wood.  A  violent  fever  broke  out  on  board  of  the 
Qnorra,  and  by  the  1.1th,  there  were  only  two  men  on  board  capable  of 
doing  duty.  Captain  Hill  of  the  AUmrkah  took  conunand  of  the  vessel, 
but  was  soon  attacked  and  obliged  to  return.  The  mortality  was  so 
great  that  by  the  24th  the  Quorra  had  lost  thirteen  men,  and  the  Al- 
burkah  two.  Mr.  Laird  says:  "Mr.  Lander's  behavior  during  our  sick- 
ness did  him  infinite  credit.  He  was  indefatigable  in  his  attention  to 
the  sick,  and  bled  and  blistered  the  men  as  if  he  had  been  a  r(>gular 
licentiate.  The  application  of  a  blister  over  the  head  seemed  to  give 
the  greatest  relief,  and  in  my  own  case  and  that  of  Dr.  Briggs  was,  im- 
dcr  Providence,  tho  moans  of  sav'ng  us.  Atler  this  is  done,  I  do  not 
think  that  medical  skill  can  go  further — tho  question  becomes  a  pitched 
battle  between  tho  fever  and  the  constitution  of  the  jierson  attacked 
with  it ;  and  medicine,  after  the  first  necessary  emetics  and  purgatives, 
does  more  harm  than  good." 

On  the  2'7th  they  reached  tho  large  town  of  Attah,  near  the  place 
where  the  Niger  passes  the  range  of  the  Kong  i\Iountains,  and  the  fever 
began  to  abate.  At  Damuggoo,  they  had  obtained  sixteen  elephants' 
teeth  from  the  brother  of  Abokko,  who  had  been  so  kind  to  the  brothers 
Lander,  and  they  procured  a  few  more  from  the  King  of  Attah,  but 
only  after  making  him  largo  presents.  They  were  ready  to  start  on  tho 
5th  of  December,  but  on  going  ashore  to  take  leave  of  the  king,  were 
unable  to  see  him,  and  decided  to  proceed  up  the  river  next  morning. 
"During  the  day,"  says  the  narra'ive,  "some  ceremoiiies  were  performed 
ahead  of  the  vessels  in  the  river  to  prevent  our  jtassing  upward,  Ijis 
majesty  of  Attah  being  very  desirous  that  avo  should  not  j)roceed  further 
up  tho  river.  These  ceremonies  were  performed  by  men  in  canoes,  fan- 
tastically dressed.  They  stood  up  and  made  a  variety  of  expressive 
gestures,  and  concluded  their  proceedings  by  throwing  into  tlie  river 
what  appeared  to  me  to  be  alligator's  ilosh.  As  the  vessels  gathered 
way,  and  passed  the  place  where  the  fetish  or  ceremony  was  made,  the 
natives,  who  were  crowded  on  the  hill  on  which  the  town  stands,  testi- 
fied their  astonishment  by  a  general  yell."     On  the  21st,  the  vessels 

35 


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646 


EXPLORATIONS    OF    THE    NIGER. 


reached  tlie  junction  of  llio  Xi<fi'r  ami  the  Chadda,  wii'  r*  tiio  Qiiorra 
run  aground.  She  was  got  oft",  but  grounded  again  on  a  mii  ■  !uin'  ar.i 
after  various  misuccessful  attempts,  they  resigned  themselws  lO  wait 
until  the  annual  rise  of  the  i-iver. 

Mr.  Laird  gives  tlie  following  account  of  the  scenery  and  inhabitants 
of  the  banks  of  tlie  >«iger,  from  Eboe  to  its  junction  with  the  Chadda: 
"  On  leaving  Eboe  we  emerged  from  a  comparatively  winding  and  nar- 
row stream,  bordered  by  stagnant  swamps  and  overgrown  Avith  immense 
forests,  the  sameness  of  which  distressed  the  eye,  while  the  extent  baflled 
the  imagination,  into  a  wide  and  si^endid  river.  The  banks  were  but 
thinly  wooded,  and  in  many  places  highly  and  extensively  cultivated. 
The  various  reaches  of  the  river  became  longer,  and  in  its  serpentine 
course  it  assumed  a  more  graceful  character,  Avhile  the  inhabitants  on  its 
banks  were  more  civilized  and  better  appareled.  We  found  the  better 
class  attired  in  the  Iloussa  loose  shirt  and  trowsers,  instead  of  the  com- 
mon wrapper  of  the  Eboes.  The  country  generally  presented  that 
formed  and  decided  ajipearance  which  characterizes  land  that  has  been 
long  under  the  dominion  of  man.  The  banks,  although  elevated  fifteen 
or  twenty  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  river,  continued  ilat  until  we 
arrived  at  Kirree,  where  we  met  with  the  lirst  bluff.  From  thence  the 
comitry  gradually  rises,  until  at  Attah  it  attains  an  elevation  of  from  two 
to  three  hundred  feet.  Froni  Attah  upward  a  range  of  hills  on  each 
bank  of  the  river  gives  the  scenery  a  picturesque  and  bold  character; 
those  on  the  western  bank  seem  to  have  the  highest  elevation,  but 
neither  appeared  to  rise  above  four  hundred  and  fifty  or  five  hundred 
feet  above  the  water.  From  the  general  outline  of  these  hills,  and  from 
the  specimens  of  the  rock  that  we  found  being  principally  granite  and 
mica  slate,  we  pronounced  them  of  primitive  formation. 

"  Passing  through  this  romantic  valley,  which  extends  from  forty  to 
fift;y  miles,  we  reached  the  Kong  Mountains,  which  on  the  banks  of  the 
river  rise  to  an  elevation  of  between  two  and  three  thousand  feet.  As 
far  as  we  could  ascertain,  they  are  composed  principally  of  granite,  and 
have  a  bold  and  magnificent  appearance.  The  chasm  through  which  the 
river  passes  seemed  about  iitleen  Imndred  yards  wide,  but  the  channel 
of  the  river  does  not  occupy  more  than  seven  hundred. 

"  Both  banks  of  the  river  are  thickly  studded  with  town  and  villages. 
I  could  count  seven  from  the  place  where  we  lay  aground  ;  and  between 
Eboe  and  the  confluence  of  the  rivers,  there  can  not  be  less  than  forty, 
generally  occurring  every  two  or  three  miles.  The  principal  towuii  are 
Attah  and  Addakudda ;  and  averaging  the  inhabitants  at  one  thotit;and 
for  each  town  and  village,  will,  I  think,  very  nearly  give  the  population 
of  the  banks.     It  may  be  rather  below  the  mark. 

"  The  general  character  of  the  people  is  much  superior  to  that  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  swampy  country  between  them  and  the  coast.  They 
are  shrewd,  intelligent,  and  quick  in  their  perception,  milder  in  their  dis- 
positions, and  more  peaceable  in  their  habits.     The  security  of  life  and 


Vh\ 


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.,  and 

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bgcs. 

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forty, 

li?  aro 

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lation    1 

of  the 

They 

!ir  dia- 

fe  and 

LAIRD'S    VISIT    TO    FUNDA. 


547 


property  ia  evidently  greater  among  them  ;  thoiigli  it  is  still  sufTiciently 
precarious  to  prevent  the  inhabitants  from  living  in  isolated  situations, 
nor  will  any  of  them  venture  upon  the  river  after  sunset  in  small  canoes. 
Agriculture  is  extensively  followed,  and  Indian  corn  and  other  grain  aro 
raised  with  little  labor  and  less  skill  on  the  j)art  of  the  cultivators." 

It  was  determined  to  build  a  hut  on  the  hill  at  the  junction,  and  open 
a  market  for  the  purpose  of  trading  with  the  natives.  The  arrangements 
were  completed  on  the  20th  of  January,  1833,  but  the  result  was  not 
what  had  been  expected.  Very  little  ivory  was  brought  in  ;  tlie  indigo 
was  so  badly  prepared  as  to  be  valueless,  and  the  other  articles  offered 
would  scarcely  pay  the  cost  of  transportation.  To  add  to  their  misfor- 
tunes, fever  broke  out  again  ;  IVfr.  Laird  was  several  times  on  the  verge 
of  the  grave  ;  Dr.  Briggs  died  on  the  28th  of  February,  and  Mr.  Lander, 
who  had  been  prevented  from  reaching  Kabba  and  I>onssa,  in  the  Alhur- 
kah,  on  account  of  the  shallowness  of  the  water,  returned  ill,  with  the 
loss  of  some  of  his  men.  News  having  readied  the  expedition  that  the 
King  of  Funda  (the  town  which  Lander  had  attempted  to  reach,  on  his 
return  from  Sackatoo  to  Badagry)  desired  some  of  the  whito  men  to 
visit  him,  Mr.  Laird  determined  to  proceed  thither,  and  Lander  promised 
to  follow  him,  as  soon  as  he  should  l)e  strong  enough. 

Toward  the  end  of  March,  Mr.  Laird  set  out,  and  after  a  voyage  of 
seven  days  np  the  Chadda,  in  the  Qnorra^'i  boat,  reached  the  town  of 
Yimmaha,  thirty  miles  from  Funda.  As  lie  was  too  ill  to  travel  on 
horseback,  he  sent  his  goods  and  men  by  land,  and  continued  his  way 
up  the  river  to  a  village  about  nine  miles  from  the  capital,  whither  he 
was  carried  in  a  hammock.  The  next  morning  he  visited  the  king,  who 
M'as  a  sinister-looking  person,  dressed  in  robes  of  silk  and  velvet.  The 
hut  to  which  Mr.  Laird  was  conducted,  was  so  dirty  and  small  that  he 
set  out  to  hunt  a  better  one.  One  of  his  men,  Sarsfield,  soon  came  run- 
ning to  him  M'ith  the  news  that  the  king  had  seized  upon  all  his  goods, 
and  had  prohibited  any  person  from  furnishing  him  with  a  residence, 
lie  finally,  however,  furnished  them  with  a  rather  better  hut.  "  Aft^er 
being  in  my  new  quarters  a  few  days,"  says  Mr.  Laird,  "  I  began  to  sus- 
pect that  my  Funda  trip  would  turn  out  an  unprofitable  speculation,  as 
two  or  three  natives  had  been  severely  flogged  for  attempting  to  sell  me 
some  ivory;  and  the  king,  who  visited  me  every  day,  evidently  had  none 
— or  if  he  had,  thought  it  better  to  keep  't  and  my  goods  also.  I  had, 
in  short,  been  completely  decoyed,  and  had  only  myself  to  blame,  as  I 
had  put  myself  entirely  in  the  king's  power." 

lie  finally  prevailed  upon  the  king  to  allow  him  to  send  Sarsfield  to  the 
Qitorra,  apparently  to  procure  more  goods,  but  in  reality  to  bring  rock- 
ets and  ammunition.  After  an  absence  of  fourteen  days,  the  latter  re- 
turned with  the  news  that  Captain  Hill,  of  the  Alburkah,  was  so  ill  that 
Mr.  Lander  had  set  oft*  in  a  canoe  for  the  sea-coast  \vith  him.  "  If  I  was 
glad  to  see  Sarsfield,"  observes  Mr.  Laird,  "  he  was  overjoyed  to  find  me 
still  olive,  and  though  much  fatigued  with  his  journey,  having  walked 


i:^ 


lit, 


■■■I 


1 1 


548 


EXPLORATIONS    OF   THE    NIGER. 


from  Yimniiihii,  a  distance  of  thirty  iiiilos,  we  sat  up  until  nearly  day- 
break, and  laid  a  plan  for  frightening  the  king  and  his  j)eople,  all  tho 
credit  of  which  is  due  to  him  both  for  its  invention  and  success.  Ileliad 
brought  the  rockets  with  liim,  and  liad  let  off  one  at  Yimmaha,  and  de- 
scribed the  terror  and  alarm  of  tlie  iidiabitants  produced  by  it  as  excess- 
ive. They  looked  upon  him  as  a  deity,  and  supplied  him  in  conse(iuciice 
with  provisions  and  carriers  to  Funda.  lie  proposed  to  try  the  ell'cct 
of  tiiem  here,  letting  oft'  three  or  four  at  a  time,  and  burning  blue-lights 
aller  v'lem. 

"The  next  morning  wo  had  a  visit  from  the  king,  who  wished  to  see 
what  Sarslield  had  brought.  I  gave  liim  to  understand  that  my  people 
would  not  send  any  thing  until  I  went  to  them  myself,  and  that  in  tho 
evening  I  intended  to  make  a  grand  fetish  to  my  god,  to  know  whether 
I  should  go,  or  stay  at  Funda.  The  king  said  that  wjis  good,  and  that 
he  would  attend  with  all  his  priests  and  suuunon  the  inhabitants  to  wit- 
ness it.  The  fetish  was  to  be  made  under  a  large  tamarind-tree,  at  tho 
upper  end  of  tho  street  in  A\hich  the  court  was  wherein  we  resided. 
We  ma<le  as  much  of  this  alVair  as  we  could,  and  pietended  to  go 
tiirough  suntlry  preparations,  in  order  to  impress  on  the  minds  of  these 
people  an  idea  of  its  importance. 

"  In  the  evening  I  was  carried  out  about  seven  o'clock,  and  seated 
in  the  street  oj)p(isite  the  tree,  the  king  and  his  chief  men  close  by,  sur- 
rounding Sarslield  and  the  Kroomen,  who  were  holding  the  roi-kets  and 
blue  lights  that  we  had  brouglit  out  for  tho  occasion.  As  u  connnence- 
ment  of  the  proceeding,  I  took  a  piece  of  paper  and  with  great  soli'mnity 
fastened  it  to  one  of  the  rockets  and  gave  it  to  Sarsfield  ;  W(i  agreed 
that  the  signal  for  Hring  the  rocki'ts  and  blue  lights,  should  be  the  dis- 
iliarge  of  my  pistol.  An  immense  crowd  of  natives  was  a.ssembU;d  to 
witness  the  ceremony  of  the  white  man's  tVlish  ;  tho  wide  strei't  was 
lilled,  and  the  routs  of  the  iiouses  and  the  tops  of  the  walls  were  crowded 
with  sjK clators,  all  full  of  wonder  and  speculation  as  to  what  they 
were  *o  see, 

"  Every  tiling  being  re.tdy,  I  fired  my  pistol,  and  up  flew  four 
beautiful  two  pound  rockets,  the  discliiirge  of  which  was  inuninliately 
followed  by  the  blaze  of  six  blue  lights,  throwing  a  ghastly  glare  over 
the  whole  scene.  The  etlect  waa  perfectly  electric  ;  the  natives  had  no 
idea  of  what  was  coming,  and  He(l  in  all  directions.  The  king,  lilled 
with  terror,  threw  himself  on  the  groimd  before  me,  and  placing  one  of 
my  feel  on  his  head,  entreated  me  to  preserve  him  from  harm,  and  to 
inform  liim  what  was  the  <lecision  of  the  Kates.  It  was  now  my  turn  to 
make  use  of  the  power  which  I  was  supposed  to  possess,  and  I  replied 
that  I  should  tell  him  prest'iitly,  but  that  I  must  now  retinu  to  my  house 
with  all  my  men.  The  farce  had  been  successful  so  liir,  imd  the  artitice 
was  only  to  be  carried  out  to  a  successful  issue. 

"  After  k«'ej)ing  the  king  in  suspense  about  an  hour,  T  sent  word  to 
him  that  1  was  reaily  to  receive  him,  and  that  he  himself  w:w  to  como 


THE    WHITE    MAN'S    FETISH. 


649 


and  see  the  result  of  the  fetish.  He  o.imo  immediately,  and  as  soon  as 
he  was  seated,  I  told  him  that  I  had  sent  for  him  to  see  whether  I  was 
to  go  or  stay,  and  that  my  god  would  jmnish  them  in  a  manner  of  which 
they  had  no  idea,  if  they  presumed  to  break  his  commandments.  I 
then  took  from  my  pocket  a  little  compass,  and  explained  to  him,  that 
if  the  needle  in  it  pointed  toward  me,  as  soon  as  it  was  place<l  on  the 
gromid,  that  I  was  to  go  from  Funda,  and  that  if  toward  h.im  that  I 
was  to  stay,  to  all  of  which  he  attended  ■with  much  reverence.  I  of 
course  took  care  to  know  my  position,  and  ])lacing  the  compass  on  tlu' 
ground,  the  needle  very  properly  t\irned  toward  me.  This  was  sufficient, 
the  thing  was  done,  and  the  king  was  convinced  that  he  should  allow  me 
to  depart  freely.  I  wished  him  to  handle  it,  but  he  shrimk  from  it  with 
terror,  imagining  that  it  was  i  living  creature,  and  was  glad  to  get  out 
of  my  presence,  atler  having  promised  to  give  me  horsi's,  or  whatever 
I  might  want  in  the  morning.  Wo  had  the  greatest  difficulty  to  pre- 
serve our  gravity  throughout  this  farce,  and  t\hen  Ictl  to  ourselves  wo 
enjoyed  a  hearty  laugh  at  the  success  of  our  jilan,  and  the  credulity  of 
the  king." 

Mr.  Laird  lost  no  time  in  returninrr  to  the  Qt/orr",  which  he  reached 
in  the  begimiing  of  .Time,  having  been  detaine<l  seven  weeks  at  Kunda. 
He  dis])atcheil  the  pursi  r,  Mr.  Hector,  to  the  laf'cr  ]»lace,  for  the  ])ur- 
])ose  of  brit\ging  Jiway  the  goods  he  hail  been  obliged  to  leave  behind 
liim,  but  without  success.  Finding  it  impossible  to  trade  with  the 
natives  to  any  !\<lv!Uitage,  his  crew  being  disiibled  by  sickness,  and  him- 
self in  a  dropsical  stal(>  which  ihreuteiu'd  to  bi'come  ilital,  he  defern\ified 
to  return  to  the  coast.  "On  the  ]0\h  of  July,"  he  says,  "the  water 
having  risen  by  measurement  fourteen  feet,  wo  got  under  weigh,  taking 
the  Aflmrknh  in  tow,  and  ])roceed(>d  rapidly  down  the  river,  j),assing  the 
beautiful  gorgt!  through  the  Kong  ^Mountains,  and  arriving  .at  l)oc(iua, 
where  we  atuliored  to  jiurcliasc;  rice  sind  other  provisions.  About  two 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  to  my  great  surprise,  a  boat  uncU'r  canvas  liove 
in  sight.  I  sen'  a  boat  to  her  with  Hector,  who  returned  with  Mr. 
Lankier  and  Mr.  Oldfield,  our  surgeon,  bringing  a  parcel  of  letters  for 
me.  Mr.  Lander  was  looking  much  worse  than  when  I  last  saw  him, 
and  had  evidently  sufferetl  much  in  tie  boats  from  exposure  to  the 
weather.  He  had  beei»  thirty-two  days  on  his  passage  from  the  Nun, 
in  the  brig's  long  boat.  ]Mr.  Tiander  having  determined  to  endeavor  to 
reach  Boussa  in  i\w  Alhurknh^^wiiX  his  departure  for  tlu^  2Tth;  and 
though  very  anxious  myself  to  visit  a  place  hallowed  by  the  melancholy 
fate  of  Mungo  Park,  I  did  not  consider  myself  just  ifieil  in  returning, 
and  adluriMl  to  my  determination  to  lay  the  vessel  up  at  Fernando  Po 
and  return  to  England." 


( 


Il  f 


h 

ji ,    ! 

'I'lM    ^ 

i  !i!i 


;!  'I 


550 


EXPLORATIONS    OF    TUE    NIGEK. 


NARRATIVE    OF    DR.    OLD  FIELD. 


Mr.  Laird  carried  out  his  purjiose,  and  reuclied  Liverpool  in  safety, 
with  restored  health,  in  January,  18;U.  We  now  follow  the  fortunes  of 
the  remaining  vessel,  the  Alburkah,  which  once  more  proceeded  up  the 
Niger,  having  ou  board  Richard  Lauder,  Lieutenant  Allen,  and  Dr.  Old- 
lield. 

On  the  2d  of  August  thoy  entered  the  Chadda,  intending  to  ascend 
it  to  the  eastward  as  tiir  as  Lake  Tchail,  if  practicable  ;  but  after  pro- 
ceeding a  distance  t)f  one  hundred  and  four  miles,  ajid  reaching  a  country 
called  Domah,  the  king  of  which  was  at  war  with  the  Shekh  of  Bornou, 
they  ran  out  of  provisions,  .and  were  obliged  to  return.  The  people 
would  neither  trade  nor  sell  thein  any  thing,  but  deserted  the  villages 
and  retreated  into  the  woods  at  their  approach.  On  the  '20th  of  August 
they  again  entered  the  Niger,  which  they  doigned  ascending  to  lioussa, 
or  as  far  as  it  wouKl  Ijo  possible  for  the  steamer  to  go.  On  reaching 
Kacunda,  they  saw  the  old  schoolmaster  who  hail  1)een  so  friendly  to  the 
brothers  Lander  on  their  tirst  voy.agc,  and  was  greatly  surpri.sed  to  see 
one  of  them  ;igain.  The  river  was  rising  rapidly,  and  they  experienced 
no  difliculty  in  ascending.  Dr.  Oldtield  says:  "A  number  of  natives 
lini  '.  the  bank  of  the  river,  who,  iis  the  vessel  approached  them,  fell  upon 
their  knees.  Our  interpreter  hailed  them,  and  was  answored  that  they 
mine  to  ttee  the  people  of  Go<l.  A  large  canoe  was  now  seen  approach- 
ing from  a  distance,  contaiirmg  nearly  forty  ])ersons,  several  of  whom 
were  Mallams.  When  near  the  vessel,  the  .Mallams  and  natives  in  front 
tell  down  on  their  knees,  exclaiming,  '  Allah  um  de  le  la  fee  !  Allah  um 
de  le  la  fee  !'  ((lod  is  great,  and  Ood  jjreserve  you!)  They  continued 
repeating  extracts  from  the  Koran  as  they  drew  nearer  ;  and  when  the 
Mallams  in  the  front  had  kni'lt,  tlnjse  behind  them  fell  down  in  the  same 
niarmer.  It  w  us  an  extraordinary  sight,  and  produced  a  strange  but 
very  ])li'asing  elVeet.'' 

At  Kgga,  where  they  arrived  on  the  7lh  of  September,  they  saw 
Felatahs  for  the  first  time.  They  made  no  halt  here,  howi'Ver,  but  ki'pt 
on  their  way  to  Kabba,  which  they  reached,  with()ut  accident,  on  the 
l(Jt!i.  "  As  we  rapidly  approached  the  town,"  says  Dr.  Oldtield,  "  it  ap- 
peared to  be  situated  on  the  slope  of  a  rising  ground  ;  and  the  houses 
l»eing  built  one  !d)ove  the  other,  imjtart  to  il  the  appearaiu-e  of  an  am- 
jdiitheater.  With  the  aiil  of  a  glass  we  could  discern  an  amazing  (U<,'wd 
of  natives  assembled  on  the  banks;  but,  what  was  more  in  accordance 
with  our  Avishes,  we  could  distinguish  horses,  cows,  l)ullo(ks,  sheep,  and 
goats.  As  we  drew  neariT,  we  foimd  the  city  to  be  of  immenso  extent, 
with  villages  all  ro\md  the  suburbs.  The  king  was  apprised  of  our  in- 
tention to  fire  a  salute,  and  the  walls  of  Habba,  for  the  first  lime,  re- 
echoed with  the  sound  of  Ikitisli  cannon,  and  her  people  witnessed  a 
lovel  Hight  in  the  urrival  of  a  British  steam-vessel  constructed  of  iron. 


FATLUUE    OF    THE    EXPEDITION. 


551 


L_ 


After  our  s.ilnto,  our  people  broke  out  into  three  hearty  cheers,  which 
perhaps  surprised  still  more  the  thousands  of  human  beings  that  were 
assembled  before  the  walls  of  Kabba." 

It  was  (U'termined  to  establish  a  trade  at  this  ])laco,  and  then  to  run 
the  AU»irk(ifi  as  far  toward  Houssa  as  possible,  after  which  I^ander  and 
OldlieM  would  proceed  in  the  long-boat.  Both  of  these  i)lans,  however, 
were  thwart'Ml ;  the  floods  did  not  meet  with  a  ready  sale,  and  the  en- 
gineer discovered  a  Haw  in  the  cylinder,  which  disabled  the  l)oat  from 
advanchii^  against  a  strong  current.  They  remained  here  until  tin;  L'd 
of  October,  wlien,  iinditig  that  little  was  to  be  done  in  the  way  of  trade, 
and  that  the  river  was  beginning  to  fall,  they  (lecide<l  to  ri'turn  to  the 
8ea-co,ist.  ^Vllile  visiting  their  old  friend  Abokko,  at  Damuggoo,  on  the 
voyage  down,  Lander  gave  him  a  very  handsotne  necklace,  which  had 
been  intended  fl)r  the  King  of  jjoussa,  and  he  repaid  it  l)y  the  gilt  of  a 
large  island  opposite^  th(>  town,  to  which  the  name  of  English  Island  was 
given.  Mr.  Ibown,  one  of  the  company's  clerks,  was  plai'cd  upon  it, 
to  traile  witli  the  natives  during  the  ab.scnce  of  the  steamer,  Abokko 
having  promised  to  buiM  a  house  t()rhim.  The  vessel  thou  resumed  her 
voyage,  and  reached  the  sea  on  the  Hist. 

"  No  sooner  had  we  reached  Fernando  Po,"  says  Dr.  Oldlield.  "  tlian 
I  became  too  unwell  to  .attend  to  any  thing  that  was  going  foiwaril  re- 
sjiecting  the  destination  of  the  vessel.  Lieuteiiant  Allen,  having  eom- 
pleteil  Ills  survey  of  the  river,  determined  on  returning  to  Kiigland  by 
the  fnst  opportunity  ;  and  it  was  now  arranged  that  I  should  go  again 
up  the  river  with  tlie  vessel,  while  Mr.  Lander,  after  visiting  Cape  Coast 
and  Accrali  for  cowries,  was  to  Ibllow  me,  and  expected  to  rejoiii  me  up 
the  rive-  in  .about  six  weeks."' 

On  the  'JTth  of  November  they  wi're  again  in  the  liiver  Nun.  Lan- 
der left  the  same  day  in  the  (^>'«>nvM'or  Cape  Coiist,  while  i\w  Alfn/rAa/i, 
under  the  command  of  Dr.  Oldlield,  sailed  for  iho  Nigi'r.  Shortly  after 
passing  Kiioe,  tlie  ingine  gave  way,  and  all  ehorts  to  repair  it  seeme<i  to 
be  inelVectual.  While  these  attempts  were  g<.".^  ,  on.  Dr.  Oldtield  took 
a  boat  and  ascendeil  tln^  river  to  ldd;ih,  wliei  be  arriveil  on  the  'J:td 
of  DecendiiT,  .and  f»nnd  !Mr.  lb-own,  the  clerk,  tvho  had  bcenlel)  behind, 
l-'inally,  on  the  1st  of  January,  lH:;t,  tiie  engine  was  again  put  in  motion, 
but  in  the  nu'an  time  the  engineers  ain^  >■  'veral  of  the  crew  h.ad  died. 
Dr.  Oldlield  was,  therefore,  obliged  to  intrust  the  niaiuigenu'iit  of  the 
engine  entinly  to  the  black  lin  men.  They  proceeded  very  slowly,  and 
did  not  reach  Iddah  until  the  1  Ith. 

From  thi"*  time  forward,  the  journal  of  Dr.  Oldfleld  is  little  else  than 
a  record  of  his  dealinurs  with  the  Kings  of  Iddah,  .\bokko,  ami  other  na- 
tive chiefs,  in  his  emleavors  to  establish  a  trade.  The  foiMuer,  whoso 
name  was  Attah,  was  the  sanu'  man  who  had  poisoned  I'ascoe,  and  en- 
deavored to  get  Lander  into  his  power  witii  the  same  object.  Abokko 
alone  was  faithful,  and  inclineil  to  take  their  part,  but  tli.re  was  no 
tnd  to  the  intrigue  and  deceit  whii'h  they  encountered.     The  tradin;; 


»     f 


n\ 


Hi  I 


i  > 


'  1 


!,    i 


I  I      i 


¥i 


I  f 


552 


EXPLORATIONS    OF    THE    NIGER. 


Ml 


I'ljiij 


ojterations  were  tolerably  successful,  and  they  received  a  larger  qtiantity 
of  ivory  than  they  had  before  taken.  In  the  early  jiart  of  Fcbiuary 
they  heard  a  rumor  th:it  Kiehard  LandiT,  in  ascending  the  river  to  re- 
join them,  "with  a  supply  of  cowries,  had  been  attacked  and  i)lundered 
in  the  Eboe  country  ;  and  this  was  conlirmed  on  the  20th  of  March  by 
a  letter  fn;ni  Lander  himself,  who  stated  that  he  had  been  attacked  on 
tli(>  20th  of  January,  near  a  village  called  Ilyammah,  about  eighty-five 
miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  river.  Three  men  were  killed,  and  the 
boat  taken,  with  I'very  thing  it  coutained,  Lander  and  the  other  men 
barely  escaping  in  a  light  canoe,  in  which  they  pulled  down  the  stream 
all  night.  J.ander  was  severely  wuuuded  by  a  bull  iu  the  thigh,  and 
had  returned  to  Foruaudo  To. 


LANDF.ttS  ORAVE. 

In  IMarch,  Dr.  Oldfield  received  notice  from  Abokko  that  an  attack 
on  the  steamer  was  designed  by  the  natives,  and  consi-quently  kept  a 
strict  watch  at  night,  to  guard  against  surpris:-.  He  remained  in  this 
region  until  the  1st  of  June,  constantly  expost'd  to  the  danger  of  hostil- 
ities, which  wer;'  only  avoided,  in  two  or  tliree  instances,  by  his  coolness 
and  determination.  Finally,  his  men  being  all  niore  or  less  disabled  by 
the  fevers,  which  lc;d  already  carried  oft'  several  of  them,  he  tlecided  to 
return  to  the  sea.  In  passing  down  the  river,  he  reached,  on  the  'Jlst, 
tlie  spot  wlu're  Land(  r  had  ])een  attackeil.  He  says:  "  ^bout  three 
o'clock,  on  passing  a  town  situate  on  the  left  bank,  ab  »  l\.  )  hundred 
natives  rushed  fidin  luliind  the  trees  mid  firi'il  at  lis,  taking  deliberate 
aim.  I  stixid  by  the  niru'-pounder  and  tired  a  rocket  ovt  r  the  town; 
but  thin  ilid  not  appear  to  alarm  them,  Ibr  they  kept  up  an  irregular  lire, 


G0VP:RNML;NT    expedition    to    the    NIGER. 


553 


running  along  the  bunk  "svith  the  vessel  xiniil  we  rounded  the  point  and 
got  out  of  sight  of  the  town.  Tlie  niusket-balls  flew  about  the  tempo- 
rary house  and  the  ship's  quarter-deck  in  all  directions  for  s(!veral  min- 
utes ;  and  although  tin.  y  struck  the  chimney  and  roof  of  the  Iiouse,  we 
all  escaped." 

The  Alhuri'cah  reached  Fernando  Po  on  the  9tb  of  July.  Richard 
Lander  h:ul  d'ed  in  consecpience  of  the  M'ound-j  he  had  received,  an<I 
was  buried  in  a  sequestered  sjtot  near  the  town,  .it  the  base  of  a  lofly 
cotton-tree,  where  a  monument  has  tsinco  been  |>]aced  to  his  memory 
and  that  of  the  many  other  daring  men  who  have  liillen  in  the  attempt 
to  open  the  savage  regions  of  Africa  to  intercourse  with  the  civilized 
world. 

Dr.  Oldfield  took  passage  for  England  on  the  11th  of  August,  "On 
the  18th  of  Xovembi'r,"  lu;  says,  "I  reached  London,  but  in  a  very  in- 
flrni  state  of  health,  lia\ing  suftlred  much  in  my  conBtitution  from 
exposure  to  climete  and  all  kinds  of  privation,  and  the  only  Euroj)ean 
left  alive  of  tho  crew  of  the  Jlburkah  who  left  Fernando  I'o  in  No- 
vember " 


ALLEN    AND    TnOMPSON'S    EXPEDITION   TO   THE    NIGER. 

After  the  f'lilure  of  Mr.  Laird's  commercial  expedition  to  the  Niger, 
no  further  attempt  was  made  for  several  years.  In  1839,  howevm-,  a 
society  was  formed,  umler  the  pic:;idency  of  Prince  Albert,  "  for  the 
Extinction  of  the  Slave  trade  and  the  Civilization  of  Africa.''  A  depu- 
tation from  this  society  waited  on  Lord  John  Uuss"ll,  recommending 
that  a  government  expedition  thould  be  sent  to  tlie  coast  of  Africa,  and 
the  river  Nigi-r,  with  commissioners  empowered  to  form  treaties  of  com- 
merce ami  for  the  suppression  of  the  external  slave-trade.  A(h'r  some 
deliberation  the  government  acceded,  ami  orders  were  given  to  build 
three  iron  steamers  for  the  service.  Two  of  these,  the  Albert  and  WiJ- 
hcr/orre,  were  140  feet  in  Ii'ngth,  anil  of  457  tons  burden;  the  third,  the 
SoKilmiy  was  of  I'oO  tons  only,  and  11  ;i  feet  in  length. 

The  vessels  were  built  during  the  summer  of  U'40  ;  in  November  of 
that  year,  most  of  the  oflicers  a])pointed  to  the  expedition  had  joined 
their  respective  ships,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  crews  had  entered. 
Captain  Trotter  was  ajipoiutiMl  commander  of  the  Alhwt,  Captain  Wil- 
liam Allen,  of  the  Winwr/vn'e,  ;uid  Captain  Bird  Alien  of  the  SowJan. 
Tliese  threo  eommanderH,  with  Mr.  William  Cook,  were  n]»pointed  com- 
niissioiuTK,  empowered  to  make  treaties.  Li  addition,  several  scientific 
men  were  sent  out,  under  the  auspices  of  the  African  Civilization  Society. 
As  auxiliary  to  tiie  pur)»ose  of  the  society,  but  not  otlicially  connected 
with  it,  nor  with  the  «'xpeiliti()n,  an  Agricultural  Society  was  formed, 
with  the  intention  of  establishing  a  nnxlel  farm  hi  such  a  locnlity  as 
might  be  selected  1.;,   the  commissioi.ers.     The  Admiralty  granted  a 


!i 


;-l 


ii 


1 


1 


ill 


■»m. 


It  f 


il^jl 


ill 


I'ji !  ii^ 


]'\ 


|i    '  .1 


,  till 


M  ■**• 


554 


EXPLORATIONS    OF    TRK    NIGER. 


passage  to  ]\Ir.  Carr,  a  colored  West  Indian,  who  was  engaged  to  act  as 
siiperiutcndent  of  the  farm.     All  the  preparations  having  been  eom- 


pleted,  the  expedition  sailed  from  England  on  the  22d  of  April,  1841. 

After  touching  at  the  Canaries,  Sierr.-i  Leone,  liiberia,   and  C;  ^ 
Coast  Castle,  the  three  vessels  reached  tlie  river  Nun  on  the  9th  of 
August.    The  surf  was  very  heavy  on  the  bar,  and  owing  to  the  vessels 


ape 


MOrTFt   OF  THE   NiriER. 

being  rntlior  deeply  laden,  with  their  coal,  su|)plies,  and  the  articles  for 
the  model  flirm,  which  they  had  tJiken  on  board  at  Cape  C'oast,  they  did 
not  venture  to  attempt  the  entrance,  until  the  loth,  wlu-n  the  sea  was 
smooth.  Says  Captain  Allen:  "  Tt  was  a  moment  of  deep  ami  l)rcathlcs9 
expectation,  both  as  being  a  jKissage  of  considerable  ditheulty  and  as 
being  tlie  lirst  absolute  step  in  that  ])ath,  so  full  of  novelty  and  exc  iting 
interest,  but  which  all  knew  must  be  fraught  with  danger;  yet  their 
zeal  did  not  sutler  such  anticipations  to  tlarken  their  prospec-t,  .and  t'.io 
accom)ilishment  of  the  entrance  of  the  river  Nige  was  announced  by 
three  <'l;,'ers  from  the  whole  crew." 

On  the  'Joth,  they  started  on  their  voyage  up  t'..'  river,  passing  into 
the  main  stream  by  the  same  narrow  channel  which  L.andtT  ;ind  liaird 
had  chosen,  and,  after  plor  :  ;  a  new  arm  of  the  river  to  the  westward, 
anchored  olf  Kboe,  tlu  ,esidence  of  Ki:.sr  Obie,  on  the  evening  of  the 
'2r)th.  The  next  d.ay, , 'cr  sending  one  </.  .lis  sons  to  ascertain  the  inten- 
tions of  his  visitors,  King  ()bi(<  made  his  appearance,  in  his  state  canoe, 
with  a  numerous  retinue,  and  a  deafcnijig  company  of  native  drummers 
and  singers.  On  rciching  the  deck  «>f  the  WUhrforre,  the  king  recog- 
nized Captain  Allen  (who,  as  I.itMiten.ant  Allen,  had  accom])anie<l  Lander 
and  Oldtield  in  the  Alfmrkah)  as  an  old  friend.  "He  brought  with  him," 
says  the  Captain,  "two  lUvoritc  wives  and  a  daughter;  ouo  of  the  for- 


TREATY    "WITH    KING    OBIE. 


555 


mer  probably  was  not  more  than  thirteen,  anil  wan  younger  than  tlie 
(laughter.  They  were  simply  attired  with  a  scanty  waist-clot ii  ;  but  two 
dresses  of  flaming  red  silk,  and  another  of  cotton  j)rint,  sujiplied  to  the 
expedition  by  their  compassionate  sistersof  our  own  blest  land,  were  pre- 
sented to  them,  and  very  socm  ))ut  on,  l)ut  did  not  appear  to  add  at  all 
to  their  comfort,  as  they  stood  trembling  between  fear  and  joy.'' 


KINO  OBIE  AND  HIS  WIVKS. 

After  a  consultation  between  the  coniinissioners  and  King  Ohio,  the 
latter  expressed  ;;is  willingness  to  make  such  a  treaty  as  they  proposed 
to  him — to  give  uj)  the  slave-trade  in  liis  dominions,  and  prevent  his 
neighbors,  as  far  as  possible,  from  carrying  it  on — to  give  Kngiish  trad- 
ers the  freedom  of  the  river,  allow  them  to  purchase  houses  and  lands, 
and  both  to  enjoy  their  own  religion  and  to  convert  his  own  subjects  to 
it,  without  disttirbance.  On  tee  I'Mth,  the  treaty  lia\ing  been  carefully 
explained,  was  signed  by  the  coiumissioners  on  the  i)art  of  the  queen, 
properly  witnessed  ;  and  by  Obie,  vitnessed  by  his  eldest  son  and  two 
brothers.  Captain  Tn^lter  then  re(piested  the  chaplain,  the  Kev.  Theo- 
dore Muller,to  ask  the  bh^ssing  t)f  (lod  on  this  successful  comiacncement 
of  their  labors.  "The  nature  of  the  «!eremony  hav'ng  been  cxi^ained  to 
Obie,"  savs  Captain  Allen,  "with  an  intimation  thai  lie  might  remain  or 
retire,  he  signifu'd  his  wish  tOjoinus,  and  imitated  our  example  in  kneel- 
uig  to  the  Christian's  (Jod — to  !iiin  an  unknown  and  inaiipreciable  being. 

"In  that  solemn  moment,  when  the  stillness  was  unbrok"n,  save  by 
the  reverential  voice  of  the  clergyman,  and  all  were  devoutly  en'Tatrcd, 
ui»ie  became  vi.ilently  agitated.  On  the  conclusion  of  the  ceremony  he 
started  up,  and  uttering  a  sudden  fearfid  evclamation,  called  aloud  for 
his  ju-ju  m.an  to  l)ring  his  piotecting  '  Arrisi,' «»r  idol,  being  evidently 
under  the  impression  that  wo  had  performed  some  incantation  to  his 
prejudice,  the  adverse  tendencies  of  which,  it  wt)uld  be  necessary  to 


!  iil 


w 


i\ 


Il  f 


M§'\ 


'It 


IW1 


1  -^n 


l»!  1^^ 


556 


EXPLORATIONS    OF   THB   NIGER. 


counteract  by  a  sacrifice  on  his  part.  He  stood  trembling  with  fear  and 
agitation  ;  the  perspiration  streamed  down  his  face  and  neck,  showing 
how  great  was  tlie  agony  of  mind  he  endured.  The  priest  had  heard 
the  cry  of  his  sovereign,  and  rushing  into  the  cabin  with  the  idol — a 
piece  of  blackened  wood,  enveloped  in  cloth — which  the  king  placed  be- 
tween his  feet,  was  about  to  offer  the  customary  libation  of  palm-wine, 
etc.,  when  Captain  Trotter,  also  much  disconcerted  at  the  idea  of  a 
heathen  cereiiiony  being  iierfbrmed  in  our  presen(!e,  and  in  oi)position  to 
the  rites  of  our  holy  religion,  interrupted  him,  and  called  for  Captain 


THE  MODEL  FARM. 


Bird  Allen,  who  had  just  left  the  cabin.  It  was  an  interval  of  breatliless 
anxiety,  the  king  became  every  moment  more  alarmed,  and  desirous  to 
continue  his  sacrifice,  until  it  was  explained  to  him  that  we  had  askt-d 
the  Great  God,  wlio  was  Father  of  us  all,  to  bestow  His  blessing  alike 
on  the  black  people  and  on  us.  This  immediately  j)acified  him,  he  de- 
sisted from  the  operations,  and  his  good  humor  as  quickly  returned." 

On  the  1st  t)f  September,  the  vessels  reacheil  Damuggoo,  the  resi- 
dence of  old  Abokko,  who  had  proved  so  true  a  friend  to  the  Landi'rs 
and  Mr.  Laird.  They  were  grieved  to  find  that  the  old  man  had  been 
dead  for  several  years.  His  family,  however,  was  still  in  great  power, 
one  of  his  sojis,  Okien,  having  succeeded  him  in  the  government  of  the 
town  and  territory.  They  then  proceeded  to  Iddah,  where  the  commis- 
sioners had  several  interviews  with  the  treacherous  old  king,  Attah,  He 
professed  his  entire  willingness  to  discontinue  tlie  slave-trade,  prevent  it 
from  being  carried  on,  to  discontinue  human  sacrifices,  receive  and  treat 
hospitably  English  traders,  and  finally,  to  give  up  such  a  tract  of  land 
for  the  purposes  of  the  model  farm,  as  the  conmiissioners  might  select. 
After  making  all  these  promises,  he  was  particularly  anxious  to  see  the 


RAVAGES    OF    TIIK    FKVER. 


557 


presents  intended  for  him.  All  the  ivrrangements  liaviiig  been  conchided, 
the  expedition  letl  on  the  8th  for  the  eontiuenoe  of  the  Niger  and  the 
Chaddrt,  near  which  j)oint  the  commissioners  jiroposed  to  h)oate  tlie 
model  farm. 

By  this  time  the  fever  liad  ma<le  its  appearance  on  board  the  vessels, 
and  soon  occasioned  fearful  havoc.  The  men  dit-cl  every  day,  and  they 
had  every  reason  to  expect  a  recurrence  of  the  melancholy  scenes  on 
board  the  Quorra  and  Alfnirkah.  On  the  llith,  they  reached  the  jimc- 
tion,  and  the  botanist  and  geologist,  having  examined  the  country,  re- 
commended a  spot  on  the  western  bank  of  the  Ni;.'er,  opposite  the  mouth 
of  the  Chadda,  and  near  a  lofty  hill  called  Blount  Stirling,  by  Lander. 
The  preliminaries  were  agreed  upcm  between  the  commissioners  and  the 
agents  of  Attah,  ami  the  land  was  purchased  for  the  sum  of  700,000 
cowries  (about  $220).  The  tract  extended  about  sixteen  miles  along 
the  bank  of  the  river,  and  four  miles  in  depth. 

"On  the  18th  of  September,"  says  Captain  Allen,  "the  number  of 
sick  had  increased  to  sixty,  and  death  had  already  done  fearful  execution 
among  us.  The  scenes  at  night  Avere  most  agonizing.  Xothing  b)it 
muttering  delirium,  or  suppressed  groans  were  heard  on  every  side  on 
board  the  vessels,  affording  a  sad  contrast  to  the  placid  character  of  the 
river  and  its  surrounding  scenery."  It  was  at  first  jiroposed  to  send  the 
invalids  to  the  summit  of  the  hills,  in  order  to  enjoy  a  purer  air  ;  l)nt 
the  surgeon  declared  that  they  could  not  safely  be  removed,  and  Cap- 
tain Trotter  then  decided  to  put  them  on  board  the  Snahni,  and  have 
them  carried  down  to  the  sea-coast.  On  Sunday,  the  19th,  this  Avas 
done ;  "  Prayers  were  road  to  the  crews  of  both  vessels.  It  was  an 
affecting  scene.  The  whole  of  one  side  of  the  little  vessel  was  covered 
with  the  invalids,  and  the  cabins  were  full  of  officers  ;  there  was,  indeed, 
no  room  for  more." 

A  conference  of  the  commanders  was  now  lield,  as  to  the  proper 
course  to  be  pursued.  On  the  one  hand  it  was  proposed  that  they 
should  ascend  the  Niger  as  far  as  llabba,  to  make  a  treaty  with  the  I<'e- 
latahs,  and  other  native  tribes  ;  while  Captain  William  Allen,  who  had 
some  experience  of  the  river  and  its  clim.Tte,  strongly  urged  an  im- 
mediate return  to  the  sea,  in  order  to  restore  the  health  of  the  crews. 
After  a  h>ng  discussion  it  was  decided  that  the  Albert  should  attempt  to 
reach  llabba,  while  the  Wilherforve  should  descend  the  river,  and  pro- 
ceed to  carry  out  the  intentions  of  the  government  in  the  JJights  of 
Benin  and  Biafra.  Captain  Trotter  havir.g  prepared  his  dis])atches  for 
England,  the  vessels  separated  on  the  20th  of  September. 

The  Wilherforce  reaiihed  Fernando  Po  on  the  1st  of  October,  and 
found  the  Soudan  at  andior  there.  Several  persons  had  died  on  both 
vessels,  and  as  there  was  no  diminution  of  the  sick-list,  but  the  contrary, 
Captain  Allen  resolved  to  leave  Fernando  Po  as  soon  as  possible — its 
reputation  for  unhealthiness  being  second  only  to  the  fatal  Niger — and 
to  proceed  to  Ascension,  as  the  best  means  under  Providence  of  enabling 


\    \ 


m 


f  bIVH 


I'l^l 


I     J  .  ii: 


I  '  }  '!'! 


""i 


i;ff'-. 


It 


m 


Hi'  ^ 
'Vi 


'■' 


558 


KXPLORATIONS    OF    TILE    NIGLU. 


llio  crew  of  the  Wdhp.rforce  to  recover  llieir  healtli.  A  small  trading 
steam  r,  callotl  the  Mhiopc,  tinder  charge  of  3Ir.  Becroft,  was  engaged 
to  i)roceed  at  once  up  the  Niger  ill  order  to  assist  the  AUxr',  if,  as  was 
feared,  fier  officers  and  crew  should  be  disabled  by  fever,  ^l,l'  sailed  on 
the  7th,  and  two  days  afterward  the  Wilbcrforce  left  on  her  sanitary 
cruise.  Slie  visited  Prince's  Island,  St.  Thomas,  Annoboi'  and  Ascen- 
sion ;  the  sick  grailually  recovered,  with  two  or  three  cNii-ptions,  the 
vessel  was  overhauled  and  thoroughly  cleansed,  and  C!aj;tain  Allen  was 
about  to  sail  for  the  coast  of  Africa  in  the  beginning  of  January,  1842, 
when  ihe  melancholy  intelligence  reached  Ascension  that  the  AUu rt 
h;id  returned  to  Fernando  I'o,  with  all  her  crew  dangerously  ill  with 
fe-  cr. 

"They  had  been  immediately  landed  at  the  liospital,  where  Com- 
mander Uird  Allen,  with  several  officers  and  men  liad  fallen  a  sacrifice 
to  their  zeal  in  braving  to  the  utmost  the  climate  of  the  fatal  river. 
In  fact,  the  vessel  and  her  crew  were  only  saved  from  great  risk  of 
destruction  by  the  timely  meeting  of  Mr.  I?ecrot\,  in  the  Ktliiope^  who 
broiiLrht  them  safely  to  Fernando  Po.  She  had  been  conducted  as  far 
as  the  j)oint  where  her  deliverer  was  met,  by  the  ahnost  superhuman 
exertions  of  Doctors  McWilliam  and  Stanger ;  but  it  was  not  possible 
that  their  unaided  strength  could  liave  lasted  much  longer.  Captain 
Trotter  Avas  reported  to  be  in  such  danger,  that  the  medical  men  had 
thought  it  necessary  Ik;  should  immediately  return  to  England,  as  the 
only  nu'ans  of  saving  his  life,  and  that  oHicer  deeming  it  also  of  im- 
portance that  one  of  liu'  commissioners  should  lay  before  her  majesty's 
government  a  't.vtcment  of  the  condition  of  the  vessels  and  survivors  of 
the  expediti<v  I,  had  taken  liis  passage  in  a  small  schooner  which  was 
about  to  Hail  f(>r  Kugland." 

Dr.  rTcWilliimi's  journal  of  wliat  occurred  on  board  the  Albert  after 
the  d(.'j)artur(  of  the  Wilht-rforce  and  Soxdaii  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Chadda,  udrs  another  melancholy  chapter  to  the  history  of  Niger  ex- 
plonition.  i(  will  be  remembered  that  Captain  Trotter  had  determined 
to  ascend  as  far  as  Rabba,  but  the  number  of  the  sick  increased  as  he 
advanced,  and  l>y  the  time  he  reached  Kgga,  on  the  2Bth  of  Sej)tendK'r, 
the  engineer  was  unable  to  perform  his  duty.  The  King  of  Egga  re- 
ceived the  office  rs  in  a  friendly  raanner,  but  refused  to  make  a  treaty, 
through  fear  cf  the  F(  latahs.  On  the  3d  of  October,  Dr.  McWilliam 
writes:  "Tliis  day  our  hopes  of  penetrating  further  into  the  interior 
receiv((d  a  fitli^hing  blow.  Our  arduous,  enterprisitig,  and  kind  chief,  who 
was  complaining  yesterday,  has  now  unmistakable  symptoms  of  fever. 
Commander  Bird  Allen  lies  in  a  very  critical  state,  and  upward  of 
tAventy  others  of  our  companions  are  completely  prostrated.  In  short, 
of  the  Avhites  at  all  fit  for  duty,  there  remain  only  one  seaman,  tt»c 
sergeant,  and  one  private  of  marines,  John  Huxley,  sick  attendant,  John 
Duncan,  master-at-arms,  Mr.  Willie,  mate,  Dr.  Stanger,  and  myself 
TliG  time,  therefore,  seems  now  to  have  arrived  when  th?re  is  no  reason- 


THE    MODEL    FARM    ABANDONED. 


559 


able  prospect  tif  our  roiicliing  Ivabbri  tliis  season;  and  no  alternative  left, 
us  Init  to  return  to  the  sea  with  all  possible  speed." 

On  the  voyage  down  several  deaths  occurred.  Two  of  tlic  oIliciTS 
juniited  overboard,  while  in  the  th'liriuni  ot"  fever,  and  one  of  them  was 
lost.  The  entile  command  and  management  of  the  vessel  de vol \  ed  on 
Doctors  McWilliam  and  Stanger,  the  former  of  whom  undertook  the 
navigation,  while  the  latter  acted  as  engineer:  and  in  addition  to  these 
labors,  they  took  charge  of  the  sick.  At  tlie  nuxlel  farm,  they  found 
that  the  persons  they  had  left  had  cleared  and  jilanted  twelve  acres  of 
grc;.nd,  and  built  several  huts,  but  3Ii-.  Carr,  the  superintendent,  with 
the  schoolmaster  and  gardener,  M'crc  so  ill,  that  tlic  physicians  had  them 
brought  on  board,  and  gave  the  farm  into  the  ( liarge  of  Ralph  Moore, 
an  American  lU'gro,  who  had  accomi  ..:iied  the  expedition  from  Liberia. 
On  the  l;ith,  below  Eboe,  they  f".  umately  met  tlic  7iV/</o^>c,  without 
the  assistance  of  which  vessel  th.  ild  hav<'  been  unable  to  cross  the 

bar  at  the  month  of  the  Nun,  and  i  I  7th,  rt^ached  Fernando  ]'o. 

After  the  ileparture  of  Cajit.-iin 'i  .  .ater  for  England,  the  command  of 
the  expedition  devolved  n])on  Caplain  AlKi..  In  a  consultation  with 
]\[r.  Cook,  the  remaining  commissioner,  it  Avas  decided  to  jirocci'd  up 
the  Niger  again,  to  the  relief  of  the  settlers  of  the  model  larm  ;  but 
Caplain  Allen  deferred  this  trip  until  June,  ■when  tlie  Niger  should  be 
swollen  by  tlu;  tropical  rains.  In  the  mean  time  he  ])rocccdeil  to  carry 
out  the  object  of  the  expedition  in  the  iSights  of  I'lenin  and  liialra,  which 
occupied  him  until  the  beginning  of  June,  when  he  returned  to  Fer- 
nando Po.  lie  was  preparing  to  set  out  for  the  Niger  ouc'wnore,  when, 
on  the  '2  ttli  of  June,  dispatches  arrived  from  England  to  put  a  stop  to 
the  expedition,  and  forward  the  ollieers  and  men  coinjiosing  it  to  En- 
gland, with  the  exception  of  the  few  who  would  be  retpiired  to  proceed 
to  the  relief  of  the  persons  left  at  the  model  farm. 

The  Wilbcrforca  was  detailed  for  this  service,  under  the  <'ominand 
of  Lieutenant  Webb,  and  having  been  fitted  out  in  all  haste,  entered 
the  mouth  of  the  Niger  m\  the  2d  of  July.  She  proceeded  up  the  river 
rapidly,  jiassed  Idda  on  the  10th,  and  had  nearly  reached  the  mouth  of 
the  Chadda,  when  she  struck  on  a  sunken  rock.  She  was  built  in  I'om- 
2>artments,  which  alone  j)revented  her  from  being  a  total  loss  ;  but  the 
damage  was  so  serious,  that  on  reaching  the  model  farm,  ]\Ir.  Webb 
was  obliged  to  run  lier  aground  to  have  the  hull  repaired.  This  was 
accomplished  in  a  (lay  or  two,  and  the  vessel  got  afloat  again;  and,  as 
fever  had  already  made  its  appearaiu-e,  haste  was  made  to  reship  the 
goods  and  stores  at  the  model  farm  and  nturn  down  the  river.  It  was 
found  that  Moore,  who  had  been  left  in  chargo  of  the  undertaking,  had 
not  sufficient  control  over  his  subordinates  ;  the  latter  were  idle  and 
vicious ;  and  though  the  crops  promised  well  ami  the  natives  were 
friendly,  it  was  thought  best  to  abandon  the  jilace  altogether. 

Lieutenant  Webb  retu"ncd  to  Fernando  Po  on  the  HOth  of  July,  and 
soon  afterward  sailed  in  the  Wilbcrfon'c  for  England,  w  here  he  arrived 


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BXPLOEATIONS    OF    THE    NIGER. 


on  the  1 7th  of  NovoniLer.  Ciiptiiiii  Allen  and  the  remainilor  of  the  ex- 
pedition had  already  arrived  in  September.  Thus  disastrously  terminated 
an  imposing  attempt  to  open  the  Niger  to  English  cotnmerce — not  from 
any  Avant  of  energy  or  courage  on  the  part  of  those  Avho  engaged  in  it, 
but  from  the  ravages  of  a  climate  into  which  few  Europeans  can  venture 
and  live.  Of  the  total  of  one  hundred  aiul  forty-five  Europeans  who  took 
l)art  in  this  expedition,  forty-four  died,  and  only  fovirteen  escaped  with- 
out au  attack  of  fever. 


le  ex- 

nated 
;  from 
in  it, 
inture 
3  took 
with- 


MOFFAT'S 


LIFE    IN    SOUTHERN    AFRICA. 


TnK  Rev.  Robert  Moffat  was  sent  to  South  Africa  in  the  year  1817, 
as  an  agent  of  tlie  London  Missionary  Society.  lie  immediately  entered 
on  the  duties  of  his  olhce  with  zeal,  courage,  and  alacrity,  departing  from 
Ca2)e  Town,  soon  after  his  arrival,  into  the  country  ol"  the  Bechuanas, 
where  he  remained  many  yeai-s,  enduring  the  rude  life  of  one  of  the 
lowest  varieties  of  the  Imman  race,  encountering  many  dangers  and  dif- 
ficulties, hut  susi.iiurd  through  all  by  a  truly  Christian  patience  and  hu- 
manity, lie  kibori'd  in  this  held  until  1840 — a  period  of  twenty-three 
years — during  which  time  he  became  familiar  with  the  character  and 
habits  of  nearly  all  the  wild  liushmen  tribes  between  the  English  settle- 
ments and  the  mountains  of  IJamangwato,  far  beyond  the  Orange  River, 
and  on  the  borders  of  the  imknown  country  recently  explored  by  Dr. 
Livingstone.  Li  184'2  he  i)ublished  in  London  an  account  of  liis  expe- 
rience entitled  :  "  Missionary  Labors  and  Scenes  in  Soutliern  Africa," 
contaiuing  nnich  curious  information  ccmcerning  the  native  tribes.  As 
he  was  not,  strictly  speaking,  an  explorer,  and  his  work  is  a  series  of 
observations  and  ri'Hcctions,  rather  than  a  connected  narrative,  it  will  bo 
sutticient  to  extract  those  portions  which  best  describe  the  country  and 
its  uihal»itants. 

!Mr.  IMolfat  gives  the  fi-lloving  account  of  the  region  where  so  many 
years  of  his  life  were  8i»ent :  "  Great  Namaqua-land,  as  it  is  usually  called, 
lies  north  of  the  Orange  River,  on  the  western  coast  of  Africa,  between  the 
twenty-third  ami  twt'iity-eighth  degrees  of  south  latitude;  lK)unded  on  the 
north  by  the  Damaras,  and  on  the  east  by  an  extensive  sandy  desert,  called 
byMr.Camjibell  the  Southern  Zara,orZahara.  Meeting  with  an  individual, 
on  my  journey  thither,  who  had  spent  years  in  that  country,  T  asked  what 
was  its  character  and  appearance  V  '  Sir,'  he  re])licd,  '  you  will  hnd  jilenty 
of  sand  and  stones,  a  thinly  scattered  population,  always  suifering  from 
want  of  water,  on  plains  ami  liills  roasted  like  a  b\irned  loaf,  under  the 
scorching  rays  of  a  cloudless  sun.'  Of  the  truth  of  this  description  I 
Boon  had  ample  demonstration.     It  is  intersected  by  the  Fish  and  'Gup 

30 


W  f 


It 


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tin 


I 

I 


I 


if: 


562 


MOFFAT'S    LIFE    IN    SOUTHERN    AFRICA. 


liivers,  with  their  numberless  tributary  streams,  if  sueh  their  dry  and 
often  glowing  beds  may  be  termed.  Sometimes,  tor  years  together 
they  are  not  known  to  run  ;  wlien,  after  the  stagnant  pools  are  dried  up, 
the  natives  congregate  to  their  beds,  and  dig  holes,  or  wells,  in  some  in- 
stances to  the  depth  of  twenty  feet,  from  which  they  draw  water,  gener- 
ally of  a  very  inferior  quality.  They  place  Ijianches  of  trees  in  tiie  ex- 
cavation, and,  with  great  labor,  under  a  hot  sim,  liand  up  the  water  in 
a  wooden  vessel,  and  pour  it  into  an  artiiicial  trough  ;  to  which  the 
punting,  lowing  herds  approach,  partially  to  satiate  their  thirst.  Thuii- 
dcr-stoi'ms  are  eagerly  anticipated,  for  by  tliese  only  rain  tails  ;  and  fre- 
(pieiitly  these  storms  will  pass  over  with  tremendous  violence,  striking 
the  iidiabitants  with  awe,  Avhile  not  a  single  drop  of  rain  descends  to 
cool  atid  fructify  the  parched  waste. 

"  When  the  heavens  do  let  down  their  watery  treasTjres,  it  is  gener- 
ally in  a  partial  strip  of  country,  wliicli  the  electric  cloud  has  travel  -(mI  ; 
so  that  the  traveler  will  frecpumtly  pass,  almost  iTistantaneously,  from 
groimd  on  which  there  is  not  a  blade  of  grass,  into  tracts  of  luxuriant 
green,  sprung  up  after  a  jtassing  storm.  Fountains  are  hideed  t['w  and 
flir  between,  the  best  A'ery  inconsideraljle,  fr('(piently  very  salt,  and  some 
of  them  hot  sprhigs;  while  the  soil  contiguous  is  generally  so  impreg- 
nated with  salti)eter,  as  to  crackle  under  the  feet,  like  hoar-frost,  and  it 
is  with  great  difficulty  that  any  kind  of  vegcta1)le  can  be  madi^  to  grow. 
Much  of  the  country  is  hard  and  stony,  interspersed  with  ])laiiis  of  deep 
sand.  There  is  much  granite ;  and  quartz  is  so  abundimtly  scattereci, 
reliecting  such  a  glare  of  light  from  the  rays  of  the  sun,  that  the  traveler, 
if  exposed  at  noonday,  can  scarcely  allow  his  eyelid.-i  to  be  sufficiently 
oi)en  to  enable  him  to  keep  the  course  he  wishes  to  pursue. 

"  The  inhabitants  are  a  trilte  or  tribes  of  Hottentots,  distinguislied  bv 
.all  the  singular  characteristics  of  that  nation,  which  includi's  Hottentots, 
Carannas,  Namaquas,  an<l  Bushmen.  Their  peculiar  clicking  lantruatre  is 
so  similar,  that  it  is  with  little  difficulty  tlu>y  converse  with  the  two  former. 
In  their  native  state  the  abtuigines,  though  deeply  sunk  in  ignorance, 
and  disgusting  hi  their  maimers  and  mien,  were  ni'ither  very  warlike  nov 
bloody  in  their  dis))ositions.  The  euervaling  infliu'nce  of  climat<',  and 
scanty  sustenani-e,  seem  to  have  di-prived  them  of  that  bold  martial 
sj>irit  which  diitinguishes  the  tribes  who  live  in  other  parts  of  tlui  inte- 
rior, wliicl:  (nnparison  with  Namaqua-l.'ind,  may  be  said  to 'flow 
with  milk  lioney.'  With  the  exception  of  the  solitary  travi'ler, 
whose  objects  were  entirely  of  a  scientific  character,  those  who  ventured 
into  the  interior  carried  on  a  systeni  of  cupidity,  and  perpetrated  <leed3 
calculated  to  make  the  worst  imjn-ession  upon  the  minds  of  the  natives, 
and  intluence  them  to  view  white  men,  and  others  descended  from  them, 
as  an  'angry'  race  of  Inmian  beings,  only  fit  to  l)e  classed  with  the  lions 
wliich  roar  for  their  ]»rey  in  their  native  wilds.  Intercourse  with  such 
visitors  in  tlie  soutliern  districts,  and  disgraceful  acts  of  deceit  and  op- 
pression, committed  by  sailors  from  ships  whidi  visited  Angra  Picpiena, 


iiii.. 


THE    CHIEF    AFRICANER. 


563 


and  other  places  on  the  western  coast,  had,  as  may  easily  he  conceived, 
the  most  hancful  inthience  on  the  native  trihcs,  and  niirtiire(l  in  their 
heathen  minds  (naturally  suspicious)  a  savage  disgust  for  all  intercourse 
■with  white  men,  alas!  professedly  Christian.  It  was  to  such  a  i>eople, 
and  to  such  a  country,  that  the  missionaries  directed  their  course,  to 
lead  a  life  of  the  greatest  self-denial  and  ])rivation." 

Among  these  people  a  chief  nameil  Africaner  was  the  terror  of  the 
colony.  Ilis  tribe  had  removed  further  and  fiu'ther  from  tlie  hom(»  of 
their  fathers,  as  the  Dutch  settlers  encroached  on  their  territory,  until 
at  length  they  became  subject  to  one  of  the  farmers.  Here  Africaner 
lived  several  years  with  his  dhninished  tribe,  serving  his  master  faith- 
fully until  the  cruelties  to  which  his  people  were  subjected  at  length 
awakened  his  resentment  and  aroused  him  to  vengeance.  Ilis  master 
was  slain,  and  he  led  the  remnant  of  liis  ])arty  to  the  Orange  IJiver,  be- 
yond the  reach  of  their  pursuers.  In  tlieir  attempts  to  get  rid  of  him 
the  colonists  bribed  other  chiefs,  and  a  long  series  of  bloody  conflicts 
ensued  between  the  family  of  Africaner,  and  the  chief  IJcrend  and  his 
associates,  in  which  neither  con(piered.  Africaner  frecpieutly  visited  the 
boundaries  of  the  colony  and  harassed  the  settlers.  Some,  whom  ho 
knew  to  be  engaged  hi  a  jjlot  against  him,  fell  victims  to  his  fury,  and 
their  cattle  and  other  property  were  carried  oiY.  lie  thus  became  a 
scourge  to  the  colonists  on  the  south,  and  the  tribes  on  tlu;  north; 
mutual  provocations  and  retaliations  became  common.  He  paid  back 
the  aggressions  with  large  biterest,  and  his  name  carried  dismay  even  to 
the  remote  deserts. 

The  IJev.  J.  Campbell,  in  his  first  visit  to  Africa,  crossed  the  interior 
to  Xamaqua-land.  During  his  journey  he  found  every  village  in  terror 
of  Africaner's  name.  On  reaching  l*ella  he  wrote  a  conciliatory  letter 
to  the  chief,  and  continued  liis  journey.  Africaner  sent  a  favorable  re- 
ply, and  soon  afterward  ^Ir.  Ebner  was  sent  out  from  I'ella,  It  rc({uired 
no  little  circumspection  and  decision  to  gain  an  influence  over  a  jieople 
whose  hand  liad  been  against  every  one,  but  JMr.  Elmer's  labors  were 
blessed,  and  in  a  short  time  Africaner,  his  two  l»rothers,  and  a  number 
of  others,  were  baptized. 

In  1817,  iVfr.  Ebner  visited  Cape  Town  for  Rui»plie3,  whcrc!  he  nu't 
with  Mr.  Motlat,  who  hailed  him  with  delight  as  his  companion  aiul 
guide  in  his  future  labors,  upon  which  lie  was  now  entering.  After 
traveling  awhile  tcjgether,  Mr.  Moffat  ))roceeded  to  IJysondermcid,  in 
Lhtle  Xannupia'-land.  '"As  I  approached  the  boundaries  of  tlie  colony," 
he  writes,  "  it  was  evident  to  me  that  the  tiirmers,  who,  of  course,  had 
not  one  gooil  word  to  say  of  Africaner,  were  skeptical  to  tlie  last  degree 
about  his  reported  conversion,  and  most  unceremoniously  predicted  my 
destruction.  One  saiil  he  would  set  me  up  t<)r  a  mark  for  his  l)oys  to 
shoot  at ;  ami  ancUher,  tliat  he  would  strip  off  my  skin,  and  make  a 
drum  of  it  to  dance  to  ;  another  most  consoling  prediction  was,  that  he 
would  make  a  drinking-cup  of  my  skull.     I  believe  they  were  serious, 


1 

j 

Till 

t 

1  ■  ■ ' 

t 


\    ■■ 


tl.t  i 


it<' ! 


!i 


I 


li: 

1 

1     1 

1 
i 

I ' 


Hi 


r. 


I: 


'III- 


i  I 


I' 


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i     I 


!'!/ 


(i| 


i 
f 

j 

i 

i  1 

ij 

\i 

1 

1 

' 

r. 

t 


•t; 


564 


MOFFAT'S    LIFE    IN    SOUTHERN    AFRICA. 


and  cspeciiiUy  a  kind  niotlicrly  lady,  who,  wiping  tlie  tear  from  her  eye, 
bade  nie  farewell,  sayinjr,  'Had  you  been  an  old  man,  it  would  have 
been  nothing,  for  you  would  soon  have  died,  wUethcr  or  no ;  but  you 
arc  young,  and.  going  to  become  a  prey  to  that  monster.'  " 

After  si)ending  a  month  at  liyscuidermeid  he  proceeded,  by  way  of 
Pella,  to  Africaner's  kraal,  (village),  Avhere  he  arrived  on  the  20th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1818,  and  was  kindly  received  by  Mr.  l^bner.  The  natives,  how- 
ever, seemed  reserved,  and  it  was  some  time  before  Africaner,  the  chief, 
came  to  Avclcome  hhn. 

It  appeared,  as  Mr.  Moffat  afterwai'd  learned,  that  some  un])leasant 
feeling  existed  between  the  missionary  ami  the  people.  "After  remain- 
ing an  hour  or  more  in  this  situation,"  he  continues,  "  Christian  Afri- 
caner made  liis  appearance  ;  and  after  the  usual  salutation,  inquired  if  I 
was  the  missionary  appointed  by  the  directors  in  London  ;  to  which  I 
re])lied  in  the  affirmative.  This  seemed  to  afford  him  much  pleasure; 
and  he  added,  that  as  I  was  young,  ho  hoped  that  I  should  live  long  with 
hitn  and  his  jieople.  lie  then  ordered  a  nund)er  of  women  to  come  ;  I 
was  rather  puzzled  to  know  what  ho  intended  by  sending  for  women, 
till  they  arrived,  bearing  bundles  of  nati\  e  mats  and  long  sticks,  like 
lishing-rods.  Africaner  pointing  to  a  spot  of  ground,  said,  'There,  you 
must  build  a  house  for  the  missionary.'  A  circle  was  instantly  formed, 
and  the  wonu-n  evidently  delighted  with  the  job,  fixed  the  j^oles,  tied 
them  down  in  the  lu'inisjiheric  form,  and  covered  them  with  the  mats, 
all  ready  for  liabitation,  in  tlie  course  of  litllo  more  than  half  an  hour. 
Since  that  time  I  liave  seen  houses  built  of  all  descriptions,  and  assisted 
in  the  construction  of  a  good  many  myself;  but  I  confess  I  never  wit- 
nessed such  expedition.  Hottentot  liouses  (tor  such  they  may  be  called, 
being  coniined  to  the  different  tribes  of  that  nation),  are  at  best  not  very 
comfortable.  I  lived  nearly  six  months  in  this  native  luU,  which  very 
frequently  re(juired  tightening  and  tlistening  after  a  storm.  When  the 
sun  shone,  it  Mas  unbearably  hot ;  when  the  rain  fell,  I  came  in  for  a 
share  of  it;  Avhen  the  Mind  blew,  I  had  fre(piently  to  decamp  to  escape 
the  dust ;  and  in  addition  to  these  little  inconveniences,  any  hmigry  cur 
of  a  dug  that  M'ished  a  night's  lodging,  Avould  force  itself  through  the 
frail  M'all,  and  not  unlVequently  deprive  mo  of  my  .nnticipated  meal  lor 
the  coming  day;  and  I  liave  more  than  onco  f()und  a  serpent  coiled  up 
in  a  corner.  Kor  Mere  these  all  the  contingencies  of  such  a  dwelling, 
i!ir  as  the  cattle  belonging  to  the  village  had  no  fold,  but  strolled  about, 
I  have  been  compelled  to  start  up  from  a  sound  sleep,  and  try  to  defend 
myself  and  my  ilwelling  from  being  crushed  to  ])ieces  by  the  rage  of 
two  bulls  M'hich  had  met  to  fight  a  nocturn.al  duel." 

l\[r.  Moffat  soon  afterward  entered  upon  his  labors  and  Mas  cheered 
by  the  interest  M'hich  Africaner  m.anifested  in  his  instructions.  lie  bo- 
o.'ime  a  constant  reader  of  the  Scriptures,  and  h)ved  to  converse  on 
religious  subjects,  and  at  the  same  time  greatly  assisted  in  the  labors  of 
the  miasion.    "  During  the  M'holo  period  I  lived  there,"  continues  Mr. 


! 


er  oyc, 
d  have 
)ut  you     i 


Avay  of  ' 

of  Jan-  I 

.'S,  how-  I 
le  chief, 

i 
ueasant     ] 

rcinain- 
aii  Afri- 
rod  if  I 
which  I 
iloasurc ; 
ing  with 
come ;  I 
women, 
cks,  Uke 
icre,  you 
formed, 
Dies,  tied 
he  mats, 
au  hour. 
assisted 
er  wit- 
called, 
not  very 
•h  very 
len  the 
in  for  a 
)  cscajie 
gry  eur 
ugh  the 
meal  for 
oiled  u]) 
welling, 
I  about, 
defend 
rage  of 


cheered 
llehe- 
,erse  on 
ibors  of 
Hies  Mr.     i 


ERRORS    OF    TRAVELERS. 


665 


Moffat,  "  I  do  not  remember  having  occasion  to  bo  grieved  with  him, 
or  to  complain  of  any  ])art  of  his  conduct ;  his  very  faults  seemed  to 
'  lean  to  virtue's  side.'  One  day,  when  seated  together,  I  happened,  in 
absence  of  mind,  to  be  gazing  steadfastly  on  him.  It  arrested  his  at- 
tention, and  he  nu)destly  inquired  the  cause.  I  rej)lied,  '  I  Avas  trying 
to  picture  to  myself  your  carrying  tire  and  sword  through  the  country, 
and  I  could  not  think  how  eyes  like  yours  could  smile  at  human  woo.' 
He  answe.ed  not,  but  shed  a  Hood  of  tears !  lie  /.ealously  seconded  my 
efforts  to  improve  the  peo])lc  in  cleanlhiess  and  industry  ;  and  it  would 
have  made  any  one  smile  to  have  seen  Christian  Africani'r  and  myself 
suiterintending  the  school  children,  now  about  a  hundred  and  twenty, 
washing  themselves  at  the  fountain,  lie  was  a  man  of  peace;  and 
though  I  could  not  expound  to  him  that  the  '  sword  t)f  the  magistrate' 
unplied,  that  he  was  calmly  to  sit  at  home,  and  see  Bushmen  or  maraud- 
ers carry  off  his  cattle,  and  slay  his  servants  ;  yet  so  fully  did  he  under- 
staiul  and  appreciate  the  principles  of  the  ^Tospel  of  peace,  that  nothing 
could  grieve  him  more  than  to  hear  of  individuals,  or  villages,  contend- 
ing with  one  another." 

As  the  spot  on  Avhich  they  lived  was  not  suitable  for  a  permanent 
missionary  station,  it  Avas  determined  to  take  a  ;'ourncy  northw.ard  and 
examine  the  country  bordering  on  Damara-land,  where  it  was  reported 
that  water  abounded.  On  the  route  they  occasionally  met  with  Xama- 
qua  villages,  whose  inhabitants  were  exceedingly  ignorant,  though  not 
so  stupid  as  some  travelers  have  represented  these  ])eople  to  bo.  Iti  this 
connection  Mr,  JMoffat,  si)eaking  of  the  liability  of  travelers  to  be  led 
astray,  refers  to  a  traveler  who,  liaving  asked  his  guide  the  name  of  a 
place,  was  jiroceeding  to  write  down  the  answer  "  Ua  reng^''  when  told 
by  Mr,  Moffat  that  the  guide  merely  asked  what  ho  said.  In  another 
instance  '"  mountains"  was  the  re])ly,  iristcad  of  the  name  of  the  mount- 
ain. ''  And  in  reference  to  ])oints  of  faith  or  extent  of  knowledge,"  con- 
thnies  he,  "the  traveler  may  be  completely  du[)ed,  as  I  was  in  the 
present  journey.  At  an  isolated  village,  far  in  the  wilds  of  Xamaqtia- 
land,  I  met  an  individual,  who  aj)peared  somewhat  more  intelligent  than 
the  rest;  to  him  I  put  a  number  of  questions,  to  ascertain  if  there  were 
any  tradition  in  the  country  respecting  the  deluge,  of  which  vestiges  are 
to  bo  found  in  almost  every  part  of  the  known  world.  I  had  nuule 
many  iiKjuiries  before,  but  all  to  no  j)uri)ose.  Discovering  that  lie  pos- 
sessed some  knowledge  on  the  subject,  and  being  an  utter  stranger  to 
any  of  the  jiarty,  and  to  all  appearance  a  child  of  the  desert,  I  very 
proTnj)tIy  took  up  my  pen  and  wrote,  thinking  myself  a  lucky  discoverer. 
I  was  perfectly  astonished  at  some  of  his  first  sentences,  and,  afraid  lest 
I  should  lose  one  word,  I  apjiointed  t\fo  interpreters:  but  by  the  time  I 
reached  the  end  of  the  story,  I  began  to  suspect.  It  Ixne  the  impress 
of  the  Bible.  On  questioning  him  as  to  the  source  of  his  information, 
he  positively  asserted  that  he  had  received  it  from  his  forefathers,  and 
that  he  never  saw  or  heard  of  a  missionary.     I  secretly  instituted  iu- 


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566 


MOFFAT'S    LIFE    IN    SOUTIIEUN    AFRICA. 


quiries  into  his  history,  but  could  elicit  notliing,  I  folded  up  my  paper, 
and  put  it  into  my  desk,  very  much  puzzled,  and  resolving  to  leave  the 
statement  to  wiser  hands  than  mine.  On  our  return,  this  man  accom- 
panied us  some  days  southward,  toward  the  Karas  mountauis,  when  we 
halted  at  a  village ;  and  meeting  a  person  who  had  been  at  Bethany, 
Mr.  Sc'luuelen's  station,  lying  north-west  of  us,  I  begged  him  to  guide 
us  thither,  as  I  was  anxious  to  visit  the  place.  Ho  could  not,  being 
Avorn  out  Avith  the  joiu-ney ;  but  pointing  to  the  deluge  narrator,  he  said, 
'  77i('/re  is  a  maii  that  knows  tlie  road  to  Bethany,  for  I  liavo  seen  him 
there.'  The  mystery  of  the  tradition  was  in  a  moment  unraveled,  and 
the  man  decamped,  on  my  seeing  that  the  forefather  Avho  tuld  him  the 
story,  was  our  missionary  Sehmelen.  Stories  of  a  similar  kind  originally 
obtained  at  a  missionary  stati(jn,  or  from  some  godly  traviler,  get,  in 
course  of  time,  so  mixed  up  and  metamorphosed  by  heathen  ideas,  that 
they  look  exceedingly  like  native  traditions." 

Finding  the  natives  imfriendly,  they  returned  unsuccessful.  Once, 
Avhen  they  had  been  a  day  and  a  niglit  Avithout  water,  they  drew  near 
some  bushes  Avhieh  seemed  to  skirt  on  a  ravhio,  and  hasted  forward  Avith 
joy.  "  On  reaching  the  spot,"  says  Mr.  Moffat,  "  we  beheld  an  object 
of  heart-rending  distress.  It  Avas  a  venerable-looking  oM  Avoman,  a  Ua'- 
ing  skeleton,  sitting,  with  her  head  loaning  on  her  knees.  She  a])peared 
terrified  at  our  presence,  and  especially  at  me.  She  tried  to  rise,  but, 
trembling  with  weakness,  sank  agaui  to  the  earth.  I  addressed  her  by 
the  name  Avhich  sounds  sweet  in  every  clime,  and  charms  even  the  sav- 
age ear,  '  My  mother,  fear  not ;  Ave  are  friends,  and  Avill  do  you  no  harm.' 
I  put  BCA'cral  questions  to  her,  but  she  apj>eared  either  speechless,  or 
afraid  to  open  her  lips.  I  again  repeated,  '  Fray,  mother,  who  are  you, 
and  hoAv  do  you  come  to  be  in  this  situation  ?'  to  Avhich  she  replied,  '  I 
am  a  Avoman ;  I  have  been  here  four  days ;  my  children  have  left  me 
here  to  die.'  '  Your  children !'  I  interrupted.  '  Yes,'  raising  her  hand 
to  her  shriveled  bosom,  '  my  own  children,  three  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters. They  are  gone,'  pointing  with  her  linger,  '  to  yonder  blue  mount- 
ain, and  have  left  mo  to  die.'  '  And,  pray  why  did  they  leave  you  ?'  I 
inquired.  Spreading  out  her  hands,  '  I  am  ~  okl,  you  see,  and  I  am  no 
longer  able  to  serve  them  ;  Avhen  they  kill  game,  I  am  too  feeble  to  help 
in  earring  home  the  flesh ;  I  am  not  able  to  gather  Avood  to  make  fire  ; 
and  I  can  not  carry  their  children  on  my  back,  as  I  used  to  do.'  This 
last  sentence  was  more  than  I  coidd  bear ;  and  though  my  tongue  was 
cleaving  to  the  roof  of  my  mouth  for  want  of  Avater,  this  reply  opened  a 
fountain  of  tears.  I  remarked  that  I  was  surprised  that  she  had  escaped 
the  lions,  which  seemed  to  abound,  and  to  liave  approached  very  near 
the  spot  where  she  Avas.  She  took  hold  of  tlie  skin  of  her  left  arm  with 
lier  fingers,  and,  raising  it  up  as  one  Avould  do  a  loose  linen,  slie  added, 
'  I  hear  the  lions  ;  but  there  is  nothing  on  me  that  they  would  eat ;  I 
have  no  flesh  on  me  for  them  to  scent.'  At  this  moment  the  Avagon 
drcAV  near,  Avhich  greatly  alarmed  her,  for  she  supposed  that  it  was  an 


I  I 


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AFRICANKR'S    VISIT    TO    CAPE    TOWN. 


667 


aniiiiiil.  Assuriiii^  her  tliat  it  n'ould  do  her  no  harm,  I  said  that,  as  I 
could  not  stay,  I  would  ])ut,  her  in  the  waijC^n,  and  tako  lior  with  me. 
At  this  remark  she  bocame  convulsed  with  terror.  Others  addressed 
her,  but  all  to  no  effect.  She  rei»lieil,  that  if  we  took  her,  and  letl  her 
at  another  vilhiLje,  tliey  Avould  only  do  the  same  thing  again.  '  It  is  our 
custom  ;  I  am  nearly  dead  ;  I  do  not  want  to  die  again.'  The  sun  was 
now  piercingly  liot ;  tlui  oxen  were  raguig  in  the  yoke,  and  we  ourselves 
nearly  delirious.  Finding  it  impossible  to  influence  tlie  woman  to  move, 
without  running  the  risk  of  her  dying  convulsed  in  our  liands,  we  col- 
lected a  ([uantity  of  fuel,  gave  her  a  good  supply  of  dry  meat,  some  to- 
bacco, and  a  knife,  with  some  other  articles  ;  telUng  lier  we  should  return 
in  two  days,  and  stop  the  night,  when  she  would  be  aljle  to  go  with  us  ; 
only  she  must  keep  nj)  a  good  fire  at  night,  as  the  lions  would  smell  the 
dried  flesh,  if  they  did  not  scent  licr.  We  then  pursued  our  course  ;  and 
after  a  long  ride,  passing  a  rocky  ridge  of  hills,  we  came  to  a  stagnant 
pool,  into  which  men  and  oxen  rushed  ])recipitately,  though  the  water 
was  almost  too  mud<ly  to  go  down  our  throats." 

After  this  journey,  which  lastcfd  a  few  weeks,  Mr.  Moflat  lived  an 
itinerating  missionary  life  for  several  months,  and  then  imdertook  a 
journey,  at  the  request  of  Africaner,  to  the  Griqua  country,  east  of  the 
desert,  to  inspect  a  situation  offered  to  him  and  his  people.  The  journey 
was  long  and  difficult,  but  the  result  was  satisfactory  to  Africaner.  Mean- 
while the  want  of  intercourse  with  the  colony  made  it  necessary  for  Mr, 
Moffiit  to  ^  isit  Cape  Town,  and  he  proposed  that  Africaner  should  ac- 
company liim.  The  chief  was  startled  at  this  proposition,  and  asked  if 
he  did  not  know  that  a  thousand  rix  dollars  were  offered  for  his  head. 
Others  also  made  objections,  but  finally  all  difficulties  were  removed, 
and  they  set  forward.  They  spent  a  few  days  at  Pella,  while  the  subject 
of  getting  Africaner  safely  througli  the  territories  of  the  colonists  to  the 
Cape,  was  discussed.  Many  thought  the  step  hazardous,  but  it  was  ar- 
ranged that,  althougli  he  was  a  chief,  he  should  pass  for  one  of  Mr,  Mot- 
fat's  servants.  As  they  p oceeded,  the  people  often  expressed  wonder 
that  Mr.  Moffat  Iiad  escap;-.'  from  such  a  monster  of  cruelty,  and  it  some- 
times afforded  no  little  enteilaunnent  to  Africaner  and  the  Namacpias,  to 
hear  a  farmer  denounce  this  su])posed  irreclaimable  savage.  A  novel 
scene  which  occurred  at  one  farm  is  thus  described : 

"  On  a]>proaching  the  house,  which  was  on  an  eminence,  I  direct eil 
my  men  to  take  the  wagon  to  the  valley  below,  while  I  walked  toward 
the  house.  The  farmer,  seeing  a  stranger,  came  slowly  down  the  de- 
scent to  meet  me.  When  within  a  few  yards,  I  addressed  him  in  the 
usual  way,  and  stretching  out  my  hand,  exjn-essed  my])leasure  at  seeuig 
him  again,  lie  ])ut  liis  hand  behind  him,  an<l  asked  me,  rather  wildly, 
who  I  was,  I  rei)lied  that  I  was  Moffat,  exj)ressing  my  won<h!r  that  he 
should  liave  forgotten  me,  '  Moflat !'  he  rejoined,  in  a  faltering  voice  ; 
'  it  is  your  yhost !''  and  moved  some  steps  backward.  '  I  am  no  gliost.' 
'Don't  come  near  me !'  lie  exclaimed,  'you  have  been  long  murdered 


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MOFFAT'S    LIFE    IN    SOUTHERN    AFRICA. 


by  Africaner.'  '  But  lam  no  ghost,'  I  said,  H'clinuj  my  hands,  as  if  to 
convuico  him  and  mysolfi  too,  of  my  matiMiality  ;  but  his  alarm  only  in- 
creasod.  '  Every  body  says  you  were  murdereil ;  and  a  man  told  me 
he  had  seen  your  bones ;'  and  ho  ctmtinued  to  gaze  at  me,  to  the  no 
small  astonishment  of  the  good  Avife  and  children,  who  were  standing  at 
the  door,  as  also  to  that  of  my  people,  Avho  were  looking  on  liom  the 
M'agon  below.  At  length  he  extended  his  trembling  hand,  saying, 
'  When  did  you  I'ise  from  the  dead  ?'  As  he  feared  my  presence  would 
alarm  his  wife,  avo  bent  our  steps  toward  the  wagon,  and  Africaner  was 
the  subject  of  our  conversation.  I  gave  him  hi  a  few  words  my  views 
of  his  present  character,  saying,  '  lie  is  now  a  truly  good  man.'  To 
which  he  replied,  '  I  can  believe  almost  any  thing  you  say,  but  t/tat  I  can 
not  credit.'  By  this  time  wc  were  standing  with  Africaner  at  our  feet, 
on  whoso  coinitenance  sat  a  smile,  well  knowing  the  prejudices  of  some 
of  the  farmers.  The  farmer  closed  the  conversation  by  saying,  with 
much  earnestness,  '  AVell,  if  what  you  assert  be  true  respecting  that 
man,  I  have  only  one  wish,  and  that  is,  to  see  hhn  before  I  die  ;  and 
when  you  return,  as  sure  as  the  sun  is  over  our  heads,  T  will  go  with 
you  to  see  liim,  though  he  killed  my  own  uul-Ic.'  T  was  not  before  aware 
of  this  fact,  and  now  felt  seme  hesitation  whether  to  discover  to  him 
the  object  of  his  wonder;  but  knowing  the  sincerity  of  the  farmer,  and 
the  goodness  of  his  disposition,  I  said,  '  This,  then,  is  Africaner  !'  lie 
started  back,  looking  intensely  at  the  man,  as  if  he  had  just  dropped 
from  the  clouds.  '  Are  you  Africaner  ?'  he  exclaimed.  lie  arose,  dotted 
his  old  hat,  and  making  a  ])olitc  bow,  answered,  '  I  am.'  The  farmer 
seemed  thunder-struck ;  but  Avhen,  by  a  few  questions,  he  had  assured 
himself  of  the  fact,  that  the  former  bugbear  of  the  border  stood  before 
him,  now  meek  and  lamb-like  in  liis  whole  deportment,  he  lifted  up  his 
eyes,  and  exclaimed,  '  O  God,  what  a  miracle  of  thy  power !  what  can 
not  thy  grace  accomplish  !'  The  kind  farmer,  and  his  no  less  hospitable 
wife,  now  abundantly  supplied  our  Avants  ;  but  we  hastened  our  depart- 
ure, lest  the  intelligence  might  get  abroad  that  Africaner  was  with  me, 
and  bring  impleasant  visitors. 

"  On  arriving  at  Cape  Town,  I  waited  on  his  excellency  the  gover- 
nor, Lord  Charles  Somerset,  who  a2)peared  to  receive  Avith  considta'able 
skepticism  my  testiniony  that  I  had  brought  the  far-famed  Africaner  on 
a  visit  to  his  excellency.  The  folloAving  day  Avas  appointed  for  an  intor- 
vioAV,  Avhen  the  chief  Avas  received  by  Lord  Charles  Avith  great  affability 
and  kindness  ;  and  he  expressed  his  pleasure  at  seehig  thus  before  him 
one  Avho  had  formerly  been  the  scourge  of  the  country,  and  the  ti  i  ror 
of  the  border  colonists.  His  excellency  AA^as  evidently  much  struck  Avith 
this  result  of  missionary  enterprise,  the  benefit  of  Avhich  he  had  some- 
times doubted.  AVhatever  he  might  think  of  his  former  views,  liis  ex- 
cellency Avas  noAV  convinced  that  a  most  important  point  hail  been 
gained  ;  and,  as  a  testimony  of  his  good  feeling,  he  presented  Africaner 
Avith  an  excellent  wagon,  valued  at  eighty  pounds  sterling. 


HOTTENTOT    IDP]AS    AND    CUSTOMS. 


569 


*'  Africaner's  appearance!  in  Ciqx'  Town  excited  considoraUc  attention, 
as  Ills  nanio  and  exploits  liad  been  tiiiiiiliar  to  many  of  its  inliabitants  for 
more  tiian  twenty  years.  Many  Mere  struck  Avitli  the  unexpected  mild- 
ness and  gentleness  of  his  d(.'meanor,  and  others  with  liis  piety  and  accu- 
rate knowle(l,u;e  of  tlie  Scriptures.  His  Xew  Testament  was  an  interest- 
ing object  of  attention,  it  was  so  completely  thumbed  and  worn  by  use. 
Ilis  answers  to  a  number  of  cpiestions  ])ut  to  him  by  the  friends  in  Capo 
Town,  and  at  a  public  meeting  at  the  I'aarl,  exhibited  his  diligence  as  a 
student  in  the  doctrines  of  the  (Jospcl,  espeeially  -when  it  is  remembered 
that  Africaner  never  saw  a  catechism  in  his  life,  but  obtained  all  liis 
knowledge  on  theological  subje(;ts  from  a  careful  perusal  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  the  verbal  instructions  of  the  missionary." 

After  s])ending  some  timt^  at  (Jriipia  Town,  !^[r.  ]Moflat  joined  the 
mission  at  the  Kiiruman  in  May,  1821.  Here  he  liad  to  labor  with  a 
people  ignorant  in  the  extreme,  ami  utterly  destitute  of  a  system  of  re- 
ligion to  which  he  could  appeal,  or  of  ideas  kindred  to  those  he  Avished 
to  impart.  To  tell  them  of  a  Creator  or  of  the  inmiortality  of  the  soul, 
was  to  speak  of  Avhat  was  labulous  and  extravagant.  "  \  wily  rain- 
maker," continues  ]Mr.  ]\Ioifat,  "who  was  the  oracle  of  the  village  in 
Avhich  he  dwelt,  once  remiirked,  after  hearing  me  enlarge  on  the  sub- 
ject of  creation,  'If  you  verily  believe  that  that  Ileing  created  all  men, 
then,  according  to  reason,  you  nuist  also  believe  that  in  making  white 
people  he  has  improved  on  his  work  ;  he  tried  Ins  hand  on  Jiushmen 
lirst,  and  he  did  not  like  them,  because  they  were  so  ugly,  and  their  lan- 
guage like  that  of  the  frogs.  H((  then  tried  his  hand  on  the  Hottentots, 
but  these  did  not  please  him  either.  He  then  exereised  his  power  ami 
skill,  and  made  tlie  Hechuanas,  which  was  a  great  ini[)rovemeut ;  and  at 
last  he  made  the  white  people  ;  therefore,'  exulting  with  an  air  of  tri- 
umph at  the  discovery,  '  the  white  ])eople  are  so  much  wiser  than  we 
are  in  making  walking-houses  (wagons),  teaching  the  oxen  to  draw  them 
over  hill  and  dale,  and  instructing  them  also  to  ]ilow  the  gardens  in- 
stead of  makuig  their  wives  do  it,  like  the  Becluianas.'  His  discovery 
received  the  applause  of  the  peojjlo,  while  the  ])oor  missionary's  argu- 
ments, drawn  from  the  source  of  Divine  truth,  were  thrown  into  the 
shade. 

"  ^Yith  all  their  concessions,  they  would,  with  little  ceremony,  pro- 
nounce our  customs  clumsy,  awkward,  and  troublesome.  They  could 
not  account  for  our  })utting  our  legs,  feet,  and  arms  into  bags,  and  using 
buttons  for  the  puri)oso  of  fastening  bandages  r  )uiid  our  bodies,  instead 
of  suspending  them  as  ornaments  from  the  neck  or  hair  of  the  head. 
Washimx  the  bodv,  instead  of  lubricating  it  with  crease  and  red  ocher, 
was  a  disgusting  custom,  and  cleanliness  about  our  ibod,  house  and  bed- 
ding, contributed  to  their  amusement  in  no  small  degree.  A  native, 
who  Avas  engaged  roasting  a  piece  of  flit  zebra  flesh  for  mc  on  the  coals, 
was  told  that  he  had  better  turn  it  with  a  stick,  or  fork,  instead  of  his 
hands,  which  he  invariably  rubbed  on  his  dirty  body  for  the  sake  of  the 


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MOFFAT'S    LIFK    IN    SOUTHERN    AFRICA. 


jtrocious  fat.  Tliis  hugLTcstion  inailo  liiiu  and  l)is  cotnpanioiis  laugh  ex- 
travagantly, and  tlicy  wtTo  wont  to  repeat  it  as  an  interesting  joke 
Avherever  tluy  eame. 

"  Among  the  Hechuana  trihes,  the  name  adopted  hy  the  missionaries 
for  (lod,  is  Mdi'ifHo.  This  l\as  the  advantage  of  the  namen  used  by  tlie 
Kaiirs  and  Hottentots,  heing  more  definite,  as  its  derivation  at  oiiee  (h-- 
terinines  its  meaning.  Jfo  is  a  jii'rsonal  prefix  and  7-/t/i<)  is  from  tjorlmo 
'ahove.'  From  the  same  root  f^'.i/orit/io^  '  lieaven,'  and  its  phiral  iiKiyori- 
/Nit,  are  derived.  The  genius  of  the  IJecluiana  hvnguage  Avarrants  us  to 
expect  a  eorres|)ondence  between  the  name  and  tlie  thing  designated  ; 
but  in  tliis  iustaiu-o  the  order  is  reversed.  Morimo,  to  those  who  know 
any  thing  about  it,  had  been  represented  l)y  rain-makers  and  soreerers 
as  a  maU'volent  w/o,  or  thing,  which  the  nations  in  tlie  north  described 
as  existing  in  a  hole,  and  which,  like  the  furies  in  the  Ilighlatuls  of 
Scotland,  sometinu's  came  out  and  inflicted  diseases  on  men  and  cattle, 
and  even  caused  death.  This  JMorimo  served  the  i)urj)ose  of  a  bug- 
bear, by  which  the  rain-maki-r  might  constraui  the  chiefs  to  yield  to  his 
suggestions,  when  he  wished  for  a  slaughter-ox,  without  wliich  be  pre- 
tended he  could  not  make  rain." 

The  mission  anu)ng  the  liechu.aiias  liad  now  been  established  five 
years,  but  the  natives  liad  become  indiffi'rent  to  all  instruction,  except 
when  it  was  followed  by  some  tt'inporal  beneiit.  The  time  of  the  mis- 
sionaries was  much  occupied  in  building  and  in  attendhig  to  the  wants 
of  daily  life.  The  light,  sandy  soil  recpiired  constant  irrigation  for  the 
production  of  any  kind  of  crops,  and  a  water-ditch  some  miles  in  length 
had  been  led  from  the  Kuruman  Kiver,  and  passed  in  its  course  through 
the  gardens  of  the  natives.  The  native  women,  seeing  the  fertilizing 
elfects  of  the  water  in  the  gardens  of  the  mission,  took  the  liberty  of 
cutting  open  the  ditch,  often  leaving  the  mission  without  a  drop  of 
M'ater,  even  for  culinary  })urposes.  The  missionaries  were  often  obliged 
to  go  three  miles  with  a  spade  in  the  hottest  part  of  the  day  to  close  up 
these  outlets,  and  obtain  moisture  for  their  burnt-up  vegetables.  As 
soon  as  they  had  lett,  the  women  would  0})eu  the  outlets  again,  and 
thus  they  Avere  sometimes  many  days  Avithout  water,  except  Avhat  Avas 
carried  from  a  distant  fountain,  under  a  cloudless  sky,  Avhen  the  ther- 
mometer at  noon  Avould  frequently  rise  to  one  lumdred  and  twenty  de- 
grees in  the  shade.  When  they  complained,  the  AA'onien  became  exas- 
l)erated,  and  going  up  Avith  their  picks  to  the  dam,  completely  destroyed 
it.  ^Moreover,  when  they  had  Avith  great  pains  succeeded  iii  raisuig 
their  crops,  the  natives  Avould  steal  them  by  night  and  by  day. 

"  Our  attendance  at  public  Avorship,"  says  Mr.  Moffat,  "  Avonld  vary 
fi-om  one  to  forty  ;  and  these  very  oflen  manifesting  the  greatest  indeco- 
rum. Some  Avould  be  snoring ;  others  laughing ;  some  Avorking ;  and 
others,  Avho  might  even  be  styled  the  noblesse,  would  be  employed  in 
removing  from  their  ornaments  certain  nameless  insects,  letting  them 
run  about  the  forms,  Avhile  sitting  by  the  missionary's  wife.     Never 


CKUKMONIKS    OF    BUllIAL. 


571 


liaving  l)Con  aocustoiiu'il  (o  clinirs  or  stools,  some,  by  W!iy  of  iinitJilioii, 
would  sit  witl»  thi'ir  ll-ct  on  the  Ix'iiclics,  liiiv'mi;  tlu'ir  knees,  aeeonliiig 
to  their  visual  iiuide  ot'  sittiiiL,',  drawn  up  to  llieir  eliins.  In  this  position 
one  would  full  asleep  and  tuinb'e  over,  to  the  threat  nu'rrinient  of  his 
fellows.  On  sonu'  oecasions  an  opportiniity  would  l)e  watched  to  rol), 
when  the  niissionarv  was  eii!,'a<i;e(l  in  iiultlic,  service.  Tlie  thief  wouM 
just  })Ut  )'is  head  within  tin;  door,  discover  who  was  in  tlu*  pulpit,  and, 
knowing  ho  could  not  leave  his  rostrum  before  a  certain  time  had  elapsdl, 
Avouhl  go  to  his  housi'  and  take  what  he  could  lay  his  hands  upon. 
When  Mr.  Hamilton  and  J  met  in  the  eveninu-,  wo  almost  always  had 
some  tale  to  tell  about  our  losses,  ])ut  never  about  our  gains,  except 
those  of  resignation  and  j)eaee,  tin;  results  of  patience,  and  faith  in  tin; 
nnduuigeable  ])ur))oses  of  Jehovah.  '  I  will  Ije  exalted  among  the 
heathen,'  cheered  our  often  bailled  and  droo])ing  spirits, 

"The  following  is  a  l)rief  sketch  of  the  cerem(jny  of  interment,  and 
the  custom  which  ])revails  among  these  tribes  in  reference  to  the  dying, 
When  they  see  any  indications  of  approaching  dissolution  in  fainting  tits 
or  convulsive  throes,  they  throw  a  net  over  the  body,  and  hold  it  in  a 
sitting  posture,  M'ith  the  knees  brought  in  contact  with  the  chin,  till  life 
is  gone.  The  grave,  which  is  fr<  <|uently  made  in  the  fence  surroiuuling 
the  cattle-fold,  or  in  the  fold  itself,  if  for  a  nuin,  is  about  three  feet  in 
diameter,  and  six  leet  deep.  The  body  is  not  conveyed  through  the 
door  of  the  fore-yard  or  court  coimected  with  each  house,  but  an  opening 
is  made  in  the  fence  for  that  purpose.  It  is  carried  to  the  grave,  having 
the  head  covered  with  a  skin,  and  is  ])laced  in  a  sitting  posture.  Much 
time  is  s})ont  in  order  to  fix  the  corpse  exactly  facing  the  north ;  and 
though  they  have  no  conapass,  they  manage,  after  some  consultation,  to 
place  it  very  nearly  in  the  recpiired  position.  I'ortions  of  an  ant-hill 
are  placed  about  the  feet,  when  the  net  which  held  the  body  is  gradually 
withdrawn  ;  as  the  grave  is  tilled  up,  the  earth  is  handed  in  with  bowls, 
while  two  men  stand  in  the  hole  to  tread  it  downi  rouiul  the  body,  great 
care  being  taken  to  })ick  out  every  thing  like  a  root  or  })ebblo.  When 
the  earth  reaches  the  height  of  the  mouth,  a  small  twig  or  branch  of  an 
acacia  is  thrown  in,  and  on  the  top  of  the  head  a  f(!W  roots  of  grass  are 
placed  ;  and  when  the  grave  is  nearly  filled,  aiu)ther  root  of  grass  is  fixed 
immediately  above  the  head,  part  of  which  stands  above  ground.  Wh<>n 
finished,  the  men  and  women  stoop,  and  witli  their  hands  scrape  the 
loose  soil  around  on  to  the  little  mound.  A  large  bowl  of  water,  with 
an  infusion  of  bulbs,  ia  then  brought,  when  the  men  and  women  wash 
their  hands  and  the  upper  part  of  their  feet,  shouting  '  jiula,  piila,'  rain, 
rain.  An  old  woman,  ])robably  a  relation,  will  then  bring  his  weapons, 
bows,  arrows,  war-ax,  and  spears,  also  grain  and  garden-seeds  of  various 
khids,  and  even  the  bone  of  an  old  pack-ox,  with  other  things,  and  ad- 
dress the  grave,  saying,  '  there  are  all  your  articles.'  These  are  then 
taken  away,  and  bowls  of  water  are  poured  on  tlie  grave,  when  all 
retire,   the  women  wailing,   "•  yo,   yo,   yo,'   with  some  dolefid   dirge, 


hH 


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572 


MOFFAT'S    LIFK    IN    SOUTHERN    AFRICA. 


Borrowincj  Avithout  liope.  Thcso  ceremonies  vary  in  different  local- 
ities, and  according  to  the  rank  of  the  individual  who  is  committed  to 
the  dust. 

"  Years  of  drouglit  had  been  severely  felt,  and  the  natives,  tenacious 
of  their  faith  in  tlie  j)otency  of  a  man,  held  a  council,  and  passed  resolu- 
tions to  send  for  a  rain-maker  of  renown  from  the  liahurutsi  tribe,  two 
hundred  miles  north-east  of  the  Kuruman  station,  llain-makers  have 
always  most  honor  among  a  strange  people,  and  therefore  they  are  gen- 
erally foreigners.  The  heavens  had  been  as  brass,  scarcely  a  cloud  had 
been  seen  for  months,  even  on  the  dista..L  horizon.  Suddenly  a  shout 
was  raised,  and  the  Avhole  town  was  in  motion.  The  rain-maker  Avas 
api)roaching.  Every  voice  was  raised  to  the  highest  [)itch  with  acclama- 
tions of  enthusiastic  joy.  lie  had  sent  a  harbinger  to  .announce  his  ap- 
proach, with  ])eremptory  orders  for  all  the  inhabitants  to  w.asli  their  feet. 
Evi'ry  one  seemed  to  fly  in  swiftest  obedience  to  the  adjoining  river. 
Noble  and  ignoble,  even  the  girl  Avho  attended  to  our  kitrhen-tire,  ran. 
Old  and  young  ran.  All  the  world  coiild  not  have  stojtped  them.  By 
this  time  the  clouds  began  to  gather,  and  a  crowd  went  out  to  welcome 
the  mighty  man  who,  as  they  imagined,  was  now  collecting  in  the  hea- 
vens his  stores  oi'rain. 

"Just  as  he  was  descending  the  height  into  the  town,  the  immense 
concourse  danced  and  shouted,  so  that  the  very  earth  rang,  and  at  the 
sanu'  time  tlie  lightnings  darted,  and  the  thunders  roared  in  awful 
grandeur.  A  f^'W  heavy  drops  fell,  which  produced  the  most  thrilling 
ecstasy  on  the  deluded  multitude,  Avhose  shoutings  baflied  all  descrip- 
tion. F;iith  hung  ujion  the  lips  of  the  impostor,  while  he  proclaimed 
aloud  that  this  year  tiie  women  nmst  cultivate  gardens  on  the  hills,  and 
not  in  the  valleys,  for  these  would  be  deluged.  vVfter  the  din  had  some- 
what subsideil,  a  f'W  individuals  came  to  our  dwellings  to  treat  us  and 
our  doctrines  willi  derision.  'Where  is  your  (lodVone  asked  with  a 
sneer.  We  were  silent,  because  the  wicked  were  before  us.  '  Have  you  not 
seen  our  3[orimo  ?  Have  you  not  beheld  him  cast  from  his  arm  his  fiery 
spears,  and  rend  the  heavens?  Have  you  not  heard  with  your  ears  his 
voice  in  the  clouds ';:"  adding  with  an  interjection  of  supreme  disgust, 
*You  talk  of  Jehovah,  and  Jesus,  what  can  they  do?'  Never  in  my 
life  do  I  rememl)er  a  iext  being  brought  home  with  such  ])o\ver  as  the 
words  of  tlu(  I'salmist,  '1)0  still,  and  know  that  I  am  Uod :  I  will  bo 
exalti'(l  among  the  heathen.' 

"The  rain-maker  found  the  clouds  in  our  country  rather  harder  to 
manage  than  those  he  had  M\.  lie  complained  that  secret  rogues  were 
disobeying  his  ])rocIamations.  When  urged  to  make  rejx^ated  trials,  he 
Would  reply,  '  Von  only  give  me  sheep  and  goats  to  kill,  therefore  I  can 
only  make  goat-rain  ;  give  mo  fat  slaugliter  oxen,  and  I  shall  let  you  see 
ox-rain.'  One  day,  as  he  was  taking  a  sound  sleep,  a  shower  fell,  on 
which  one  t)f  the  pritu-ipal  men  entered  his  house  to  congralul.ite  him, 
but  to  his  utter  amazement  ioiuid  iiiiii  totally  insensible  to  what  was 


l>"> : 


THE    RAIN-MAKER. 


573 


transpiring.  '  Ilela  ka  rare  (Halloo,  by  my  fotlicr),  I  thouqlit  you  were 
making  rain,'  saiil  the  intruder,  when,  arising  from  his  slumbers,  and  see- 
ing his  wife  sitting  on  t!ie  iloor  shaking  a  milk-sack,  in  order  to  obtain  a 
little  buttei  to  anoint  her  hair,  lie  replied,  pointing  to  the  operation  of 
churning,  '  Do  you  not  see  my  wife  churning  rain  as  fast  as  she  can  ?' 
This  reply  gave  entire  satislliction,  and  it  presently  spread  through  the 
length  and  breadth  of  the  town,  tiiat  the  rain-maker  ha<l  churned  the 
shower  out  of  a  milk-sack.  The  moisture  caused  by  this  shower  was 
dried  up  by  a  scorching  «m,  and  many  long  weeks  followed  willujiit  a 
single  cloud,  and  wlieu  these  did  appear  they  might  sometimes  be  seen, 
to  the  great  mortification  of  the  conjurer,  to  discharge  their  watery  treas- 
ures at  an  immense  distance. 

"The  rain-maker  had  recourse  to  numerous  cx]»edients  and  strata- 
gems, and  continued  Ins  i)erformances  for  many  weeks.  All  his  efforts, 
however,  ])roving  unsuccessful,  he  kejjt  himself  very  sccludeil  for  a  fort- 
night, and,  after  cogitating  how  he  could  make  his  own  cause  good,  he 
appeared  in  the  public  fold,  and  ])roclaimed  that  he  had  discovered  the 
cause  of  the  drought.  All  were  now  eagerly  listening;  he  <lilated  some 
time,  till  he  had  raised  their  exju'ctation  to  the  highest  pitch,  when  he 
revealed  the  mystery.  '  Do  you  not  see,  when  clouds  come  over  us,  that 
Hamilton  and  .Aloifat  look  at  theui  ?'  This  question  receiving  a  hearty 
and  unanimous  affirmation,  lie  added,  that  our  white  faces  frightened 
away  the  clouds,  and  they  need  not  expect  rain  so  long  as  we  were  in 
the  country.  This  was  a  ho!uc-strok(>,  and  it  was  an  easy  matter  for  us 
to  calculate  what  the  intluenee  of  such  a  charge  Avould  be  on  the  ))ublic 
mind.  We  were  very  soon  informeil  of  the  evilof  our  conduct,  to  which 
we  plead  guilty,  ]ir.iMiising,  that  as  we  mvvc  not  aware  that  we  were 
doing  wrong,  hi'ing  as  anxious  as  any  of  them  for  rain,  we  would  will- 
ingly look  to  our  chins,  or  the  groimd,  all  the  day  long,  if  it  would  serve 
their  purpose.  It  was  rather  remarkable,  that  miu-h  as  they  admired 
my  long  black  beard,  tliey  tliought  that  in  this  case  it  was  most  toblanu*. 
However,  this  season  of  trial  passed  over,  to  our  great  comfort,  though 
it  was  f<)llowcd  for  some  tinm  with  many  indications  of  suspicion  and 
distrust." 

In  October,  IRJM,  Mr.  Moftat  having  occasion  to  visit  Cape  'i'own 
with  his  linnily,  he  writes:  "As  Mothibi  (the  chief)  was  anxious  that  his 
son  should  see  the  country  of  tlie  M'hite  people,  he  sent  him  with  us,  and 
ap])()inted  Tai^lio,  one  of  his  ])rincipal  chiefs,  to  accompany  him.  The 
kitul  reception  they  met  with  from  liis  cxeelleiu-y  the  governor,  and  thi' 
friends  iu  Cape  Town,  and  the  sights  they  saw,  produced  strange  emo- 
tions in  their  minds.  They  were  delighted  with  every  thing  they  be- 
held, and  were  in  raptures  when  they  met  again  their  old  friend  (icorgc 
Thompson,  Ks(],,  who  showed  them  no  little  kindues<.  It  was  with  some 
dilliculty  that  they  weri'  prt-vailed  upon  to  go  on  board  oiu'  of  the  ships 
in  the  bay  ;  nor  would  they  enter  (he  ])t)at  until  I  liad  preceded  them. 
They  were  perfectly  astounded,  when  hoisted  on  the  <k'ck,  with  tlio  enor- 


I  ! 


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iiiii 


^1  i  M 


III 


574 


MOFFAT'S    LIFE    IN    SOUTHERN    AFRICA. 


moiis  size  of  llu'  hull,  and  the  ht-iglit  of  tlio  masts ;  and  when  thoy  saw 
a  boy  mount  the  riirgini?,  and  uschmuI  to  the  very  mast-head,  they  were 
Rj)eefhU'ss  witli  amazcnu'nt.  Taisho  whispered  to  the  yomig  prince,  'A 
ga  si  kliatla?'  Is  it  not  an  ape  ?  When  thoy  entered  the  sjilendid  cabin, 
and  looked  into  the  deep  hold,  they  could  scarcely  be  convinced  that  the 
vessel  was  not  resting  on  the  bottom  of  the  ocean.  'Do  these  water- 
liouses  (ships)  unload  like  wagon-oxen  every  night  ?'  they  inquired.  '  Do 
tlicy  graze  in  tin?  sea  to  keej)  tlicm  .alive?'  A  ship  in  full  sail  .ajiproach- 
ing  the  roads,  they  were  asked  what  they  thouglit  of  that.  '  We  liave 
no  thoughts  here;  we  Iioj)e  to  think  again  when  Ave  get  to  the  shore,' 
was  their  rejily.  Tlu'y  Avould  go  anywhere  with  me  or  Mr.  Thompson, 
for  whom  they  entertained  a  kindly  feeling,  but  tiiey  would  trust  no 
one  elsi'." 

Atler  his  retiUMi,  31  r.  !Moflat,  accompanied  by  some  Gricpias,  set  out 
on  the  1st  of  July,  18'J4,  to  visit  ^Nlakaba,  the  chief  of  the  Bauangketsi. 
A  few  d.ays  .afterward,  they  Avere  joined  liy  anotluT  jiarty,  under  the 
chief  llerend.  Bet'ore  reaching  the  town  the  train  was  met  by  the  mes- 
sengers of  3lakal);i,  a\  ho  wi  Iconu'd  tlii-m,  and  a\  hen  they  came  near, 
^fakaba  desired  them  to  conduct  the  wagons  through  the  princip.al 
street,  l»ut  as  it  was  a  narrow  jiath,  Avinding  .among  a  number  of  houses, 
3Ir.  ^NFoflat  pronounced  the  tiling  inipossil)le  Avithout  seriously  injur- 
ing the  i'cnces.  '*  Never  miml  that,"  says  ]\[;ikaba,  "  oidy  let  me  see  the 
Ava'jfons  (jro  tlu'ouirh  mv  town:"'  atid  on  thcA'  Avent,  Avhile  tlie  chieltain 
stood  on  .an  eminence  before  his  door,  looking  witli  inexpressible  de- 
light on  the  Avagons  which  Avcre  breaking  doAvn  corners  of  feiu'cs,  Avhile 
the  good  Avivcs  Avitliiu  were  so  much  amazed  at  the  oxen,  and  Avhat  ap- 
]ieari'd  to  tlu'tu  ]»<inilcrous  vehicles,  that  they  h.anlly  found  time  to  scold, 
though  a  few  did  not  fail  to  express  their  displeasure. 

They  (()und  a  <h'nse  ))0])ulation  at  the  nu^troj)filis  of  the  Bauangketsi, 
and  early  lU'Xt  morning  tluy  Avere  surrounded  by  thous.ands,  so  tliat  it 
Avas  dilhcult  t(»  pass  from  oiu'  wagon  to  another.  "  Tlie  country  of  the 
Bauanuketski  is  liillA',  and  even  mountainous  toward  the  north  .and  east. 
Tile  soil  in  general  is  A'cry  rich  ;  Imt  Avater  is  rather  scarce,  and  though 
1  believe  rains  are  pr«'tty  aluuidant,  yet,  from  Avliat  I  could  learn,  irrig.a- 
tion  Avould  l)e  absolutely  necessary  to  raise  European  A'egetables  and 
grain.  The  countrii's  to  the  north  and  east  abound  Avith  rivers,  .ir'd 
are  very  fruitful  and  ]iopiilous.  The  mountains  are  a(h)rned  to  their 
very  suminits  with  stately  trees  aii<l  shrubs,  unknown  in  the  southern 
]iai'ts  of  thi'  continent,  which  give  the  country  a  jncturesque  and  impos- 
ing appearaiu'e."  On  tlu'ir  ri'turn  they  Avere  .attacked  by  a  p.'irty  of 
llaroiougs,  Avho  Avere  rejiulsed  only  aft<'r  a  fierce  eru'ounter  :vnd  the 
loss  of  sever.'il  lives.  Some  of  Berend's  people  likewise  captured  several 
hundred  of  the  enemy's  cattle. 

"In  the  end  of  tlu'  ye.ar  IH'JO,  having  remoA'od  into  our  ncAv  Ji.nbita- 
tion,  and  the  state  of  the  country  being  sonu'Avhat  more  traiupiil,  a 
journey  was  resolved  on  to  the  Barulongs,  near  tlio  Molnpo,  in  order  to 


-m 


THE    BAROLOXG    TRIBE. 


575 


attend  pxclusively  to  the  languago,  which  hitherto  it  had  not  been 
possible  to  do,  owing  to  the  succession  of  manual  hd)or  connected  witli 
commencing  a  new  station,  when  the  missionaries  must  be  at  the  begin- 
ning, middle,  and  end  of  every  thing.  Mr.  Hamilton,  who  felt  that  his 
advanced  age  was  a  serious  barrier  to  his  acquisition  of  the  language, 
was  anxious  for  my  progress,  and  cheerfully  undertook  the  entire  labors 
of  the  station  for  a  short  season,  preaching  to  the  IJatlapis  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  keeping  up  public  service  for  the  few  on  the  station.  Two 
attempts  had  been  previously  made  for  this  very  purpose,  but  I  had  not 
long  left  the  place  before,  in  both  instances,  I  was  recalled  on  account  of 
threatened  attacks." 

Arrived  at  the  village  of  Bogachu,  a  liarolong  chief,  ]\rr.  Moftat  S])ent 
ten  weeks  attending  to  the  language.  lie  writes:  "The  people,  to 
please  me,  would  assemble  on  the  Sabbath,  as  I  toM  them  I  could  not 
be  happy  without  telling  them  about  their  souls  and  another  world. 
One  day,  while  descril)uig  the  day  of  judgment,  several  of  my  hearers 
expressed  great  concern  at  the  idea  of  all  their  cattle  being  destroyed, 
together  with  their  ornaments.  They  never  for  one  moment  allow 
their  thoughts  to  dwell  on  death,  which  is  according  to  their  views 
nothing  less  than  annihilation.  Their  supreme  happiness  consists  in  hav- 
ing abundance  of  meat.  Asking  a  num  who  was  more  grave  and 
thoughtful  than  his  (tompanicms  what  was  the  tinest  sight  Ik;  could  de- 
sire, he  instantly  repliec],  'A  great  fire  covered  with  pots  full  of  meat ;' 
addmg,  '  how  ugly  the  fire  looks  without  a  pot !' 

"  A  custom  prevails  among  all  the  Bechuanas  whom  I  have  visited, 
of  removing  to  a  (bstance  from  the  towns  and  villauji's  persons  who  have 
been  wounded.  Two  yotmg  men,  who  had  been  wounde*!  by  the  jioi- 
soncd  arrows  of  the  liushmen,  were  thus  removed  from  the  Kuruman. 
Having  visited  them,  to  admitiisti'r  relief,  I  made  hupiiries,  but  could 
learn  no  reason,  ex('e])t  that  it  was  a  custom.  This  uimatural  ))ractice 
exposed  the  often  helpless  invalid  to  great  (hmger ;  f)r,  if  not  well  at- 
tended during  the  night,  his  ])altry  little  Juit,  or  rather  shade  from  the 
sun  and  wind,  would  be  assailed  V)y  the  hyena  or  lion.  A  catastroplu; 
of  this  kind  occurred  a  short  tim(!  before  my  arrival  among  the  l»aro- 
longs.  The  son  of  one  of  the  principal  chiefs,  a  fine  young  man,  had 
been  woun<h.'d  by  a  buffalo  ;  he  was,  according  to  custom,  jiliicedon  tlu; 
outside  of  the  village  till  he,  should  recover;  a  portion  of  food  was  ilaily 
sent,  and  a  person  appointed  to  laakc^  his  fire  for  the  evening.  The  fire 
went  out  ;  and  the  helpless  man,  notwithstanding  his  piteous  cries,  was 
carried  off  by  a  lion  and  devoure<l.  Some  miglit  think  that  this  prac- 
tice originate<l  in  the  treatment  of  infectious  diseases,  such  as  leprosy; 
hut  the  only  individual  T  ever  saw  thus  affected  was  not  sep;\rated. 
This  disease,  though  ot\en  found  among  slaves  in  tluM-olony,  is  unknown 
aniong  the  tribes  in  tlie  interior,  and  therefore  they  have  no  name  for  it. 

"  Although,  as  has  been  stated,  the  term  savages,  when  applied  to 
Bechuanas,  nmst  be  understood  in  a  restricted  sense,  there  wa.s  nothing 


i     I    i 


jlil: 


» 


li  ! 


'  M 


J 


'  '" 

■"       1 

':    i 

) 

'i 

1  i 

iij^^u  I 


Hi 


'!.  ! 

ii 

m 


i  i ; 

1 

11,     !      1  .: 

IliML 

1        1 

L. 

C76 


MOFFAT'S    LIFE    IN    SOUTIIKUN    AFRICA. 


cither  very  comely  or  cointbrlable  in  the  dress  of  cither  pcx,  yet  such 
"vvaa  their  attuchineiit  to  it,  tliat  any  one  deviating  from  it  was  consid- 
ered a  harUnjiiin.  The  child  is  carried  in  a  skin  on  its  motlier's  back, 
"Nvith  its  chest  lying  close  to  lier  person.  Wiien  it  recpiires  to  he  re- 
moved from  that  jiosition,  it  is  often  Avet  Avitli  pers])iration  ;  and  from 
being  tluis  ex])osed  to  cold  wind,  jiuhnonary  (omjjlaints  are  not  nnfrc- 
qiiently  bronglit  on.  As  soon  as  a  child  is  l)orn,  its  liead  is  shaved,  leav- 
ing a  small  tuft  on  the  imi)erfectly  ossilied  part  of  the  skull  ;  and  when 
but  a  few  weeks  old,  the  little  head  may  be  seen  lianging  over  the  skin 
in  Avliich  it  is  carried,  shining  with  grease,  and  exposed  to  the  rays  of 
an  ahnost  A'crtical  sun,  yet  tluwo^/^)  dc  kdIiH  is  not  of  fre(juent  occur- 
rence, either  in  infants  or  adults.  The  natives,  however,  are  iiir  from 
admiriiig  a  hot  sun,  and  it  is  not  uiu'ommon  to  lu-ar  them  say,  '  letsatsi 
lo  utlut'ga  yang ';"  '  lu)W  does  the  sun  feel ':"  and  this  ex(;lamation  is  not 
to  be  woiulered  at,  for  I  have  kiuiwn  the  action  of  the  sun's  rays  so 
powerful  on  tlie  masses  of  grease  and  black  shining  ocher  on  the  head, 
as  to  cause  it  to  run  down  their  necks  and  blister  the  skhi.  They  arc 
therefore  ollen  found  carrying  a  parasol  made  of  black  ostridi  feathers, 
and  in  the  absence  of  these  will  hold  a  small  branch  over  their  lieads. 
I  liave  freciuenllv  observed  the  ^Matabele  warriors  carrvuig  their  shields 
over  their  heails  for  the  same  purpose. 

"  Foi"  a  long  i)eriod,  when  a  man  Avas  seen  to  make  a  pair  of  trow- 
sers  for  himselt^  or  a  woman  a  gown,  it  was  a  sure  intimation  that  we 
might  exp(H't  additions  lo  our  itupiirers.  Abandoning  the  custom  of 
painting  the  body,  and  l)eginiiiiig  lo  wash  with  Avater,  was  with  them 
Avliat  cutting  otf  the  hair  was  among  the  South  Sea  islanders,  a  public 
rennnciation  of  heathenism.  In  the  })rogress  of  improvement  during  the 
years  Avhich  followed,  and  by  Avhieh  many  individuals  Avho  made  no  jtro- 
fession  of  the  (Jospel  Avere  influenced,  Ave  Avere  frecpiently  much  amused. 
A  man  might  be  seen  in  a  jacket  Avith  but  one  slecA^c,  because  the  other 
Avas  not  finished,  or  he  lacked  material  to  complete  it.  Another  in  a 
leathern  or  dull'el  jacket,  with  the  sleeves  of  diilerent  colors,  or  of  fine 
j)rinted  cotton.  Ctowns  were  seen  like  Joseph's  coat  of  many  colors, 
and  dresses  of  such  fantastic  shapes  as  Avere  calculated  to  excite  a  smile 
in  the  gravest  of  us.  It  Avas  somewhat  entertaining  to  Avitness  the  A'a- 
rions  applications  made  to  Mrs.  ^loflat,  avIio  was  the  only  European  fe- 
male on  the  station,  for  assistance  in  the  flibrication  of  dress,  nor  Avere 
tlicse  confined  to  female  ajiplicants. 

"Our  congregation  now  became  a  A'aricgated  mass,  including  all  do- 
Rcripfions,  Worn  the  lubricated  Avild-man  of  the  desert,  to  the  clean,  com- 
fortable, and  Avell-dressed  believer.  The  same  spirit  diffused  itself 
through  all  the  routine  of  Jiousehold  economy.  Formerly  a  chest,  a 
chair,  a  candle,  or  a  table,  Avere  things  unknoAvn,  and  sujiiiosed  to  be 
only  the  superfbutus  accompaniments  of  beings  of  another  order.  Al- 
though ^  lever  disputed  the  superiority  of  our  attaiinnents  in  being 
able  to  manufacture  these  superfluities,  they  would  hoAvevcr  question  our 


fill  (Ic- 

COIH- 

itsi'lf 
>ost,  i\ 
to  bo 
Al- 

bt'iiig 
on  our 


IIOUSKS    IX    TIIK    TREES. 


677 


common  sense  in  talvLnjT  so  much  trouble  about  tbom.  Thoy  thoupjbt  us 
])articularly  extravagant  in  burning  fat  in  the  form  of  candles,  uistoad  of 
rubbing  it  on  the  bodies,  or  dej)ositing  it  in  our  stomachs.  Hitherto 
Avhen  the)  had  milke<l  their  cows,  they  rctircil  to  their  houses  and 
yards,  to  sit  moping  over  a  few  embers,  seldom  affording  sufficient  light 
to  sec  what  they  were  eating,  or  even  each  other ;  at  night,  sitreadiiig 
the  dry  hide  of  some  animal  on  the  floor,  they  would  lie  down  in  their 
skin-cloaks,  making  a  blanket  of  what  had  been  their  mantles  all 
day.  They  soon  found  that  to  read  in  the  evening  or  by  night  required  a 
more  steady  light  than  that  alTorded  by  a  flickering  flame  from  a  bit  of 
wood.  Candle-molds  and  rags  for  wicks  were  now  in  recjuisition,  and 
tallow  carefully  preserved,  w  hen  bunches  of  candles  were  shortly  to  lie 
seen  suspended  from  the  wall,  a  spectacle  far  more  gratifyitig  to  us  than 
the  most  charming  picture,  an  indicatum  of  the  superior  light  which  had 
entered  their  abodes." 

In  the  latter  i>art  of  tlie  year  1829,  IVIr.  Moflat  accompanied  two 
messengers  of  Moselekatse,  a  king  of  a  division  of  Zoolus  called  Mata- 
bele,  on  their  return  home.  "Having  traveled  one  hundred  miles,"  ho 
writes,  "  live  days  after  leaving  Mosega  we  came  to  the  first  cattle  out- 
posts of  the  Matabele,  when  we  halted  by  a  fine  rivulet.  ]\Iy  attention 
was  arrested  by  a  beautiful  aiul  gigantic  tree,  standing  in  a  defile  lead- 
ing into  an  extensi\e  and  wotidy  ravine,  between  a  high  range  of  mount- 
ains. Seeing  some  individuals  employed  on  the  ground  under  its  shade, 
and  the  conical  j>(>i!its  of  what  looked  like  houses  in  miniature,  protrud- 
ing through  its  evergreen  foliage,  I  j)roceeded  thither,  and  found  that  the 
tree  was  inhabited  by  several  families  of  Bakones,  the  aborigines  of  the 
country.  I  ascendeil  by  the  nott;hed  trunk,  and  found,  to  my  amaze- 
ment, no  less  than  seventeen  of  these  aerial  abodes,  and  three  others  un- 
finislied.  On  reaching  the  topmost  hut,  about  thirty  feet  from  the 
ground,  T  entered,  and  sat  down.  Its  only  furniture  was  the  hay  which 
covered  the  floor,  a  spear,  a  sjioon,  and  a  bowl  full  of  locusts.  Not  hav- 
ing eaten  any  thing  that  day,  and  from  the  novelty  of  my  situation,  not 
wishing  to  return  inunediately  to  the  wagons,  I  asked  a  woman  who  sat 
at  the  door  with  a  babe  at  lier  breast,  permission  to  e.at.  This  she 
-  granted  with  jileasure,  and  soon  brought  nu'  more  in  a  powdered  state. 
Several  mon;  females  came  from  the  neigldioring  roosts,  stepping  from 
branch  to  lu'anch,  to  sec-  the  stranger,  whf»  was  to  them  as  great  a 
curiosity  as  the  tre;'  was  lo  him.  1  then  visite(l  the  difl'erent  abodes, 
which  were  on  several  principal  Ijninclies.  The  structure  of  these  houses 
was  very  simple.  An  oblong  scaflbld,  aboiit  seven  feet  wide,  is  formed 
of  straight  sticks.  On  one  end  of  this  jilatform  a  small  cone  is  formed, 
also  of  straight  sticks,  and  thatclied  with  grass.  A  person  can  nearly 
stand  u]>right  in  it;  the;  diameter  of  tlw;  floor  is  about  si.v  feet.  The 
house  stands  on  the  end  of  the  oblong,  so  as  to  leave  a  little  S(piaro 
space  before  the  door.  On  the  day  previous  I  had  passed  several 
villages,  some  containing  forty  houses,  all  built  on  poles  about  seven  or 

37 


'■■  if; 

1 

'1 

i< 

i? 

!  ^ 

1      - 
i 

p:^ 


]%■ 

',>« 

^ 

I 

I 

i 

i.i 

1 

=» , :  ■  • 

1 

; 

"   ^1 

111'^ 


!r  : 

i  , 

r.  ii- 

; 

-i 

(i 


'  tt 


•I.I 


II  :!■    if 


i!    i 


!■ 


1! 


■it 


! 


i    ■ 


578 


MOFFAT'S    LIFE    IN    SOUTHERN    AFRICA. 


eight  feet  from  the  ground,  in  the  form  of  a  circle ;  the  ascent  and  de- 
Bcent  is  by  a  knotty  branch  of  a  tree  placed  in  front  of  the  house.  In 
the  center  of  tlie  circle  there  is  always  a  heap  of  the  bones  of  game  they 
have  killed.  Such  were  the  domiciles  of  the  impoverished  thousands  of 
the  aborigines  of  the  country,  who,  having  been  scattered  and  peeled 
by  Moselekatse,  had  neither  herd  nor  stall,  but  subsisted  on  locusts, 
roots,  and  the  chase.  They  adopted  this  mode  of  architecture  to  escape 
the  lions  which  abound  in  that  country.  During  the  day  the  families 
il(!seendcd  to  the  shade  beneath  to  dress  their  daily  food.  When  the 
inhabitants  increased,  they  supported  the  augmented  weight  on  the 
branches,  by  upright  sticks,  but  when  lightened  of  their  load,  they  re- 
moved these  for  firewood." 

The  king  received  the  missionaries  with  kindness,  and  during  a  long 
visit  Mr.  Moffiit  had  frequent  intercourse  with  bis  majesty,  who  freely 
listened  to  his  instructions.  On  his  return  Moselekatse  accompanied 
him  in  his  wagon,  a  long  day's  journey.  Mr.  Moffat  concludes  the  story 
of  his  long  labors  in  the  following  words :  "  Before  closing  the  account 
of  the  Bechuana  mission,  it  will  be  proper  to  state,  that  during  the 
years  1837,  18.T8,  a  rich  blcsnng  descended  on  the  labors  of  the  brethren 
at  home,  at  the  out-station'^,  and  indeed,  at  every  place  where  the  Gos- 
pel was  read  and  preached,  Large  additions  of  Bechuanas  to  the  church 
at  Griqua  Town  have  already  been  noticed;  and  in  1838,  great  acces- 
sions were  made  to  that  of  the  Kuruman.  Under  the  very  efficient  and 
assiduous  superintendence  of  Mr.  Edwards,  the  number  of  readers  con- 
nected with  the  mission  had  increased  in  equal  ratio ;  while  the  Infant 
School,  commenced  and  carried  on  by  Mrs.  Edwards,  with  the  assistance 
of  a  native  girl,  gave  the  highest  satisfaction.  The  people  made  rapid 
advance  in  civilization  ;  some  purchasing  wagons,  and  breaking  in  their 
oxen  for  those  labors  which  formerly  devolved  on  the  female  sex.  The 
use  of  clothing  became  so  general,  that  the  want  of  a  merchant  was 
greatly  felt,  to  supply  the  demands  for  British  commodities.  This  in- 
duced us  to  iirvite  Mr.  D.  Hume,  in  whom  we  placed  implicit  confidence, 
Avho  had  already  traded  much  with  the  natives,  and  traveled  a  great 
distance  into  the  interior,  to  take  up  his  constant  abode  on  the  station 
for  that  purpose.  lie  built  himself  a  house,  and  the  measure  has  suc- 
ceeded beyond  our  expectations." 


iiii 


'fli 


1 1 


iWiH 


'<  i 

IB" 

i     1 

|il].  '• 

l:;i 

lai^il^H 

m  i  i 


if'!i||'i 


mn 


I'l 


|l! 


I  ! 


•:H 


6ltrm\ 


I 


— 1 


SOU  TIT  ^   „       , 


A\twi&-, 


N^^  ^^ 


IrwnrO- 


vr;  --3 


ai 


1^ji^^,^:T    ''mil 


lU'ry^rquarii 


f.yurfl**^' 


^-      ,  ,^     ..,.  ■" '■•iJDl'il.M>ii<l(Jimi)nloi-y- 

[['     A'l"'']  ^    ^>•-.■"^^,|■mf.SIiA^IX^> 


!li 


LIA 


'g 


_» 


Lud. 


irtrwfli;- 


•.V* 


<^  fflf  J 
7  


S  r  U  R  T'S 


EXPLORATIONS    IN     AUSTRALIA. 


JOURNEY    TO    THE    RIVER    DARLING, 

The  climate  of  New  South  Wales  is  periodically  subject  to  long  and 
fearful  droughts  ;  one  of  these,  which  began  in  1826,  continued  during 
the  two  following  years  with  unabated  severity.  The  surface  of  the 
ground  became  parched,  the  crops  failed,  and  the  settlers  drove  their 
flocks  and  herds  to  distant  tracts  in  search  of  pasture  and  water.  The 
interior  suffered  equally  with  the  coast,  and  it  seemed  as  though  the 
Australian  sky  would  never  again  be  traversed  by  a  cloud.  It  was 
therefore  hoped  that  an  expedition,  pursuing  the  line  of  the  Macquarie 
River,  would  be  more  successful  than  the  previous  attempts  to  explore 
the  country,  which  had  been  obstructed  by  the  vast  marshes  of  the 
interior.  An  expedition  was  accordingly  decided  upon,  for  the  express 
purpose  of  ascertaining  the  nature  and  extent  of  that  basin  into  which 
the  Macquarie  was  supposed  to  fall,  and  whether  any  connection  existed 
between  it  and  the  streams  flowing  westwardly. 

Captain  Charles  Sturt  was  appointed  to  command  this  expedition, 
which  Bet  out  from  Sidney  on  tbj  10th  of  November,  1828,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  Bathurst.  After  a  few  days'  delay  it  was  joined  by  Mr.  Ham- 
ilton Hume,  who  was  associated  with  Captain  Sturt,  and  they  pursued 
their  route  do^\7i  tlie  banks  of  the  Macquarie  to  Wellington  Valley, 
where  they  arrived  about  the  end  of  the  month.  On  the  7th  of  De- 
cember they  continued  their  journey  down  the  river.  The  weather  was 
exceedingly  sultry ;  a  few  days  afterward,  when  they  left;  the  river  on 
an  excursion  to  Lake  Buddah,  a  short  day's  journey  from  it,  the  ther- 
mometer stood  at  one  hundred  and  twenty-nine  degrees  of  Fahrenheit 
in  the  shade,  at  two  o'clock,  and  at  one  hundred  and  forty-nine  in  the 
Bun.  The  rays  were  too  powerful  even  for  the  natives,  who  kept  as 
much  as  possible  in  the  shade.  At  simset  hundreds  of  birds  came 
crowding  to  the  lake,  to  quench  their  thirst ;  some  were  gasping,  otherg 
too  weak  to  avoid  the  men,  who  shot  a  supply  of  them. 


i  t  ] 


!' 


■ 


( 

! 

I 


1             1            1          (    ■    . 

f 

'       .hi 

'     ,          1 

( 

i- 

i'lil 

I 

.     i'i''' 

I'ii 

■  1 
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i 

It 


fU  .■ 


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.;  I 


'■'t   , 


582 


STURT'S   EXPLORATIONS    IN    AUSTRALIA. 


They  rei;,ched  the  river  again  next  day  and  descended  to  the  cat- 
aract. The  natives  they  met  with  here,  as  elsewhere,  were  timorous  at 
first,  but  being  treated  with  kindness  they  soon  threw  off  all  reserve, 
and  in  the  afternoon  assembled  below  the  fall  to  fish.  They  took  short 
spears  and  sank  at  once  under  water,  at  a  given  signal  from  an  elderly 
man.  In  a  short  time  one  or  two  rose  with  the  fish  they  had  taken ; 
the  others  remained  about  a  minute  under  water,  and  then  made  their 
appearance  near  the  ro6k  Under  which  they  had  driven  their  prey. 

The  heat  increased  as  the  expedition  advanced  into  the  interior. 
The  thermometer  was  seldom  under  one  hundred  and  fourteen  degrees 
at  noon,  and  rose  higher  at  two  o'clock.  There  was  no  dew  at  night ; 
the  country  was  bare  and  scorched,  and  the  plains  were  traversed  by 
large  fissures.  As  they  ncared  Mount  Harris  the  Macquarie  became 
more  sluggish  in  its  flow,  and  fell  off  so  much  as  scarcely  to  deserve  the 
name  of  a  river.  On  encamping,  Messrs.  Sturt  and  Hume  rode  to  Mount 
Harris.  "  Nearly  ten  years  had  elapsed,"  says  Captain  Sturt,  "  since 
Mr.  Oxley  pitched  his  tents  under  the  smallest  of  the  two  hills  into  which 
Mount  Harris  is  broken.  There  was  no  difllculty  in  hitting  upon  his 
position.  The  trenches  cut  around  the  tents  were  still  perfect,  and  the 
marks  of  the  fire-places  distinguishable ;  while  the  trees  in  the  neighbor- 
hood had  been  felled,  and  round  about  them  the  staves  of  some  casks 
and  a  few  tent-pegs  were  scattered.  Mr.  Oxley  had  selected  a  place  at 
some  distance  from  the  river,  in  consequence  of  its  swollen  state :  from 
the  same  ground  I  could  not  discern  the  waters  in  its  channel.  A  re- 
flection naturally  arose  to  my  mind  on  examining  these  decaying  vestiges 
of  a  former  expedition,  whether  I  should  be  more  fortunate  than  the 
leader  of  it,  and  how  far  I  should  be  enabled  to  penetrate  beyond  the 
point  which  had  conquered  his  perseverance.  My  eye  instinctively 
turned  to  the  north-west,  and  the  view  extended  over  an  apparently 
endless  forest.  I  could  trace  the  river-line  of  trees  by  their  superior 
height,  but  saw  no  appearance  of  reeds,  save  the  few  that  grew  on  the 
banks  of  the  stream." 

A  few  days  later,  after  passing  over  rich  timbered  flats  covered  with 
luxuriant  grass,  and  then  crossing  a  dreary  plain,  they  came  to  some 
lofty  trees,  under  which  they  found  nothing  but  reeds  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  penetrate.  Continuing  their  course  along  the  edge  of  the  reeds 
they  at  length  found  a  passage  between  the  patches  and  gained  the  river 
with  some  difllculty.  They  were  obliged  to  clear  away  a  space  for  the 
tents,  and  thus  found  themselves  encamped  pretty  far  in  that  marsh 
which  they  had  been  anxiously  looking  for,  and  upon  which,  in  any 
ordinary  state  of  the  river,  it  would  have  been  dangerous  to  venture. 
As  they  proceeded,  the  difficulties  increased,  and  it  became  necessary 
either  to  skirt  the  reeds  to  the  northward,  or  to  follow  the  river.  Here 
the  party  separated,  Captain  Sturt  launching  the  boat,  and  passing  down 
the  river  to  detennine  its  course,  and  Mr.  Hume  proceeding  northward 
to  examine  the  marshes.    The  river  flowed  sluggishly  among  high  reeds 


'f 


MEETING    WITH    TUE    NATIVES. 


683 


which  often  shut  out  every  other  object,  and  tlic  channel  maintained  ita 
eizo  for  several  miles,  when  suddenly  it  ceased  altogether  and  the  boat 
grounded.  Captain  Sturt,  thiding  every  outlet  closed,  returned  to  the 
camp.  He  8U2)posed  the  waters  of  the  river  to  be  spread  over  the  sur- 
rounding level  country,  and  Mr.  Hume,  who  had  also  returned,  had 
found  a  serpentine  sheet  of  water,  twelve  miles  to  the  northward,  which 
he  supposed  to  be  the  channel  of  the  river. 

The  whole  party  then  proceeded  to  the  channel  found  by  Mr.  Hunu', 
but  after  a  few  miles  it  likewise  became  unnavigable.  Thinking  that 
the  ]\Iacquario  must  eventually  meet  the  Castlereagh,  and  their  united 
waters  form  a  stream  of  some  importance,  ]\Ir.  Hume  was  sent  north-east 
to  explore  the  country  in  that  direction,  while  Captain  Sturt  crossed  the 
river  on  an  excursion  to  the  interior,  each  accompanied  by  two  men. 
Next  day,  January  1st,  1829,  the  cajjtuin  came  upon  a  numerous  tribe 
of  natives.  A  young  girl,  who  first  saw  the  approaching  Jiarty,  was  so 
frightened  that  she  had  not  powxr  to  run  away,  but  threw  herself  on 
the  ground  and  screamed  violently.  The  i)eople  then  issued  from  the 
huts,  but  started  back  on  beholding  the  strangers.  In  a  moment  their 
huts  Avere  in  Uames,  and  each  one  with  a  firebrand  ran  to  and  fro  with 
hideous  yells,  thrusting  it  into  every  bush  lie  i)assed.  Captain  Sturt 
walked  his  horse  quietly  toward  an  old  man  who  stood  before  the  rest, 
as  if  to  devote  himself  for  the  j)reservation  of  his  tribe,  but  he  trembled 
80  violently  that  it  was  impossible  to  get  any  information  from  huu ;  the 
party  therefore  passed  on. 

They  returned  to  the  camp  late  on  the  5th  of  January,  having  pene- 
trated more  than  a  hundred  miles  into  the  western  interior,  and  seen  no 
traces  of  a  stream  from  the  highest  elevations.  Mr.  Hume  returned  next 
day  ;  he  had  traversed  the  country  in  various  directions  to  the  north  and 
north-west,  and  found  here  and  there  a  creek  partiiilly  dried  uj),  but 
nothing  like  a  channel  of  the  river,  although  he  had  obtahied  an  extens- 
ive view  of  the  country  from  a  high  range  of  hills,  which  he  called  New 
Year's  Range. 

Captain  Sturt  now  returned  to  Mount  Harris  for  supplies,  and  prepared 
to  strike  at  once  into  the  heart  of  the  interior,  being  convinced  that  the 
river  no  longer  existed.  Not  finding  the  expected  supplies,  he  rejoined 
Mr.  Hume,  who  had  advanced  fifteen  miles,  and  foiuid  the  whole  party 
suffering  from  fatigue  and  the  want  of  water.  With  difficulty  they  at 
length  passed  through  the  marshes,  and  on  the  i;3th  of  January  proceeded 
over  a  more  pleasant  country.  In  the  forest,  next  day,  they  surprised  a 
party  of  natives,  who  immediately  ran  away  ;  but  presently  one  of  them 
returned,  and  stood  twenty  paces  from  Mr.  Hume,  until  Captain  Sturt 
began  to  advance,  when  he  poised  his  spear  at  him,  and  the  captain  halted. 
The  savage  had  evidently  taken  both  man  and  horse  for  one  animal,  and 
when  Mr.  Hume  dismounted,  he  struck  his  spear  into  the  ground  and 
walked  fearlessly  up  to  him.  They  made  him  comprehend  that  they 
were  in  search  of  water,  when  he  pointed  to  the  west,  and  a  few  hours 


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584 


RTURT'S    EXPLORATIONS    IN    AUSTRALIA, 


afterward  they  came  to  a  creek  of  fresh  water  situated  on  the  eastern 
Bide  of  New  Year's  Range.  Following  the  course  of  this  creek,  M'hich 
was  continually  diminishing  as  they  advanced,  they  proceeded  in  a  north- 
westerly direction  toward  Oxley's  Table  Land,  an  elevated  ridge,  near 
which  they  encamped  on  the  2Ud. 

They  ascended  the  hill  in  search  of  some  object  to  direct  their  course, 
but  seeing  no  indications  of  a  larger  stream,  they  determined  to  make 
an  excursion  to  D'Urban's  Group,  which  lay  at  a  distance  in  the  south- 
west. Accordingly,  Captain  Sturt  and  Mr.  Ilumc  left  the  camp  on  the 
25th,  and  soon  afterward  entered  an  acacia  scrub  of  the  most  sterile  de- 
scription. The  soil  Avas  almost  pure  sand,  and  the  lower  branches  of  the 
trees  were  decayed  so  generally  as  to  give  the  scene  an  indescribable 
appearance  of  desolation.  Next  day  they  entered  upon  a  plam  which 
was  crowded  with  cockatoos,  until  within  a  mile  of  the  mountain  group, 
where  the  country  was  covered  with  luxuriant  grass,  which  waved  higher 
than  the  horses'  middles  as  they  rode  through  it.  The  view  from  the 
summit  was  magnificent,  but  they  were  again  disappointed  in  the  main 
object  of  their  search.  A  brighter  green  than  usual  marked  the  course 
of  the  mountain  torrents  in  several  places,  but  there  was  no  glittering 
light  among  the  trees,  no  smoke  to  betray  a  water-hole,  or  to  tell  that  a 
single  mhabitant  was  traversing  the  extensive  region  they  were  over- 
looking. 

Tliey  returned  to  the  camp  on  the  28th,  and  leaving  Oxley's  Table 
Land  on  the  31st,  they  pursued  a  northern  course  until  they  reached  the 
creek.  It  had  increased  in  size  and  in  the  height  of  its  banks,  but  was 
perfectly  dry.  They  therefore  moved  westwardly  along  its  banks  in 
Bcarch  of  water,  but  encamped  after  sunset  without  having  found  any. 
In  his  anxiety  Captain  Sturt  then  went  dowTi  to  the  bed  of  the  creek, 
where  he  was  rejoiced  to  find  a  pond  of  water  within  a  hundred  yards 
of  the  tents.  At  their  next  encampment  they  were  again  without  water, 
and  at  a  loss  Avhat  course  to  take,  but  finding  traces  of  the  natives,  they 
followed  a  path  toward  the  north,  which  led  them  to  the  banks  of  a  noble 
river.  The  channel  of  the  river  was  from  seventy  to  eighty  yards  broad, 
and  inclosed  an  unbroken  sheet  of  water,  evidently  very  deep,  and  liter- 
ally covered  with  pelicans  and  other  wild  fowl.  "  Our  surprise  and  de- 
light," says  Captain  Sturt,  "  may  better  be  imagined  than  described. 
Our  difficulties  seemed  to  be  at  an  end,  for  here  was  a  river  that  prom- 
ised to  reward  all  our  exertions,  and  which  appeared  every  moment  to 
increase  in  importance  to  our  imagination.  The  men  eagerly  descended 
to  quench  their  thirst,  which  a  powerful  sun  had  contributed  to  increase ; 
nor  shall  I  ever  forget  the  cry  of  amazement  that  followed  their  doing 
so,  or  the  look  of  terror  and  disappointment  with  which  they  called  out 
to  inform  me  that  the  water  was  so  salt  as  to  be  unfit  to  drink.  This 
was,  indeed,  too  true ;  on  tasting  it,  I  found  it  extremely  nauseous  and 
strongly  impregnated  with  salt,  being  apparently  a  mixture  of  sea  and 
fresh  water.     Our  hopes  were  annihilated  at  the  moment  of  their  appa- 


THE    RIVER    DARLING    DISCOVERED. 


585 


's  Table 
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creek, 
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rcnt  realization.  The  cup  of  joy  Avas  dashed  out  of  our  hands  before  wo 
had  time  to  raise  it  to  our  lips.  Notwithstanding  this  disappointment 
we  proceeded  down  the  river  and  halted  at  five  miles,  being  influenced 
by  Ihe  goodness  of  the  feed  to  provide  for  the  cattle  as  well  as  circum- 
stances wouhl  permit.  They  would  not  drink  of  the  river  water,  but 
Btood  covered  in  it  for  many  hours,  having  their  noses  alone  exposed 
above  the  stream."  After  the  tents  were  formed,  Mr.  Hume  walked 
out  in  search  of  watrr,  and  coming  to  the  river  at  some  distance  below, 
found  a  reef  of  rocks  which  formed  a  dry  passage  from  one  side  to  the 
other.  Curiosity  led  him  to  cross  it,  Avhcn  he  found  a  small  pond  of 
fresh  water  on  a  tongue  of  land.  It  was  too  late  to  move,  but  they  had 
the  prospect  of  a  comfortable  breakfast  in  the  morning. 

They  followed  the  course  of  the  river  in  a  south-westerly  direction, 
and  on  the  5th  of  January,  passed  through  a  largo  native  village.  Soon 
afterward  they  came  suddenly  upon  the  tribe  of  the  villiige,  who  were 
engaged  in  fishing.  They  gazed  upon  the  strangers  a  moment,  then 
starting  up,  assumed  an  attitude  of  horror  and  amazement,  and  presently 
gave  a  fearful  yell  and  darted  out  of  sight.  Soon  a  crackling  noise  was 
heard  in  the  distance,  and  the  bush  was  on  fire.  Captain  Sturt  and  his 
party  being  on  safe  ground,  patiently  awaited  the  result.  When  the 
fire  had  come  near,  one  of  the  natives  came  out  from  the  same  spot  into 
which  he  had  retreated,  and  be  iding  forward  with  his  hands  upon  his 
knees,  gazed  at  them  awhile,  but  seeing  that  they  remained  immovable, 
he  began  to  throw  himself  into  the  most  extravagant  postures,  shaking 
his  foot  from  time  to  time.  When  he  found  that  all  his  violence  had  no 
effect,  he  turned  his  back  to  them  in  a  most  laughable  manner,  and  ab- 
solutely groaned  in  spirit  when  his  last  insult  failed  of  success. 

As  they  continued  their  journey  down  the  river  they  discovered  that 
there  were  salt  springs  in  the  bed  of  the  stream.  They  had  occasionally 
found  ponds  of  fresh  water,  but  these  began  to  fail  them.  The  animals 
were  already  so  weak  from  bad  food  and  the  effects  of  the  river  water, 
that  they  could  scarcely  carry  their  loads.  They  therefore  turned  back 
on  the  morning  of  the  0th,  and  started  for  the  nearest  fresh  water, 
which  was  eighteen  miles  behind  them.  They  were  still  unwilling  to 
quit  the  pursuit  of  the  river,  and  Captain  Sturt  proposed  to  take  the 
most  serviceable  horses  down  the  stream,  so  that  in  the  event  of  finding 
fresh  water  they  might  again  push  forward.  He  accordingly  set  out  on 
the  8th  accompanied  by  Mr.  Hume,  and  two  men,  with  a  supply  of  pro- 
visions and  water.  They  made  about  twenty-eight  miles  and  slept  on 
the  river-side,  but  as  the  horses  would  not  drink  the  river  water,  they 
were  obliged  to  give  them  some  from  their  own  supply.  Next  day  they 
crossed  several  creeks,  in  none  of  which  they  could  find  water,  and 
when  they  halted  at  noon  the  supply  had  diminished  to  a  little  more 
than  a  pint.  The  day  was  warm  and  they  were  now  forty  miles  from 
the  camp,  consequently  their  further  progress  became  a  matter  of  serious 
consideration,  for  however   capable   they  were   of  bearing   additional 


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586 


STURT'S    EXPLORATIONS    IN    AUSTRALIA. 


fatigue,  it  was  evident  their  animals  would  soon  fail.  Tlierefore,  as  soon 
as  they  had  bathed  and  finished  their  scanty  meal,  they  set  out  on  their 
return  to  the  camp.  They  named  the  river  "  DarUng,"  in  honor  of  the 
governor. 

In  returning  along  the  river  they  occasionally  met  with  parties  of 
the  native  tribes,  who,  though  armed  with  spears,  were  quite  inotfens- 
ive,  "  Tiie  natives  of  the  Darling,"  says  Captain  Sturt,  "  are  a  clean- 
limbed, Avell-conditioned  race,  generally  speaking.  They  seemingly  oc- 
cupy ijcrmanent  huts,  but  the  tribe  did  not  bear  any  proportion  to  the 
size  or  number  of  their  habitations.  It  was  evident  their  population  had 
been  thiiuied.  The  customs  of  these  distinct  tribes,  as  far  as  we  could 
judge,  were  similar  to  those  of  the  mountain  blacks,  although  their  lan- 
guage differs.  They  lacerate  their  bodies,  but  do  not  extract  their 
front  teeth,  as  li  done  by  the  latter  tribes." 

At  j\Iount  Harris  they  found  the  party  with  sup))lies,  awaiting  their 
arrival.  The  fresh  horses  being  in  excellent  order.  Captain  Start  made 
preparations  to  explore  the  region  of  the  Castlereagh,  and  determine 
the  course  of  that  river.  On  the  7th  of  March,  the  tents  were  struck, 
and  the  party  left  the  Macquario  and  proceeded  in  a  north-easterly 
coin-se.  The  thickets  Avere  frecjuently  ho  dense  that  they  found  it  im- 
possible to  travel  in  a  direct  line ;  atler  many  dilHculties  they  reached 
the  Castlereagh  on  the  afternoon  of  the  10th.  Tiie  channel  at  this  point 
was  not  less  than  one  hundred  and  thirty  yards  in  breadth,  and  yet 
there  was  apparently  not  a  drop  of  water  in  it.  They  therefore  suffered 
much  from  thirst  as  they  descended  the  river,  the  weather  being  very 
sultry,  althougli  the  heat  was  not  so  intense  as  they  experienced  in 
crossing  the  marshes  of  the  Maccjuarie,  when  it  melted  the  sugar  in  the 
canisters  and  destroyed  all  the  dogs. 

One  day  they  surprised  a  party  of  natives  who  were  engaged  in 
preparing  diimers  of  tish,  evidently  for  a  larger  party  than  was  present. 
They  instantly  fled,  leaving  every  thing  at  the  mercy  of  the  strangers. 
In  the  afternoon  they  returned  and  crouching  with  their  spears,  seemed 
to  manifest  hostile  intentions.  Mr.  Hume  then  walked  to  a  tree,  and 
broke  off  a  short  branch.  As  soon  as  they  saw  the  branch,  the  natives 
laid  aside  their  spears,  und  two  of  them  advanceil  in  front  of  the  rest, 
who  sat  down.  Mr.  Ilume  then  went  forward  and  sat  down,  when  the 
two  natives  again  .idvanced  and  seated  themselves  close  to  liim. 

The  natives  of  this  region  appeared  to  be  dying  out,  not  from  any 
disease,  but  from  the  scarcity  of  food.  From  the  want  of  water  it  was 
feared  that  the  jotirney  would  have  to  be  abandoned,  when,  1)y  good 
fortune,  the  party  deviated  from  the  river  and  came  upon  a  creek  of 
fresh  water,  which  again  revived  them.  They  thu8  continued  their 
route  until  the  29th,  when  they  were  checked  by  a  broad  river.  "  A 
single  glimpse  of  it,"  says  Captain  Sturt,  "  was  siifhcii-nt  in  tell  us  it  was 
the  Darling.  At  a  distance  of  ninety  miles  nearer  its  s'-'wce  it  still  pre- 
served its  character.    The  same  steep  banks  and  loll}'  .  inber,  the  samo 


THE    SECOND    EXPEDITION. 


587 


deep  reaches,  alive  with  fisli,  were  horo  visible,  as  when  wo  left  it. 
A  hope  naturally  arose  in  our  minds  that  if  it  was  unchanged  in  other 
respects,  it  might  have  lost  the  saltncss  which  had  rendered  its  waters 
unfit  for  use  ;  but  in  this  we  were  disappointed — even  its  waters  con- 
tinued the  same." 

They  now  retraced  their  steps  to  the  crook  of  fresh  water,  whence 
they  made  an  oifort  to  penetrate  the  country  to  the  north-wost ;  but  thoy 
entered  a  waste  where  all  traces  of  tiio  natives  disappeared,  and  not 
even  a  bird  was  to  bo  soon.  Captain  Sturt  was,  therefore,  convinced  of 
the  inutility  of  further  efforts,  and  made  preparations  to  return  with  the 
expedition.  Thoy  reached  Mount  Harris  on  the  Tth  of  April,  and, 
moving  leisurely  up  the  Macquarie,  arrived  at  Wellington  Valley  on  the 
2l8t,  having  been  absent  from  that  settlement  four  months  and  a  half. 
The  waters  of  the  Macquarie  had  diminished  so  much,  that  its  bed  was 
dry  for  more  than  half  a  mile  at  a  stretch,  nor  did  thoy  observe  the  least 
appearance  of  a  current  in  it  until  after  they  had  ascended  the  ranges 
above  Wellington  Valley. 


VOYAGE  DOWN  THE  MORUMBIDGEE  AND  MURRAY  RIVERS. 

The  late  expedition  having  settled  the  hypothesis  of  an  internal  sea, 
and  ascertained  the  actual  termination  of  the  rivers  it  had  been  (lirectod 
to  trace,  it  became  important  to  determine  the  ultimate  direction  of  the 
Darling,  which  was  evidently  the  chief  drain  for  the  waters  falling  west- 
wardly  from  the  eastern  coast.  The  difficulty  of  approaching  that  cen- 
tral stream  without  suffering  for  want  of  water  made  it  necessary  to 
regain  its  banks  at  some  lower  pohit,  where  it  could  still  be  identified. 
The  attention  of  the  government  was  consequently  fixed  upon  the  Mo- 
rumbidgeo,  a  river  said  to  bo  of  considerable  size  and  of  impetuous  cur- 
rent. Receiving  its  supi)lios  from  the  lofty  ranges  behind  Mount  Drome- 
dary, it  promised  to  hold  a  longer  course  than  thoso  rivers  which 
depend  on  periodical  rains  alone  for  existence. 

Another  expedition  was  accordingly  determined  on,  and  the  governor 
instructed  Captain  Sturt  to  make  the  necessary  preparations  for  tracing 
the  Morumbidgoo,  or  such  rivers  as  it  might  prove  to  bo  connected  with, 
as  far  as  practicable.  As  it  was  likely  they  would  sometimes  have  t ) 
depend  wholly  upon  water  conveyance,  ho  had  a  large  wliale-boat  con- 
structed so  as  to  bo  taken  in  pieces  for  more  convenient  carriage  ;  ho 
also  supplied  himself  with  apparatus  for  distilling  water,  in  the  event  of 
finding  the  Avator  of  the  Darling  salt,  on  reaching  its  banks. 

Tiic  exjHMiitinii  MX  Sidney  on  the  ;)d  of  November,  1R20.  At 
Brownlow  Hill  Mr.  (Jeorge  M'Leay,  son  of  the  colonial  secretary,  joined 
Ca|)tain  St\irt  as  his  companion,  and  on  the  19th  they  arrived  at  Yass 
Plains,  situated  above  the  junotion  of  the  Yass  River  with  the  Morum- 
bidgee.    A  few  days  afterward  they  encamped  on  the  latter  river,  in  a 


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688 


STURT'S    EXPLORATIONS   IN    AUSTRALIA. 


long  plain  surrounded  on  every  side  by  hills.  The  scenery  around  was 
wild,  romantic,  and  beautiful.  The  stream  was  full,  and  the  waters, 
foaming  among  rocks  or  circling  in  eddies,  gave  early  promise  of  a  reck- 
less course.  Its  waters  were  hard  and  transparent,  and  its  bed  was  com- 
posed of  mountain  debris,  and  large  fragments  of  rock.  They  proceeded 
along  its  banks,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  27th  reached  Whaby's  Sta- 
tion, the  last  settlement  on  the  river.  They  were  now  to  be  thro^vn  on 
their  own  resources,  yet  the  novelty  of  the  scenery  and  the  beauty  of  the 
river  excited  in  them  the  liveliest  anticipations  of  success. 

As  they  were  one  day  passing  through  an  open  forest  one  of  the 
blacks  took  a  tomahawk  in  order  to  get  an  opossum  out  of  a  dead  tree, 
every  branch  of  which  was  hollow.  As  he  cut  below  the  animal  it  be- 
came necessary  to  smoke  it  out.  The  fire  soon  kindled  in  the  tree,  and 
dense  columns  of  smoke  issued  from  the  end  of  each  branch,  as  thick 
as  that  from  the  chimney  of  a  steam-engine.  The  shell  of  the  tree  was 
thin,  but  the  black  fearlessly  climbed  to  the  highest  branch  and  watched 
anxiously  for  the  ])oor  creature ;  and  no  sooner  did  it  appear  than  he 
seized  upon  it,  and  threw  it  down  with  an  air  of  triumph.  The  roaring 
of  the  fire  in  the  tree,  the  fearless  attitude  of  the  savage,  and  the  asso- 
ciation which  his  color  and  appearance,  enveloped  as  he  was  in  smoke, 
called  up,  produced  a  singular  effect  in  the  lonely  forest.  Soon  after 
they  left  the  tree,  it  fell  with  a  tremendous  crash,  and  was  consumed  to 
ashes. 

At  length  the  country  became  less  hilly,  and  early  in  December  they 
saw  indications  of  a  level  region  before  them.  In  a  few  days  they 
reached  a  dreary  plain,  where  the  cattle  began  to  suffer,  and  they  were 
obliged  to  shorten  their  journeys.  Amid  the  desolation  aroi  nd  them 
the  river  kept  alive  their  hopes.  If  it  traversed  deserts,  it  might  reach 
fertile  lands,  and  to  the  issue  of  the  journey  they  must  look  for  success. 
The  apparently  boiuidless  ])lain  continued,  and  the  sand  became  a  great 
obstruction  to  their  progress.  At  length  they  came  to  a  reedy  country, 
resembling  that  around  the  marshes  of  the  Macquarie,  and  were  alarmed 
at  the  prospect  of  losing  the  river.  Captain  Sturt  therefore  ordered  a 
smaller  boat  to  be  built,  but  on  further  examination  being  convinced 
that  they  were  still  far  from  the  termination  of  the  river,  he  had  the 
larg((  boat  jtut  together,  and  resolved  to  send  back  the  drays.  In  a 
week  tlu^y  had  fitted  up  a  boat  twenty-seven  feet  long,  had  fulled  a  tree 
from  the  forest,  with  which  they  had  built  a  second  of  half  the  size,  and 
had  them  painted  and  ready  fi)r  loading. 

On  the  (Uh  of  January,  IHDO,  the  boats  were  loaded,  the  flour,  tea, 
and  tobacco,  Avere  jilaced  in  the  whale-boat,  and  in  the  small  one  the 
meat-cask^,  still,  and  carpenters'  tools,  (\iptain  Sturt  then  left  a  portion 
of  the  men  with  Robert  Harris,  and  directed  him  to  remain  stationary 
for  a  week,  after  whith  he  would  be  at  liberty  to  return;  while  the 
boats  were  to  ])roceed  at  an  early  hour  of  the  nu)riiing  down  the  river, 
— whether  ever  to  return  being  a  point  of  the  greatest  uncertainty. 


I-    '■■! 


DISCOVERY   OF    A    LARGE    RIVER. 


589 


The  advancing  party  embarked  in  high  spirits,  and  although  they 
used  but  two  oars,  their  progress  down  the  river  was  rapid.  The  chan- 
nel offered  few  obstructions,  but  on  the  second  day  the  skiff  struck 
upon  a  sunken  log,  and  immediately  filling,  went  down  in  about  twelve 
feet  of  water.  With  difliculty  they  succeeded  in  hauling  it  ashore,  but 
the  head  of  the  still  and  several  articles  had  been  thrown  out.  As 
the  success  of  the  expedition  might  probably  depend  on  the  complete 
state  of  the  still,  every  effort  was  made  for  its  recovery.  The  whalo- 
boat  was  moored  over  the  place,  and  the  bottom  searched  with  the  oars. 
When  any  object  was  felt,  it  was  pushed  into  the  sand,  and  one  of  the 
men  descended  by  the  oar  to  the  bottom.  The  work  was  most  laborious 
and  the  men  at  length  became  much  exhausted,  without  having  re- 
covered the  still-head.  In  the  morning  they  resumed  the  search,  and 
were  finally  successful. 

As  they  advanced,  the  banks  of  the  river  became  lined  with  reeds  on 
both  sides,  while  trees  stood  leafless  and  sapless  in  the  midst  of  thorn. 
W^herever  they  landed  the  same  view  presented  itself — a  waving  ex- 
panse of  reeds,  and  a  country  perfectly  flat.  Their  ardor  was  damj)ed 
by  the  dread  of  marshes,  as  the  channel  became  contracted  and  was  im- 
peded by  immense  trees  that  had  been  swept  down  l>y  the  floods. 

On  the  1:3th  they  passed  a  stream  flowhig  in  from  the  south-east,  the 
first  in  a  course  of  more  than  three  hundred  and  forty  miles.  The  river 
had  become  more  open,  but  on  this  day's  passage  it  was  again  filled 
with  trunks  of  trees  whose  branches  crossed  each  other  in  every  direc- 
tion, and  in  the  evening  the  danger  was  increased  by  rapids,  down  which 
they  were  hurried  in  the  darkness  before  they  had  time  to  foresee  the 
difliculty.  They  halted  at  the  head  of  more  formidable  barriers,  down 
which,  with  great  exertions,  they  passed  in  safety  next  morning.  At 
length  the  river  took  a  general  southern  direction,  but,  in  its  winding 
course,  swept  round  to  every  point  of  the  compass  with  the  greatest 
irregularity.  They  were  carrietl  at  a  fearful  rate  down  its  gloomy  and 
contracteil  banks,  and  in  the  cxcitfinent  of  the  moment  had  littl<!  time 
to  pay  attention  to  the  country  through  Avhich  they  were  passing.  At 
three  o'clock  they  approacheil  a  jtmction,  and  wer  >  immediately  hurried 
out  into  a  })road  and  noble  river.  The  force  with  which  they  had  bi'on 
shot  out  of  the  Morumbidgeo  carried  them  nearly  to  the  opposite  bank 
of  the  capacious  channel  into  which  they  had  entered,  and  when  they 
looked  for  the  one  tluy  had  Ictl,  they  could  hardly  bclit'vc  the  iusii/nif- 
icant  ojicniiig  that  prcsiinted  itsi'lf  was  tlie  tcrniination  of  the  beautiful 
stream  whose  courso  they  had  successfully  followed.  Tliis  river  was 
evidently  the  great  chaimel  of  the  streams  from  the  south-eastern  (|uarter 
of  th(!  island.  The  I\Iorumbidge((  entered  it  at  right-angles,  and  was  bo 
narrowed  at  tho  j)oint  of  junction,  that  it  ha<l  the  appearance  of  an  or- 
dinary creek. 

The  new  river  was  from  one  Inmdred  and  lifly  to  two  hundred  yards 
in  width,  and  improved  us  tliey  descended.     Its  reaches  wore  of  uoblo 


^i^lliii: 


ill 


■  ^ 

it 


!    'It 


A 


i\ 


I  I 


lip- 


■i  I 


m 


'  '? 


1 1  I 

'  i 


i 


m 


u 


4 


:i    I 


r 


590 


STURT'S    EXPLORATIONS   IN    AUSTRALIA. 


breadth  and  splendid  appearance.  At  length  it  began  to  chano'e ;  the 
banks  became  stoop  and  lofty,  and  water-worn.  On  the  22d  the  boats 
came  suddenly  to  the  head  of  a  foaming  rapid,  which  it  was  too  late  to 
avoid,  and  their  only  safety  was  in  making  a  clear  passage.  But  the 
boat  struck  with  the  fore  part  of  her  keel  upon  a  sunken  rock,  and  turn- 
ing round,  i)resentod  lior  bow  to  the  rapid,  while  the  skiff  floated  away 
in  the  strength  of  it.  They  succeeded,  however,  in  getting  her  off, 
without  great  injury. 

Tlie  river  became  witler  as  they  advanced,  and  the  Avind  being  fair, 
they  hoisted  sail  and  made  vapid  progress.  As  they  were  sailing  in  a 
roach  with  the  intention  of  landing,  a  large  concourse  of  natives  ap- 
peared under  the  trees  and  seemed  disposed  to  resist  them.  As  they 
continued  to  approach,  the  ravages  held  their  spears  ready  to  hurl  at 
them.  AV^ishing  to  avoid  a  conflict.  Captain  Sturt  lowered  the  sail,  and 
jiutting  the  helm  to  starboard,  jiassod  quietly  down  the  stream.  The 
disappointed  natives  ran  along  tlio  banks,  endeavoring  to  secure  an  aim 
at  the  boat,  but,  unable  to  throw  with  certainty,  in  consequence  of  its 
onwavd  motion,  they  ilung  themselves  into  the  most  extravagant  atti- 
tu<les,  and  worke<l  tl)emselvcs  into  a  state  of  frenzy  by  loud  and  vehem- 
ent sliouting.  The  boat  was  at  length  stopped  by  a  saiul-bank  which 
])roj('eted  into  the  channel,  and  the  savages  here  renewed  their  throats 
of  attack.  Finding  it  impossible  to  avoid  an  engagement.  Captain  Sturt 
gave  arms  to  tlu^  nu'ii,  Avith  orders  not  to  fire  till  he  had  discharged  both 
his  barrels.  On  neariiig  the  sand-bank,  he  made  signs  to  the  natives  to 
desist,  but  whiiout  success.  He  then  leveled  his  gun,  but  when  his  hand 
was  on  the  trigger  ^I'Leay  called  out  that  another  party  of  blacks  had 
made  their  appearance  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river.  There  were  four 
men,  Avho  ran  at  the  top  of  their  speed  ;  the  foremost  threw  himself  from 
a  considerable  height  into  the  Avater,  and  struggling  across,  placed  him- 
self betv.'con  the  savages  and  the  boat.  Forcing  them  back  from  the 
Avater,  he  trod  its  margin  Avith  groat  vehemenco  ;  at  one  time  pointing 
to  the  boat,  at  another  shaking  his  clenched  hand  in  the  faces  of  the  most 
forwiird,  and  stamping  Avifh  passion  on  the  sand  ;  his  voice,  at  fust  dis- 
tinct and  clear,  Avas  lost  in  hoarse  murmurs.  The  party  in  the  Ix^ats,  as- 
tonished at  this  singular  and  imcxpectod  esca])o,  alloAved  the  boat  to  drill 
at  jileasure,  and  .after  ])ushing  off  from  a  second  shoal,  their  attention 
w  as  attracted  to  a  new  and  beautiful  stream,  coming  apparently  from  the 
north.  The  bold  savage  Avho  had  so  unhesitatingly  interfered  in  bcshalf 
of  the  whites,  had  been  in  their  company  for  several  days,  and  had  soiae- 
linit'S  .assisted  th(>m  in  return  for  their  kindness  to  him.  He  now  contin- 
ued in  hot  dispute  Avith  the  natives  on  the  sand-bar,  and  Captain  Sturt 
Av;i3  hesitating  Avhether  to  go  to  liis  assistance,  Avhen  he  saAV  a  party  of 
about  seventy  blacks  on  the  right  bank  of  the  newly  discovered  river. 
Hoping  to  make  a  diversion  in  favor  of  his  late  guest,  lie  landed  among 
them,  at  which  the  first  party  cuabcd  their  wrangling,  and  came  swim- 
ming across  the  river. 


i" 


INTERUODIISK    WITH    TIIK    NATIVES. 


591 


i-  U 


m^-'^  '--Jfsr^ii-^  ^r 


k 


I   }  !  ■} 


it 


:i 


JtJNCnON  OF  TIIK  MUnHAY  AKD  TUB  DARUNO. 


Before  propoeding,  they  rowed  a  few  miles  up  tlio  new  river,  Avhioh 
presented  a  breadth  of  (nm  hundred  yards,  and  a  depth  of  twelve  feet. 
The  conviction  was  at  lenLjth  impressed  upon  Captain  Start  tlmt  this  was 
the  Darling,  from  whose  banks  lie  had  been  twice  forced  to  retiie.  He 
ordered  the  union  jack  to  be  hoisted,  and  the  whole  party  gave  three 
cheers. 

On  re-entering  the  ehannel  of  the  first-discovered  river,  they  named 
it  the  Murray,  in  compliment  to  Sir  (Ji.'orge  Murray,  who  then  presided 
'  over  the  colonial  department.  Tlu;  skiff  was  then  destroyed,  and  on  the 
24th  the}'  proceeded  down  the  Murray.  "^I'hey  had  now  daily  inlercnurse 
with  the  natives,  who  sent  embassadors  forward  regularly  from  one  trilx- 
to  another,  to  the  great  advantage  and  safety  of  Capain  Sturl's  ].'irty. 
lie  was  careful  to  do  nothing  to  alarm  them,  although  he  made  a  point 
to  show  them  the  eflects  of  a  gun-shofc  by  firing  at  a  kite  or  any  other 
bird  that  happened  to  be  near,  "  \'i't,"  continues  the  captain,  "  I  was 
often  surprised  at  the  aj)parent  indifl't  rence  with  which  the  natives  not 
only  saw  the  effect  of  the  shot,  but  heard  the  report.  I  have  purposely 
gone  into  the  center  of  a  largo  assemblage  and  fired  at  a  bird,  that  lias 
fiilk'ii  upon  their  very  heails,  without  causing  a  start  or  an  exclamation, 
without  exciting  either  tiieir  alarm  or  their  curiosity."  They  sometimes 
became  weary  of  this  constant  comnumicition  with  the  natives.  "  Their 
eanieness  of  appearance,"  observes  (,\ii)tain  Sturt,  "  the  disgusting  diseases 


flif 


I 

I 


'  1:1    i     !i    ^ 

.  ■■',;; if 

if 

'l''         i. 

!      !       I 


<       I 

J  ill! 


h|! 


il  ii 


ili  I J I 


''7ii   ,i  ' 


#|fi|: 


592 


STUIIT'S    BXPLOKATIONS    IN    AUSTRALIA. 


that  raged  among  them,  their  abominable  filth,  the  manner  in  which  thoy 
pulled  U3  about,  and  the  impossibility  of  making  them  understand  us,  or 
of  obtaining  any  information  from  them,  all  combined  to  estrange  us 
from  these  people,  and  to  make  their  presence  disagreeable.  Yet  there 
was  an  absolute  necessity  to  keep  up  tiie  chain  of  communication,  to  in- 
sure our  own  safety." 

The  river  at  length  began  to  floAV  southward,  a  circumstance  which 
gave  much  satisfaction  to  Captain  Sturt,  for  ho  was  beginning  to  feel 
some  anxiety  about  the  men.  Their  provision  was  becoming  scanty, 
their  eyes  were  sore,  and  they  were  evidently  much  reduced.  After  a 
long  deviation  to  the  north-west,  the  river  again  flowed  southward.  It 
increased  in  breadth,  and  soon  lost  its  sandy  bed  and  its  current,  and  be- 
came deep,  still,  and  turbid.  The  hills  towered  up  like  maritime  cliffs, 
and  the  water  dashed  against  their  base  like  the  waves  of  the  sea.  Other 
indications  of  the  approach  to  the  sea  appeared  from  time  to  time.  Somo 
sea-gulls  flew  over  their  heads,  at  which  one  of  the  men  was  about  to 
shoot,  when  Captain  Sturt  prevented  him,  for  he  hailed  them  as  messen- 
gers of  glad  tidings,  and  thought  they  ill-deserved  such  a  fate.  The  na- 
tives with  whom  they  communicated  on  the  Gth  and  7th  of  February, 
distinctly  informed  them  that  they  were  fast  approaching  the  sea,  and 
from  what  they  could  understand,  that  they  were  nearer  to  it  than  tho 
coast-line  of  Encounter  Bay  made  them. 

On  the  9th  they  found  a  clear  horizon  before  them  to  the  south. 
They  had  reached  tJie  termination  of  the  Murray  ;  but  instead  of  tho 
ocean,  a  beautiful  lake  was  spread  out  before  them.  The  ranges  of 
mountains  which  were  visible  on  the  west,  were  distant  forty  miles ;  they 
formed  an  unbroken  outline,  declining  gradually  to  the  south,  but  ter- 
minating abruptly  at  a  lofty  mountain  northwardly.  This  was  supposed 
to  be  the  Mount  Lofty  of  C'aptain  Flanders,  and  the  range  to  be  that 
immediately  eastward  of  St.  Vincent's  Gulf. 

"Thirty-three  days  had  now  passed  over  our  heads,"  says  Captain 
Sturt,  "  since  we  left  tho  depot  upon  tho  Morumbidgoe,  twenty-six  of 
which  had  been  ])assed  upon  the  Murray,  We  had,  at  length,  arrived 
at  the  grand  reservoir  of  those  waters  whose  course  and  fate  had  pre- 
viously been  involved  in  such  obscurity.  It  remained  for  us  to  ascertain 
whetlier  the  extensive  sheet  of  water  upon  whose  bosom  \ve  })ad  em- 
barked, had  any  practicable  communication  with  the  ocean."  Tho 
greatest  dilliculty  they  had  now  to  contend  with  was  the  wind,  which 
blew  fresh  from  the  south-west ;  and  the  men  were  too  much  reduced 
for  any  violent  or  yirolonired  eflbrt.  Before  morning,  however,  a  brcezo 
sprang  up  from  tho  north-east  and  they  set  sail  early  for  the  extremity 
of  the  lake.  They  made  a  good  pas'"  r^e,  ,nd  in  the  evening  ariived  at 
the  entrance  of  a  channel  about  L:'.'f'  ■»  mile  wide,  leading  to  the  south- 
west. It  Avas  bound(>d  on  tho  right  by  some  open,  flat  ground,  and  on 
the  left  by  a  line  of  hills.  Upon  tho  first  of  these  hills  they  observed  a 
large  body  of  natives,  who  set  up  tho  most  terrific  yells  as  they  ap- 


iptain 

six  of 

ir  rived 

\d  prc- 

certain 

ad  cm- 

Tho 

Avliii^h 

oducod 

brcczo 

remily 

vi'd  at 

south- 

aiid  on 

rved  a 

ley  ap- 


THEY    REACH    THE    SEA-COAST, 


593 


proached,  and  came  down  to  meet  them  Avith  violent  threats.  Tliey 
Avere  fully  equipped  for  battle,  and  were  not  to  be  j)aciHod  by  any  signs 
of  peace.  Captain  Sturt  therefore  drew  off,  and  the  most  darhig  war- 
riors crept  into  the  reeds  with  their  sjjcars  poised.  lie  took  up  his 
gun  to  return  their  salute,  but  they  seemed  perfectly  aware  of  tiie 
instriunent  and  fled  precipitately.  lie  then  landed  on  a  flat  a  mile 
below,  where  they  could  not  be  taken  by  surprise.  "The  full  moon 
rose  as  we  Averc  forming  the  camp,"  observes  Captain  Sturt,  "  and  not- 
Avithstanding  our  vicinity  to  so  noisy  a  host,  the  silence  of  death  was 
around  tis,  or  the  stillness  of  night  Avas  only  Ijroken  by  the  roar  of  the 
ocean,  noAV  too  near  to  be  mistaken  f(»r  the  A\'ind,  or  by  the  silvery  and 
melancholy  notes  of  the  black  swans  as  they  jjassed  over  us." 

In  the  morning  they  attempted  to  paiss  the  channel  to  the  sea,  which 
Avas  visible  at  two  and  a  half  miles  distance,  but  the  ])assage  Avas  so 
obstructed  Avitli  shoals  that  they  Avere  sometimes  obliged  to  drag  the 
boat  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  Avhile  Avading  kuee-dce[)  in  mud.  AVhile  the 
men  Avere  thus  engaged  Captain  Sturt  and  M'Leay,  Avith  one  of  the  men, 
crossed  over  to  the  sea-shore.  He  found  they  had  struck  the  south  coast 
deep  in  the  bight  of  Encounter  Bay.  "Our  situation,"  he  Avrites,  "was 
one  of  peculiar  excitement  and  interest.  To  the  right  tlie  thunder  of 
tlic  hea\y  surf,  that  ahnost  shook  the  ground  beneath  ns,  broke  Avith 
increasing  roar  njion  our  ears;  to  the  left  the  Aoice  of  the  natives  echoed 
throiigh  the  brush,  and  the  size  of  their  fires  at  the  extremity  of  the 
channel  seemed  to  indicate  the  alarm  our  appearance  had  occasioned. 
The  mouth  of  the  chaimel  is  defended  by  a  double  line  of  breakers, 
amidst  Avhich  it  Avould  be  dangerous  to  venture,  except  in  calm  and 
sunnner  Aveather ;  and  the  line  of  foam  is  unbroken  from  one  end  of 
Encounter  liay  to  the  other."  Captain  Sturt  AAOuld  fain  have  Ungered 
to  examine  the  Iteautiful  country  between  the  lake  and  the  ranges,  but 
the  men  Avere  weak  from  scanty  diet  and  great  bodily  fatigue.  He 
therefore  rehictantlv  yielded  to  necessitA',  and  returning  to  the  head  of 
the  lake,  the  jiarty  re-entered  the  river  on  the  i:Uh  of  February,  nnder 
as  fair  prosi)ects  as  they  coidd  have  desired. 

For  some  days  they  Ave  re  greatly  assisted  by  the  breezes  from  the 
lake,  but,  on  the  18th,  calms  succeeded  and  obliged  them  to  labor  con- 
tinually at  the  oars.  They  lost  ground  fast,  and  the  spirits  of  the  men 
began  to  droop  under  their  first  eff(n'ts.  They  fancied  the  boat  ])ulled 
heavily.  The  current  was  not  so  strong  as  when  they  passed  down,  and 
the  river  ha<l  fallen  so  that  ui  many  [ilaces  they  AVere  obliged  to  haul 
the  boat  over  the  shalloAVs. 

They  reached  the  rai>ids  of  the  Murray  on  the  Gth  of  IMarch,  and 
next  morning  attempted  to  ])ass  them  Avith  the  aiil  of  ropes.  As  soon 
as  the  boat  entered  the  ripple  it  spun  roui\il  like  a  toj),  and  Avent  away 
Avith  the  stream.  The  ropes  Avere  too  short,  and  tlu'y  had  to  get  in  th(! 
Avater  and  haid  the  boat  up  by  main  force.  The  rain  Avas  falling  fast 
and  they  were  up  to  their  arm-pits  in  AA'ater,  Avhen  suddenly  a  large  body 


u 

i  i- 


'f  '^  I  If 


Iv 


lill: 


n     ':■:' 


694 


STURT'S    EXPLORATIONS    IN    AUSTRALIA. 


I.; 


i  PI 


• 


!        ! 


■'fii 


I'i'! 


i      ■ 
i  ■  I' 


of  natives,  with  their  spears,  lined  the  banks  above  them.  As  defense 
was  impossible,  nothing  remained  but  to  continue  their  exertions.  It 
required  but  one  strong  eflfort  to  get  the  boat  into  still  water  for  a  time, 
but  that  effort  was  beyond  their  strength,  and  they  stood  in  the  stream, 
powerless  and  exhausted.  At  length  one  of  the  natives  called  to  them, 
and  they  immediately  recognized  the  voice  of  him  who  had  saved  them 
from  the  attack  of  the  savages.  A  man  swam  over  to  him  for  assistance, 
which  was  readily  given.  A  second,  more  dangerous  rapid  remained  to 
be  ])assed.  Fastening  a  rope  to  the  mast,  the  men  landed  and  pulled 
upon  it,  and  the  boat  shot  up  the  passage  with  unexpected  rapidity. 
The  natives  were  filled  with  wonder,  and  testified  their  admiration  of  so 
dexterous  a  maneuver  by  a  loud  shout. 

On  the  16th  of  March,  to  their  great  joy,  they  re-entered  the  narrow 
and  gloomy  channel  of  the  Morumbidgee.* 

In  the  night  of  the  21st  the  blacks  were  discovered  stealthily  ap- 
proaching the  camp.  They  were  suffered  to  come  near,  and  two  or 
three  had  hidden  behind  a  fallen  tree,  when  M'Leay  fired  a  charge  of 
small  shot  at  them.  They  made  a  precipitate  retreat,  but  in  order  to 
alarm  them  more  effectually  a  ball  was  fired  into  the  reeds,  which  was 
heard  cutting  its  way  through  them.  All  was  quiet  until  three  o'clock, 
Avhen  a  poor  wretch,  who  had  probably  thrown  himself  on  the  ground 
when  the  shots  Avere  fired,  mustered  courage  to  get  up  and  make  his 
escape.  Next  day  they  tried  to  gain  favor  with  the  whites,  but  Captain 
Sturt  threatened  to  shoot  any  that  approached,  and  they  kept  at  a  re- 
spectful distance,  dogging  the  party  from  tree  to  tree.  In  the  evening 
they  remained  around  the  camp,  Avhich  they  again  attempted  to  surprise 
in  the  night,  but  Avero  oftoctually  dispersed  by  a  shot,  and  retreated 
across  the  river.  Their  spears  Avere  found  at  the  fires  in  the  morning, 
and  were  all  broken  up  and  burned,  except  those  of  a  black  Avho  had 
befriended  the  party.  As  he  had  kept  aloof  from  the  others,  Captain 
Sturt  took  his  spears,  nets,  and  tomahawk,  and  set  out  in  search  of  him. 
On  coming  near  enough,  he  stuck  the  spears  into  the  ground,  and  aj)- 
proaching  the  man,  presented  to  him  his  tomahawk.  The  poor  man  was 
speechless,  and  seemed  both  ashamed  and  surprised.  He  gave  a  short 
exclamation  at  sight  of  his  tomahaAvk,  but  refused  to  grasp  it,  and  it 
fell  to  the  ground.  While  they  Avere  standing  together  his  two  Avives 
came  up,  to  Avhom,  after  pointing  to  the  spears  and  tomahaAvk,  he  said 
something,  Avithout  looking  at  Captain  Sturt,  and  they  both  instantly 
burst  into  tears  and  wept  aloud, 

*  "  Wherever  wo  landed  on  its  banks,"  observes  Captain  Sturt,  "  wo  found  the  ca- 
listemnia  in  full  flower,  and  in  the  richest  profusion.  There  was  also  an  abundance  of 
grass,  where  before  there  had  boon  no  signs  of  vegetation,  and  those  spots  which  wo 
had  condemned  as  barren  were  now  clothed  with  a  green  and  luxuriant  carpet.  So 
didlcult  is  it  to  judge  of  a  country  on  a  partial  and  hurried  survey,  and  so  difliorently 
does  it  appear  at  different  periods.  I  was  rejoiced  to  And  tiiat  tho  rains  had  not  swollen 
the  river,  for  I  was  apprehensive  that  heavy  falls  had  taken  place  in  tho  mountains,  a=.d 
was  unprepared  for  so  much  good  fortune." 


vcnino; 


the  ca- 
(laiico  of 
■hich  wo 
•pet.  So 
iflbrcntly 
t  swollen 
ains,  and 


SUFFERINGS    AND    RETURN. 


595 


On  the  23(1  tlioy  reached  the  tlopot  whore  they  had  first  embarked 
on  the  jMonimbidgee,  but  the  men  ■\vcre  sadly  disajipointed  in  finding  no 
Bupplies.  They  continued  u  he  river,  which  now  became  swollen  with 
the  rains,  and  ponred  along  i,  turbid  waters  with  great  violence.  For 
seventeen  days  the  men  ])ull'.'d  against  the  current  with  determined 
perseverance,  but  at  length  they  began  to  give  way.  Their  arms  ap- 
peared to  be  nerveless,  their  fiices  became  haggard,  their  j)ersons  ema- 
ciated, their  spirits  wholly  sank ;  nature  was  so  completely  overcome, 
that,  from  mere  exhaustion,  they  frecpiently  fell  asleep  (hiring  their  most 
painful  and  almost  ceaseless  exertions.  Xo  murmur,  however,  escaped 
them.  Captain  Sturt  frequently  heard  them  in  their  tent,  when  they 
thought  he  had  drojiped  asleep,  complaining  of  severe  j^ains  and  of  great 
exhaustion.  "  I  must  tell  the  captain  to-morrow,"  some  of  them  would 
say,  "  that  I  can  pull  no  more."  To-morrow  came,  and  they  pulled  on, 
as  if  reluctant  to  yield  to  circumstances.  Macnamee,  one  of  the  men, 
at  length  lost  his  senses.  He  related  the  most  extraordinary  talcs  and 
fidgeted  about  continually  Avhile  in  the  boat ;  he  Avas,  therefore,  relieved 
from  the  oars. 

On  the  11th  of  April  they  gained  their  old  camp  opposite  Hamilton's 
Plains,  and  Captain  Sttu't  resolved  to  abandon  the  boat  and  send  two  of 
the  men  forward  to  the  plain  for  assistance.  This  decision  was  received 
with  joy,  and  Ilopkinson  and  ]Mulholland  set  forward  at  the  earliest 
dawn  next  morning.  At  length  the  party  that  remahied  at  the  camp 
had  consumed  all  their  provisions.  They  therefore  buried  their  speci- 
mens and  other  stores  on  the  evenhig  of  the  18th,  intending  to  breakup) 
the  camp  in  the  morning,  when  their  comrades  returned.  "  Tliey  were 
both,"  says  Captain  Sturt,  "  in  a  state  that  beggars  description.  Their 
knees  and  ankles  wero  droadt'uUy  swollen,  and  their  limbs  so  painful  that 
as  soon  as  they  arrived  at  the  camp  they  sank  mider  their  efforts,  but 
they  met  us  with  smiling  countenances,  and  expressed  their  satistiiction 
at  having  arrived  so  seasonably  to  our  relief.  They  had,  as  I  had  fore- 
seen, met  Robert  Harris  on  the  plain,  which  they  reached  on  the  evening 
of  the  third  day.  They  had  started  early  next  morning  on  their  return 
with  such  supplies  as  they  thought  we  might  immediately  want.  Poor 
Macnamee  had  in  a  great  measure  recovered,  but  for  some  days  lie  was 
sullen  and  silent :  the  sight  of  the  drays  gave  him  tmcommon  satisfaction." 

They  left  the  camp  on  the  followhig  morning,  and  reached  ]*<)nde- 
badgery  on  the  28th,  where  they  found  Itobert  Harris,  with  a  plentiful 
sui»ply  of  j)rovisions.  He  had  been  at  the  jtlain  two  months,  and  in- 
tended to  move  down  the  river  immediately,  had  they  not  made  their 
appearance.  On  the  5th  of  May  they  pursued  their  joiu-ney,  and  in  a 
week  arrived  at  Yass  plains;  on  the  14th  they  continued  their  route, 
and  reached  Sidney  by  easy  stages  on  the  25th,  after  an  absence  of 
nearly  six  months,  dining  which  they  had  made  some  very  important 
gcograi)hical  discoveries. 


"  I  ll 

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MM    i 

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B  AC  K'S 


ARCTIC    LAND    EXPEDITION. 


From  the  year  1826,  when  Franklin  raailc  his  soconfl  overland  jour- 
ney to  the  Polar  Sea,  until  1833,  no  attempt  was  made  by  land  to  con- 
tinue the  survey  of  the  northern  coasts  of  America.  But  in  1832  great 
anxiety  began  to  be  felt  about  the  fate  of  Sir  John  Ross,  who  liad  sailed 
from  England  in  the  year  1829,  and  had  not  been  heard  of  He  com- 
manded a  small  vessel  called  the  Victo7'i/,  which  was  fitted  out  entirely 
at  the  expense  of  himself  and  the  late  Sir  Felix  Booth,  for  the  purpose 
of  coutmuiiig  his  northern  discoveries,  and  enabling  him  to  vindicate  his 
reputation  as  an  able  and  enterprising  navigator,  which  latter  had  been 
somewhat  doubted  in  consequence  of  the  ill  success  of  a  previous  voyage 
to  Baffin's  Bay. 

It  was  accordingly  rescjlved  by  tlu'  friends  of  C"ai)tain  Ko^'s  to  send 
an  expedition  overland  to  the  shores  of  the  Arctic  Sea  in  search  of  him, 
and  a  fitting  leader  for  it  was  found  in  the  well-tried  and  experienced 
Captain  Back,  who,  as  Lieutenant  Back,  had  accompanied  Franklin  in 
both  his  expeditions.  He  no  sooner  heard  of  such  a  project  being  con- 
templated, than  he  hastened  from  Italy,  Avhere  he  happened  to  be  at  the 
time,  and  oifered  his  services.  Mr.  Ross,  the  brother  of  Sir  John,  and 
father  of  Captain  James  Ross,  drew  u]>  a  petition  to  the  king,  "  praying 
his  Majesty's  sanction  to  the  immediate  dispatch  of  an  expedition  for 
rescuing  or  at  least  ascertaining  the  fiite  of  his  son  and  brother ;"  and 
Captain  Back's  name  bemg  inserted  as  a  leader,  the  petition  was  for- 
warded, and  shortly  after  received  the  royal  assent.  A  grant  of  £2,000 
was  .also  made  by  government,  Avhile  a  public  subscription  soon  placed 
at  the  disposal  of  Captain  Ross's  friends  a  sum  that  was  more  than  suffi- 
cient to  defray  all  the  expenses  of  the  undertaking. 

So  great  was  the  anxiety  felt  by  the  public  and  private  friends  of  the 
Arctic  explorer,  that  every  thing  was  done  that  could  be  devised  for  the 
furtherance  of  the  searching  expedition.  The  Hudson's  Bay  Company, 
besides  supplying  a  large  quantity  of  provisions,  two  boats,  and  two 
canoes,  gratis,  took  the  expedition  under  their  special  protection,  by 


[ 


f' 


^li 


[1/  ■;!■}    'I-I 


!   I 


I'M 


III  ■; 


'  n.: 


i  ': 


598 


BACK'S    ARCTIC    LAND    EXPEDITION, 


issuing  a  commission  uiulor  their  seal  to  Captain  IJack  m  commander, 
thereby  assuring  Iiim  the  co-operation  of  all  the  agents  throughout  their 
territories.  In  the  instructions  given  to  him  by  the  Admiralty,  Ca2)tain 
Back  was  directed  to  proceed  to  Great  Salt  Lake,  and  to  winter  on  or 
near  the  head-waters  of  the  Thlew-ee-choh-dezeth,  or  Great  Fish  River, 
which  was  supposed  to  flow  from  that  lake,  to  follow  the  river  to  the 
sea  the  ensuing  summer,  and  to  explore  the  coast  around  Cape  Garry, 
where  the  Mtr^/  was  wrecked,  searching  everywhere  for  traces  of  the 
lost  explorers.  Armed  with  this  authority,  as  well  as  by  that  given  to 
him  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  Captain  Back,  Mr,  King,  surgeon 
and  naturalist  to  the  expedition,  and  three  men,  two  of  whom  had 
served  in  a  former  expedition  under  Captain  Franklin,  embarked  in  the 
packet-ship  Illhernia,  Captain  Maxwell,  from  Liverpool,  and  on  the 
17th  February,  1833,  sailed  for  America.* 

From  New  York,  Captain  Back  and  his  party  proceeded  by  way  of 
Montreal,  the  Ottawa,  Lake  Nii)issing,  and  Sault  St.  Marie  to  Fort  Wil- 
liam, on  Lake  Superior,  where  they  arrived  on  tlie  20th  of  May.  Here 
the  large  canoes  Avere  to  be  exchanged  for  smaller  ones,  and  a  short  de- 
lay took  place  in  consequence  of  the  difficulty  the  men  had  in  dividing 
the  lading  among  thera.  Resuming  their  joui'ney,  on  the  Gth  of  June 
they  reached  Fort  Alexander,  on  Lake  Winnipeg,  where  Captain  Back 
found  it  necessary  to  remain  a  fcAV  days,  to  await  the  arrival  of  Governor 
Simpson,  who  was  expected  dailj'.  During  this  period  he  and  Mr.  King 
employed  themselves  in  making  a  set  of  observations  for  the  dip  of  the 
needle,  while  the  men  busied  themselves  in  unpacking  and  drying  the 
provision  and  packages,  which  had  got  slightly  damp  during  the  voyage. 

As  most  of  the  men  for  the  expedition  were  yet  to  be  engaged, 
it  was  necessary  that  they  should  proceed  to  Nor\vay  House — a  depot 
of  the  company  near  the  opposite  extremity  of  Lake  Winnipeg — 
where  the  brigades  of  boats  from  the  distant  regions  of  the  interior 
converge  on  their  way  to  the  sea.     Captain  Back  reached  there  on 

*  "  Eight  months  after  their  departure,  Captain  Ross  and  the  sun'ivors  of  his  party, 
whom  a  merciful  God  had  brought  in  safety  through  dangers  and  privations  unparalleled 
in  arctic  story,  arrived  in  England  after  an  absence  of  four  years  and  five  months.  During 
this  protracted  period  they  had  made  very  important  geographical  discoveries ;  fixed  the 
position  of  the  northern  magnetic  polo,  and  experienced  hardships  and  privations,  and 
encountered  dangers,  that  fill  us  with  admiration  and  wonder  at  the  endurance  and  forti- 
tude of  the  men  who  dared  and  overcame  them  all.  Their  little  vessel,  the  VicUyry,  hav- 
ing become  unfit  for  use,  had  been  abandoned,  and  the  wanderers  were  at  last  provi- 
dentially discovered  by  a  whaler,  the  Isdbdla  of  Hull,  which  conveyed  them  from  the  icy 
regions,  where  they  had  been  so  long  immured,  to  tho  sunny  shores  of  their  native  land. 
Although  the  principal  object  of  the  expedition  under  Captain  Back  was  thus  obviated, 
yet  tho  dispatches  containing  the  intelligence  did  not  overtake  him  until  after  he  had 
reached  his  winter  quarters  in  tho  sterile  and  romantic  regions  of  tho  north ;  so  that, 
even  had  it  been  desirable,  ho  could  not  have  returned  home.  As  it  was,  however,  he 
received  tho  intelligence  early  enough  to  prevent  his  wasting  time  in  the  now  unneces- 
sary search ;  and  he  accordingly  turned  his  undivided  attention  to  the  second  object  of 
the  expedition." — Tytkr's  '•Northern  Coast  of  America." 


M 


THE    JOURNEY    NORTHWARD. 


599 


the  17th,  but  found  it  a  difficult  matter  to  engage  men,  some  of  whom 
were  reluctant  to  encounter  the  perils  of  the  journey,  while  others 
demanded  exorbitant  rewards,  and  others  again  were  prevented  by 
their  wives.  Finally,  eighteen  able  and  experienced  hands  were  en- 
gaged, part  of  whom  were  sent  otF  in  advance  with  Dr.  King,  while 
Caj)tain  Back,  retaining  sufficient  to  man  liis  canoe,  remained  a  few  days 
longer;  and  then,  on  the  28th  of  June,  1833,  started  for  Cumberland 
House,  wliere  two  boats  and  a  largo  supply  of  stores  and  provisions 
awaited  him.  "  This,"  says  he,  "  was  a  happy  day  for  me ;  and  as  the 
canoe  pushed  from  the  bank,  my  heart  swelled  with  hope  and  joy. 
Now,  for  the  first  time,  I  saw  myself  in  a  condition  to  verify  the  kind 
anticipations  of  my  friends.  The  preliminary  difficulties  had  been  over- 
come, I  Avas  fairly  on  my  way  to  the  accomplishment  of  the  benevolent 
errand  on  which  I  had  been  commissioned." 

Entering  the  Saskatchewan  River,  they  ascended  its  stream,  and    n 
the  5th  of  July  arrived  at  Cumberland  House,  Avhere  they  were  r(  c  ■ . 
by  Mr.  Isbister,  the  company's  agent,  and  Mr.  King,  whc    lai^  ■     i\i  n 
without  accident.     Hero  the  greater  number  of  the  party  t  i  I    v 

two  new  hatteaux,  each  being  laden  with  a  cargo  of  sixty-oi.  ^:  «  -  ." 
ninety  pounds  each,  making  for  both  ten  thousand  nino  h 
eighty  pounds,  exclusive  of  men,  bedding,  clothes,  masts,  iiii  .  uars,  and 
other  spars.  They  sailed,  under  the  command  of  Mr.  Kinc;,  on  the  Gth 
of  July,  while  Captain  Back,  still  retaining  his  canoe,  remained  behind 
to  take  some  observations  and  write  dispatches  for  England.  Although 
this  occupied  him  a  few  days,  yet  in  a  very  short  time  he  overtook  the 
boats  in  his  light  canoe,  and  ])roceeded  on  his  way,  leaving  them  to  ad- 
vance more  slowly  to  their  wintering  ground. 

At  the  Pine  Portage  they  met  INIr.  A.  R.  M'Leod,  one  of  the  gentle- 
men who  had  been  appointed  by  the  governor  to  accompany  the  expe- 
dition. This  gentleman  no  sooner  heard  of  the  a]>pointment,  than  he 
expressed  his  willingness  to  go,  and  during  the  following  year  Captain 
Back  had  reason  to  rejoice  in  the  acquisition  of  a  man  who  was  eminently 
qualified  for  the  service  in  all  respects.  On  the  29th  of  July  they  reached 
Fort  Chipewyan.  Here  some  slight,  though  vague,  information  was  ob- 
tained from  the  Indians,  regarding  the  position  of  the  river  of  which  they 
were  in  search.  They  also  completed  their  stock  of  provisions,  leather 
for  making  moccasins,  guns,  and  implements  for  building  an  establish- 
ment in  which  to  pass  the  winter.  Another  canoe  was  also  obtauied, 
which,  it  was  thought,  might  prove  convenient  in  the  event  of  finding 
shoal  rivers  to  the  north ;  and  further  instructions  having  been  left  for 
Mr.  King,  on  his  arriving  with  the  batteaux,  they  left  the  fort  late  on  the 
evening  of  the  1st  of  August. 

On  reaching  the  Salt  River,  they  met  with  a  large  body  of  Slave 
Lake  Indians,  who  notified  their  ai)proach  by  horrible  and  discordant 
sounds.  As  it  was  hoped  some  information  might  be  obtained  from 
them,  a  council  was  called  by  Mr.  M'Leod,  which  was  ceremoniously 


u 


\m\ 


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i  ■  I 


1 


\i 


■.:l.^.^iiii 

i 

!   . 

1 

!      i; 


i! 


If 


!'   ' 


i;i 


'1\l 


Mil 


600 


BACK'S    ARCTIC    LAND    EXPEDITION. 


opened  by  jiassing  rouiul  the  pipe  ficcording  to  Indian  custom,  from 
■\vhicli  each  counsellor  drew  a  few  putls  in  solemn  silence,  and  with  im- 
perturbable gravity;  after  whic'.  there  was  a  very  large  amount  of  talk, 
resulting  in  a  very  small  amount  of  information.  On  the  8th  of  August 
they  reached  Great  Slave  Lake,  and  arrived  at  Fort  Resolution.  At 
this  post  tliey  remained  some  days  to  arrange  about  an  interpreter,  com- 
plete their  stock  of  necessaries,  and  repair  the  canoes  ;  and  then,  launch- 
ing forth  again,  they  coasted  along  the  northern  shores  of  Great  Slave 
Lake. 

At  the  eastern  extremity  of  this  lake,  a  river  entered  it  which,  it  was 
supposed,  flowed  from  the  country  where  the  Thlew-ee-clioh  took  its 
rise ;  and  toward  this  river  Captain  liack  directed  his  course  with  in- 
creasing hope,  notwithstanding  the  account  given  of  it  by  the  Indians, 
who  assured  liim  that  it  was  full  of  rapids  and  waterfalls.  On  the  way 
he  exj'erienced  the  usual  alternations  of  storm  and  calm,  rain  and  sun- 
shine, while  Ills  route  was  enlivened  by  occasionally  meeting  with  Indians. 
One  of  these  fellows,  to  sliow  h'n  respect  for  the  wliite  men,  put  on  a  sur- 
tout  which  he  had  purcliased  at  the  fort;  and,  as  the  surtouts  sent  out 
for  the  fur  trade  are  made  of  snutt-colored  brown  cloth,  in  the  cut  of  the 
last  century — witli  a  rolling  collar  about  four  inches  wide  reaching  half- 
way up  the  back  of  the  head,  single  ])reast,  particularly  long  skirt,  and 
peculiarly  short  waist — it  may  be  sui)posed  the  awkward  son  of  the  forest 
did  not  improve  his  appearance  by  the  adoption  of  sucli  a  garb.  Being 
allowed  to  remain  \ml)uttoned,  it  disclosed  the  ilict  that  he  was  unpro- 
vided with  inexpressiltles,  wliich  ])roduced  an  irresistibly  conucal  elfect. 

They  now  approached  the  eastern  extremity  of  (ireat  Slave  L.ake, 
where  was  the  river  whose  sources,  it  was  said,  rose  near  the  springs  of 
the  Thlew-ee-choh.  Captain  IJack  had  great  difliculty  here  in  getting  a 
satisfactory  answer  from  the  Indians  wlio  accomjianied  him,  as  to  the 
whereabouts  of  this  river.  Many  of  them  said  that  it  existed,  but  only 
one  admitted  that  he  had  ever  seen  it ;  and  as  that  was  long  ago,  mIkii 
he  was  a  little  boy,  while  hunting  with  Ids  father  in  the  barren  grounds, 
he  exj)ressed  great  doubts  as  to  his  being  able  to  And  it.  '\V(!  can  not 
but  admire  the  steady  persevering  energy  of  Captain  Back,  in  facing  and 
overcoming  the  innumerable  and  often  vexatious  ditlicullies  Avhich  Avere 
tlirown  in  his  Avay  by  these  lazy  natives.  They  thwarted  him  continually ; 
told  lies  with  imperturbable  gravity,  an<l  sometinu's,  muler  pretense  of 
2>aying  a  visit  to  their  relations,  deserted  him  altogether. 

On  tlie  18th  of  August  they  at  last  reached  the  olijcct  of  their  searcli 
— tiie  river  which  Avas  to  conduct  them  to  a  chain  of  lakes  leading  to 
the  Thlew-ee-choh.  It  broke  u[)on  them  unexpectedly,  v.hen  roimding 
some  small  rocks  Avhich  shut  out  from  their  view  a  bay,  at  the  bottom 
of  which  was  seen  a  sjilendid  fall,  upward  of  sixty  feet  liigli,  rushing  in 
two  white  and  misty  volumes  into  the  dark  gulf  below.  Here  they 
landed,  and  set  about  thoroughly  nspairing  the  small  canoe  winch  was  to 
proceed  uj)  the  rapids,  while  the  other,  and  the  greater  {)art  of  the  bag- 


us  ot" 

I  nil;;  si 

1  the 

only 

Avlioii 

)iiiiJs, 

II  not 

'4  anil 

wore 

iially; 

i'<r  of 

■search 
int^  to 
ndins 
ottolil 
inLi;  in 

llii'y 
vas  to 

l)iig- 


THE    ASCENT    OP    HOARFROST    RIVER. 


601 


gage,  was  left  in  charge  of  La  Prise,  who  undertook  to  deliver  them  to 
Mr.  M'Leod ;  that  gentleman  having  been  deputed  to  choose  a  conve- 
nient situation,  at  the  eastern  extremity  of  Great  Slave  Lake,  whereon  to 
build  a  winter  residence,  while  Captain  Back  should  proceed  in  his  light 
canoe  as  far  down  the  Thlew-ee-choh  as  practicable,  returning  again  to 
the  establishment  before  the  winter  fliirly  set  in. 

The  true  work  of  tlie  explorers  had  now  fairly  begun.  Before  them 
the  gushing  stream,  which  was  called  the  Hoar  Frost  River,  roared  down 
the  scattered  rocks  like  the  thundering  cannonade  which  streams  through 
the  breach  of  a  stormed  fortress,  while  the  forlorn  hope  of  voyiujeurs 
below  prepared  to  storm  the  stream,  and  take  possession  of  the  unknown 
barren  grounds  that  lay  beyond. 

"  A  new  scene,"  says  Back,  "  now  opened  upon  us.  Instead  of  the 
gentle  paddling  across  the  level  lake,  by  which  we  liad  been  enabled  to 
penetrate  thus  tin-,  we  had  to  toil  up  the  steep  and  rocky  bed  of  an  un- 
known stream,  on  our  Avay  to  the  high  lands,  from  which  the  waters  take 
an  opposite  course.  Tlie  labors  which  had  hitherto  been  so  cheerfully 
undergone,  were  little  more  than  those  to  which  royngenrs  are  accus- 
tomed ;  but  in  what  was  to  conu',  it  was  evident  that  extraordinary  ef- 
forts and  patient  perseverance  would  be  recpiired  to  overcome  the  dith- 
culties  of  oiu-  route."  I'p  this  stream,  then,  they  went,  carrying  canoe 
and  provisions  over  rocks,  mountains,  and  plains,  in  ordiT  to  avoid  a 
succession  of  rapids  which  intercepted  them  all  the  way  up  the  river. 
Their  old  iVicnds  the  sand-flics,  too,  assailed  tlu -m  here  with  extreme  ve- 
hemence, and,  to  add  to  their  miseries,  JVlaufelly,  the  interpreter,  lell 
sick.  Having  oidy  a  box  of  connnon  i)ills,  and  a  bottle  of  lirandy,  Cai> 
tain  Back  at  lirst  refusetl  the  Lidian's  re(|uest  to  «loctor  liiin,  but,  being 
much  jiresscd,  he  at  last  indulged  him,  first  with  the  contents  of  the  box, 
which  made  him  worse,  and  then  with  the  contents  of  the  bottle,  which 
made  him  better. 

The  scenery  here  was  exceedingly  wild.  High  beetling  eliiVs  over- 
hung dark  gorges,  thro"gh  which  the  Avater  rushed  impetuously,  while 
here  and  there  lay  quiet  sheets  of  dear  Avater,  reflecting  on  their  bosoms 
the  bold  outlines  that  toweri'd  overhead,  and  the  variously-colored  mosses 
that  covered  the  rocks  and  em'iched  the  scene.  Among  these  wild 
rapids.  Do  Charloit,  the  bowman,  exhibited  ailmirable  adroitness  and 
dexterity.  Li  the  midst  of  dangers  the  most  immiiu'nt  from  ra[mls  or 
falls,  he  Avas  cool,  fearh'ss,  and  collected  ;  and  often,  Avhen  the  pole  or 
paddle  Avas  no  longer  available,  he  Avonld  spring  into  the  cuiling  »ater, 
and,  Avith  a  foot  lirmly  planted,  maintain  his  position,  where  'ihers 
would  have  been  HAvej)t  away  in  an  instant.  But,  in  spite  of  all  his  care 
and  exertion,  the  canoe  Avas  sorely  bullet ed,  and  the  bark  hung  in  shreds 
along  its  hides,  ripjied  and  broken  in  every  quarter. 

On  the  'JDth  of  August,  while  the  men  were  out  scoiu'ing  the  country 
in  search  of  the  Thlew-ee-choh,  wliich  it  Avas  sup|)osed  nuist  be  in  the 
iieighborhood  of  the  spot  wh»  re  their  tent  was  ititched,  ('aptain  Back 


1! 

F 

• 

■  \ 

h 

'  ' 

\\  ft: 


iliF 


i,\ 


\ 


wr, 


-J 

Hi 


'fill  i 


1 


602 


BACK'S    ARCTIC    LAND    EXPEDITION. 


sallied  forth  with  his  gun.  "  Becoming  anxious,"  says  he,  "  about  the 
men,  I  took  my  gun,  and  following  a  north-north-west  direction,  went 
out  to  look  for  them.  Having  passed  a  small  sheet  of  water,  I  ascended 
a  hill,  from  the  top  of  which  I  discerned,  to  my  great  delight,  a  rapid, 
evidently  connected  with  the  stream  which  ilowed  through  the  narrow 
channel  from  the  lake.  With  a  quickened  step  I  proceeded  to  trace  its 
course,  and,  in  dohig  so,  was  further  gratified  at  being  obliged  to  wade 
through  the  sedgy  waters  of  springs.  Crossing  two  rivulets  whose  lively 
ripples  ran  due  north  into  the  rajjid,  the  thought  occurred  to  me  that 
these  feeders  might  bo  tributaries  of  the  Thlew-ee-choh ;  and,  yielding 
to  that  pleasing  emotion  which  discoverers,  in  the  first  bound  of  their 
transport,  may  be  jiardoned  for  indulging,  I  threw  myself  down  on  the 
bank,  and  drank  a  hearty  draught  of  the  limpid  water." 

That  this  was  actually  the  source  of  the  river  of  which  they  were 
in  search,  was  speedily  confirmed  by  the  men,  who  returned  soon  after- 
ward, saying  that  they  had  discovered  it  on  the  second  day,  and  de- 
scribed it  as  being  largo  enough  for  l)()ats.  Proceeding  across  some 
small  lakes  and  portages,  they  traveled  toward  the  river  until  their  canoe, 
which  had  been  showing  unmistakable  syu'.jttoms  of  a  broken  c(jnstitu- 
tion,  became  at  last  so  rickety  as  to  render  it  advisable  to  return. 
From  the  appearance  of  the  country,  and  especially  of  some  blue  hills 
in  the  distance,  it  was  conjectured  that  the  river  was  full  of  rapids,  and 
that  their  Avork  of  next  summer  would  not  bo  child's  i)lay. 

Their  route  back  to  winter  quarters  Avas  even  more  harassing  than 
then-  advance.  The  rickety  canoe  having  nearly  gone  to  pieces  in  sev- 
eral rapids,  Avas  finally  abandoned,  and  her  cargo  strapped  to  the  backs 
of  the  men,  Avho  set  olV  to  Avalk  back  over  land.  The  accoinit  of  tliis 
journey,  as  given  by  the  hidefatigable  leader,  is  particularly  interesting, 
but  our  limits  forbid  our  entering  upon  it  in  detail.  Over  hill  ami  dale, 
through  swamp,  jungle,  and  morass,  they  ])ursued  their  toilsome  nuu-ch  ; 
now  crashing  Avith  their  heavy  loads  doAvn  the  tangled  and  bushy  banks 
of  a  small  creek,  and  then  sloAvly  cland)C'ring  up  the  craggy  sides  of  the 
opposite  bank ;  sometimes  plodding  through  a  quaking  suam[»,  at  other 
tunes  driving  through  a  Avood  of  stunted  trees ;  and  all  the  Avhile  as- 
Bailed  by  a  ho^t  of  sand-flies  and  mosquitoes.  At  last,  however,  their 
sorroAVS,  for  a  time,  came  to  an  end.  "  We  had  now,"  says  Hack, 
"reached  the  lake  Avhere,  in  my  letter  of  the  lOtli  of  August,  I  had 
directed  Mr.  M'Leod  to  build  nn  establishment.  I'roeeeding  onward, 
over  tho  even  and  mossy  surface  of  the  sand-banks,  Ave  were  ttne  day 
gladdened  by  the  sound  of  the  Avoodnian's  stroke;  and,  guided  by  tho 
branchless  trunks  that  lay  stretched  along  the  earth,  Ave  soon  came  to 
a  bay,  Avhcre,  in  agreeable  ri'lief  against  the  dark  green  litliage,  stood 
the  newly-erected  frame-Avork  of  a  house.  Mr.  INI'Leod  Avas  Avalking 
under  tlie  shade  of  the  trees  Avitii  La  IMse,  and  did  not  hear  us  till  we 
were  Avithin  a  tl'.w  yards  of  lum  Wo  Avere  ranged  in  single  file,  tho 
men  having,  of  their  own  acco.d,  fhlleu  into  that  order;  and,  with 


WINTER    QUARTERS. 


603 


swollen  faces,  dressed  and  laden  as  we  were,  some  carrying  guns,  others 
tent-poles,  ete.,  we  must  have  presented  a  strangely  wild  ai)pearauce, 
not  unUke  a  group  of  robbers  on  the  stage." 

Captain  Batk  and  his  hardy  com|)anion3  had  now  reache<l  their  win- 
ter ([uarters.  In  the  cold  heart  of  the  wilderness,  thousands  and  thou- 
sands of  miles  from  the  dwellings  of  civilized  men,  between  whom  and 
them  lay  the  almost  impassable  barriers  of  broad  foammg  rivers  and 
sea-like  lakes,  whos(!  waters  were  becoming  crusted  with  the  fme  inter- 
secting needles  of  ice,  wiiich,  ere  long,  would  solidify  them  nearly  to  tiie 
bottom — high,  broken,  rugged  mountains,  dreary  morasses,  boundless 
prairies,  and  dense,  dark,  interminable  forests.  "  The  following  day," 
says  he,  ''  being  Sunday,  divine  service  was  lead,  and  our  imperfect 
thanks  were  humbly  oU'ered  to  Almighty  God  for  the  mercies  which 
had  already  been  vouchsafed  to  us ;  and  though  in  this  imjjerious  cli- 
mate, A\ith  every  thing  to  do,  time  was  certainly  precious,  yet,  feeling 
that  the  first  opening  of  the  sacred  volume  in  this  distant  wilderness 
ought  not  to  be  protimed  by  any  xni.vturo  of  common  labor,  I  made  it 
a  day  oi'  real  quiet  and  repose." 

IMr.  King,  who,  :is  has  been  previously  mentioned,  was  left  behind 
with  the  two  boats,  rejoined  the  party  on  tlio  ICth  of  September,  having 
incurred  not  a  little  diHiculty  in  consequence  of  his  want  of  experience 
in  these  climes,  aiul  had  been  occasionally  imposed  upon  by  the  voi/- 
ar/efr.'^'.  The  whole  party  now  set  briskly  to  work  to  complete  their 
buildings.  Trees  were  soon  felled,  branched,  scpiared,  and  i)ut  together, 
with  a  ci'lerity  peculiar  to  Canadians  and  halfbreeds,  who,  being  all  but 
born  Avith  the  ax  in  tiieir  hands,  become  very  expert  in  the  use  of  it. 
Though  the  trees  were  small,  a  sufficient  inunber  for  their  purjwse  were 
speedily  procured  ;  slabs  and  planks  were  sawn,  stones  chipped,  nmd 
and  grass  collected  ior  mortar ;  and,  in  a  few  «lays,  as  if  by  magic,  a 
dwelling-house  was  raised,  sutliciently  weather-tight  to  shelter  the  whole 
party  during  a  winter  that  was  to  last  fully  eight  months.  All  estab- 
lishments in  the  Indian  country,  however  jowly  and  innocent  in  appear- 
ance, l)eing  dignitied  with  the  title  of  J'orfy  Captain  liack  thought  i)roper 
to  call  this  one  Fort  Reliance.  Its  exact  position  was  in  latitude  02  ' 
40'  north,  longitude  100°  west.  It  consisted  of  a  house  fitly  feet  long 
by  thirty  broad,  having  four  separate  rooms,  with  a  spacious  hall  in  the 
center  for  the  reception  and  acconmiodation  of  Indians.  Each  of  the 
rooms  had  a  fireplace  and  a  rude  chimney.  A  miserable  apology  for  a 
room,  with  many  a  yawning  crevice  inviting  the  entrance  of  tlie  cold 
elements,  was,  out  of  courtesy,  called  a  kitclien  ;  and  another  house, 
standuig  at  right  angles  to  this  one  on  the  western  side,  formed  a  dwell- 
ing for  the  men.  An  observatory  waa  also  constructed  at  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  establislmu'ut,  w  herein  certain  mysterious  and  complicated 
instruments  were  fixed  and  erectt'd  ;  iron  in  all  f(>rms  being  carefully 
excluded,  and  a  fence  run  round  it  to  guard  it  more  effectually  from  the 
men,  aa  tliey  walked  about  with  their  guns,  ice  chisels,  and  a.xc8. 


Ijl  |i!  ^^m 

ill 

>;                               t 

i 

i 

f                I 

1 

1 

i!                \ 

!'!  ilil  I 


«ll 


l! 


iiijci 


1| 


604 


BACK'S    ARCTIC    LAND    EXPEDITION. 


The  site  of  the  estabUshment  was  a  level  bank  of  gravel  and  sand, 
covered  with  rein-deer  moss,  slirubs,  and  trees,  looking  more  like  a  park 
than  an  American  forest.  It  formed  the  northern  extremity  of  a  bay, 
from  twelve  to  fifteen  miles  long,  and  from  three  to  five  miles  broad, 
which  was  named  after  Mr.  M'Leod.  The  river  Ah-hel-dessy  fell  into 
this  bay  from  the  westward,  and  another  small  river  from  the  east.    In 


andeuson's  falls. 


the  Ah-lu'1-dossy,  not  far  from  iheir  winter-quarters,  there  was  a  magnifi- 
cent cascade,  to  which  Captain  Hack  gave  the  name  of  Anderson's  Falls. 
Here  they  took  up  tlu'ir  abode,  and  the  miseries  through  which  they 
Avere  doomed  to  i)ass  during  that  dreary  winter  began  even  at  this  time. 
Fish,  upon  which  they  depended  in  a  great  measure,  began  to  fail  at  the 
very  conunencement  of  the  season.  From  one  place  to  another  the  nets 
were  shifted,  with  the  hope  of  finding  a  larger  supply;  but,  so  far  from 
succei'diug  in  this,  the  men  who  were  sent  found  that  there  was  scarce 
sufficient  to  maintain  themselves  from  day  to  day,  and  on  more  than  one 
occasion  retunied  to  the  fort,  being  unable  to  8U])port  themselves.  Deer 
also  failed  them;  for,  although  there  Avere  plenty  of  these  animals  in  the 


i 


^ 


STARVATION    OF    THE    INDIANS. 


605 


country,  they  kept  so  far  away  from  tlie  fort,  and  continued  so  long 
among  the  barren  grounds,  where  it  wa  exceedingly  difficult  to  ap- 
proach them,  that  very  few  were  obtained,  and  these  at  long  intervals. 
The  bags  of  pemmican  which  Mr.  King  had  brought  in  his  boats  were 
intended  for  the  expedition  of  the  folloAving  summer ;  and  as  it  could 
not  be  carried  on  without  that  article  of  food,  nothuig  but  the  utmost 
extremity  would  induce  Captam  Back  to  break  upon  it. 

During  all  this  period,  and  for  months  afterward,  the  fort  was  be- 
sieged by  starving  Indians,  who  flocked  to  it  in  the  vaui  hope  of  ob- 
taining assistance  from  its  almost  equally  unfortunate  inmates.  As  this, 
however,  was  a  disposition  which  it  would  have  been  ruhious  to  the 
expedition  to  encouiage.  Captain  Back  positively  refused  any  assistance 
in  the  shape  of  food,  except  to  those  of  them  Avho,  from  uilirmity  or 
sickness,  were  absolutely  incapable  of  going  forth  to  hunt.  One  of  this 
class  was  picked  up  hi  the  woods  and  brought  to  the  Ibrt.  A  miserable 
old  woman,  '  clad,"  says  Back,  "  in  deer-skin,  her  eyes  all  but  closed, 
her  hair  matted  and  iilthy,  her  skin  shriveled,  and  feebly  supporting, 
with  tlie  aid  of  a  stick  held  by  l>oth  hands,  a  trunk  which  was  literally 
horizontal,  she  presented,  if  such  an  expression  may  be  pardoned,  the 
shocking  and  unnatural  appearance  of  a  hum  ui  brute.  It  was  a  humil- 
iating spectacle,  and  one  which  I  would  not  willingly  see  again.  Poor 
wretch  !  Iler  tale  was  soon  told  :  old  and  decrepit,  she  had  come  to  .)e 
considered  as  a  burden  even  by  her  own  sex.  Past  services  and  toils 
were  forgotten,  and,  in  their  figurative  style,  they  coldly  told  her,  that 
'though  she  appeared  to  live,  she  was  already  dead,'  and  must  be  aban- 
doned to  her  fate.  'There  is  a  new  fort,'  said  they,  'go  there;  the 
whites  are  great  medicine  men,  and  may  have  power  to  save  you.'  This 
was  a  month  before ;  since  whidi  time  she  had  crawled  and  hobbled 
along  the  rocks,  the  scanty  su})])ly  of  berries  which  she  foiuid  upon  them 
just  enabling  her  to  live."  This  pitiable  object  was  brought  to  the 
fort,  fed  and  taken  care  of — being  })ermitted  to  live  hi  the  hall,  where 
she  crawled  about  on  all  fours  at  will,  moaning  over  the  fire,  or  creeping 
into  Mr.  King's  room,  whom  she  found  to  be  the  only  one  who  could 
alleviate  her  sulferhigs.  These,  however,  had  been  greater  tlian  she 
could  bear.  Notwithstanding  all  their  care,  she  sank  from  day  to  day, 
until  she  appeared  a  living  skeleton,  and  was  found  dej'l  at  last  in  a  tent, 
beside  the  ashes  of  a  small  fire. 

Famine  in  its  worst  form  now  began  to  stare  them  in  the  face.  Day 
after  day  brought  fresh  intelligence  from  the  various  fisheries  of  their  ill 
success,  while  parties  of  starving  natives  arrived  from  the  hunting 
grounds,  in  the  liope  of  getting  a  few  scraps  of  food  at  the  fort. 
Captain  Back,  Avith  characteristic  benevolence,  imi)arted  to  them  as 
much  as  could  be  spared  from  his  own  little  stock,  endeavoring  to  n;- 
vive  their  drooping  s])irits  and  urge  them  on  to  action.  It  was  hi  vain, 
however.  The  scourge  was  too  lu'avy,  and  their  exertions  were  com- 
pletely paralyzed.     No  sooner  had  one  party  been   i»revaiied   on  to 


Mi 


!f 
fl, 


'ill 


I 


Mh 


Hj         - 


M' 

'^  Af 

i 

]  ' 

i 

1 

§  *!' . 

'^H 

' 

'1: 

1 

i 

\'   .  '! 


I! 


i  li 


I    !    ' 


606 


BACK'S    AECTIC    LAND    EXPEDITION. 


leave  the  fort,  than  another,  still  more  languid  and  distressed,  feebly- 
entered,  and  confirmed,  by  their  half-famished  looks  and  sunken  eyes, 
their  heart-rendina;  tale  of  sutfering.  They  spoke  little,  but  crowded 
in  silence  round  the  fire,  as  if  eager  to  enjoy  the  only  comfort  remaiiung 
to  them.  And,  truly,  fire  was  a  comfort  of  no  ordinary  kind,  "when  it  is 
remembered  that  the  tem[)eraturo  during  that  terrible  winter  fell  to 
seventy  degrees  hdoir  zero  of  P'ahrenheit ! 

It  is  diflicult  for  those  who  haAo  not  experienced  it,  to  comprehend 
the  intensity  of  this  degree  of  cold.  Captain  Back  and  his  friend  Mr. 
King  made  a  few  experiments  during  their  long  dreary  winter,  which 
will  serve  to  convey  some  idea  of  it.  A  bottle  of  sulphuric  ether  was 
placed  on  the  snow  Avhen  the  temperature  Avas  sixty-two  degrees  below 
zero.  In  fifteen  minutes  the  interior  upper  surface  of  the  bottle  was 
coated  with  ice,  while  the  ether  became  viscous  and  opaqiu*.  A  small 
bottle  of  pyroligneous  acid  froze  in  less  than  thirty  minutes  at  a  tem- 
perature of  fifty-seven  degrees  minus ;  and  a  surface  of  four  iiu-hcs  of 
nu'rcury  exposed  in  a  saucer  became  solid  in  two  hours,  at  the  same 
temperatiu'c.  *  On  the  4th  <.)f  February  so  intensely  cold  was  it,  that  a 
higher  temperature  than  twelve  degrees  above  zero  could  not  be  ob- 
lamcd  in  the  house,  even  although  there  Avere  eight  large  logs  of  AA'ood 
blazing  in  the  chimney  of  a  small  room.  As  might  be  imagined,  cold, 
of  such  a  i)eculiarly  sharp  nature,  used  to  prove  inconvenient  in  more 
Avays  than  one,  and  Captain  IJack  tells  us  that  his  ink  froze,  and  that 
in  making  an  attempt  to  finish  a  Avater-color  sketch  he  signally  failed — 
the  material  becomincr  frozeti  even  Avhile  he  sat  so  close  to  a  \\\\<j:o  fire 
as  considerably  to  endanger  the  legs  of  his  troAA^sers! 

On  the  25th  of  April,  l.s:i  t,  AA'hile  the  snow  still  lay  deep  on  the 
ground,  and  every  thing  Avore  the  same  imchanging,  and  seemingly  un- 
changeable, aspect  that  it  had  Avorn  ever  since  October,  the  Avinter- 
packet  arrived,  bringing  intelligence  of  the  sate  arrival  of  Sir  J.  Koss 
and  his  crcAV  in  Englatul.  To  those  Avho  Avere  to  have  devoted  the 
ensuing  summer  to  the  search,  this  Avas  a  subject  of  unmixed  pleasure, 
both  as  assuring  them  of  the  safety  of  their  enterprising  countrymen, 
and  as  setting  them  free  to  devote  theuiselves  entirely  to  the  secondary 
object  of  the  expedition, 

I'art  of  the  men  Avere  noAV  sent  to  the  only  clump  of  pineii  which 
afibrded  trees  of  a  sufficient  size  to  saAV  up  into  planks  for  building  a 
boat — this  conveyance  being  deemed  Ijctter  than  a  canoe  for  the  sum- 
mer journey.  The  lamine  still  continuetl  to  ]»ress  heavily  upon  them. 
M;my  of  the  natives  died,  Avhile  some  of  them  tried  to  allay  the  cravings 
of  himger  by  eating  parts  of  (heir  deer-skin  shoes  and  cf)ats.  At  the 
fisheries  little  or  nothing  Avas  caught,  and  at  the  fort  they  Avere  obliged 
reluctantly  to  break  upon  the  supply  of  pemmican.  Tlu^  solitiule  and 
des(jlatii)ti  of  the  establishment  Avas  extreme,  and  perhaps  no  better  idea 
of  it  could  be  conveyed  than  by  the  quotation  of  a  |»aragraph  from 
Back's  journal  in  Avhich  he  speaks  of  the  death  of  two  tame  ravens. 


DEPARTURP]    FOR    THE    NORTH. 


607 


"  For  the  last  fifteen  days,"  says  he,  "  our  habitation  had  been  rendered 
more  cheerful  by  the  presence  of  two  ravens,  which  having,  by  my  ex- 
jiress  direction,  been  left  unmolested,  had  become  so  tame  as  scarcely  to 
move  ten  paces  when  any  one  ])assed  them ;  they  wore  the  only  living 
things  that  held  communion  with  us,  and  it  was  a  pleasure  to  see  them 
gambol  in  their  glossy  plumage  on  the  white  snow.  A  party  of  men 
had  arrived  over  night,  and  amojig  them  was  an  Iroquois,  who,  per- 
ceiving the  birds  together,  and  being  ignorant  of  my  wishes,  could  not 
resist  the  temptation  of  a  double  shot,  and  so  killed  them  both.  In  any 
other  situation  such  an  event  would,  perhaps,  have  seemed  too  trifling 
to  be  noticed ;  but  in  our  case  the  ravens  were  the  only  link  between 
us  and  the  dreary  solitude  without,  and  their  loss  thei-efore  was  painfully 
felt.  *  *  *  AVhon  they  were  gone,  I  felt  more  lonely,  and  the 
moaning  wind  sce?ncd  as  if  com])laining  of  the  barbarity." 

On  the  Vth  of  June,  things  l)eing  considered  in  a  sufficiently  ad- 
vanced state  to  jiermit  of  oi)erations  being  commenced,  Captain  Back 
and  his  party  set  out  once  more  upon  their  travels.  Tlie  boat,  which 
•\vas  thirty  feet  long,  was  placed  upon  runners,  and  dragged  over  the 
yet  unmelted  ice  of  the  lakes  and  swamjis,  across  many  of  which  they 
had  to  pass  ere  they  could  launch  upon  the  Thlew-ee-choh,  The  men 
had  each  a  small  sled,  or  runner,  on  Avhich  to  drag  a  certain  amount  of 
the  baggage  and  provisions — averaging  about  one  hundred  pounds — 
and  away  they  went  Mith  great  merriment  at  the  grotesque  appearance 
they  cut  as  they  stumbled  and  slipped  over  the  jagged  surface  of  the 
ice.  In  a  very  short  time  this  work  began  to  tell  upon  the  runners  of 
the  sledges,  Avhich  peeled  up,  and  otherwise  evinced  symptoms  of  very 
speedy  dissolution.  In  this  dilemma  the  captain  bethought  himself 
of  two  pitsaws  which  thoy  had  with  them.  These  were  got  out, 
cut  into  strips,  nailed  to  the  runners,  and  in  a  few  hours  away  they 
went  again  with  increased  s])eed,  and  very  much  diminished  tear  and 
wear. 

Mr.  M'Leod,  with  a  party  of  Indians,  was  sent  on  ahead  of  the  main 
body  to  hunt,  and  make  caches  of  the  meat,  to  be  picked  up  as  the  party 
behind  came  up  to  them.  An  cncamping-])lace  of  this  advance-guard 
Avas  fallen  upon  by  Captain  Back  while  ho  was  straying  a  litth^  from  his 
party.  As  he  stood  looking  at  it,  he  observed  a  tin  kettle  half  buried 
in  the  snow,  which  on  examination  was  found  to  contain  thirty-four 
balls,  a  file  broken  in  three  pieces,  an  awl,  a  fire-steel,  and  a  crooked 
knife.  This,  the  most  valuable  portion  of  an  Indian's  possessions,  had 
been  thrown  away,  according  to  a  custom  ])revailing  among  that  people, 
cither  as  an  exi)iatory  sacrifice  for  some  calamity,  or  as  a  token  of  ex- 
treme affliction  for  the  loss  of  a  wife  or  child.  The  captain  usually  kept 
ahead  of  his  party,  being  desirous  of  finding  the  caches,  and  laying  the 
meat  on  an  exjiosed  place  in  his  track,  so  as  to  avoid  waste  of  time  in 
collecting  it.  In  this  way  they  continui'd  their  route  for  many  days, 
over  every  sort  of  lake,  ])ond,  river,  swamp,  creek,  or  pool,  that  can  or 


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608 


BACK'S    ARCTIC    LAND    EXPP:DITI0N. 


can  not  bo  imagined  ;  sometimes  comfortably,  and  sometimes  miserably. 
The  want  of  lire  was  their  cliief  discomfort. 

Toward  tlie  middle  of  Juno  the  weather  became  very  cold  and  bois- 
terous, especially  Midsummer's-day,  which  m-m  the  coldest,  blackest, 
and  most  wintry  day  they  had.  On  the  2'_'d  of  June,  being  Sunday, 
divine  service  was  read  in  the  tent,  M'here,  to  the  credit  of  the  men,  bo 
it  mentioned,  they  all  came  clean  and  shaved,  notwithstanding  the  dis- 
comforts to  which  they  were  c\})osed. 

On  the  28th  they  arrived  near  the  banks  of  the  Thlew-ce-choh,  and 
on  the  afternoon  of  the  sumo  day  were  fairly  launched  upon  its  head 
waters.  These,  however,  Avcre  full  of  ice,  and  it  m  as  not  until  several 
days  afterward  that  Captain  Back  felt  it  safe  to  dismiss  his  extra  hands, 
and  the  Indians  Avho  had  accomjtanied  him  thus  fur  to  carry  provisions. 
On  the  od  of  July,  however,  having  assembleil  them  on  the  banks  of  the 
river,  ho  relieved  them  of  their  burdens,  and  arranged  the  party  which 
was  to  accompany  him  to  the  Polar  Sea.  And  gre;itly  did  it  surpiise 
the  Indians  to  see  a  boat  maimed  by  Euroi)eans,  and  stored  with  the 
provision  of  the  southern  country,  after  having  been  hauled,  carried, 
and  dragged  over  every  imaginable  kind  of  o1)stacle  for  full  two  hun- 
dred miles,  at  last  fairly  lauiu'heil  on  the  clear  Avaters  of  the  barren 
lands.  Mr.  M'Leod  Avas  dismissed  at  this  point,  Avith  instructions  to 
collect  pi'ovisions  against  their  return,  and  to  meet  them  again  in  Sep- 
tember on  the  banks  of  the  Thlew-ee-clioh. 

While  he  and  his  i>arty  Avere  debating  as  to  Avhich  part  of  the  coun- 
try Avould  be  best  to  return  by,  provisions  being  someAvhat  scarce,  the 
fog  cleared  aAvay,  and  discovered  the  branching  antlers  of  twenty  rein- 
deer spread  over  the  summit  of  the  adjacent  hills.  "  To  see  and  pursue 
was  the  Avork  of  a  moment,  and  in  a  il'W  minutes  not  an  aetiA'o  Inmter 
remamed  in  the  encampment.  It  Avas  a  beautiful  and  interesting  sight ; 
for  the  sun  slione  out,  and  lighting  up  some  parts,  cast  others  into 
deeper  shade  ;  the  AA'hite  ice  rellected  millions  of  dazzling  rays ;  the 
ra})id  leaped  and  chafed  in  liltlo  inpples,  Avhich  melted  away  into  the  un- 
rutlied  surface  of  the  slumbering  lake  ;  abrupt  and  craggy  rocks  frowned 
on  the  right,  and,  on  the  loft,  the  brown  landscape  receded  until  it  Avas 
lost  in  the  distant  blue  mountains.  The  foreground  Avas  filled  up  Avith 
the  ocher-colored  lodges  of  the  Indians,  contrasting  Avith  om*  own  ])alp 
tents ;  and  to  the  Avhole  scene  animation  A>-as  given  by  the  graceful  mo- 
tions of  the  unstartled  deer,  and  the  treacherous  crawling  of  the  Avary 
hunters." 

The  very  fii-st  day  introihu-cd  them  to  the  ))erils  Avhich  they  Avero  to 
encounter  in  that  rugged  river.  Coming  up  to  a  strong  rapid,  and  fall, 
doAvn  Avhich  the  boat  could  only  bo  run  in  a  light  state,  all  the  baggage 
Avas  c;irried  over  the  rocks,  and  four  good  hands  left  in  the  boat.  They 
pushed  ofi"  into  the  stream,  and  ran  the  first  fall  in  safety;  but  having 
steered  too  much  to  the  let\,  they  were  draAvn  on  a  ledge  of  rock,  form- 
ing part  of  the  secou'I ;  this  brought  the  boat  uj*  Avith  a  crash  Avhich 


DESCENDING    THE    RAPIDS. 


609 


threatened  immediate  destruction,  and  called  forth  a  shriek  from  tho 
prostrate  crew.  The  steersman  jumped  out  on  the  rock  and  tried  to  Uft 
her  off,  but  without  success.  Another  moment,  and  the  fierce  current 
swung  her  stern  round,  and  it  seemed  as  if  nothing  could  save  her  from 
desceuduig  in  a  gusli  of  green  water  straight  on  to  a  sharp  rock  below, 
'jainst  which  a  wave  of  five  feet  high  was  breaking.  Happily  the  steer- 
ing-oar had  been  left  projecting  out  astern,  and,  as  the  boat  swung,  it 
caught  a  rock,  which  jjitched  her  out  broadside  to  tho  current,  when 
she  was  carried  down  in  safety. 

The  |iarty  now  consisted  rf  eight  boatmen,  Mr.  King,  and  the  com- 
mander, and  seldom  has  so  small  a  band  of  adventurerb  experienced  such  a 
hazardous,  comfortless,  and  truly  rough-and-tumble  journey  as  they  did. 
The  weather,  which  had  been  all  along  boisterous  and  cold,  became  worse 
and  worse  as  they  went  on,  so  that  they  Avere  frequently  wet  all  day, 
and  owing  to  the  want  of  firewood,  they  Avere  of  necessity  wet  all  night. 
The  river  expanded  sometimes  into  immense  lakes,  which  often  detained, 
and  sometimes  threatened  to  ari'cst  them  altogether ;  at  other  places  it 
narrowed  into  a  deep  and  rapid  stream,  which  gushed  in  a  black  boiling 
mass  through  high  cliffs,  or  foamed  over  a  rugged  bed  of  broken  rockd 
and  boulder-stones — terminating  not  unfrequently  in  a  stupendous  fall. 
Obstacles  of  this  kind,  however  they  may  interrupt  the  progress  of  or- 
dinary men,  are  no  barriers  in  the  way  of  nor'-westers ;  so  they  swe[)t 
through  the  gorges,  maneuvered  skillfully  down  the  rapids,  and  made 
portages  to  avoid  the  falls,  with  a  degree  of  facility  and  safety  that  was 
little  short  of  miraculous.  In  one  place  they  had  a  narrow  escape,  which 
is  but  a  specimen  of  what  was  of  daily  occurrence.  "A  little  sheet  of 
water,"  says  Back,  "  bounded  to  the  right  by  mounds  and  hills  of  white 
sand,  with  patches  of  rich  herbage,  where  numerous  deer  were  feeding, 
brought  us  to  a  long  and  appalling  rapid,  full  of  rocks  and  large  bould- 
ers ;  the  sides  hemmed  in  by  a  wall  of  ice,  and  the  current  flying  with 
the  velocity  and  force  of  a  torrent.  The  boat  was  lightened  of  her 
cargo,  and  I  stood  on  a  high  rock,  with  an  anxious  heart,  to  see  her  run 
it.  I  had  every  hope  which  contidenco  in  the  judgment  and  dexterity 
of  my  principal  men  could  inspire ;  but  it  was  impossible  not  to  feel  that 
one  crash  would  be  fatal  to  the  expedition.  Away  they  went,  with  tho 
speed  of  an  arrow,  and,  in  a  moment,  the  foam  and  rocks  hid  them  lV(jiu 
my  view.  I  heard  what  sounded  in  my  ear  like  a  wild  shriek,  and  saw 
Mr.  King,  who  was  a  hundred  yards  before  me,  make  a  sign  with  hia 
gun,  and  then  run  forward.  I  followed,  Avith  an  agitation  Avhich  may  be 
conceived ;  and,  to  my  inex[)ressible  joy,  found  that  the  shriek  was  tho 
triumphant  Avhoop  of  the  crew,  Avho  had  landed  safely  in  a  small  bay  be- 
loAV.  This  Avas  called  Malley's  Uaj)id,  in  consequence  of  one  of  tho 
party,  so  called,  having  lost  himself  in  the  adjacei-.t  willows  for  some  time." 
On  the  l;Uh  of  July,  a  glimpse  of  sunshine  tempted  the  cai)tain  to  halt 
for  the  purpose  of  taking  observations,  and,  Avhile  he  Avas  thus  engaged, 
the  men  were  permitted  to  scour  the  country  in  pursuit  of  deer  and 

39 


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■    i                                                           i                                                i 

!;                       1                   ■      ■ 

610 


BACK'S   ARCTIC    LAND    EXPEDITION. 


musk-oxen,  which  literally  swarmed  in  the  barren  grounds,  and  infused 
life  and  animation  into  many  a  wild,  picturesque  scene.  The  liuuters 
soon  returned  with  four  fine  bucks,  Avhich  aftbrded  them  an  agreeable 
change  from  the  customary  meal  of  pemmican. 

The  latitude  was  05°  38'  21"  north,  and  longitude  106°  35'  23"  west. 
At  this  place  the  river  began  to  take  an  easterly  bend,  which  perplexed 
and  annoyed  them  much ;  causing  great  anxiety  as  to  whether  it  would 
ultimately  lead  them  to  the  frozen  sea,  or  terminate  in  Hudson's  Bay. 
In  any  case,  they  had  nothing  for  it  but  to  push  on,  and  their  labors 
were  rewarded  afterward  by  their  finding  that  the  river  trended  again 
in  a  northerly  direction,  and  their  hopes  were  further  increased  by  the 
discovery,  on  the  IGth  of  July,  of  some  old  Esquimaux  encampments. 
Once,  indeed,  they  thought  they  saw  tents  of  the  Esquimaux  ahead, 
but  on  a  nearer  approach  they  turned  out  to  be  some  luxuriant  clumps 
of  \viIlows,  which  were  inhabited  by  thousands  of  geese.  They  had 
selected  the  spot  as  being  a  convenient  one  for  the  operation  of  casting 
their  feathers.  Geese,  while  in  this  condition,  are  most  superb  runners, 
and  put  the  hunters  to  their  utmost  mettle  sometimes  to  catch  them ; 
leading  them  through  bog,  pool,  and  swamp,  with  a  dexterity  that  often 
brings  their  pursuers  into  many  an  awkward  and  Avatery  predicament. 

On  the  28th  of  July,  they  met  the  first  Esquimaux,  who,  as  usual  on 
their  first  seeing  Euro])eans,  exhibited  at  once  their  consternation  and 
astonishment,  by  shouts,  yells,  antics,  and  gesticulations  of  the  most 
savage  character ;  laboring  under  the  impression,  ai)23arently,  that  by  so 
doing  they  would  frighten  their  new  visitors  away.  As  is  also  usual  m 
such  occasions,  of  course  tliey  found  themselves  mistaken,  for  the  boat 
continued  to  approach  the  shore  despite  the  brandishing  of  spears  and 
other  belligerent  demonstrations ;  whereupon  the  whole  nation  formed 
in  a  semi-circle  round  the  spot  where  the  boat  grounded,  and  stood  on 
the  defensive.  Captain  Back,  however,  soon  established  friendly  rela- 
tions with  them,  by  walking  boldly  up,  unarmed  and  alone,  at  the  same 
time  calling  out  Tima — peace — with  great  emphasis,  tossing  up  his  arras 
in  true  Esquimaux  style,  and,  tinally,  shaking  hands  all  round.  This 
quieted  them,  and  they  soon  mingled  with  the  men,  from  whom  they 
received  a  few  buttons  with  great  delight. 

A  portage  had  to  be  made  at  this  place;  so,  to  divert  the  attention 
of  the  poor  natives,  and  pr'^vent  their  being  tempted  to  steal,  Captain 
Back  went  up  to  their  tents  and  sketched  them.  H3  describes  them  as 
being  neat  and  well-made,  not  so  cunning  as  those  further  to  the  west, 
and  altogether  a  harmless,  inoffensive  race.  Ilii  description  of  the 
taking  of  a  portrait  is  so  humorous  that  we  give  it  in  his  own  words  : 
"The  only  lady,"  says  he,  "whose  portrait  was  sketched,  was  so  flat- 
tered at  being  selected  for  the  distinction,  that,  in  her  fear  lest  I  should 
not  sufficiently  see  every  grace  of  her  good-tempered  countenance,  she 
intently  watched  my  eye ;  and,  according  to  her  notion  of  the  part  I 
was  penciling,  protruded  it  or  turned  it,  bo  as  to  leave  me  no  excuse  for 


THEY    REACH    THE    POLAR    SEA. 


611 


not  delmeating  it  in  the  full  proportion  of  its  beauty.  Thus,  seeing  mo 
look  at  her  head,  she  immediately  bent  it  down,  stared  portentously 
when  I  sketched  her  eyes ;  puffed  out  her  cheeks  when  their  turn  ar- 
rived ;  and,  finally,  perceiving  that  I  was  touching  in  the  mouth,  opened 
it  to  the  full  extent  of  her  jaws,  and  thrust  out  the  whole  length  of  her 
tongue  !"  From  these  friendly  natives  they  received  assistance  in  car- 
rying the  boat  over  a  very  bad  portage— a  task  to  which  the  men  were 
quite  unequal ;  so  that  to  them  Captain  Back  was  indebted  for  aid,  with- 
out which  he  would  not  have  reached  the  sea  at  all. 


■ 


■"^RR-Co.u.v 


VIEW     SEAWARD     PROM    MONTREAL     ISLAKD.* 

Leaving  these  interesting  denizens  of  the  north,  the  party  pursued 
their  way,  and,  on  the  29th  of  July,  were  gladdened  with  a  sight  of  the 
first  headland  in  the  Polar  Sea,  which  was  named  Victoria  Headland. 
This,  then,  was  the  mouth  of  the  Thlew-ee-choh,  which,  after  a  violent 
and  tortuous  course  of  five  hundred  and  thirty  geographical  miles,  run- 
ning through  an  iron-ribbed  country,  without  a  single  tree  on  the  whole 
Ime  of  its  banks,  expanding  into  fine  large  lakes  with  clear  horizons, 

*  This  view  derivca  a  inoro  than  ordhiary  interest  at  present  from  the  fact  that  it 
represents  the  spot,  where,  according  to  tlic  accounts  of  the  Esquimaux,  as  given  to  Dr. 
Rae,  the  bodies  of  a  part  of  Sir  John  Franklin's  company  were  fou  id.  These  accounta 
state  tliat  the  unfortunate  explorers  perished  upon  the  western  bank  of  the  river,  op- 
posite Montreal  Island,  and  consequently  upon  the  very  spot  from  whence  the  above 
view  was  taken. 


A'' 


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612 


BACK'S    ARCTIC    LAND    EXPEDITION. 


most  embarrassing  to  the  navigator,  anil  broken  into  falls,  cascades,  and 
rapids,  to  the  number  of  no  less  than  eighty-throe  in  the  whole,  pours 
its  waters  into  the  Polar  Sea  in  latitude  07"  11'  north,  and  longitude  94'^ 
30'  Avest. 

The  mouth  of  the  Thlew-ee-choh  opened  into  a  broad  firth,  the 
Avestern  shore  of  which  was  so  beset  by  ice,  that  they  resolved  on  coast- 
ing to  the  eastward,  which  was  more  open,  till  some  favorable  opportun- 
ity offered  for  crossing  over.  So  stormy  was  the  weather,  however, 
that  they  succeeded  in  this  at  length  with  great  difficulty,  after  having 
been  detained  several  days  on  an  island  which  they  mistook  for  the 
main.  This  thoy  called  Montreal  Island.  By  slow  degrees  they  pro- 
ceeded along  the  ice-girt  shore,  sometimes  advancing  a  few  miles,  when 
a  favoring  breeze  opened  a  lane  in  the  ice,  but  more  frequently  detained 
in  their  dreary  cncampmeiits,  in  which  they  suffered  much  from  cold 
and  rain.  In  reading  the  graphic  account  of  the  journey  of  Captain 
Back,  one  can  not  fail  to  be  struck  by  the  constant  repetition  of  such 
sentences  as  the  following :  "  The  morning  set  in  with  rain,  for  which, 
custom  had  now  taught  us  to  look  as  a  thuig  of  course  ;  but  a  faint  hope 
was  excited  by  the  view  of  a  narrow  lane  of  water,  which  had  opened, 
how  or  from  what  cause  we  kncAV  not,  outside,  between  the  grounded 
ice  and  the  main  body  ;  and  preparations  were  already  making  for  a 
start  at  high  water,  Avhen  the  wind  suddenly  chopped  round  from  south- 
east to  north-west,  and  fixed  us  once  more  to  the  spot ;"  and,  again : 
"A  wet  fog  ushered  in  the  morning  of  the  14th  of  August,  and  left 
every  object  dark  and  indefinable  at  eighty  or  ninety  paces  distant. 
The  breeze  increased,  and  was  fast  packing  the  seaward  body  of  ice, 
which  now  came  Avith  considerable  velocity  toward  the  shore,  and 
threatened  to  lengthen  our  tedious  and  most  annoying  detention."  To 
render  their  position  even  more  deplorable,  scarcely  any  fuel  was  to  be 
found,  and  they  experienced  the  greatest  difficulty  in  procuring  sufficient 
to  cook  their  food,  often  being  obliged  to  breakfast,  dine,  and  sup  on  a 
morsel  of  dry  pemmican  aiid  a  cup  of  cold  water.  One  day  three  deer 
came  Avithin  shot,  and  Avere  killed.  Xo  savoury  steaks,  however,  grat- 
ified their  palates  Avith  an  miaccustomed  meal ; — they  could  not  be 
cooked  for  Avant  of  dry  fuel.  The  low  flat  country,  too,  Avas  the  pic- 
ture of  desolation.  It  Avas  one  irregular  plain  of  sand  and  stones ;  and 
had  it  not  been  for  a  rill  of  Avater,  the  meandering  of  Avhich  relieved  the 
monotony  of  the  sterile  scene,  one  might  have  fancied  one's  self  in  one 
of  the  parched  plains  of  the  east,  rather  than  on  the  shores  of  tho 
Arctic  Sea." 

Nevertheless,  Avith  unflinching  ardor  did  Captain  Back  and  his  gal- 
lant crew  push  forward,  in  the  hope  of  reaching  a  more  open  sea,  and 
connecting  their  discoveries  with  those  of  Captain  Franklin  at  Point 
Turnagain.  Indeed,  a  spirit  of  endurance  and  cheerfulness  distinguished 
tho  whole  party,  which  nothing  seemed  capable  of  damping.  On  the 
Vth  of  August  they  reached  the  extreme  point  of  land  which  terminates 


i1 


RETURN    TO    ENGLAND. 


613 


the  wide  month  of  the  river,  find  whence  the  coast  trends  to  the  west- 
ward. This  was  named  I'oint  Ogle,  and  another  cape,  seen  far  to  the 
west,  was  named  Point  Richardson.  Several  portions  of  the  coast  of 
]?oothia  Felix  were  also  seen  in  the  distance  to  the  northward.  Here 
they  were  completely  baffled  in  every  attempt  made  to  advance.  The 
ice  became  more  firmly  wedged  every  day ;  one  of  the  men  fell  sick ; 
the  season  was  far  advanced,  and  any  further  attempts  to  proceed  would 
have  been  foolhardy  ;  so,  under  these  untoward  circumstances,  Cajitain 
Back  resolved  to  retrace  his  steps.  Before  doing  so,  however,  the  Hrit- 
ish  flag  was  unfurled,  and  the  land  taken  possession  of,  with  three  enthu- 
siastic cheers,  in  the  name  of  his  majesty  William  IV.  The  latitude  of 
the  place  was  G8''  13'  north,  longitude  94°  68'  west. 

Our  limits  do  not  permit  us  to  follow  the  adventurous  voyagrnrs  as 
they  retraced  their  route  up  the  foaming  cataracts  of  theThlow-oe-choh. 
In  the  middle  of  August  they  left  the  cold  precincts  of  the  Arctic  Sea, 
and  on  the  1 7th  September  met  Mr.  M'Leod,  according  to  appointment, 
at  Sand-IIill  Bay.  lie  had  long  been  expecting  them,  and  had  spent 
many  an  anxious  hour  in  watching  the  distant  objects  in  the  direction 
of  their  route.  "With  this  gentleman  they  returned  to  Fort  Reliance, 
"  after  an  absence  of  nearly  four  months ;  tired,  indeed,  but  well  in 
health,  and  truly  grateful  for  the  manifold  mercies  we  had  experienced 
in  the  course  of  our  long  and  perilous  journej'." 

Preparations  were  soon  set  on  foot  to  spend  another  winter  in  the 
■wilderness.  Once  more  the  woods  resounded  with  the  Avoodman's  ax, 
and  the  little  rooms  glowed  with  the  blazing  fires  of  wood.  Again  the 
nets  were  set  and  the  guns  loaded,  and  the  white  man  and  the  red 
ranged  the  woods  in  company  ;  while  Captain  Back  and  Mr.  King  found 
ample  and  interesting  occupation  in  mapping  their  discoveries  and  writ- 
ujg  tlieir  journals. 

On  the  28th  of  May,  ISHS,  Captain  Back  bade  adieu  to  the  polar 
regions  and  returned  to  England,  where  he  arrived  on  the  8th  of  Sep- 
tember, after  an  absence  of  two  years  and  seven  months.  The  remainder 
of  the  party  returned  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company's  ship  in  October. 


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EILSTED'S 


TRAVELS    IN    OMAN. 


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BOKNTRT  OP  OMAJf. 


LiEiTTEXANT  Wkixstep,  of  tlio  liidiiin  Army,  \\i\h  omiiloyed  for  some 
years  in  tho  survey  of  tho  soul  horn  nnd  western  coasts  of  Arabia,  uuder- 
takcu  by  tlu'  yovt'rntnt'ut  of  tlie  East  Imlia  Company.  Durint;  tliistimo 
Ills  attention  Mas  (liri'otid  towanl  attaiiiituT  a  kiiowioi !;,'(■  ol'tlic  interior 
of  tlio  country,  and  for  tins  jiurju^si'  lie  aiijilieil  lor  jperi'iission  to  accom- 
pany tl»e  army  of  Mohamnu'd  Ali,  wliich  was  dispatdied  to  the  cnrifiucst 
of  Yemen  ;  but  before  he  received  the  necessary  authority,  tlie  I'aslia's 
troops  were  defeated  with  great  Hhiughter  W  the  defdes  of  Assalr.     Ho 


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616 


WELLSTED'S    TRAVELS    IN    OMAN. 


then  determined  to  proceed  to  ]\Ius('at,  visit  the  iutorior  of  the  country 
of  Oman — that  part  of  Arabia  bordering  on  tlie  Persian  Gulf— and  en- 
deavor, if  possible,  to  penetrate  to  Derreyeh,  the  capital  of  the  Waha- 
bees,  in  the  interior  of  the  peninsula.  Furnished  with  the  sanction  of 
the  Indian  government  and  a  letter  to  the  Imam  of  jMuscat,  ho  sailed 
from  Bombay  in  November,  1835,  and  on  the  21st  of  that  month  landed 
at  Muscat. 

Upon  visiting  Soyd  Sayid,  the  Imam,  the  latter  showed  the  utmost 
willingness  to  further  Lieutenant  Wellsted's  views.  He  presented  him 
with  a  noble  Nedjid  steed,  a  braco  of  gray-hounds,  and  a  gold-mounted 
sword,  offered  to  defray  all  the  expenses  of  camels,  guides,  etc.,  and  or- 
dered letters  to  be  sent  to  the  chiefs  of  the  different  districts  of  Oman, 
requiring  them  to  receive  him  with  all  possible  attention.  "  To  persons 
arriving  from  seaward,"  says  the  traveler,  "  Muscat,  with  its  fort  and 
contiguous  hills,  has  an  extraordinary  and  romantic  appearance.  Not  a 
tree,  shrub,  or  other  trace  of  vegetation  is  visible,  and  the  whitened  sur- 
faces of  the  houses  and  turreted  forts  in  the  vicinity,  contrast  in  a  singu- 
lar manner  with  the  burned  and  cindery  aspect  of  the  darkened  masses 
of  rock  around.  Similar  in  its  aspect  to  most  eastern  cities  when  viewed 
from  a  distance,  we  first  discern  the  level  roofs  of  the  dwellings,  the 
domes  of  the  mosques,  tluir  lofty  minarets,  and  other  prominent  fea- 
tures, and  the  view  retains  this  attractive  character  until  we  land,  wliei, 
the  illusion  quickly  disappears.  Narrow,  crowded  streets  and  filf.!  v 
bazaars,  nearly  blocked  r.p  by  porters  bearing  burdens  of  dates,  grair 
etc.,  wretched  huts  intermingled  with  low  and  paltry  houses,  and  other 
dwellings  more  than  half  fallen  to  decay,  but  which  yet  continue  ten- 
anted, meet  the  eye  in  every  direction."  The  population  of  the  city  is 
between  fifty  and  sixty  thousand. 

After  visiting  the  hot  springs  of  Imam  All,  which  arc  near  the  coast, 
about  twenty  miles  from  Muscat,  Lieutenant  Wellsted  em1)arked  in  a 
boat  for  Sur,  a  small  sea-port  near  the  southern  extremity  of  the  penin- 
sula of  Oman.  Hero  ho  was  received  by  the  shekh  of  the  place,  and 
furnished  with  guards  until  camels  and  a  giiid(!  could  be  procured  for 
the  country  of  .lailan,  inhabited  by  the  tribe  of  ]3eni-Abou-IIassan.  Ho 
pet  out  on  the  1st  of  December,  and,  after  a  day's  journey  among  the 
hills,  reached  the  encamj>m(>nts  of  (he  shepherd-tribe  of  Ueni-Khale<l,  by 
Avhoin  he  was  received  with  true  Bedouin  liospitality.  He  had  no  sooner 
seated  iiimself  on  a  skin  before  the  door  of  one  of  their  huts,  than  some 
youpg  and  handsome  girls  arrived,  bringing  with  them  a  luige  bowl  of 
milk.  "  Out  of  compliment  to  them,"  Fays  he,  "  I  took  a  long  draught ; 
but  no,  this  was  insnlllcient.  Was  it  bad  ? — try  again,  and  again  I  In 
vnin  I  extolled  it  to  the  skies ;  I  was  not  permitted  to  desist  until  I 
had  swelled  almost  to  sufibcation,  and  sworn  by  the  'card  of  the 
I'rophet  that  1  coiild  and  would  take  no  more.  They  were  then  do- 
lighted,  and  y/a  bucumo  hucU  c^^cuUout  Muudt)  that,  with  tlio  assistance 


THE    TRIBE    OF    B  E  N  I  -  ABOU- ALL 


617 


of  a  few  presents  and  some  fair  speeches,  •we  parted  "with  expressions  of 
mutual  regret."* 

On  the  evening  of  the  3d,  Wollsted  reached  the  tents  of  the  tribe  of 
Beni-Abou-IIassan.  As  soon  as  the  intelligence  of  liis  arrival  Rj)read,  ho 
was  surrounded  with  numbers  of  the  Bedouins.  Their  curiosity  was  un- 
bounded, and  they  cxjiressod  their  astonishment  at  all  they  saw  in  the 
most  boisterous  manner,  leaping  and  yelling  as  if  they  were  half  crazy. 
The  shekh,  however,  endeavored  to  dissuade  liim  from  going  on  to  the 
tribe  of  Beni-Abou-Ali,  saying  that  they  hated  the  English,  Avho,  under 
Sir  Lionel  Smith,  had  defeated  them  with  great  slaughter  in  1821.  No 
Englishman  had  visited  their  country  before  or  since  this  foray  (which 
was  undertaken  on  account  of  piracies  alleged  to  have  been  committed 
by  the  tribe),  and  Lieutenant  "NVcllsted  himself  was  not  without  ai)i)re- 
hensions  of  his  reception  ;  but  he  determined  to  proceed. 

The  next  afternoon  he  reached  the  tents  of  Beni-Abou-Ali.  lie 
says :  "  Xo  sooner  had  I  proclaimed  myself  an  Englishman,  and  ex- 
pressed my  intention  of  passing  a  few  days  among  them,  than  the  whole 
camp  was  in  a  tumult  of  acclamation ;  the  few  old  guns  they  had  were 
fired  from  the  different  towers,  match-locks  were  kept  going  till  sunset, 
and  both  old  and  young,  male  and  female,  strove  to  do  their  best  to  en- 
tertain mo.  They  pitched  my  tent,  slaughtered  sheep,  and  brought 
milk  by  gallons.  A  reception  so  truly  Avarm  and  hospitable  not  a  little; 
Burprised  me.  Before  us  lay  tlio  ruins  of  tlic  fort  wc  had  dismantled  ; 
my  tent  was  pitched  on  the  very  spot  where  we  liad  nearly  annihilated 
their  tribe,  reducing  them  from  being  the  most  powerful  in  Oman  to 
their  present  petty  state.  All,  however,  in  the  confidence  I  had  hliown 
in  thus  throwing  myself  amid  them,  was  forgotten.  After  their  evening 
prayers,  the  young  shekh,  accompanied  by  about  forty  men,  came  1o  the 
tent,  and  expressed  his  intention  of  remaining  with  me  as  a  guard  during 
the  night." 

Alter  AVellsted  had  visited  the  wife  and  sister  of  the  old  shekh,  who 
was  absent  on  a  journey  to  Mecca,  the  whole  of  the  tribe,  consisting  of 
two  hundred  and  fifty  men,  assembled  for  the  purpose  of  oxhil)iting  their 
war-dance.  "They  formed  a  circle,  within  which  five  or  six  of  their 
number  entered.  After  walking  leisurely  around  for  some  time,  each 
challenged  one  of  the  spectators  by  striking  him  gently  with  the  llut  nf 

♦  At  this  place  Licutonaiit  AWllstrd  received  tlio  following  letter  from  tlio  Iui:ini, 
■which  is  curious  na  a  speciincu  of  Oriental  eorrcspoiidonce : 

"111  the  nanio  of  (Jod,  MoPt  Merciful,  from  Scyd  tlio  Sooltan,  to  liis  Excellency,  the 
esteemed,  respected,  beloved,  the  perfect  ('nplaiu  Wellhted,  from  the  K.istcrn  (ioverniiient, 
peaci-  1)0  with  you  from  the  Mo.st  llit^h  (iod;  and,  after  that  your  letter  reached  us,  which 
was  a  jiroof  of  your  love  in  renieniberiiig  u»,  wo  greatly  rejoiced  at  your  nrriving  at  Sur, 
and  your  departure  fir  Julian,  which  is  as  we  directed  it,  and  from  thence  to  Scmmed, 
and  which  was  ^;ralifyill^r  to  you,  nnd  therefliro  plcasitif;  to  us:  and,  furthermore,  any 
thiiiR  which  you  reiiuin-  from  uk,  whether  little  or  much,  it  ir.  only  for  you  to  request 
it,  and  it  is  on  our  part  to  grunt  it.     IVaco  ho  to  you,  and  firewell. 

Truo:  Seyd,  Booltan." 


i 


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Hi! 


flu 


618 


WELLSTED'S    THAVELS    IN   OMAN. 


his  sword.  Ilis  adversary  immediately  leaped  forth,  and  a  feigned  com- 
bat ensued.  Thoy  have  but  two  cuts,  one  directly  downward  at  the 
head,  and  the  other  horizontally  across  the  legs.  They  parry  neither 
with  the  sword  nor  shield,  but  avoid  the  blows  by  leaping  or  bounding 
backward.  The  blade  of  their  Bword  is  three  feet  hi  length,  straight, 
thin,  double-edged,  and  as  sharp  as  a  razor."  After  exercising  their 
skill  in  firing  at  a  mark,  during  which  some  capital  shots  were  made, 
thoy  all  disj)crsod.  ToAvard  evennig  a  large  party  of  Geneba  Bedouins 
arrivc'cl,  and  two  of  thoir  camels  Avoro  matched  to  run  against  the  same 
number  belonging  to  the  Beni-Abou-Ali.  The  animals  did  not  appear  to 
take  an  ccpial  relish  in  the  s])ort  Avith  thoir  masters,  for  they  could  not 
be  sot  going  Avithout  much  trouble,  and  Avere  afterward  A'ory  luitractable. 
Their  speed,  Avhon  at  full  gallop,  Avas  not  very  groat,  perhaps  a  third  less 
than  that  of  a  horse. 

Finding  that  the  skekh  of  tho  Gcnebas  AA'as  a  lively,  intelligent  fel- 
low, Wellsted  proposed  to  accompany  him  into  tho  desert  for  a  fcAV  days, 
and  rccoi\-ed  a  ready  consent.  They  set  off  the  next  morning  Avith  their 
camels,  and  "were  soon  careering  OA'cr  tho  sands.  "While  sweeping 
across  these  solitary  and  boundless  A\-astes,''  remarks  the  traveler,  "  al- 
though destitute  of  trees,  mountains  aiul  Avater,  or  any  of  the  features 
common  to  softer  regions,  there  is  something  hi  their  severely  sim])lo 
features,  their  nakedness  and  immensity,  Avhich  reminds  me  of  the  track- 
less ocean,  and  impresses  tho  soul  Avitli  a  feeling  of  sublimity.  The  as- 
pect of  my  companion  is  in  perfect  keeping  AA'itli  the  peculiar  attributes 
of  his  native  land.  His  sinoAvy  form,  and  clean  and  compact  limbs,  arc 
revealed  by  the  scantiness  of  his  garments  ;  his  dark  and  ruddy  coun- 
tenance is  lighted  up  by  tht>  khulling  of  his  resolute  eye  ;  his  denu\anor 
is  honest  and  frank,  and  his  Avhole  appearance  breathes  a  manly  contempt 
of  hardship.  •■  You  Avishod,'  said  the  shekli,  'to  see  the  country  of  tho 
Bedouins — t/iis,^  he  continued,  striking  his  spear  into  the  firm  sand, '  this 
is  the  coimtry  of  tho  Bedouins.'" 

The  BeniCJenoba,  or  "  Wandi-ring  Children,''  are  a  scattered  race  of 
about  throe  thousand  five  hundred  men,  the  greater  number  of  Avhom 
are  found  occupying  the  south-eastern  shore  of  Arabia.  They  present 
some  peculiarities  Avhich  render  them,  in  a  measure,  distinct  from  other 
IJedouins.  It  is  a  romarkidile  fact  that  a  race  in  many  resjiocts  similar 
is  foun<l  in  almost  every  part  of  the  coast  of  Arabia,  and  even  along  the 
north-Avestern  shore  of  India.  In  some  distrio's  they  arc  considered  as 
a  so])arato  and  degraded  race,  Avith  whom  the  Bedouins  Avill  neither  eat, 
intormjirry,  nor  associate.  The  whole  coast  abounds  Avith  fish,  and  as 
the  natives  have  but  fcAV  canoes,  they  generally  substitut(>  a  single  in- 
flated skin,  or  tAvo,  Avith  a  flat  board  across  thenu  The  Avhole  of  this 
tribe  are  in  bad  re])tite  Avith  I  heir  neighbors,  and  it  is  said  that  they 
make  no  scruj)le  of  plundering  boats  Avhich  may  be  unfortunate  enough 
to  fall  into  thoir  dutches.  It  Avas  the  Beni  (icneba  Avho  approached  tho 
American  sloop-of-war  Pcacoci\  whv.n  aground  near  Mazurah,  in  1835, 


THE    OASES   OF   OMAN. 


619 


with  the  intention,  it  was  supposed,  of  plundering  her  ;  this  intention, 
however,  they  stoutly  denied  to  Lieutenant  Wellstcd.  The  latter  was 
two  days  in  reaching  their  encampment,  where  he  remained  but  one 
night,  and  then  returned  to  Beni-Abou-Ali.  The  country  over  which  he 
passed  was  low  and  sandy,  with  here  and  there  a  few  stunted  bushes. 

On  the  10th,  he  resumed  his  journey,  directing  his  course  northward  to 
the  town  of  Semmed,  and  the  Akhdar  Mountains.  "  The  old  men,"  says 
he,  "  begged  I  would  come  again  and  pass  a  month  with  them,  in  which 
case  they  promised  to  build  a  house  like  those  in  India,  and  keep  mo  in 
great  state.  The  ladies  were  equally  pressing  in  their  entreaties,  and  the 
whole  tribe  accompanied  me  to  the  skirts  of  the  village  of  Beni-Abou- 
Hassan.  '  If  you  will  visit  us  next  year,'  said  young  Sooltan,  '  my  father 
will  have  returned  from  Mecca,  and  I  will  accompany  you  with  a  party 
of  our  ovm  and  the  Geneba  Bedouinc4,as  far  as  the  limits  of  the  Maharas.' 
This  I  promised,  if  circumstances  permitted,  and  after  shaking  hands 
with  all  present,  which  they  had  learned  Avas  our  custom,  we  parted  with 
mutual  expressions  of  regret.  I  can  not  forgjt  the  unaffected  kindness 
which  I  experienced  from  this  simple  people,  and  shall  ever  recall  the 
week  spent  with  them  and  their  neighbors  as  the  most  agreeable  in  my 
travels." 

Leaving  these  hospitable  people,  "Wellstcd  traveled  along  the  edge 
of  the  desert  until  he  entered  the  Wady  Botha,  a  long,  shallow  valley, 
leading  to  the  mountain  region  of  Oman.  After  a  mai'ch  of  forty-two 
miles  he  encamped  at  the  hamlet  of  Bediah,  in  a  little  oasis.  The  water 
is  conveyed  from  spriijgs  in  the  hills,  by  subterranean  channels,  made 
with  great  labor,  to  the  fertile  plains  below.  All  the  large  towns  and 
oases  have  four  or  five  of  these  artificial  rivulets,  which  afford  them  a 
never-fniliug  su]>j)ly  for  irrigation.  "The  isolated  spots  to  wiiich  water 
is  thus  conveyed  ])ossess  a  soil  so  fertile,  that  nearly  every  grain,  fruit, 
or  vegetable,  common  to  India,  Arabia,  or  Persia,  is  produced  almost 
spontaneously ;  and  the  talcs  of  the  oases  will  be  no  long(>r  regarded  as 
an  exaggeration,  since  a  single  step  conveys  the  traveler  from  the  glare 
and  sand  of  the  Desert  into  a  fi'rtile  tract,  watered  by  a  hundred  rills, 
teeming  with  the  most  luxuriaiit  vegetation,  and  einbowi'red  by  loiU- 
and  stately  trees,  Avhose  mnbrageous  foliage  the  fiercest  rays  of  a  noon- 
tide sun  can  not  penetrate.  The  almond,  fig,  and  walnut-trees  are  of 
enormous  size,  and  the  fruit  clusters  so  thickly  on  the  orange  and  lime- 
trees,  that  scarcely  a  tenth  part  can  be  gathered.  Above  all  towers  the 
date-palm,  adding  its  shade  to  the  somber  picture." 

For  two  days  further  the  route  followed  the  Wady  Jk'tha,  and  on 
the  13th,  he  reached  the  town  of  Ibrah,  Avhere  he  was  kindly  received, 
and  furnished  with  a  sheep  and  several  bowls  of  milk.  lie  gives  tho 
following  descrijition  of  the  place:  "This  instant  you  step  from  the 
desert  within  the  grove  a  most  sensible  change  of  atmosphere  is  ex- 
perienced. The  air  feels  cold  and  dam]) ;  the  ground  in  (svery  direc^tion 
is  saturated  with  moisture ;  and,  from  tho  density  of  tho  shade,  tho 


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620 


•WELLSTED'S    TRAVELS    IN    OMAN. 


whole  appears  dark  and  gloomy.  Tliero  are  still  some  handsome  houses 
at  Ibrah ;  but  the  stylo  of  buildhig  is  quite  peculiar  to  this  part  of 
Arabia.  To  avoid  the  damp,  and  catch  an  occasional  beam  of  the  sun 
across  the  trees,  they  are  usually  very  lofty.  A  parapet  encircling  the 
upper  })art  is  turreted ;  and  on  some  of  the  largest  houses  guns  are 
mounted.  The  windows  and  doors  have  the  Saracenic  arch,  and  every 
part  of  the  building  is  profusely  decorated  with  ornaments  of  stucco  in 
bas-relief,  in  very  good  taste.  The  doors  are  also  cased  with  brass,  and 
have  rings  and  other  massive  ornaments  of  the  same  metal.  Ibrah  is 
justly  renowned  for  the  beauty  and  fairness  of  its  females.  Those  we 
mot  in  the  streets  evinced  but  little  shyness,  and  on  my  return  to  the 
tent  I  found  it  filled  with  them.  They  were  in  high  glee  at  all  they 
saw:  every  box  I  had  was  turned  over  for  their  inspection,  and  when- 
ever I  attempted  to  remonstrate  against  their  proceedings,  they  stopped 
my  mouth  with  their  hands.  With  such  damsels  there  was  nothing  left 
but  to  laugh  and  look  on." 

Beyond  Ibrah,  the  road  was  infested  with  predatory  parties  of  the 
desert  Arabs,  Avho  sometimes  appeared  in  a  iew,  but  did  not  venture  to 
attack  the  caravan.  One  day  Lieutenant  Wellsted  was  chatting  with 
the  guide  Ilamed,  who  rode  beside  him,  concerning  camels,  and  the  lat- 
ter related  many  singular  cases  of  the  attachment  which  the  Bedouins 
b(^ar  to  those  animals.  "  In  order  to  draw  further  information  from 
him,"  says  the  traveler,  "  I  professed  my  incredulity  on  certain  points 
which  he  had  mentioned.  A  party  at  this  moment  happened  to  be  ap- 
proaching from  an  opposite  direction,  and  Ilamed,  somewhat  nettled, 
proposed  to  test  the  truth  of  his  statements  by  what  I  should  witness. 
The  parties  ajiproached :  '  May  God  Almighty  break  the  leg  of  your 
cami'l!'  bawled  out  Ilatned  to  the  foremost  of  the  party,  Avho  was  riding 
somewhat  in  advance  of  the  others.  Without  a  momenf'j  hesitation  the 
stranger  threw  himself  from  his  beast,  and  advanced  sword  in  hand  on 
Ilamed,  who  would  probably  have  had  but  little  reason  to  congratulate 
himself  on  his  experiment,  if  several  of  our  j)arty  had  not  thrown  them- 
selves before  him,  and  explained  tlie  story.  But  the  Arab  still  appeared 
deeply  offended,  and  replied  to  all  that  was  brought  forward  in  explana- 
tion by  asking,  '  Why  ho  abused  his  camel,  and  in  what  manner  it  had 
harmed  liini?'  The  matter  was  adjusted  by  a  lew  presents,  and  I 
j>assed  on,  determined  in  my  own  mind  not  to  trust  again  to  an  Arab's 
delicacy  in  settling  a  question  of  this  nature." 

On  the  10th  lie  reached  the  oasis  of  Semmed.  The  shekh,  who  lived 
in  a  large  and  strongly-built  fort,  invited  liini  to  breakfast.  The  meal 
Avas  sumptuous  and  plentiful ;  but  so  strictly  do  the  Arabs  regard  the 
laws  of  hosjiitality,  that  it  required  much  entreaty  to  induce  the  shekh, 
who  was  a  man  of  high  birth,  to  take  his  seat  at  the  table  with  his  guest. 
lie  insisted  upon  waiting  on  him  in  the  capacity  of  an  attendant,  in  order 
that  he  might  not  be  neglected.  On  returning  to  his  tent,  Wellsted 
lound  a  great  crowd  collected  there,  who  were  kept  in  order  liy  a  little 


"ARABY    TUE    BLEST." 


621 


urchin  about  twelve  years  of  age,  whoso  father,  a  man  of  great  influence 
in  that  region,  had  been  killed  by  the  Bedouins  a  i'ow  years  before. 
The  boy  had  taken  complete  possession  of  the  tent,  and  allowed  none 
of  his  countrymen  to  enter  but  with  his  ])ermission.  lie  carried  a 
sword  longer  than  himself,  and  also  a  stick,  with  wh>'  a  he  occasionally 
laid  about  him.  lie  aj)j)eared  to  be  perfectly  well  acquainted  with  the 
number,  resources,  and  distribution  of  the  native  tribes,  and  his  conver- 
sation on  these  and  other  subjects  was  free  and  unembarrassed,  and 
highly  entertahiing  to  the  traveler. 

At  Semmed,  Wellsted  was  joined  by  Lieutenant  Whitelock,  who  had 
come  from  3Iuscat  across  the  mountains,  to  meet  him,  and  the  two  set 
out  for  Neswah,  accompanied  by  a  guard  of  seventy  men,  as  the  road 
was  infested  witl  ' '  ""I:'.  On  the  '21st,  after  two  days'  journey  through 
a  rugged  country,  ,.iey  reached  the  town  of  Minna,  which  the  traveler 
thus  describes:  "Minna  diiFers  from  the  other  towns  in  ha\ing  its  culti- 
vation in  the  open  fields.  As  we  crossed  these,  with  lofty  almond,  cit- 
ron, and  orange-trees,  yielding  a  delicious  fragrance  on  cither  hand,  ex- 
clamations of  astonishment  and  admiration  burst  from  us.  '  Is  this 
Arabia  ?'  we  said ;  '  this  the  country  Ave  have  looked  upon  heretofore  as 
a  desert  ?'  Verdant  fields  of  grain  and  sugar-cane  stretching  along  for 
miles  are  before  us  ;  streams  of  water,  flowing  in  all  directions,  intersect 
our  path  ;  and  the  happy  and  contented  appearance  of  the  peasants 
agreeably  helps  to  iill  up  the  smiling  picture.  The  atmosphere  was  de- 
liciously  clear  and  pure,  and  as  we  trotted  joyously  along,  giving  or  re- 
turning the  salutation  of  peace  or  welcome,  I  could  almost  fancy  we  had 
at  least  reached  that  Araby  the  Blest,  which  I  have  been  accustomed  to 
regard  as  existing  only  in  the  fictions  of  our  poets."' 

The  next  day  the  travelers  reached  Neswah,  a  place  of  considerable 
size,  at  the  foot  of  the  range  of  Djebel  Akhdar,  They  proceeded  at 
once  to  the  residence  of  the  shekh,  whom  they  found  seated  before  the 
castle-gate,  with  an  armed  guard  of  about  fifty  men,  standing  on  either 
side.  The  fort,  which  the  natives  consider  impregnable,  is  of  circular 
form,  one  hundred  yards  in  diameter,  and  ninety  feet  in  height,  with  a 
superstructure  of  equal  strength,  rising  to  the  height  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty  feet.  The  shekh  gave  the  travelers  a  house,  and  during  their 
stay  they  were  not  molested  in  any  way  by  the  inhabitants.  They  made 
Neswah  their  liead-quarters,  and  Avhile  preparing  lor  the  journey  to 
Derreyeh,  made  several  excursions  into  the  surrounding  country. 

The  first  of  these  was  to  the  celebrated  Djebel  Akhdar  or  Green 
[Mountains.  After  a  ride  of  three  hours  th-'y  reached  the  town  of 
Tanuf,  where  the  shekh  resides,  whoso  authority  is  paramount  on  the 
mountains.  Hero  they  were  lodged  in  the  mosque,  which,  strange  as  it 
may  appear,  is  generally  used  in  Oman  as  a  caravanserai.  The  shekh  en- 
deavored to  dissuade  them  from  going  further,  representing  the  natives  as 
little  better  than  savages,  and  drawing  frightful  jjii-tures  of  the  dangers 
of  the  paths,  but  they  persisted  in  setting  out  ne.\t  morning.     When, 


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622 


WELLSTED'S    TRAVELS    IN    OMAN. 


however,  the  path  led  up  the  steep  side  of  the  rocky  height,  with  a 
precipice  yawning  below,  they  began  to  suspect  that  the  dangers  were 
not  much  exaggerated.  Along  the  face  of  one  of  these  their  route  con- 
tinued for  some  distance  ;  "  the  path  was  a  stair-like  projection,  jutting 
out  from  the  face  of  the  cliff,  and  overhung  by  threatening  masses  of 
rock,  while  below  it  sank  perpendicularly  to  the  depth  of  seven  or  eight 
hundred  feet." 

After  several  hours  of  such  travel,  they  reached  a  village  called  Seyk, 
the  inhabitants  of  which  hospitably  pressed  them  to  stay  for  the  night, 
but  they  were  anxious  to  push  on  to  a  place  called  Shirazi.  "  Our  re- 
ception there,  however,"  remarks  Wellsted,  "  led  me  to  regret  that  I 
did  not  take  advantage  of  the  kind  offer  of  these  villagers ;  for  a  Avilder, 
more  romantic,  or  more  singular  spot  than  was  now  before  us,  can 
scarcely  be  imagined.  By  means  of  stops  we  descended  the  steep  side 
of  a  narrow  glen,  about  four  hundred  feet  in  depth,  passing  in  our  prog- 
ress several  houses  perched  on  crags  or  other  acclivities,  their  walls 
built  up  in  some  places  so  as  to  appear  but  a  continuation  of  the  preci- 
pice. These  small,  snug,  compact-looking  dwellings  have  been  erected 
by  the  natives,  one  above  the  other,  so  that  their  appearance  from  the 
bottom  of  the  glen,  hanging  as  it  were  in  mid-air,  affords  to  the  spectator 
a  most  novel  and  interesting  picture.  Here  we  found,  amid  a  great 
variety  of  fruits  and  trees,  pomegranates,  citrons,  almonds,  nutmegs, 
and  walnuts,  with  coffee-bushes  and  vines." 

At  Shirazi  they  were  denied  entrance  into  the  houses,  and  conducted 
to  a  sheep-pen,  from  which  they  were  soon  ejected  by  tiie  owner  of  the 
sheep.  They  then  encamped  under  a  rock  to  shelter  them  from  the 
wind,  kindled  a  lire,  and  passed  the  night  in  tolerable  comfort.  The 
next  morning  the  people  were  a  little  more  courteous,  and  brought 
them  some  dates,  milk,  and  dried  fruits.  They  found  Shirazi  to  be  a 
place  of  about  two  hundred  houses.  The  next  three  days  were  spent  in 
traversing  the  country  in  various  directions,  in  order  to  determine  the 
position  and  extent  of  Djebel  Akhdar.  The  range  is  about  thirty  miles 
in  length,  and  some  of  its  peaks  are  seven  thor  iand  feet  above  the  sea. 
The  valleys  are  extensively  cultivated,  and  sup?  ./  an  abundance  of  fruit. 
The  most  important  production  is  the  vine,  which  is  raised  on  terraces 
along  the  mountain-side,  watered  by  artificial  rills.  In  some  of  the  val- 
leys, where  brambles  and  dense  thickets  are  very  numerous,  wild-boars, 
foxes,  and  hyenas,  are  said  to  abound.  The  Beni  Kiyam,  who  inhabit 
this  region,  are  a  small  tribe,  and  quite  distinct  from  the  Bedouins  of 
the  plain,  who  call  them  kaffirs,  or  infidels.  They  drink  wine  to  excess, 
and  are  considered  to  be  niggard  and  sullen  in  the  exercise  of  their  hos- 
pitality. Tiieir  manners  arc  far  more  rude  and  unfriendly  than  those  of 
the  wild  tribes  of  the  desert  below. 

"During  my  progress  in  this  country,"  says  Wellsted,  "  with  a  view 
to  initiate  myself  into  their  manners  and  domestic  life,  I  mixed  much 
with  the  Bedouins,  frequently  livmg  and  sleeping  m  their  huts  and 


ILLNESS    AND    DISAPPOINTMENT. 


623 


tents.  On  all  occasions  I  was  received  with  kindness,  and  often  with  a 
degree  of  hospitality  above,  rather  than  below,  the  means  of  those  who 
were  called  upon  to  exercise  it.  The  medical  character  which  I  assumed 
proved  then  of  much  service  to  me,  although  I  was  often  teased  for  as- 
sistance where  it  was  not  required,  or  where  it  was  wholly  unavailing. 
The  character  of  the  IJedouin  presents  some  singular  contradictions. 
With  a  soul  capable  of  the  greatest  exertions,  he  is  naturally  indolent. 
He  will  remain  within  his  encampment  for  weeks,  eating,  drinking 
coffee,  and  smoking  his  narghileh  ;  and  then  mount  his  camel,  and  away 
off  to  the  Desert,  on  a  journey  of  two  or  three  hundred  miles.  What- 
ever there  may  be  his  fatigues  or  privations,  not  a  murmur  escapes  '  'S 
lips.  In  excuse  for  their  slothful  habits  at  other  periods,  it  may,  how- 
ever, be  observed  that  the  Koran  jirohibits  all  games  of  chance,  and 
that  their  own  rude  and  simple  manners  completely  relieve  them  from 
the  artificial  pleasures  and  cares  of  more  civilized  life." 

From  what  he  was  able  to  learn  from  the  Arabs,  Lieutenant  Wellstcd 
saw  no  reason  to  doubt  the  possibilty  of  penetrating  to  Derreyeh,  the 
capital  of  the  Wahabecs,  and  he  therefore  dispatched  Lieutenant  White- 
lock,  who  had  agreed  to  accompany  him,  to  Muscat,  to  procure  the 
necessary  funds.  The  British  Agent,  however,  refused  to  advance  any 
money,  owing  to  some  informality  in  Wellstcd's  papers,  and  the  trav- 
elers were  in  a  state  of  great  perplexity  until  the  Imam  of  Muscat,  hear- 
ing of  their  dilemma,  immediately  offered  to  furnish  them  with  what 
funds  they  needed.  The  dilay,  however,  was  flital  to  the  present  prose- 
cution of  their  plans;.  During  his  stay  at  Xeswah,  Wellsted  and  all  his 
servants  were  attacked  Avith  fever  and  delirium,  and  their  only  chance  of 
recovery  was  to  return  at  once  to  the  sea-eoast.  lie  accordingly  left 
Keswah  on  the  2'Jd  of  January,  18:30,  for  the  port  of  Sib. 

On  the  '28lh,  the  party  halted  at  Senunayel,  the  half-way  station  be- 
tween the  two  plar-es,  and  took  up  their  quarters  in  a  small,  but  neat 
Cadjan  hut.  "  A  beautiful  stream  of  water  glided  along  before  the  door. 
Weary  and  faint  from  the  fatigue  of  our  day's  journey,  in  order  to  en- 
joy the  frehhness  of  the  evening  breeze,  I  had  spread  my  carpet  beneath 
a  tree.  An  Arab  passing  by,  paused  to  gaze  upon  mo,  and  touched  by 
my  condition  and  the  melancholy  which  was  depicted  in  my  countenance, 
he  proffered  the  salutation  of  peace,  pointed  to  the  crystal  stream  which, 
Bparkling,  held  its  course  at  my  feet,  and  said  :  '  Look,  friend  ;  for  run- 
ning water  maketh  the  heart  glad.'  With  his  hands  folded  over  his 
breast,  that  mute  but  most  graceful  of  Eastern  salutations,  he  bowed 
and  passed  on.  I  was  in  a  situation  to  estimate  sympathy  ;  and  so  much 
of  that  feeling  was  exhibited  in  the  manner  of  this  son  of  the  desert, 
that  I  have  never  since  recurred  to  the  incident,  trifling  as  it  is,  without 
emotion." 

On  the  :}Otl  they  reached  Sib,  on  the  coast,  the  climate  of  Avhich 
had  not  bo  exaggerated,  and  the  whole  of  the  party  rapidly  recovered. 
By  the  20th  of  February  Wellsted  judged  that  they  were  able  to  re- 


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624 


"WELLSTED'S    TRAVELS    IN    OMAN. 


sumc  their  march,  and  accordingly  wrote  to  the  Imam,  requesting  a 
guide  to  Bireimah,  tlio  frontier  station  of  the  Wahabecs.  Ahhoughthe 
season  was  far  advanced,  he  hoped  to  be  al)le  to  join  some  caravan  for 
Derreyeh.  lie  was  greatly  disappointed,  however,  on  learning  that  the 
Wahabecs  had  made  a  sudden  irruption  into  the  northern  parts  of 
Oman,  and  that  the  inhabitants  of  Abree,  on  the  road  to  Bireimah,  were 
engaged  in  hostilities.  Xevertheless  he  determined  to  make  tlie  at- 
tempt, and  accordingly  left  Sib  on  the  24th.  The  party  followed  the 
coast  as  far  as  the  port  of  Suweik,  whore  they  arrived  on  the  1st  of 
jVIarch.  Here  they  were  hospitably  received  by  the  shekh,  Seyd  Ili- 
lal,  who  was  a  cousin  of  the  Imam,  and  who  lived  in  more  state  than 
a.  y  other  chief  in  Oman.  Wt'llsted  says  :  "  A  huge  meal,  consisting  of 
a  great  variety  of  dishes,  sufficient  for  thirty  or  forty  people,  was  pre- 
pared in  his  kitchen,  and  brought  to  us  on  large  copper  dishes  twice  a 
day  during  the  time  we  remained.  The  shekh,  after  his  evening  meal, 
usually  passed  several  hours  with  us.  On  one  occasion  he  was  accom- 
panied by  a  professed  story-teller,  who  appeared  to  be  a  great  favorite 
with  him.  '  Whenever  I  feel  melancholy  or  out  of  order,'  said  the  shekh, 
'  I  send  for  this  indi\  idual,  Avho  very  soon  restores  me  to  my  wonted 
spirit.'  From  the  falsetto  tone  in  Avhich  the  story  was  chaiitcd,  I  could 
not  follow  the  thread  of  the  tale,  and  upon  my  mentioning  this  to  him, 
the  shekh  very  kindly  sent  me  the  manuscript,  of  which  the  reciter  had 
availed  himself.  With  little  variation,  I  found  it  to  bo  the  identical 
Sinbad  the  Sailor,  so  familiar  to  the  readers  of  the  Arabian  Nights.  I 
httle  thought,  when  first  I  perused  these  fascinating  tales  in  my  own 
language,  that  it  would  ever  be  my  lot  to  listen  to  the  original,  in  a 
spot  so  congenial  and  remote." 

On  the  4th  they  left  Suweik,  and  turned  inland  toward  Bireimah. 
They  were  accomp.anied  for  some  dist.ance  by  Shekh  Hilal  and  his  war- 
riors, who  galloped  at  full  speed  over  the  plains  on  their  steeds  of  the 
purest  Arabian  blood.  The  whole  country  was  in  a  state  of  great  alarm, 
owing  to  an  anticipated  visit  from  the  Wahabees,  and  the  very  first  night 
their  guard  decamped,  taking  Avith  them  all  the  camels.  The  travelers 
procured  others  the  next  day,  however,  with  a  ragged  guard  of  six  men, 
and,  after  riding  several  hours,  encamped  at  the  entrance  of  a  pass  in 
a  branch  of  the  Djebel  Akhdar.  Their  course  the  next  day  lay  through 
this  pass  ;  the  mountains  rose  on  either  hand  in  steep  precipices  of  bare 
rock,  to  the  height  of  from  three  to  four  thousand  feet,  terminating  in 
abrupt  and  pointed  forms.  On  the  Tth  they  reached  the  town  of  Mus- 
kin,  in  the  territory  of  the  Beni  Kalban.  Their  progress  through  this 
part  of  the  country  was  rendered  slow  and  tedious,  in  consequence  of 
its  being  divided  into  sejjarate  districts,  all  in  a  manner  independent  of 
each  oilier,  and  acknowledging  but  slightly  the  jiower  of  any  general 
authority.  On  the  10th  they  left  Muskin  and  proceeded  to  Makiniyat, 
the  shekh  of  which  place  strongly  urged  them  to  return.  I'ersons  were 
plundered  every  day  on  the  road  beyoncl,  and  the  authority  of  the  Imam 


il.'l 


\ ' 


HOSTILITY    OF    THE    WAIIABEES. 


625 


vas  but  slightly  rogavdod.  Xcvortheloss,  the  travcli'is  dctonninod  to 
push  forward,  and  after  two  days' journey  over  a  suoees.siun  tif  barren, 
sandy  plahis,  reached  the  town  of  Obri. 

This  is  one  of  the  largest  and  most  populous  towns  in  Oman.  Tho 
inhabitants  are  mostly  husbandmen,  and  agriculture  is  carried  on  to  a 
much  greater  extent  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  CDuntry.  Toward 
evening  tho  travelers  were  visited  by  tlie  shekh,  who  Avas  a  sinister- 
looking  person,  and  did  not  receive  them  in  the  friendly  manner  to 
■which  they  liad  been  accustomed.  "  Upon  my  producing  the  Imanrs 
letters,"  says  Wellsted,  "  he  read  them,  and,  without  returning  any 
answer,  took  his  leave.  About  an  hour  afterward  he  sent  a  verbal  mes- 
sage to  request  that  I  should  lose  no  time  in  (juitting  his  town,  as  he 
begged  to  inform  me,  what  ho  supposed  I  could  not  have  been  aware 
of,  that  it  was  then  filled  with  nearly  two  thousand  Wahabees.  This 
was,  indeed,  news  to  us ;  it  was  somewhat  earlier  than  we  anticipated 
falling  in  with  them — but  we  put  a  good  face  on  the  matter,  and  behaved 
as  coolly  as  we  could." 

The  next  day  the  shekh  came  again,  lie  jtositively  refused  to  con- 
duct them  to  Bireimah,  and  all  their  arguments  failed  to  produce  the 
slightest  effect.  They  then  requested  a  letter  to  the  Imam,  containing 
his  refusal  in  writing,  which  lie  promised  to  give.  His  object  was  evi- 
dently to  force  the  travelers  away  from  the  place,  and  the  appearance  ot* 
things  was  such  that  they  had  no  wish  to  remain.  The  Wahabees  had 
been  crowding  around  them  in  great  immbers,  ami  seemed  only  waiting 
for  some  jiretext  to  commence  an  affray.  "  When  tlie  shekh  came  and 
presented  me  with  the  letter  for  the  Imam,"  says  Wellsted,  "  I  knew  it 
■would  be  vain  to  make  any  farther  effort  to  shake  his  resolution,  and 
therefore  did  not  attempt  it.  In  the  mean  time  news  had  spread  far  and 
wide  that  two  Englishmen,  with  a  box  of  '  dollars,'  Init  in  reality  con- 
taining only  the  few  clothes  that  we  carried  with  us,  had  halted  in  the 
town.  The  Wahabees  and  other  tribes  had  met  in  deliberation,  Avhile 
the  low(.'r  classes  of  the  toAsnsfolk  were  creating  noise  and  confusion. 
The  shekh  either  had  not  the  shadow  of  any  iniluence,  or  was  afraid  to 
exei'cise  it,  and  his  followers  evidently  wished  to  share  in  the  jilundcr. 
It  was  time  to  act.  I  called  Ali  on  one  side,  told  him  to  make  neither 
noise  nor  confusion,  l)Ut  to  collect  the  camels  without  delay.  In  the 
mean  time  we  had  packed  up  the  tent,  the  crowd  increasing  every  min- 
ute ;  the  camels  were  ready,  and  we  mounted  on  them.  A  leadtM-,  or 
some  trifling  incident,  was  now  only  wanting  to  furnish  them  with  a 
pretext  for  an  onset.  They  followed  us  with  hisses  and  various  other 
noises,  until  we  got  sufficiently  clear  to  push  briskly  ft)rward ;  and, 
beyond  a  few  stones  being  thrown,  we  reached  the  outskirts  of  tho 
town  without  further  molestation.  I  had  often  before  heard  of  the  in- 
hospitable character  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  jilace.  The  neighboring 
Arabs  observe  lliat  to  enter  Obri  a  man  must  either  go  armed  to  the 
teeth,  or  as  a  beggar  with  a  cloth,  and  that  not  of  decent  quality,  around 

40 


I 


:nii 


1 1 


hi 


f 


!       > 


|i      '    I 


mi: 


i  I 


I    i 
( 


m'' 


1 

.  i 

'  'I 

i     i 

S; 

i,  ! 

i    : 

ilii 

■    1 
1 

Li 

'  i 
1.. 

i... 


i 


626 


WELLSTED'S    TRAVELS    IN    OMAN. 


his  waist.  Thus  for  a  second  time  end  our  liopos  of  reaching  Dcrreyeh 
from  this  quarter.  I  did  not  yet  despair,  liowtvor,  but  determined  to 
push  on  for  iSib,  embark  there,  and  endeavor,  from  the  port  of  Scliinas, 
to  cross  over  to  Bireimah. 

"  On  my  return  from  Obri  to  Suweik,"  Wellsted  continues,  "  con- 
trary to  the  wish  of  the  Bedouins,  wl»o  had  received  hitelHgence  that 
the  Wahabces  were  lurking  around,  I  ]cil  the  village  where  we  had 
halted  alone,  with  my  gun,  in  search  of  game.  Scarcely  had  I  ridden 
three;  miles  from  the  walls,  when,  suddenly  turning  an  angle  of  the  rocks, 
I  found  myself  within  a  few  yards  of  a  group  of  about  a  dozen  horse- 
men, who  lay  on  the  ground,  basking  listlessly  in  the  sun.  To  turn  my 
horse's  head  and  away,  was  the  work  scarcely  of  an  instant ;  but  hardly 
liad  I  done  so  ere  the  whole  party  were  also  in  their  saddles,  in  full  cry 
after  me.  Several  balls  whizzed  past  my  head,  which  Seyd  acknowl- 
edged by  bounding  forward  like  an  antelope.  He  was  accustomed  to 
these  matters ;  and  their  desire  to  possess  him  unharmed,  alone  pre- 
vented my  pursuers  from  bringing  him  down.  As  we  approached  the 
town,  I  looked  behind  me.  A  shokh,  better  mounted  than  his  fol- 
lowers, was  in  advance,  his  dress  and  long  hair  streaming  behind  him, 
while  he  poised  his  long  spear  on  high,  apparently  in  doubt  whether  ho 
was  sufiicicntly  within  range  to  pierce  me.  My  good  stars  decided  that 
he  was  not,  for  leining  up  his  horse,  he  rejoined  his  party,  while  I 
gained  the  walls  iii  safety. 

"  The  day  before  Seyd  came  into  my  hands  he  had  been  presented 
to  the  Imam  by  a  Xedjid  shekh.  Reared  in  domesticity,  and  accus- 
tomed to  share  the  tent  of  some  family  in  that  country,  he  possessed  in 
an  extraordinary  degree  all  the  gentleness  and  docility  as  well  as  the 
fleet ness,  Avhieh  distinguish  the  pure  breed  of  Arabia.  To  avoid  the 
intense  heat,  and  spare  their  camels,  tho  Bedouins  frequently  halted 
during  my  journey  for  an  hour  about  raid-day.  On  these  occasions  Seyd 
would  remain  perfectly  still,  while  I  reposed  on  the  sand,  screened  by 
the  shadow  of  his  body.  ]\Iy  noon  repast  of  dates  he  always  looked  for 
and  shared.  Whenever  we  halted,  after  unsaddling  him,  and  taking 
oft"  his  bridle  with  my  own  hands,  he  was  permitted  to  roam  about  the 
encampment  without  control.  At  sunset  he  came  for  his  corn  at  the 
sound  of  my  voice,  and  during  the  night,  without  being  fastened,  he 
genci'ally  took  up  his  quarters  at  a  few  yards  from  his  master.  During 
my  coasting  voyages  along  the  shores  of  Oman,  he  always  accompanied 
me,  and  even  in  a  crazy  open  boat  across  the  ocean  from  Muscat  to 
India.  ^Vly  health  having  compelled  me  to  return  to  England  overland, 
I  could  not,  in  consequence,  bring  Seyd  with  me.  In  parting  with  this 
attached  and  faithful  creature,  so  long  the  companion  of  my  perils  and 
wanderings,  I  am  not  ashamed  to  acknowledge  that  I  felt  an  emotion 
similar  to  what  is  experienced  in  being  separated  from  a  tried  and  faith- 
ful friend." 

On  the  19th  of  March  the  travelers  reached  Suweik,  where  the  shekh 


END    OF   HIS    TRAVELS. 


627 


received  them  with  all  his  former  kindness.  lie  was  much  amused, 
but  by  no  means  surprised  at  their  ill  success,  and  seemed  to  wonder 
that  they  had  gotten  off  so  well.  He  did  not  encourage  them  to  per- 
severe, but  as  they  insisted  on  proceeding  to  Schinas,  he  furnished  them 
with  a  boat.  After  a  voyage  of  four  days  they  reached  the  latter  port, 
which  is  a  small,  insignificant  place.  The  shekh  was  absent,  and  from 
the  persons  left  in  charge  of  the  town,  they  could  obtain  neither  answers 
to  their  questions,  nor  common  civility.  Wellsted  succeeded,  neverthe- 
less, in  procuring  a  messenger  to  carry  a  letter  to  the  Wahaboe  chief, 
at  Bireiraah ;  but,  after  waiting  four  days,  received  intelligence  that  the 
Wahabees  were  advancing  southward.  All  hope  of  reaching  Derreyeh 
being  thus  cut  off,  he  returned  to  Muscat,  which  was  the  end  of  his 
travels  in  Oman. 


.  '.'» 


\:   :  ! 


II: 


t       I 


!■) 


11^1 


11. 

if*: 


t      I        I 


,fi: 


*  i 


II 


H 


1    ■         ■        '■ 

;5  '■'  '■ 

n:   :• 

1 

'  rt:!  i 


m\ 


i^i 


ill! 


li 


I   :t 


■  I 


EXPLORATIONS  OF  THE  WHITE  NILE. 


WERNE'S    VOYAGE. 


After  the  conquest  of  Shoiidy  and  Sennaar — (an  account  of  which 
will  bo  foun(^.  in  "  Cailliaud's  Journey  to  Ethiopia") — !I\Iohammed  Ali 
turned  his  attention  to  tlie  exploration  of  the  White  Nile,  in  the  hope 
of  thereby  reaehinf;  the  gold  region  of  Central  Africa.  He  had  been 
disappointed  in  the  seanty  results  obtained  in  the  mountains  of  Fazogl 
by  the  expedition  under  Ismail  Pasha,  and  by  a  later  one,  which  was  ac- 
companied by  the  (leriuan  mineralogist  and  traveler,  Uussegger,  and 
believed  he  should  find  in  the  White  Nile  a  more  convenient  means  of 
access  to  the  rich  auriferous  districts  inhabited  by  the  negro  tribes.  In 
the  expeditions  which  had  been  undertaken  for  the  subjugation  of  tiie 
countries  of  Soudan,  the  river  had  been  ascended  to  the  land  of  the 
Dinkas,  in  latitude  10  north,  and  ho  now  determined  to  send  an  armed 
fleet  as  far  as  it  should  be  found  navigable. 

Tliis  expedition  sailed  from  Khartoinn,  at  the  junction  of  the  liluc 
and  White  Niles,  in  November,  lH:t!),  and,  by  the  ii/tb  of  January,  1840, 
adv.inceil  as  far  as  the  country  of  the  Klliabs,  in  latitude  0  'A')'  north, 
which  was  the  extreme  point  reached,  without  finding  any  tok-.ns  of  the 
golden  region.  Mohamnu'd  Ali,  ilissatisfied  with  these  results,  appointed 
a  second  voyage  of  discovery,  the  very  sanu'  year.  Suliman  Kashif,  a 
bold  Circassian,  who  had  eonituaniled  the  first  expedition,  was  also  se- 
lected to  taki'  charge  of  the  si'i'ond.  Tlie  preparations  were  all  completed 
by  the  beghuiing  of  November,  which  is  the  most  favorable  season  for 
the  voyage,  as  the  wind  is  fresh  from  the  nortli  and  north-east,  and  the 
river  swollen  by  the  summer  rains.  They  were  obliged  to  wait,  however, 
for  tin-  arrival  of  Mt'ssrs.  D'Arnaud  .and  Sabatier,  two  French  engineers, 
wlio  had  been  detained  at  Korosko,  in  Nubia,  waiting  for  camels,  ar.d 
the  departure  <lid  imt  finally  take  phici   until  the  'Jltd. 

Dr.  Ferdinand  Werne.  a  <  Jernian  |  liysician,  who,  with  his  brother,  had 
temporarily  entered  the  Ku'Vplian  ser  iee,  traveled  from  Cairo  to  Khar- 
toum, for  the  purpose  of  taking  part  in  the  first  expedition  up  the  river, 
but  did  not  succeed  in  his  object.  He  spent  the  sununer  of  1810  in  the 
country  of  Takka,  on  the  Atbara  Kiver,  during  which  time  lie  gained 


i  ! 


'  H 


?!! 


H 
'I 


I 


II 


I 


m  ' 


i  '. 


I    ■; 


II 


i 


I    I 


n 


ih 


';! 


' 


630 


EXPLORATIONS    OF    THE    WHITE    NILE. 


the  good-will  of  Achmet  Pasha,  the  Governor  of  Soudan,  and  waa  per- 
mitted to  accompany  the  second  expedition.  lie  kept  a  very  complete 
journal  of  the  voyage,  and  although  he  devotes  too  much  space  to  ill- 
natured  comments  on  D'Arnaud  and  Sabatier,  and  the  Egyptian  officers, 
he  gives  a  great  many  interesting  particulars  concerning  the  scenery  and 
inhabitants  of  this  hitherto  unexplored  river.  In  spite  of  its  faults,  his 
work,  which  was  published  in  Berlin  in  1848,  with  an  introduction  by 
the  celebrated  geographer,  Karl  Ritter,  is  the  most  animated  and  pic- 
turesque which  has  yet  appeared  on  the  subject. 

Leaving  Khartoum  on  the  atlernoon  of  the  23d  of  November,  1840, 
the  vessels  of  the  expedition  rounded  the  point  of  junction,  and  sailed 
into  the  White  Nile,  before  a  light  northern  wind.  "  The  decks  of  the 
vessel,"  says  Werne,  "  with  their  crowd  of  manifold  figures,  faces,  and 
colored  skins,  from  the  Arabian  Kals  who  plies  the  oar,  to  the  ram 
which  he  thinks  of  eating  as  the  Paschal  Lamb  ;  the  towering  lattecn 
Bails,  with  the  yard-arms,  on  which  the  long  streamers,  adorned  with  the 
crescent  and  star,  wave  before  the  swollen  sails ;  the  large  crimson  flags 
at  the  stern  of  the  vessel,  as  they  flutter  lightly  and  merrily  over  the 
over-extending  waters  ;  the  singing,  mutual  hails  and  finding  again,  the 
ships  cruising  to  and  from  the  limit  fixed  for  to-day  ;  every  thing  was, 
at  least  for  the  moment,  a  ])ioture  of  cheerful,  spiritual  life.  With  a  bold 
consciousness,  strengthened  by  the  thought  of  many  a  danger  happily 
overcome,  1  looked  beyond  the  inevitable  occurrences  of  a  threatening 
future  to  a  tiiumphant  re-union  with  my  brother." 

On  the  'J9th  they  passed  the  village  of  El  Ais,  on  the  road  from  Sen- 
natir  to  Kordofan.  This  was  the  limit  of  Egyptian  rule,  and  the  sotithern 
boundary  of  the  dominions  of  the  Arabian  races  of  Ethiopia:  beyond  it 
lay  the  territories  of  the  native  negro  tribes.  Cartridges  were  served 
out  and  muskets  loaded,  for  the  vessels  were  now  in  a  hostile  country ; 
but  the  carelessness  with  which  this  was  done  did  not  augur  well  for 
the  discipline  of  the  Egyptian  fbrcu'S.  The  jjowder-room  stood  open,  and 
the  men,  with  lighted  pipes,  passed  continually  to  and  fro  unrestrained, 
o^  cr  the  open  hatchway.  The  vegetation  on  the  river  banks  became 
more  dense  and  luxuriant  as  they  advanced ;  the  stream  expanded  in 
breadth,  and  was  studded  M'ith  bowery  islands.  "  Among  the  trees 
standing  in  the  water  were  large,  white  aquatic  flowcis  visible  even  at 
a  distance,  whit-h  glistened  forth  magnificently  from  a  floating  world  of 
flowers,  in  the  moist  splendor  of  the  morning.  It  was  the  double  white 
lotus." 

A  later  tr.aveler  gives  the  following  description  of  the  scenery  of  this 
part  of  the  river:  "The  forests  were  taller  anil  more  dense  than  in 
Egyptian  Soudan,  and  the  river  more  tlii(;kly  studded  with  islands,  the 
soil  <»f  which  was  entirely  concealed  by  tht-  luxuriant  girdle  o '  shrubs 
and  w:iter -plants  in  which  they  lay  imbedded.  The  nmfxik,  a  species  of 
ncjuatie  shrub,  with  leaves  resembling  the  sensitive-plant  and  winged, 
bean-like  blossoms  of  a  rich  yellow  hue,  grow  ou  the  edge  of  the  shore, 


L 


SCENERY    OF    THE    RIVER. 


631 


with  its  roots  in  the  water  and  its  long  arms  floating  on  tho  surface.  It 
formed  impenetrable  ramparts  around  tho  islands,  and  shores,  except 
where  the  hippopotamus  and  crocodile  had  trodden  paths  into  the  for- 
ests, or  the  lion  and  leopard  had  come  down  to  the  river's  margin  to 
drink.  Behind  this  floating  hem  of  foliage  and  blossoms  appeared  other 
and  larger  shrubs,  completely  matted  together  with  climbing  vines, 
which  covered  them  like  a  mantle  and  hung  from  their  branches  dang- 
ling streamers  of  white,  and  purple,  and  yellow  blossoms.  They  even 
stretched  to  the  boughs  of  the  large  mimosa,  or  sont-trees,  which  grew 
in  the  center  of  the  islands,  thus  binding  all  together  in  rounded  musses. 
Some  of  the  smaller  islands  resembled  floating  hills  of  vegetation,  and 
their  slopes  and  summits  of  impervious  foliage,  rolling  in  the  wind,  aj)- 
pcared  to  keep  time  with  the  rocking  of  the  waves  that  upheld  them," 

After  passing  the  island  of  Aba,  in  tho  country  of  the  Shillooks,  they 
reached  a  spot  where  the  river  was  cossed  by  a  ledge  of  flat  rocks, 
upon  Avhich  it  can  be  forded  during  the  summer.  "  A  number  of  scat- 
tered water-plants,"  says  Werne,  "  form  floating  islands  of  large  and 
small  dimensions,  frequently  presenting  (piite  a  surprising  appearance. 
At  noon  we  came  so  close  to  such  an  island,  which  had  been  held  to- 
gether by  a  kind  of  water  couch-grass,  .and  was  joined  on  to  the  ihore, 
that  we  tore  olTono  entire  portion  of  it,  and  set  it  moving  like  a  little 
aquatic  world  of  the  most  diversified  description  of  plants.  The  base  of 
this  floating,  vegetable  world  was  formed  by  the  pale  green  velvet-plant 
everywhere  met  with,  and  which  s))reads  itself  like  the  auricula,  has 
fibrous  roots,  aiul  is  intermixed  with  green  reeds,  but  ai)pears  to  have 
no  flowers.  The  stalk-like  moss,  spreading  under  the  water,  with  slen- 
der white  suckers,  like  polyi)i  on  the  long  streaks  beneath,  was  another 
principal  ingredient  in  the  lV)rinatiou  of  this  island.  Then  conies  a  kind 
of  convolvulus,  with  lilac-colored  flowers,  with  iti^  seeds,  like  those  of 
the  convolvulus,  in  capsule-like  knobs,  and  leaves  like  those  of  butter- 
cups. The  character  of  the  whole  of  this  island-world  ac(iuires  such  a 
blooming  appearajice  here,  that  one  believes  one's  self  transported  to  u 
gigantic  park  situated  under  water.  Entire  tracts  are  covered  with  the 
bldoming  lotus.  The  trees,  shrubs,  and  creepers,  with  their  nuuiifold 
flowers,  enjoy  a  freedom  unknown  in  Eurojie,  where  every  plant  is  re- 
Btricted  to  its  lixed  season." 

On  the  1st  of  December  they  saw  the  mountain  of  the  Di.kas,  o'. 
the  eastern  bank  of  the  river,  and  the  next  day  discovered  one  o."  'no 
villages  of  this  tribe.  Werne  remarks:  "The  Dinkas  were  seen  at  a 
distance,  jumping  in  the  air  while  they  raised  one  arm,  and  struck  their 
shields  with  their  spears.  This  appeared  ♦<•  "t"  vifhor  n  clKjlJenge  than 
an  expression  ot"  joy,  as  I  concluiKMl  from  the  war-dances,  the  repri'sent- 
ation  of  which  I  liad  before  witiu-ssetl.  Their  city  is  said  to  stretch  far 
beyond  this  ridge,  which  the  trees  jirevented  us  from  remarking.  Long 
swampy  islands,  with  reeds  and  other  plants,  entwini'd  one  with  tho 
other,  extend  from  their  coimtry  to  the  middle  of  the  stream.     This  is 


i  I 


i 


"■^.u. 


1 


mrm 

i^p^i^ 

!^rf  I 

1 

1    1 

ii 

[; 

It 


ii) 


i  i 


■'^:,i 


'  m^i 


lit 


i     I      'f 


I  : 


632 


EXPLORATIONS    OF    THE    WHITE    NILE. 


the  case  also,  though  on  a  reduced  scale,  on  the  other  side .  The  dis- 
tance of  the  shores  from  one  to  another  is  more  than  an  hour.  The 
reeds  form  in  this  manner  a  protection,  which  even  when  the  water  is 
at  the  liighest  is  not  to  bo  overcome.  In  the  same  manner  the  Shillooks 
on  the  western  shore  have  a  marsh  of  reeds,  under  water,  for  jjrotec- 
tion. 

"The  right  shore  is  a  magnificent  low  country.  Tamarinds,  creepers 
of  a  large  sj)eci('S,  and  the  lotus  shining  in  great  numbers,  like  double 
white  lilies.  This  stellated  ilowcr  ojiens  with  the  rising  of  the  sun,  and 
closes  when  it  sets.  I  noticed,  liowever,  afterward,  that  where  they 
are  not  protected  in  some  way  fi'om  the  ardent  heat,  they  likewise  close 
when  the  sun  appro.aches  the  zenith.  Some  of  their  stalks  were  six  feet 
long,  and  very  jxirous ;  from  which  latter  quality  these  stems,  as  well 
as  the  flower  and  the  larger  leaves — dark-green  above,  and  red-brown 
bcneatli,  with  a  flat  serrated  border — have  a  magnificent  transparent 
vein  ;  but  become  so  shriveled,  even  during  the  damp  night,  that  in  the 
morning  I  scarcelv  recognized  those  which  I  had  over  night  laid  close 
to  my  bed  on  th(^  shore.  The  ancient  Egyptians  must,  therefore,  liavo 
l)een  (|uick  in  ortering  up  the  lotus.  The  extrriordinarily  small  Avhite 
seed  lies  in  a  brownish,  wool-like  enveloji,  and  fills  the  wiiole  capsule. 
Not  only  are  the  bulbs,  as  largt'  as  oiu''s  fist,  of  the  lotus  eaten,  but  also 
the  seed  just  mentioned  ;  they  mix  it  Avith  sesame,  and  other  grain, 
among  the  l)read-corii,  which  circumstance  I  ascertained  afterward,  as 
we  found  a  mimber  of  these  lotus-heails  strung  in  lines  to  dry.  To  our 
taste,  the  best  way  to  dress  the  bulbs,  and  to  free  them  from  the 
marshy  flavor  they  leave  behind  in  the  mouth,  is  to  drain  tlu;  water  oft" 
several  times  in  cooking  them  ;  they  then  taste  nearly  like  boiled  celery, 
and  may  be  very  nourishing." 

For  several  days  they  sailed  slowly  over  this  sea  of  wat(T  and  grass, 
past  marshy  shores  fringed  with  the  lotus.  The  river  became  nar- 
rower, with  firm  banks,  at  some  points,  and  here  they  were  enabled  to 
notice  the  density  of  the  ])opulalion.  The  lower  grounds  were  culti- 
vated with  fields  of  okra  and  rice,  and  flocks  of  sheep  were  seen. 
Werim  estimates  the  Shillook  tribe  at  two  millions  of  souls,  which  is 


jimliably  not  an  exaggeration.     II 


e  savs : 


u  T 


riiere  is  certainly  no  river 


ill  the  world,  the  shores  of  which  are,  for  so  great  a  distance,  so  uninter- 
ru|)tedly  covered  with  habitations  of  human  beings.  Wt;  cannot  con- 
ceive whence  so  many  ])e<>ple  derive  their  nourishment.  There  arc  some 
negroes  on  the  h'tV  shore,  lying  without  any  clothing  on  them,  in  the 
grass;  therefore  the  ground  can  not  be  c(»vere(l  to  any  height  with 
water.  They  made  gestures,  and  greeted  us  with  uplifted  arms;  but 
our  people  thought  that  we  couhl  not  trust  such  a  friendly  welcoming, 
for  they  might  have  conceale(l  their  spears  in  the  grass,  in  which,  pir- 
hap»<,  a  whole  troop  of  men  were  hidden.  Neither  these  Shillooks  nor 
the  .Fciigiihs,  up  the  river,  possess  horses  or  camels,  but  merely  sheep  and 
cows.     Wiieii  they  take  u  horse  or  camel  from  the  Turks,  they  do  nut 


A    M(\.N    OVERBOARD. 


633 


kill  it — probably  not  citing  the  flesh  of  these  animals — but  put  out  its 
eyes  as  a  jtunishment  for  having  brought  the  enemy  into  their  country." 

They  here  met  with  the  beautiful  <f/iilk'b-])a\m,  which  has  a  long, 
nleiKler  shaft,  swelling  in  the  middle,  and  tapering  toward  the  top  and 
bottom,  crowned  with  a  feathery  crest  of  leaves.  The  giant  adansonia 
(lit/itafa,  or  buobab-treo  of  Senegambia,  also  made  its  aj)j)earance.  On 
the  afternoon  of  the  7th,  they  passed  the  mouth  of  th(!  River  Sobat,  the 
only  tributary  stream  which  comes  to  the  White  Nile  from  the  east. 
Its  source  is  supposed  to  be  in  the  country  of  the  Gallas,  south  of  the 
kingdom  of  Slioa.  Its  breadth,  at  its  entrance  into  the  Nile,  is  six 
hundred  and  fifty  feet.  Werne  ascended  it  about  eighty  miles,  on  the 
return  voyage  of  the  expedition,  and  found  that  its  shores  are  higher 
than  those  of  th(!  Nile,  and  that  the  surface  of  the  country  became  more 
elevated  as  he  ascended.  From  this  fact  he  infers  that  the  White  Nile, 
as  far  as  it  has  been  explored,  flows  in  a  depressiid  basin  of  the  table- 
land of  Central  Africa.  Tiiey  here  left  the  territories  of  the  Shillooks 
and  the  Dinkas,  and  entered  the  land  of  the  Nuehrs.  Giraties  and 
ostriches  were  occasionally  seen  on  the  shores. 

On  the  nth,  the  river  exj)anded  into  an  immense  shallow  lake,  cov- 
ered with  reeds  and  water-plants,  through  which  they  made  their  way 
by  narrow  and  winding  channels.  In  some  points  the  firm  land  w;is  in- 
visible from  the  mast-head.  Swarms  of  gnats  hovered  over  this  stagnant 
region,  and  became  a  dreadful  pest  to  the  voyagers.  On  this  day  an 
accident  occurred,  which  gave;  Werne  an  opportunity  of  gaining  the  (con- 
fidence and  good-will  of  the  black  soldiers  who  accompanied  the  expedi- 
tion. "One  of  them,"  he  writes,  "a  (<>kn/n\  or  j)ilgrim  from  Dar-Fur. 
ha<l,  in  a  <]uarrel  with  an  Arab,  drawn  his  knife  and  wounded  him.  lie 
jumped  overboard  to  drown  hhnself,  for  he  could  not  ^wim,  and  was  just 
on  tlie  point  of  perishing  when  he  drifted  to  our  ship,  where  Feizulla- 
Captaiu  no  sooner  perceived  him  than  he  sprang  down  from  behind  the 
helm  and  saved  hii.i,  with  the  assistance  of  others.  He  was  taken  up 
and  appeared  nearly  dead,  and  on  intelligence  being  conveyed  from  the 
other  vessels  that  hi'  h::il  murdereil  a  Moslem,  some  of  our  people  wished 
to  throw  him  again  immediately  into  the  water.  This,  however,  being 
prevented,  they  thought  of  making  an  attempt  to  resuscitate  him,  by 
standing  hitn  u\)  on  his  head.  I  had  liiin  laid  horizontally  upon  his  side, 
.and  beu'an  to  rub  liini  with  nn  old  clot.,  belonging  to  (me  of  my  servants. 
For  the  monu'ut  no  (me  would  assist  me,  as  he  was  nn  '  afxf  {<hi\('), 
until  I  threatened  the  captain  that  he  should  be  m.ado  to  pay  the  I'asha 
for  the  loss  of  his  soldiers.  Af\er  repeatecl  rubbing,  the  tokruri  gave 
some  signs  of  life,  ai\d  they  raiseil  him  half  up,,  while  his  luiul  still  hung 
down.  One  of  the  sailors,  who  was  ii  fakeer,  and  pretended  to  be  a  sort 
of  awakener  of  the  dead,  seized  liim  from  behind,  under  the  arms,  lifted 
him  up  a  little,  and  let  him,  when  he  was  brought  into  a  sitting  jiosture, 
fall  thrice  violently  on  his  hinder  end,  while  he  repeated  jiassages  from 
the  Koran,  and  Jiouted  in  liis  ears,  whereupon  the  tokruri  answered 


p 


ii( 


^i' 


m 


1 1 


I' 


I1#i 


i  if 


f  I, 


I    1 
i    i 


I    I 


t      :i 


lii .: 


Ili;ii 


11 


634 


EXPLORATIONS    OF    THE    WHITE    NILE. 


with  a  similar  prayer.  Superstition  goes  so  far  hero,  tliat  it  is  asserted 
such  a  pilgrim  may  be  completely  and  thoroughly  drowned,  and  yet  re- 
tain the  power  of  floating  to  any  shore  he  pleases,  and  stand  there  alive 
again." 

On  the  10th,  Werne  writes:  "A  dead  calm  throughout  the  night. 
Gnats !  No  use  creeping  under  the  bed-clothes,  where  the  heat  threat- 
ens to  stifle  me,  compelled  as  I  am,  by  their  penetrating  sting,  to  keep 
my  clothes  on.  Leave  only  a  hole  to  breathe  at ;  in  they  rush,  on  the 
lij)s,  into  the  nostrils  and  ears,  and  should  one  yawn,  they  squeeze  them- 
selves into  the  throat  <*nd  tickle  us  to  coughing,  causing  us  to  sufler  real 
torture,  for  with  every  respiration  again  a  fresh  swarm  enters.  They 
find  their  way  to  the  most  sensitive  parts,  creeping  in  like  ants  at  every 
aperture.  My  bed  was  covered  in  the  morning  with  thousands  of  these 
little  tormenting  spirits — compared  with  wliich  the  Egyptian  plague  is 
nothing — which  I  had  crushed  to  death  with  the  weight  of  my  body,  by 
contiimally  rolling  about.  I  was  not  only  obliged  to  have  a  servant  be- 
fore me  at  supper-time,  waving  a  large  fan,  made  of  ostrich-feathers, 
under  my  nose,  so  that  it  was  necessary  to  watch  the  time  for  seizing 
and  conveying  the  food  to  my  mouth,  but  I  could  not  even  smoke  my 
pijjc  in  peace,  though  keeping  my  hands  wrapt  in  my  woollen  bournus, 
for  the  gnats  not  only  stung  through  it,  but  even  crejit  up  under  it  from 
the  ground.  The  l)lacks  and  colored  men  were  equally  ill-treated  by 
these  hungry  and  impudent  guests." 

The  grassy  sea  in  which  they  found  themselves  was  the  Bn/ir  7-Jl- 
Ghazal,  or  Gazelle  Lake,  into  which  an  unexplored  stream,  called  the 
Gazelle  River,  flows  from  the  south-west,  and  adds  its  Avaters  to  those 
of  the  White  Nile.  They  were  three  days  in  crossing  this  lake,  as  the 
wind  was  very  light.  The  j)lague  of  gnats  continued,  and  the  vessels 
were  in  some  danger  from  the  herds  of  hippopotami,  which  threatened 
to  overturn  them,  by  rising  siuldcnly  from  the  muddy  bottom.  On  the 
12th  they  left  the  lake,  and  entered  a  region  of  marshes,  through  which 
the  Nile  found  its  way  in  a  number  of  narrow  and  tortuous  channels. 
"High  reeds,"  says  Werne,  "  but  more  low  ones,  water  couch-grass,  and 
narrow  grass,  the  pale-green  aquatic  jdaut,  the  lilac  convolvulus,  moss, 
water-thistles,  plants  like  nettles  and  hemp,  form  on  the  right  and  lell  a 
sort,  green  nii.\turo,  upon  which  groups  of  the  yellow-flowing  ambak- 
tree  rose,  and  which  itself  was  partly  hung  round  with  luxuriant  creep- 
ers, covered  with  large  «Mip-like  flowers,  of  a  deep  yellow  color.  *  *  * 
One  can  scarcely  form  an  idea  of  the  contimial  and  extraordinary  whid- 
ings  of  the  river.  Half  an  hour  ago  mc  saw,  oi  the;  right,  the  Musco- 
vite's vessel,  and  on  the  left  the  other  vessels  ahead  on  a  line  with  us, 
separated,  however,  by  the  high  grass,  from  which  their  masts  ar.d  sails 
joyfully  peeped  Ibrth.  I  could  scarcely  persuade  myself  that  we  had 
proceeded  from  the  one  plac(>,  and  shall  stct'r  to  tlu'  other.  Theie  is 
sonu'thing  cheerful  and  tranijuilizing  in  this  lifelike  jiicture  of  ships 
Boekiug  and  linding  each  other  again  in  the  immeasurable  grass-sea, 


I    .'t 


SUNRISE    IN    CENTIIAL    AFRICA. 


635 


which  gives  us  a  feeling  of  security.  It  must  be  a  sight  to  the  people 
of  this  regi(^i).  that  thoy  can  not  coniprehcnJ,  owing  to  the  distance." 

They  saw  no  more  natives  until  the  20th  of  December,  when  they 
entered  the  land  of  the  Keks,  or  Kyks,  and  passed  two  or  three  wretched 
villages.  The  people  were  of  a  livid  '-olor,  and  naked  ;  they  smear  them- 
selves, as  the  Sliillooks  are  said  partly  to  do,  with  Nile-slime,  as  a  pro- 
tection against  the  stings  of  gnats.  On  seeing  the  vessels,  these  poor 
creatures  lifted  both  hands  high  in  the  air,  and  let  them  slowly  fall,  by 
way  of  greeting.  A  woman  likewise  saluted  them  by  placing  her  elbows 
close  to  her  body,  and  waving  her  hands,  with  the  palms  upward.  She 
had  an  ivory  ring  around  her  head,  and  another  around  her  neck;  which 
last  must  have  been  either  ingeniously  put  together,  or  slipped  over  her 
head  in  her  youth.  A  man  turned  toward  his  hut,  as  if  inviting  the 
voyagers  in ;  another  stood  alone,  Ufted  his  hands,  and  jumped  around 
in  a  circle  upon  one  spot. 

For  two  weeks  aller  leaving  the  Gazelle  Lake,  the  navigation  of  the 
river  was  the  most  tedious  and  perplexing  that  can  be  imagined.  The 
vessels  had  great  difficulty  in  finding  the  true  channel,  on  account  of  tho 
various  arms  of  the  stream,  and  the  deceptive  sloughs,  or  estuaries, 
which  after  leading  them  some  distance  into  the  marshes  on  either  hand, 
would  suddenly  terminate.  The  windings  were  so  frequent  and  so  com- 
plex, that  on  one  occasion  they  were  obliged  to  sail  a  distance  of  tiileen 
miles,  in  order  to  make  two  miles  in  a  straight  line.  The  weather  was 
mostly  calm,  and  on  account  of  these  windings,  they  could  make  very 
little  use  of  the  wind,  when  there  was  any.  The  sky  was  obscured  by 
heavy  white  mists,  or  exhalations,  which  arose  from  the  stagnant  waters 
and  the  decaying  vegetation,  and  symptoms  of  fever  began  to  manifest 
themselves  on  board  the  vessels. 

Werne  gives  the  following  description  of  a  sunrise  in  this  region  :  "  I 
looked  upon  tho  rising  sun  with  the  blissful  heart  and  kuidly  humor  that 
Nature,  in  her  majesty,  calls  forth  with  irresistible  power.  Dark  brown 
clouds  covered  the  place  where  lie  was  to  disclose  himself  in  all  his  glory. 
The  all-powerful  light  of  the  world  inflames  this  layer  of  clouds  ;  ruffled, 
hke  the  billows  of  the  ocean,  they  become  lighted  up  with  an  indescrib- 
able hue  of  blue  Tyrian  purple,  from  which  an  internal  living  lirt;  beams 
forth  on  every  side.  To  the  south-east,  a  vessel  dips  its  mast  and  sails 
into  this  flood  of  gold.  Filmy  rays  and  flames  of  gold  display  themselves 
in  the  centc  of  that  deej)  blue  curtain,  the  borders  of  which  only  are 
kindled  with  luminous  edging,  while  the  core  of  the  sun  itself,  within  the 
most  confined  linuts,  sparkles  through  the  darkest  part  like  a  star  never 
to  be  looked  upon.  At  last  he  rises,  comiuering  all  the  atmospheric  ob- 
Ftacles  of  the  vaporous  earth ;  tlu;  latter  stand  like  clear  flakes  of  gold, 
attending  him  on  the  right,  while  two  strata  of  clouds,  em'oedded  in  each 
other,  draw  a  long  beautiliil  train  to  the  north,  ever  spreading  and  dis- 
Bolving  more  and  more.  I  write — I  try  once  more  to  embrace  the 
mightiest  picture  of  ethereal  life,  but  the  ship  has,  in  the  mean  time, 


m 


Hi 


H 


tH 


Jain  "  '~-    I 

r   I 


1 

\\v'  : 

f^^ 

m 


Pli 


1!;, 


636 


EXPLORATIONS    OF    THE    WHITE    NILE. 


turned,  and  the  sails  cover  the  sun,  so  as  not  to  weaken  the  first  im- 
pression." 

On  the  27th,  they  landed  at  a  Kek  villaijo,  the  inhabitants  of  which 
had  fled,  except  one  man,  who  was  surrounded  and  taken  on  board  the 
commander's  vessel.  lie  was  of  a  livid  color,  owing  to  the  ashes  in  which 
he  had  slept.  Suliraan  Kashif  was  able  to  converse  with  him,  through 
some  Dinka  slaves  who  were  on  board.  "  "When  lie  approached  the 
cabin,"  said  Werne,  "  bending  liis  body  forward  in  a  comically  awkward 
and  ape-likd  position,  perhaps  to  denote  subjection,  he  slid  round  on  the 
ground,  dropped  on  his  knees,  and  crept  into  it,  shouting  repeatedly  with 
all  his  might,  '  Waget  tohn  agelm,  agiht  agiht-waget  tohn  agehn  agiht 
agiht,'  by  which  words  ho  greeted  us,  and  expressed  his  astonishment. 
lie  had  several  holes  in  the  rims  of  his  ears,  contahiing,  however,  no 
other  ornament  than  a  single  little  stick.  Strings  of  beads  were  brought  out 
and  hung  about  his  neck  ;  tliere  M-as  no  end  to  his  transports ;  he  struck 
the  ground  so  hard  with  his  posteriors,  that  it  resounded  again,  and 
raised  his  hand  on  high,  as  praying.  "When  I  bound  a  string  of  beads 
round  his  wrist,  he  could  not  leave  off  jumping,  at  such  an  invaluable  or- 
nament, and  never  once  kept  still ;  he  s]>rang  up,  and  threw  himself  doMTi 
again,  to  kiss  tlie  ground  ;  again  he  rose,  extended  and  contracted  him- 
self, held  his  hands  over  all  our  heads,  as  if  to  bless  us,  and  sang  a  very 
pretty  song,  full  of  the  simple  melody  of  nature.  lie  had  a  somewhat 
projecting  month  ;  liis  nose  and  forehead  quite  regular,  as  well  as  the  cut 
of  the  face  itself;  his  hair  was  sheared  away  short,  to  about  the  length 
of  half  an  inch.  lie  might  have  been  about  thirty  years  of  age  ;  an  an- 
gular, high-shouldered  ligure,  such  as  we  have  frequently  perceived 
among  the  Dinkas.  There  were  two  incisors  wanting  above,  and  four 
below,  wliich  is  also  the  case  with  the  Dinkas  ;  They  pull  them  out,  that 
they  may  not  resemble  wild  beasts.  His  attitude  an*',  gestures  were  very 
constrained,  arising,  perhaps,  partly  from  the  situation  in  Avhich  he  found 
himself;  his  shoulders  were  raised,  his  head  bent  forward  in  miison  with 
his  bent  back  ;  his  long  legs,  the  calves  of  which  were  scarcely  to  be  per- 
ceived, seemed  as  if  broken  at  the  joints  of  his  knees ;  in  short,  his 
whole  person  hung  together  like  an  orang-outang's.  Added  to  this,  he 
was  perfectly  naked,  and  no  liair,  except  on  his  head,  to  be  seen.  Ilis 
sole  ornament  consisted  of  leathern  rings  above  the  right  hand.  What 
a  grade  of  human'ty  is  here  !  This  poor  man  of  nature  touched  me  M'ith 
his  childish  joy,  in  which  he  certainly  felt  happier  than  any  of  us.  He 
was  instructed  to  go  forward  and  tell  his  countrymen  not  to  fly  before 
us.  Kneeling,  sliding  along,  jumping,  and  kissing  the  ground,  he  let 
himself  be  led  away  by  the  hand  like  a  child,  and  would  certainly  have 
taken  it  all  for  a  dream,  had  not  the  glass-beads  convinced  him  to  the 
contrary." 

On  the  ad  of  January,  1R41,  they  reached  a  large  Kek  village,  and 
"Wernn  ]terceived,  to  his  suri)nse,  that  the  men  and  wointii  lived  in  sepa- 
rate portions  of  it.     "  I'olygamy  prevails  here,"  he  reniarks,  "  as  gcner- 


\{*i 


THE    KEKS    AND    BOIIRS. 


637 


ally  on  the  White  Nile ;  only,  however,  the  more  opulent  enjoy  this 
piivilege,  for  the  women  are  bought.  I  remarked  here,  for  the  first 
time,  bodily  defects,  which,  like  elephantiasis,  are  so  very  rare  in  the 
whole  land  of  Soudan.  One  had  hernia,  and  many  siift'ered  from  diseases 
of  the  eyes,  and  wanted  medical  assistance.  Their  eyes,  indeed,  were 
nearly  all  suffused  with  red,  as  I  had  previ  isly  remarked ;  and  it  seems 
that  these  peo})le  must  suffer  uncommonly  .  the  rainy  season,  when  they 
lie,  as  it  were,  in  the  morass.  The  hair  t  .jome  of  them,  who  wore  it 
long,  was  of  a  reddish  color,  having  lost  its  natural  black  hue  by  the  ley 
of  the  ashes  and  water,  and  heat  of  the  sun ;  for  wo  did  not  perceive  this 
in  the  shorter  hairs,  and  they  did  not  know  how  to  explain  the  cause  of 
this  tinge.  The  cattle  are  generally  of  a  light  color,  of  moder.ate  size, 
and  have  long  beautifully-twisted  horns,  some  of  Mhich  are  turned  back- 
ward. The  bulls  have  large  speckled  humps,  such  as  are  seen  in  the 
hieroglyphics ;  the  cows,  on  the  contrary,  only  a  little  elevation  on  tho 
shoulders.  The  small  reed  tokuls,  with  half-flat  roofs,  .ire  neat,  and  servo 
throughout  the  day  for  protection  against  the  sun.  I  wandered  about 
here  quite  alone,  without  being  molested  or  sent  back  by  the  people.'' 

The  voyage  now  became  a  little  less  difficult :  tho  firm  sIktcs  ap- 
peared on  either  hand,  the  main  current  of  the  river  was  no  longer  lost 
in  broad  morasses,  and  the  ])lague  of  gnats  ceased  to  torment  the  voy- 
agers. On  the  8th  they  reached  the  territories  of  a  tribe  called  the 
Bohrs,  who  are  thus  described  :  "  The  men,  though  only  seven  feet  high, 
look  like  trees,  in  their  rough  and  naked  natural  forms.  Their  tonsure 
is  various  ;  large  ivory  rings  adorn  the  upper  part  of  their  arms.  They 
would  like  to  strip  these  o.T,  but  they  sit  too  tightly,  because  they  were 
placed  on  the  arm  before  it  was  thoroughly  formed.  Now  the  flesh 
protrudes  above  and  below  the  rings.  They  seat  themselves  on  the 
shore,  sing,  and  beg  for  beads,  pointing  with  their  forefinger  and  thumb 
to  the  roundness  of  them.  They  have  bad  teeth,  almost  Avithout  excep- 
tion ;  from  this  circumstance,  perhaps,  that  they  chew  and  smoke  to- 
bacco, partly  to  alleviate  the  eternal  tooth-ache.  If  they  did  not  com- 
plain of  tooth-ache,  yet  they  showed  us  the  entire  want  or  decay  of  their 
teeth,  when  we  gave  them  liiscuit  to  masticate." 

On  the  10th,  while  walking  on  the  shore,  Werne  was  seized  by  a 
violent  attack  of  fever,  and  fell  upon  tho  ground  in  a  swoon.  When  he 
awoke  it  was  already  dark  ;  he  fired  a  gun  for  assistance,  and  stuTubled 
along  in  the  direction  of  the  vessels,  but  suddenly  came  upon  twenty 
large  crocodiles,  stretched  out  in  the  sand.  The  beasts  instantly  began 
to  move,  scenting  human  flesh :  he  hastened  away,  ])lunging  through 
the  reeds,  and  was  fortunately  foimd  by  his  servants  just  as  his  strength 
was  beginning  to  fail.  For  four  or  five  days  after  this,  he  had  repeated 
attacks  of  delirium,  and  Mas  only  s.ived  from  death  by  i)rofiise  bleeding. 
At  the  end  of  this  time  the  fever  gradually  left  him,  but  he  remained  in 
a  weak  condition,  and  for  two  or  three  weeks  was  unable  to  support  the 
full  luster  of  the  noonday  sun. 


' 


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038 


EXPLORATIONS    OF    THE    "WIIITK    NILE. 


Meanwhilo  tlio  vessels  oontinuod  Blowly  to  ftscond  llio  stream,  hav- 
ing already  passed  the  extrenie  i)uint  attained  l»y  tlu^  exju'dition  of  the 
])revious  winter.  Leaving  behind  them  the  IJohrs  and  the  Zhirs,  they 
j)assed  through  two  other  tribes,  called  the  linmhirialsand  the  Tshierrs, 
The  river  still  came  from  the  south-east,  and  flowed  with  a  full,  strong 
current.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  1/th,  AVerno  Avas  startled  '  y  the  cry 
of  "  DJehdf"  (a  mountain  !)  "  In  sjiite  of  the  ^un,"  lie  say?,  "•  and  all 
remonstrances,  I  drag  myself  up  on  deck,  and  see  the  mountain  to  the 
south-west,  at  a  distance  of  about  twenty  hours.  It  seems  to  form  an 
accumulation  toward  one  point,  and  may  sm-ely  be  the  forerunner  of 
other  mountains  ;  therefore,  after  all,  there  are  JMountauis  of  the  Moon. 
City  crowds  on  city  ;  and  the  Egyi)lians  look  out  li-om  tin;  mast  for 
herds  of  cattle,  which  are  not,  however,  numerous.  An  innumerable 
population  moves  on  the  shores  ;  to  express  their  number  our  crew  say, 
'  As  many  as  flies ;'  and  wc  sail  always  by  the  shore,  which  is  (juite  black 
with  people,  who  are  standing  as  if  benumbed  with  astonishment." 

These  scenes  were  constantly  repeated  during  the  following  three  or 
four  days.  The  shores  were  lirm  and  fertile,  the  vegetation  wonderfully 
rich  and  luxuriant,  the  sky  clear,  and  the  people  of  gianf.  stature,  hnely 
developed,  and  very  agile.  Every  thing  indicali-d  their  entrance  into 
a  region  of  totally  different  character  from  any  they  had  yet  seen.  The 
country  a[>peared  to  be  as  populous  .as  (hat  of  the  Sliillooks,  but  the  na- 
tives, although  naked  like  the  former,  gave  evidence  of  superior  intelli- 
gence. The  Egyptian  captains,  however,  looked  upon  all  these  tribes 
with  equal  contempt,  calling  them  "  slaves."  On  the  afternoon  of  the 
20tli,  a  great  crowd  of  natives  collected  on  the  bank,  making  signs  that 
they  wished  for  bead.s,  such  as  had  been  given  to  the  tribes  below. 
They  threatened,  in  a  laughing,  jeering  manner,  to  prevent  the  sailors 
from  towing  the  vessels  unless  their  requests  were  heeded.  The  captain 
of  one  of  the  vessels  immediately  ordered  his  men  to  fire,  and  ten  or 
twelve  of  the  negroes  fell.  The  remainder  of  the  tribe  came  running 
from  the  \illages,  but  soon  hesitated,  fearing  the  eflect  of  these  znyste- 
rious  wea])ons  which  they  had  never  before  seen.  "  We  halted  a  mo- 
ment," remarks  Wernc  ;  "the  unhappy  creatures  or  relatives  of  the  slain 
came  closer  to  the  border  of  the  shore,  laid  their  hands  flat  together, 
raised  them  above  their  liead,  slid  upon  their  knees  nearer  to  us,  and 
sprang  again  high  in  the  air,  with  their  comj)ressed  hands  stretched  aloft, 
as  if  to  invoke  the  pity  of  heaven,  and  to  implore  mercy  of  us.  A  slim 
young  man  was  so  conspicuous  by  his  passionate  grief,  that  it  cut  to  my 
heart,  and — our  barbarians  laughed  with  .all  their  might." 

Fortimately  for  the  expedition,  the  poor  en  itures  were  too  much 
overawed  to  resent  this  inhumanity,  and  the  vessels  ])roceeded  on  their 
course.  They  learned  th.at  they  had  entered  the  land  of  tiie  liaris,  the 
sultan  of  which,  named  Lukono,  resided  at  a  town  further  to  the  south. 
The  bed  of  the  river  was  now  broken  with  islands  ;  the  current  became 
more  dear  and  swift,  and  on  the  28d  they  reached  an  islantl  called 


TERMINUS    OF    T  ir  K    EXPEDITION. 


639 


Tsaiilcer,  or  Tchuiikcr,  at  the  cud  of  which  was  a  n-of  of  rocks,  cxtond- 
lu'j^  across  tlic  stream,  forming  a  rapid  beyond  which,  it  was  evident,  at 
tlie  low  stage  of  the  water,  tlie  vessels  could  not  pass.  "  We  lanih'd 
Boon  aflerward  on  the  right  shore,  as  the  nearest  landing-place  to  the 
capital,  Ik'lenja,  on  the  mountain  of  the  same  name,  wliich  M'as  at  some 
distance.  They  gave  ua  the  names  of  all  the  mountains  lying  around 
in  the  horizon.  As  I  once  looked  for  the  alpine  world  from  Montpelier, 
and  found  it,  trusting  to  my  good  eye-sight,  so  now  I  gazed  for  a  long 
time  on  this  region  of  heights;  their  peaks  were  clearly  hung  round  with 
a  girdle  of  clouds,  apparently  shining  with  a  glimmering  light  in  opposi- 
tion to  the  clouds  hanging  before  them  in  our  neighborhood." 

Of  the  Baris,  Wernc  says:  "The  features  and  form  of  the  liead  are 
quite  regular  ■  uong  these  gigantic  peoi)le,  and  are  a  striking  contrast 
to  those  of  our  black  soldiers,  M'ith  their  more  negro-like  physiognomy, 
although  t/iei/  are  not,  on  the  whole,  ugly.  I  compare  the  true  Caucas- 
ian races,  wlio  arc  present,  with  these  men,  and  find  that  the  latter  have 
a  broader  forehead.  The  inhabitants  of  the  kingdom  of  Bari  might  bo 
designated  a  protoplasma  of  the  black  race  ;  for  not  only  do  they  shoot 
up  to  a  height  of  from  si.x;  and  a  half  to  seven  I*arisian  feet,  which  wc 
have  seen  also  in  the  otiier  nations,  but  their  gigantic  mass  of  limbs 
are  in  the  noblest  proportions.  The  form  of  the  face  is  oval,  tlu;  fore- 
head arched,  the  nose  straight,  or  curved,  with  rather  Avide  nostrils — the 
aUv,  however,  not  jirojecting  disagreeably ;  the  mouth  full,  like  that  of 
the  ancient  Jlgyptians ;  the  orifice  of  the  ears  largo,  and  the  temples  a 
little  depressed.  The  last  we  do  not  find  in  the  Barabras,  and  the  races 
akin  to  them  in  Abyssinia.  T'ae  men  of  Bari  have,  liesides,  well-pro- 
portioned legs,  and  muscular  arms.  It  is  a  pity  that  they  also  extract 
the  four  lower  hicisors,  for  not  only  is  the  face  disfigured  by  this  custom 
when  they  are  laughing,  but  their  pronunciation  also  becomes  indistinct. 
Some  wear  their  hair  like  a  cotik's  comb  from  the  foreliead  down  to  the 
nape  of  the  neck;  others  have  scarcely  the  crown  of  tlie  head  covered  ; 
the  most,  however,  wear  tolerably  long  hair,  in  the  natural  manner, 
Avhidi  gives  a  significant  look  to  many  fiiccs.  Their  good-natured 
countenances  correspond  also  to  their  jokes  among  themselves,  which 
arc,  |)erhaps,  occasionally  directed  against  us." 

T)-,e  next  day  the  vessels  were  visit(!d  by  King  Liikono  and  his  suite, 
whrse  approacli  was  previously  announced  by  his  brother,  a  gigantic 
naked  negro,  smeared  from  head  to  foot  with  red  ashes.  In  tlie  after- 
noon the  king  came,  attended  by  a  large  retinue  of  followers.  His 
cotton  garment  and  iiead-dress  distinguished  liis  tall  figure  above  all 
the  others,  lie  carried  with  him  his  throne — a  little  wooden  stool — 
together  a\  ith  a  scepter,  consisting  of  a  club,  the  thick  knob  of  which 
was  studded  with  large  iron  nails,  to  inspire  greater  respect.  On  enter- 
ing the  cabin,  he  took  Selim  Capitan,  the  second  in  command,  to  be  the 
leader  of  the  expedition,  and  saluted  him  by  sucking  the  ends  of  his 
fingers.     "  When  wc  little  expected  it,"  says  Werne,  "  the  sultan  raised 


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640 


?:XPLORATIONS    OF    T  li  K    WlIITl:;    XILK. 


Lis  voice,  without  commandiix';  li  neo  boforohand  ■with  his  scc])tcr,  and 
saiif^j — liis  eyi'3  diiXTtt'd  firiulv  ;i.-1  shininjj;  on  us — a  souj:;  of  wclcoino, 
with  a  stroiii;,  cli'ar  voiro.  lli.  ■  :i.«  soon  I'lidcd,  and  tho  sonj^  liad 
brightt'UL'd  him  up  surj)risini»ly,  for  lio  looliod  quite  niorrily  around,  as 
far  as  his  eyes,  which  were  a])|)art'ntly  ailccted  hy  a  cataract,  would 
allow  him.  This  misfortune  might  be  the  cause  also  why  lie  walked,  as 
if  in  a  mist,  with  an  insecure  step  cm  the  vessel.  Acconling  to  the  trans- 
lation passed  by  two  interpreters  from  one  to  tlie  other  into  Arabic, 
he  chanted  us  as  beinfj  bulls,  lions,  and  defeiub,'rs  of  the  virj^ins.  He  is 
of  an  imposing  ligure,  with  a  regular  countenance,  marked  features,  and 
has  somewhat  of  a  Uoman  nose.  >Ve  noticed  on  all  the  bare  parts  of  liis 
body  remains  of  ocher,  apparently  not  agreeing  very  well  with  the  skin, 
for  iiere  and  there  on  the  hands  it  was  cracked.  lie  was  the  first  man 
whom  we  liad  liitherto  found  chjthed." 

On  the  -'."ith  AVerne  writes  :  "^  King  Lakono  visited  ns  to-day  a  second 
time,  and  brought  with  him  a  young  wile  from  his  harem.  He  took  off 
liis  liand  the  orange-colored  ring,  on  Avhich  Selini  Capitan  fixed  a  long- 
ing eye,  and  j)resonted  it  to  'aim  with  a  little  iron  stool,  plainly  tbrged 
in  a  hurry.  We  gathered  further  intelligence  about  the  country,  and 
Lakono  was  complaisant  enough  to  communicate  to  us  some  general  in- 
formation. "With  respect  to  the  Nile  sources,  we  learn  that  it  requires 
a  month,  the  signifu-ation  of  Avhich  was  interj)reted  by  thirty  days,  to 
conn;  to  the  country  of  Anjan  toward  the  south,  where  the  Tubirih 
(White  Nile),  separates  into  four  shallow  arms,  and  the  water  only 
reaches  up  to  the  ankles.  Thirty  days  seems  indeed  a  long  time,  but 
the  chain  of  mountains  itself  may  present  great  imj)edhnents,  and  liostile 
tribes  and  the  hospice  stations  may  cause  circuitous  routes. 

"The  favorite  sultana  had  certainly  not  much  to  boast  of  in  tlie  way 
of  beauty,  but  she  M'as  an  amiable-looking  Avoman:  she  was  not  at  all 
shy,  and  looked  freely  around  her.  A  number  of  glass-beads  were 
given  to  her,  and  she  was  too  much  of  a  woman  and  negross  not  to  bo 
exceedingly  delighted  at  them.  Lakono  restrained  himself,  as  at  the 
first  time,  on  the  sight  of  such  presents,  withui  the  limits  of  pleasing 
surprise,  without  lietraying  the  least  symptom  of  the  childish  joy  Avhich 
is  indigenous  in  these  men  of  nature.  She  was,  however,  very  cordial 
with  him,  and  he  with  her ;  he  helped  her  even  to  pack  together  her 
ornaments  in  a  handkerchietj  and  gave  it  over  to  her  with  a  benevolent 
look.  I  had  the  honor  also  of  a  friendly  smile  from  her,  which  I 
naturally  returned.  She  remarkeil  this  hmuediately  to  her  lord  and 
master,  whereupon  the  latter  bowed  his  entire  ai)probation,  and 
smiled  at  me. 

"  We  could  not  get  a  clear  conception  of  their  ideas  of  religion — 
the  less  so,  because  the  interpreter  translating  into  Arabic  was  a  heathen 
Dinka.  It  seems  that  they  M'oraliip  a  spirit  of  nature,  for  we  had  been 
previously  told  that  their  god  Avas  grander  than  the  mast  of  our  vessel. 
Whether  they  reverence  him  under  a  tree,  as  the  criminal  court  of  La- 


DEPARTURE    FROM    TUE    BARIS. 


641 


kono  soems  to  denote,  is  a  question  I  <lo  not  venture  to  deciclo.  Ilorns, 
teeth,  and  amulets  point  to  some  sort  of  worship.  Legisl.ation  appears 
to  ])(!  in  a  peculiar  state  in  the  country  of  Bari.  We  were  told  that 
King  Lakono  slew  crinunals  with  his  own  hand,  by  a  thrust  with  a 
spear,  and  very  qiiickly  (goum,  goam),  without  any  ceremonies  ;  he  sits 
under  a  largo  tree,  with  a  heavy  spear  in  liis  hand,  to  pass  judgment, 
and  assumes  a  very  angry  look." 

On  the  28th  of  January,  Sulimau  Kashif  determined  to  return, 
greatly  to  the  joy  of  the  Egyptian  soldiers,  and  to  the  regret  of  Werne, 
who  was  anxious  to  push  on  to  the  mountahis  which  beckoned  from  the 
soutliern  horizon.  "  We  have  remained  here  at  the  island  three  entire 
days,"  he  writes,  "  and  the  ve  2)h(s  ultra  is  not  so  much  inscribed  on  tho 
Pillars  of  Hercules  in  the  water,  as  desired  in  the  hearts  of  tho  whole 
expedition.  The  war-dance,  which  the  blacks  performed  yesterday,  has 
contributed  certainly  to  the  final  determination  to  return.  Even  I 
thought  yesterday  that  I  heard  and  saw  in  the  fearful  battle-song,  a 
declaration  of  M'ar,  and  a  challenge  to  tho  contest.  It  was  almost  im- 
])0ssible  to  persuade  one's  self  that  it  wm  merely  a  mark  of  honor.  The 
natives  marched  up  and  down  the  island,  in  columns,  brandishing  their 
lances  in  the  air,  sang  their  wur-songs,  with  threatening  countenances 
and  dreadful  gestures,  then  fell  into  still  greater  ecstasy,  ran  up  and 
down,  and  roared  their  martial  chant.  It  was  the  middle  of  the  day, 
about  two  o'clock,  vhen  8elini  Capitan,  in  order  to  take  his  leave,  and 
to  em])loy  the  dreaded  people  at  the  moment  of  our  departure,  and  keep 
them  liir  from  us,  threw  ten  oujis  of  beads  on  shore,  and  the  cannons  on 
all  the  vessels  were  discharged,  to  bid  solemn  farewell  with  twenty-one 
shots  to  the  beautiful  country  which  must  contain  so  many  more  inter- 
esting materials."  The  island  of  Tsanker,  according  to  the  observations 
made  by  D'Arnaiid  and  Selim  Ca])itan,  lies  in  4°  30'  north  latitude,  but 
according  to  later  calculations  in  4°  49'. 

The  descent  of  the  White  Nile  was  a  repetition  of  the  scenes  wit- 
nessed on  the  upward  voyage,  except  that  Avhenever  the  north  wind 
blew  strongly,  the  vessels  became  unmanageable,  and  created  great 
damage  and  confusiojj  by  driving  against  each  other.  They  landed  oc- 
casionally in  the  lands  of  the  Keks,  Elliabs,  and  Nuehrs,  and  invariably 
found  the  natives  well-disposed,  though  exceedingly  ignorant  and  stujiid. 
After  threading  again  the  bewildering  mazes  of  the  region  of  grass,  suf- 
fering insupportable  torments  from  the  clouds  of  gnats,  they  debouched 
once  more  into  the  Gazelle  Lake,  on  the  4th  of  March,  and  halted  three 
days  to  allow  D'Arnaud  to  make  a  survey  of  its  shores.  On  the  11th, 
they  bade  farewell  to  gnats,  and  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Sobat,  which 
SuUman  Kashif  designed  to  explore.  The  vessels  accordingly  entered 
the  river,  heading  to  the  south-oast,  and  slowly  advanced  for  twelve 
days,  in  which  time  they  only  made  eighty  miles,  when  their  further 
progress  was  stopped  by  sand-bars,  and  they  were  forced  to  return. 
The  banks  of  the  river  were  steep  and  bold,  and  the  upland  country 

41 


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642 


EXPLORATIONS    OF    THE    WHITE    NILE. 


lying  behind  tijcm  abounded  with  herds  of  deer  and  anteloiiea,  some  of 
which  numbered  three  or  four  thousand. 

During  this  excursion,  Werne  met  witli  an  exciting  adventure.  lie 
went  out  to  shoot  some  birds,  and  was  just  taking  aim  at  two  beautiful 
finches,  when  au  immense  Hon  suddenly  stood  before  him,  as  if  he  had 
arisen  from  the  earth.  "  At  first,"  says  he,  "  we  stared  at  each  other 
mutually ;  he  measured  mo  from  top  to  toe,  but  disiegarded  the  Turk- 
ish accouterments  and  sun-burnt  countetiance,  I'or  my  red  cap  which  he 
seemed  not  to  despise.  At  last  he  turned  his  face  from  me,  and  went 
away  slowly  with  a  dreadfully  jjjiable  movement  of  his  hinder  i>arts,  and 
Ins  tail  hanghig  down,  but  could  not  restrain  himself  from  turning  round 
to  look  at  rae  once  more,  while  I  was  trusting  to  the  elfect  (»f  one  or  two 
shots  in  the  eyes  or  jaws,  if  it  came  to  a  contest  of  life  or  death;  but  I 
cast  a  searching  look  over  my  shoulders  every  now  ami  then,  right  and 
left,  expecting  that  he  might  make  a  spring  like  a  cat,  and  I  kept  him 
in  sight  before  me,  when  I  was  about  to  jinujt  down  from  the  shore  on 
to  the  sand  where  the  vessels  and  crew  Avere.  I  confess  oi)enly  that  I 
felt  an  evident  throbbing  of  the  heart,  and  that  my  nose  seemed  to  have 
turned  white." 

On  the  20th  of  March,  the  vessels  again  entered  the  White  Nile,  and 
resumed  their  course  toward  Khartoum.  Their  progress  was  slow,  on 
account  of  head-winds,  ;uid  they  did  not  approach  tlie  capital  until  the 
22d  of  April,  when  messengers  canu'  forward  to  welcome  them.  On  the 
following  day  they  descended  to  the  junction,  and  sailed  up  the  IJlue 
Mile  to  the  city,  having  been  absent  exactly  five  months.  NVerne's  jour- 
nal closes  with  the  l()llowing  words:  "The  thunder  of  cuuion  rolled 
down  from  the  vessels — joy  and  pleasure.  I  wisheil  to  describe  our  re- 
turn, but  I  <li<l  not  see  my  brother.  Hlaek  thoughts  suddenly  shook  mo 
as  if  a  fit  of  ague  hail  attacked  me.  When  I  siiw  even  the  wind«)W-shiit- 
ters  of  our  divan  ciosetl,  where  he  might  wait  for  me  so  comfortaldy  in 
the  shade,  I  trembled  violently,  and  my  knees  tottered  so  that  they  laid 
me  on  the  bed.  I  soon,  however,  got  up,  and  sat  befor«'  the  cabin  ;  and 
just  at  the  moment  when  our  vessel  touched  the  land,  some  one  jtointed 
him  out  standing  on  the  shore.  I  juHiped  ashore  from  the  deck,  .and  iell 
down  :  my  brother  raised  me  up.  Eleven  days  alter  this  happy  meet- 
ing he  died  in  my  arms,  completely  broken  by  the  elfectsof  the  chmatu." 


DOCTOR    KNOBLECIIKRS    VOYAUK. 


The  fiovernment  Expedition  up  the  White  Nile  denmnstrated  tho 
fact  that  the  native  negro  tribes  ])ossessed  an  abundance  of  ivory,  and 
BUggested  to  the  Egyptian  nu-rchants  the  benelil  of  establishing  a  tra<lo 
with  them.  The  experiment  was  tried,  and  found  successful ;  thetuitivea 
willingly  exchanged  their  rings  .and  elephants'  teeth  for  glass  beads  and 
other  cheap  trinkets,  and  a  system  oi"  barter  was  thus  established,  which 


ijl' 


I   I 


ll 


DR.    KNOBLECIIKR'S    DKPARTURR. 


643 


has  been  continued  up  to  the  present  time.  An  annual  tleet  of  trading 
vessels  leaves  Khartoum  hi  November,  and  after  obtaining  all  the  ivory 
which  has  been  collected  during  the  year,  rilnrns  in  March  or  April. 
None  of  these  expeditions,  however,  ha\i'  coiitriliuted  much  to  our 
knowledge  of  the  river  beyond  the  jtoint  reached  by  Werne,  except  that 
Avhicli  left  Khartoum  in  1849,  and  was  acconipanieil  by  Dr.  Kmddecher, 
the  Human  Catholic  Apostolic  Vicar  iuv  Central  Africa,  an  account  of 
which  was  published  hi  the  Augsburg  Allyuncuie  Zdtioif/^  in  1851.''' 

Dr.  Ignatius  Kiioblecher  was  specially  educated,  in  the  Propaganda 
at  Kome,  as  a  missionary  for  Central  Africa.  Alter  stu<lying  the  Arabic 
language  for  a  year  hi  Syria,  he  proci'cded  to  Khartoum,  where  a 
Catholic,  mission  had  already  been  established.  There,  however,  the 
mission  found  its  si)liere  of  ojterations  circumscribed  by  the  jealousy 
of  the  government,  as  all  attempts  to  make  prose  lytes  of  3Iussulmcn  are 
forbidden,  and  the  highest  ambition  of  the  slaves  who  are  brought  from 
the  interior  is  to  be  considered  faithful  followers  of  the  prophet.  Dr. 
Kiioblecher  was  therefore  directed  to  accompany  the  .annual  trading 
expeibtioii  up  the  White  Nile,  (i)r  the  puriio*<i'  of  ascertaining  the  jirac- 
ticability  of  establishing  a  missionary  station  among  some  of  the  native 
negro  tribes  near  the  » "piator.  lie  experienced  much  dithculty  at  the 
outset,  on  account  of  the  jealousy  of  the  Egyptian  traders,  who  find 
the  coinpany  of  a  Iviropean  a  restraint  upon  their  violent  and  lawless 
])racli('es,  but  through  tlu'  inllueiice  of  the  pasha,  who  was  at  last 
brought  to  give  ids  consent,  the  missionaries  secured  a  jilace  in  the 
expedition,  and  <in  the  Iiitli  of  November,  lH4i),  set  sail  from  Khartoum. 
There  were  seven  vessels  in  the  flotilla,  and  that  of  Dr.  KlKtblecher,  though 
the  smallest,  proved  to  be  the  best  s;iiler  and  usually  kept  the  lead,    llo 

•"On  tlio  (liy  f'f  my  nriiviil  .nt  Kliartouii!,  Pr.  Hiitz  prnpos':>(l  a  visit  to  Dr.  Kno- 
bloc'luT,  lliL'  AiMistiiJic  Vicar  of  the  I'litli'ilir  Missions  in  ("cnlral  AtVica,  wlio  liii'l  nturni'il 
from  Kuropo  mIkjiii  twenty  days  previous.  I'reeodnl  liy  two  attoiiilunts,  we  wnlktil 
tlinmjrii  tiie  town  to  lliu  Catliolic  Mission,  a  spacious  ont'-story  liuildinir  in  a  laiirr  irank'n 
near  tiie  river.  Mntrrini^  a  conrt,  in  tluMcnlir  of  wliicli  gri'W  a  tall  taniarintl-trcf,  \vo 
were  received  by  an  Italian  monk,  in  (lowing;  robe.s,  wiio  conducted  u.s  into  u  wcoml 
court,  inclosed  by  tiic  residence  of  the  Viear.  Here  we  met  two  otluT  priests,  n  (lerinan 
iMid  a  lluuffarian,  dressed  in  llowinsr  Oriental  ^rarinents.  They  u-liered  us  into  a  laru'o 
room,  ear[ieti  ,1  with  matluiir,  ami  willi  a  eoniforlalile  divan  around  the  shIcs.  The  wui- 
dowa  looked  into  a  jjarilen  whidi  wa8  lilled  willi  oran;;c,  llj.',  and  lianana-trcc.s,  ami  I'r.i- 
praiit  with  jasmin  ami  iiiiinu)>a  blosMoni.s.  U'e  had  scarcely  seated  ourselves  when  tho 
monks  rose  and  reinaiiu'd  slandinpr  while  Pr.  Knoblerher  enterid.  Mo  was  a  s'nall  man, 
sliK'hlly  and  ratiier  delicately  liuilt,  and  not  more  than  thirly-li\e  years  of  ajfe.  Mis  com- 
plexion wn.s  fiiir,  Ills  eyes  ii  ^rrayish  blue,  and  his  board,  whiili  ho  wore  tiowin)^  u|>i)n  his 
lircist,  a  very  decided  auburn.  His  fici>  was  one  of  those  which  winx  not  only  kituliicss, 
but  conlldcnec  from  all  the  world.  His  dress  consi.*led  of  ■  while  turlian  ami  a  llowin^r  rolio 
of  dark  purple  idoth.  He  is  a  man  of  thorouirh  euUivation,  conversant  with  several  lan- 
guiijres,  and  possesses  an  amount  of  scicniille  knnwled>;e  which  will  make  his  futuri'  ex- 
ploralions  valuable  to  Ihc  world.  Puriiuf  my  sl.iy  in  Khartoum.  I  visited  him  lre(|uently, 
ami  derivi'd  f'-oiii  him  much  inl'irmation  conccrnin^r  the  eountrius  of  i-^ouUuu  und  their  in- 
liubitauls." — Ihvjard  Tiiyh'r'n  '■  J'turnvy  to  Central  ^[frica," 


If 


iii 


I  t 


;-,5i!.i    t 


'ii'i 


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m 


)' 

:^< 

> 
t 

,  ( 

644 


KX  I'LOllATIOXS    OF    TKK    WHITE    NILK. 


had  on  l)oanl  a  iiiitliful  ami  I'XiH'rlcni'od  Xubian  pilot,  iiaiiicd  Sulcymar) 
Abou-Zcid. 

After  Iburteon  days'  sailini;,  tlio  oxix-dition  jtasscd  the  islands  of  tlio 
Shillooks,  and  naclii'il  that  part  of  the  river  Avlierc  tht' hanks  arc  coviTod 
■with  continuous  villaLjes.  The  mnnljcr  of  these  is  estimated  at  seven 
thousand.  It  is  wortiiy  of  notice  that,  their  circular  tokuls  of  iniid  and 
roeds  are  precisely  similar  in  furm  and  construction  t(i  those  of  the 
tribes  on  the  Niirer  ami  Senegal  J{ivers,  Avith  whom  the  Shillooks  iiavo 
no  communication,  and  from  whom  they  differ  in  lan<;uaLrc,  appearance, 
and  character.  While  threadiiii^  the  mazes  of  tlii'  archijieiaL^o,  a  viident 
whirhvuid  jiassed  oxer  the  river  and  completely  dismasted  on(!  of  the 
bouts.  Beyond  the  islaiuls  tlie  river  expands  so  that  the  marshy  shores 
are  barely  visible  in  sonn;  jilaccs.  The  lotus  j;ro\vs  abund;mtly  in  the 
shallows,  ami  the  appt.'arance  of  tlu'  tliousandsof  snowy  blossoms  as  they 
ilash  open  at  sunrise,  is  described  as  a  scene  of  vcu;i'table  pomp  and 
splemlor,  which  can  be  witnessed  in  no  other  part  <tf  the  world. 

(.)u  the  Jsth  of  Xoviinber  flu;  expedition  succeeded,  after  some  diHi- 
(•ulfy,  in  establishiiiif  an  intercouj'se  with  the  Dinkas  and  Shillooks,  who 
inhabited  the  opjiosite  banks  of  the  I'iver.  'I'he  latter  in  consideration 
of  some  colored  Lclassdiea<ls,  furnished  a  nundier  of  oxen  tiir  j»rovisions. 
Dr.  Knoblecher  described  their  runninLT,  when  they  drove  the  cattle 
together,  as  reseinblinj^  that  of  the  Lja/elle;  they  leap  hiuh  into  tin;  air, 
drawing  up  tlnir  long  legs  as  they  rise,  and  clear  the  groun<l  at  a  most 
astonishing  spcetl.  'I'he  next  day  the  vessels  reached  a  large  town 
called  \'av,  where  the  jicople  receivetl  them  without  the  least  appcar- 
anc'  of  fear,  and  Itrought  quantities  of  elepliants'  tusks  to  traile  for 
iK'ads.  Herds  of  wihl  elephants  and  giratfes  were  now  freipieiitly  seen 
on  till'  banks  of  the  river,  and  the  llirtner  sometimes  thri'W  up  their 
trunks  and  spirted  water  into  the  air  when  they  saw  the  vessels.  Num- 
bers of  wlfite  herons  were  perched  eoinj)osedly  upon  their  backs  and 
lieads.  Tile  giratfes,  as  they  ga/.ed  with  wonder  at  the  fleet,  litled  tlnir 
lieads  <juiti'  aliovc  the  tops  of  the  mimosa-trees.  On  the  'Jd  of  Decem- 
ber, the  expedition  passed  the  mouth  of  the  Sobat  Kiver. 

From   latitude  !»    'JO'  to  (5    5(l'  north  tliere  in  a  compli'te  change  in 


tl 


le  snores  hecome 


the  scenery.  The  niagnitieent  forests  disappear,  ami 
marshy  and  unhealthy,  covered  with  tall  grass,  whose  prickly  stalks 
riMider  landing  tlitficult,  and  embarrass  the  navigation  of  the  shallows. 
The  air  is  heavy  with  noxious  miasmas  and  tilled  with  countless  swarms 
of  gnats  and  moscpiitoes.  The  water  of  the  river  is  partially  stagnant, 
and  green  with  vcu'ctable  matter,  occisioning  serious  disonlcrs  to  I hosn 
who  drink  it.  Dr.  l<?iol»Ieclier  elarilieil  it  by  means  of  alum,  and  escaped 
with  a  sore  mouth.  In  order  to  sleep,  liowever,  he  was  obligeil  to  wear 
thick  gloves  and  inutHe  up  his  liu-e,  almost  to  Kutrocation.  The  /!ii/ir 
d-(ihtizi)l,  or  (iazelle  I.akc,  lies  in  latitude  !•'  ID'  tiorth.  It  is  thuH 
iinuied  from  tin-  (Iazelle  Kiver,  which  tlows  into  it  on  the  western  side, 
and  which  has  never  yet  been  oxplored.     Its  depth  is  about  nine  feet, 


INTERCOURSE    WITH    THE    NATIVE    TRIBES. 


645 


Itut  the  roods  and  wator-]»latits  with  whioli  it  is  filled  roaoh  to  the  sur- 
fiu'o,  and  roiidor  the  navigation  difficult.  Its  shores  are  inhabited  by 
the  Nuehr  negroes,  a  stupid,  iiiibruted  race,  many  of  whom  are  fre- 
quently carried  off  by  the  traders  and  sold  as  slaves.  For  this  reason  it 
is  now  very  difficult  to  procure  elephants'  tooth  from  then;. 

After  leaving  the  (iazelle  Lake,  the  course  of  the  White  Nile  bo- 
comes  exceedingly  tortuous,  and  its  current  sluggish.  Innumerabh; 
estuaries,  or  blind  channels,  which  lose  themselves  among  the  rooils, 
]ioij)U'M'd  the  jiilots,  and  delayed  the  jirogress  of  the  expedition.  The 
land  of  the  Kyks  succoodod  to  that  of  the  Nuehrs,  which  terminated 
about  the  eighth  j)arallol  of  latitude.  The  former  are  a  race  of  herds- 
men, who  Iijivc  great  iiumbers  of  cattle  and  sheep.  Dr.  Knoblochor 
f)Und  tlicni  exceedingly  shy,  on  account  of  the  throats  of  one  of  tlioir 
/cof/ii(r.s\  or  soothsayers,  who  had  warned  them  against  hohling  any 
hitercourse  M'ith  the  traders.  On  the  22d  of  December  they  re.'iched 
the  village  of  Angwon,  when;  the  king  of  the  Kyks  resided.  The 
monarch  rocoivol  thom  with  groat.  kindiHss,  ami  jiaid  <listinguislio(l 
homage  to  Padro  Angolo  A  iuoo.  Dr.  Knoblochor's  companion,  whom, 
on  accoimt  of  his  spectacles  and  gray  beard,  he  took  to  be  a  magician. 
He  bogge(l  the  Tadro  to  gr.nit  him  four  favors,  viz.:  abundance  of 
cliildron  ;  tlio  do.'ith  of  the  enemy  '' ho  had  slain  his  fiithor;  victory  in 
all  his  lights,  and  a  euro  for  the  wound  in  his  head.  The  latter  gill 
Avas  easily  bestowed,  by  means  of  a  jil.astor,  but  he  was  not  satistied 
until  an  image  of  the  Virgin  had  boon  Inmg  around  his  neck. 

South  of  the  Kyks  <lwell  the  Klliabs,  wiio  are  h'ss  timid  than  the 
Routhorn  tribes,  because  they  come  less  trecpiontly  into  (oiitact  with  the 
trailers.  In  their  country  the  White  Nile  divides  into  two  branches, 
and  hero  the  expedition  separated,  each  division  taking  a  diU'oront  chan- 
nel. 'I'ho  water  was  so  low  that  the  vessels  stuck  last  in  the  mud,  but 
wore  relieved  by  the  friendly  natives,  who  ilr.aggod  tlii'ni  through  tin; 
shallows  by  moans  of  long  tow-ropes,  i'or  this  .service  they  wore  paid 
in  glass-beads,  'i  h  further  the  vessels  went  into  regions  whore  inter- 
course witii  the  K.'ypti.'ui  traders  is  rare,  and  thorotbro  fewer  outrages 
are  por|)olratod,  t.  •  »r.oro  friendly,  otmtidiiig,  and  unconcerned  was  the 
behavior  of  the  natives. 

On  the  .''Nt  of  Dec«'m))er  the  expedition  reached  tlie  coimtry  of  the 
Zhirs.  The  |ieopl(>  can.o  down  to  the  water's  edge  to  greet  ihetn,  the 
women  clapping  tlnir  hands  ami  singing  a  song  of  welcome.  On  the 
-d  of  January,  1H50,  Dr.  Knoblochor  saw  in  the  Hotith-east  tiie  grahite 
moimtain  of  Niorkanyi,  which  lies  in  the  !?ari  country,  i.i  about  the  lil'th 
flogreo  of  north  latitude.  It  was  the  first  elevation  bo  had  soc.i  since 
leaving  Djeliel  Di'fafiingh,  in  the  coimtry  tif  the  Dinkas,  in  latitmle  in" 
35'.  All  the  intervening  space  is  a  vast  savanaah,  interspersed  with 
roedy  sw.amps  of  staLrnant  water.  The  Zhirs  own  mmuToiis  flocks  and 
herds,  .and  cultivate  largo  fields  of  sesame  and  dourra.  They  are  very 
superior  to  the  Nuehrs  and   Kyks  in  stature,  synnnotry  of  form,  and 


i  Ml 

in  i 


I      '! 

I,    'i 


?n 


I  h . 


;'!:; 


I  I    I 


•  i  I 


646 


EXPLORATIONS    OF    TIIK    WIIITK    NILE. 


their  manner  toward  stranufcrs.  In  all  these  tribes,  the  men  i^o  entirely 
naked,  wlnle  the  women  wear  a  narrow  tjinlie  of  sheei>-skin  aionnd  tiio 
loms.  Dr.  Knohleeher,  however,  confirmed  the  statement  of  Werne  as 
to  the  modi'sty  of  tlu-ir  demeanor  and  the  evident  morality  of  their 
domestic  life. 

After  leavinu:  the  Zhirs  the  t-xpedition  entered  tlie  country  of  llit^ 
liaris,  and  <m  the  14th  of  January  reached  tlie  rapids  of  the  White  Nile, 
at  ihe  island  of  Tsanker,  in  t"  10'  north.  This  was  the  furthest  jioint 
reached  hy  all  previous  expeditions,  ;is  they  foimd  it  impossible  to  .ad- 
vance further  witli  thi'ir  vessels.  The  Nubian  ]>ilot,  Suleynian  Abou- 
Zcitl,  determini'tl  to  make  the  atti'mpt,  and  on  the  lldlowinir  day,  aided 
by  a  .strong  north  wind,  stenuni'd  the  rapid  and  ri.iche<l  thcbro.id,  lake- 
like expanse  of  river  .above  it.  C'onlinuiii!.j  his  voyage.  Dr.  Knobicchcr 
sailed  sixteen  miles  further,  to  tlie  IJari  village  of  Tokiman.  Tiie  country 
was  exccediuLily  rich  and  beautiful,  aboundinij  in  trees,  an<l  densely 
jieoplcd.  The  currc'it  of  the  ri\'cr  v.as  niori'  rapi<l,  its  wiifers  purer,  an<l 
the  air  seemed  to  have  I'Utirely  lost  the  depressin<,'  miasmatic  exhalations 
of  the  regions  further  north.  The  iidiabitants  of  Tokiman  .sliowed  j^reat 
astonishment  at  the  sitjht  of  the  vessels  raid  their  white  occup.ants. 
NothiiiLT,  however,  afi'ci  t'Ml  tlu  ni  so  much  as  the  loiu'S  of  a  Harmonica, 
|ilayed  by  Dr.  Knobicchcr.  ]\!aiiy  of  tlu'  people  shed  tears  of  delight, 
and  the  chief  olVered  the  sovi'ri'itrnty  of  his  tribe  in  ('.vchange  Ibr  the 
wdiiderful  in>>trument. 

On  the  Kith,  the  expe<Iition  n'acluMl  the  villiiL-'e  of  T.oijrwek,  wliich 
takes  its  name  iVoiii  a  solitary  Lfranite  peak,al)out  ,six  hundred  lie!  Iii.udi, 
which  s(an<ls  on  the  lift  bank  of  the  Nile.  It  is  in  latitude  l  lo' north, 
and  this  is  thi'  most  southern  point  wlTu'li  has  yet  been  reached  on  the 
White  Nile.  Dr.  Knol)lecher  .ascended  the  nie.untaiii,  which  coninianilc<l 
a  view  of  iiliuost  the  entire  Uari  country.  'I'ow.ard  the  south-west  the 
river  wound  out  of  sitjfht  between  the  mountains  Kclto  and  Kidi,  near 
which  is  the  mountain  of  Kcre;,',  contiiininij  ricli  iron  mines  which  are 
woiked  bv  the  natives.  Toward  the  south,  on  the  v.rv  veru'e  of  the 
hoii/.on,  rose  a  lont;  raiii/e  of  hills,  whose  forms  couhl  not  be  observed 
with  exactness,  owin<x  to  the  Ljrcat  distance.  JJeyond  the  [.ojjwayil 
r.inir<',  which  .appeared  in  the  east,  dwell  the  i»erri  trilies,  whose  lantrua'xe 
is  distinct  from  the  Haris,  .and  who  are  neighbors  of  tlu;  (Jallas — that 
M.irlike  nice,  whose  domain  extends  from  Aliyssinia  to  the  wilds  of  Mo- 
zambi(|ue,  alonj;  the  great  central  plateau  of  rnianiesi.  The  natives  of 
LoijfWi'k  knew  nothing  wliate\er  of  the  country  to  the  south.  The  fur- 
thest mountain-range  was  proliably  under  the  parallel  of  latitude  ;! ' 
north,  so  that  the  White  Nil*?  has  now  been  traced  nearly  to  the  e<|U!itor. 
At  liOgwek,  it  wus  about  h\k  liund'-"d  .and  lif\y  feet  wide,  ami  fri>m  live 
to  eight  tl'ct  deep,  at  the  time  ,    Knobli'cliei's  vi<it,  which  was  diir- 

ing  the  dry  season.  Such  an  abundance  of  water  allows  us  to  estimatu 
with  tolerable  certainty  the  distance  to  its  unknown  souroea,  which 
must  undoubtedly  lie  beyond  the  etjuator. 


of  llic 
t"  Nile, 
;  jKiiiit 


SOURCE    OF    TIIK    WHITE    NILE. 


647 


Tiie  great  Bnow  mountain  of  Kilimandjaro,  disooverotl  in  1850  by 
f)r.  Krajit"  the  (Icrnian  missionary,  on  liis  journey  inland  from  Mombas, 
on  the  coast  of  Zanzibar,  has  been  hx'ated  by  geograj)hers  in  latitude  3'^ 
south.  It  is  therefore  most  probable  tliat  the  soinee  of  the  Wliite  Nile 
will  lie  found  in  the  ran<^(^  of  mountains,  of  whieh  Kilimandjaro  is  tlio 
erowninnj;  aj»ex.  The  :4eoiifrapher  Herj^haus,  in  a  Ions;  and  labored  arti- 
r-h',  endeavors  to  prove  that  the  (iazelle  Kiver  is  tlie  true  Nile,  and 
makes  it  rise  in  the  irreat  lake  N'Vassi,  in  latitude  l.'V  south.  Dr.  Kiiob- 
iecher,  however,  wIk*  examined  the  iJalir  el-(Jhazal  at  its  mouth,  says  it 
is  an  uuimjiortant  stream,  witli  a  s<'arcely  perceptible  current.  He  con- 
siders the  White  Nile  as  beinti:,  beyond  all  ([uestion, tlui  true  ri> cr.  IIo 
rdso  states  that,  v.liile  !it  Loixwek,  some  of  the  natives  spoke  of  jteoplo 
white  like  himself,  who  lived  tiir  toward  the  soutii. 

The  shortness  of  Dr.  Knoblecher's  Htay.amont;  the  IJaris  did  not  per- 
mit him  to  olttain  much  information  i-oncernin;;  th(>m.  They  appeared 
to  l»e  WfM'shipers  of  trees,  like  the  Dinkas  and  Shillooks,  but  to  have  a 
•flinnnerini;  idea  of  the  I'uture  existence  of  the  soul.  They  are  bnive  and 
fearless  in  their  demeanor,  yet  cheerl'ul,  <food-natured,  and  afVectionato 
toward  each  other.  Werne  frequently  observed  tlu'  men  walkinif  alontjj 
the  shore  with  their  arms  around  each  other's  necks.  They  are  even 
UKM'e  colossal  in  their  statiu'e  than  the  Shillooks,  many  of  them  reaching 
a  height  of  seven  feet.  Their  tbrms  ;ire  well-knit,  synunetrical,  and  in- 
dicate great  strength  and  activity.  In  smelting  antl  working  up  the  iron 
ore  of  Alount  Kcreg  they  sh<»w  a  reniarkahle  skill.  JNIany  of  the  spears 
in  Dr.  Knoblecher's  possession  are  as  elegantly  formeil  .and  as  admirably 
teinperiMl  .as  if  they  ha<l  come  from  the  liands  of  a  Knrojieanbl.acksmith. 
They  .ilso  have  w.ar-clubs  of  ebony,  which  are  iiearly  :is  hard  .and  heavy 
as  iron.  One  end  is  of  a  sloping,  oval  l!irm,  .and  the  other  sharp,  atid 
they  are  said  to  throw  them  a  distance  of  tifty  or  a  hundred  yards  with 
such  jirecision  that  tli<'  sharp  point  strikes  iirst,  and  the  club  jiasses 
through  the  Imdy  like  a  laiuH-. 

On  the  17th  of  January  the  expedition  leH  Logwek  on  its  return  to 
Khartoum,  the  traders  having  procmid  all  tin?  ivory  which  tlie  natives 
had  collected  since  the  jirevious  year.  The  missionaries  were  prevented 
from  accomplishing  their  object  by  the  jealousy  of  the  traders,  who  per- 
suaded liie  l>ari  chiefs  that  they  were  magicians,  :uid  that  if  they  wero 
allowed  to  remain,  they  would  bewitch  the  country,  prevent  the  i.ains 
iVom  fillintr,  iiiid  destroy  the  crops  of  dourra.  In  coiiseiiuence  of  these 
reports  the  chiet's  and  peopii'.  who  had  been  on  the  most  friendlv  terms 
with  Dr.  Knoblecher  and  I'acbe  Angelo,  suddenly  became  shy  and  sus- 
picious, ami  refused  t<»  .allow  the  latter  to  take  up  their  residence  among 
them.  The  desi','n  of  the  mission  was  thus  frustrated,  and  the  vicar 
returtied  with  the  e\pe<lition  to  Khartiunn. 

The  jtictnrcs  which  these  recent  cvjilorations  present  to  us,  ,u\d  to 
the  stately  and  subliin<'  associations  with  wliich  the  Nik  i.i  invested,  .intl 
th.at  miraculous  flood  will  lose  nothing  of  his  interest  Mhun  the  mystery 
wliich  vuils  his  origin  shall  be  finally  diKpolled. 


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MAJOR  HARRIS'S 


MISSION    TO    SIIOA. 


Ix  the  hoginninrj  of  the  year  1841,  tlic  {jovornmont  of  tlieEast  Intliii 
Company  cU'tenniiicd  to  scud  a  mission  to  the  kingdom  ofShoa,  in  South- 
ern Abyssinia,  for  the;  ])urposo  of  makinj^  a  connnercial  treaty  with  Siihola 
Selassie,  the  monarcdi  of  that  country.  With  the  exception  of  l)rs.  Krapf 
and  Isenberg,  (icnnan  missionaries,  the  former  of  whom  was  then  rcsid- 
infj  at  Ankober,  the  capital  of  Shoa,  the  country  had  not  been  visited  by 
Europeans  for  nearly  two  centuries.  The  nearest  ]ioiiit  of  access  liy  sea 
was  the  port  of  Tajura,  in  the  country  of  the  Danakil,  a  short  distance 
west  of  the  Straits  of  Babelmandeb,  and  thither  the  mission  was  directed 
to  proceed.  The  command  was  ^iven  to  JMaJor  W.  C'ornwallis  Harris, 
of  the  Bond)ay  Enu;incers,  assisted  by  Captain  Dout^las  (iraham;  the 
other  persons  attached  to  it  were  Drs.  Kirk  and  Impey,  surgeons; 
Lieutenants  llorton  and  Harker;  Dr.  Kotli,  natural  historian;  3Iessrs. 
Bernati'.  and  Scott,  artists;  two  sergeants,  lifteen  jirivates,  and  live 
other  assistants. 

The  members  of  the  embassy  left  liombay  toward  the  close  of  April 
in  ti<e  steamer  Anrldiaul^  and  were  conveyed  to  Aden,  whence  they 
shipped  for  Tajura  in  the  brig-ofwar  /•Jitji/itdfr.'^.  on  tiio  loth  of  May. 
Dawn  <)*'  the  17th  revealed  the  town  of  Tajura,  not  a  mile  distant,  on 
the  verge  of  a  broad  expanse  of  blue  water,  over  which  a  gossamer-like 
fleet  of  li!,hing  catamarans  already  plii'd  their  busy  crat't.  The  tales  ni' 
the  dreary  Tehama,  of  ♦he  suffocating  Shimal,  and  of  the  desolate  plains 
of  the  blood-thirsty  Ailaiel,  were  for  the  moment  forgotten.  The  bold 
gray  mountains  filled  up  the  landscape,  and,  rising  tier  al»ove  tier, 
through  oral  limestone  and  basaltic  trap,  to  the  majestic  .Tebel  <ioo<lah, 
towering  five  thousand  feet  above  the  oceau,  were  en\ elopi'd  in  dirty 
red  clou<ls,  wiiich  imparted  a  wintry  tone  to  the  entire  landscape. 
Verdant  clumps  of  date  and  palm-trees  embosomed  the  only  well  of 
fresh  water,  around  wh.ich  numerous  Bedouin  females  were  drawing 
their  daily  supply  of  the  precious  fluid. 

The  next  day  the  members  of  the  embtissy  landed,  with  their  horses, 


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650 


MAJOR    HARRIS'S    MISSION    TO    SIIOA. 


biigLfago,  presents,  ;ui(l  mordiaiuliso.  In  a  spacious  crimson  pavilion, 
erected  as  a  hall  of  audience.  Major  Harris  received  a  visit  of  ceremony 
from  the  sultan  and  his  principal  chiefs.  "  A  more  unprincely  object," 
says  he,  '"  can  scarcely  be  conceived  than  was  presented  in  the  "mbecile, 
attenuated,  and  ghastly  form  of  this  most  meager  potentate,  who,  as  he 
tottered  iTito  the  maniuce,  supported  Jjy  a  long  witch-like  wand,  tend- 
ere(l  his  hideous  bony  claws  to  each  of  the  jtarty  in  succession,  with  all 
llic  repulsive  coldness  that  characterizes  a  Dankali  shake  of  the  hand. 
His  decrepit  frame  was  enveloped  in  a  coarse  cotton  mantle,  which,  with 
a  blue  checked  wrapper  about  his  loins,  and  an  amjde  turban  j)erched 
on  tlu!  very  apex  of  his  shaven  crown,  was  admirably  in  liurmony  with 
the  dirt  that  |)ervaded  the  attire  tif  his  privy  cotmcil  and  attendants. 

"The  ashes  of  ancient  feuds  were  still  smoking  on  the  arrival  of  the 
Uritish  ;  and  although  I  endeavored  to  impress  the  minds  of  all  parties 
with  the  idea  that  the  amount  disbursed  at  the  time  of  our  dejiarture 
for  Shoa,  would  be  diminisheil  in  the  exact  ratio  of  the  delay  that  we 
experienced — and  although,  to  judge  from  the  surface,  affiiirs  looked 
jirosjterous  enough  toward  the  speedy  completion  of  carriage,  yet  there 
was  ever  an  adverse  under-current  setting;  and  th(;  apathy  of  the  savage 
outweighed  even  his  avarice.  Thus  for  a  weary  l!)rtnight  we  ^\ere 
doomed  to  endure  the  merciless  heat  of  the  Tajura  sun,  whose  tardy  de- 
parture Avas  followed  by  a  close,  nuigtry  atmosphere,  only  occasionally 
alleviated  by  the  bursting  of  a  thunder-storm  over  the  jieak  of  Jebel 
(ioodah.  lVrj)etuaIly  deceived  by  the  falsest  promises,  it  Avas  yet  im- 
jtossible  to  discover  where  tj)  lay  tiie  blame.  JJribes  were  lavished,  in- 
creased hire  acceded  to,  and  camels  repi'ateihy  brought  into  the  town; 
but  (lay  after  day  found  us  again  dujtes  to  Danakil  knavery,  still  seated 
like  shipwrecked  nuiriners  upon  the  shore,  ga/.ing  in  helpless  melancholy 
:it  endless  bales  which  strewed  the  strand,  as  if  washed  up  by  the  waves 
t)f  the  ilckle  ocean." 

Finally,  after  a  series  of  most  provoking  delays,  the  necessary  num- 
ber of  camels  was  ]irocur(>il,  the  sultan's  brother  appointed  to  accom- 
])auy  the  mission  to  Ankeber,  and  the  march  was  commenced  on  the 
:{Oth  of  .May.  On  reaching  the  village  <if  Ambabo,  however,  a  i'vw  miles 
from  Tajura,  another  delay  of  thri'c  or  four  days  took  ]ilace,  and  noth- 
ing but  the  presence  of  tlu'  war-schooner  Constani-i.,  which  was  ordered 
to  follow  the  march  of  tin;  embassy  along  the  coast,  as  far  as  the  head 
of  the  CluU;  i)revented  the  chiefs  from  committing  further  extortions. 
These  delays  obliged  them  to  traverse  the  desert  of  Tehama  at  the  hot- 
ti'st  season  of  the  year.  On  the  night  A  the  Sd  of  June  they  started 
again,  traveling  westward  over  the  loose  rocks  of  the  sea-shore,  until 
they  reached  the  extremity  of  the  gulf,  when  their  path  led  u).  the 
steep  sides  of  the  barren  hills  to  the  table-land  of  Warelissan.  Dawn 
disclosed  the  artill(>ry  mules  in  such  wretche<l  plight  from  their  fatiguing 
night's  labor,  that  it  was  found  necessary  to  imlimber  the  gun,  and  place 
it  with    Its   carriage   on   the    back  of  an    K-'sah  camel   of  Herculean 


FEARFUL  SUFFKUINGS  OF  THE  PARTY. 


651 


Btri'ns^th,  and  altlioiigli  little  i)lca.so<l  duriiig  tlu;  loading,  iho  animal 
arose  without  (litHcuity,  and  niovL'd  freely  aloni^  with  its  novel  l)ni'den. 

They  spent  the  day  on  the  scorcliing  tabli'-land,  one  thonsajul  seven 
hundred  feet  above  the  sea,  and  having  purehased  with  some  eloth  the 
good  will  ol"  the  wild  Bedouin  tribes,  who  liad  mustered  to  attack  theuj, 
set  out  the  next  night,  at  moonrise,  down  the  yowning  pass  of  Rah 
J^esali,  wliieh  leads  to  tlie  salt  lake  of  Assiil.  It  was  a  bright  and  cloud- 
less night,  and  the  sccMiery,  as  viewed  by  the  uncertain  moonlight,  cast 
at  intervals  in  the  windings  of  the  road  upon  the  glittering  spear-blades 
of  the  warriors,  Avas  wild  and  terriiic.  The  frowning  basaltic  dills,  not 
three  hundred  yards  from  suiuTuit  to  summit,  tluiig  an  imj)enetrable 
gloom  over  the  greater  portion  of  the  frightful  chasm,  until,  as  the  moon 
rose  higher  in  the  clear  vault  of  heaven,  she  shone  full  upon  luige  shad- 
owy masses,  and  gradually  revealeil  the  now  dry  bed,  which  in  the  rainy 
season  must  oftentimes  become;  a  l>rief  but  impetuous  torrent.  Skirting 
the  base  of  a  l)arr(>n  range,  covered  with  heaps  of  lava  lilocks,  and  its 
foot  ornamented  with  many  artillcial  ])iles,  marking  deeds  of  blood,  the 
lofty  conical  peak  of  Jebcl  Seearo  rose  presently  to  sight,  and  not  long 
afterward  the  far-fumed  Lake  Assiil,  surrounded  by  dancing  mirage,  was 
seen  sparkling  at  its  base. 

''  In  this  unvciitilated  and  diabolical  hollow,"  says  the  narrative, 
"dreadful  indeed  were  the  sufle rings  hi  store  both  for  man  and  iK'ast. 
Not  a  drop  of  fresh  water  existed  within  many  miles  ;  and,  although 
every  human  }>recaution  had  been  taken  to  secure  a  supply,  by  means  of 
skins  carried  upon  lamels,  the  very  great  extent  of  nuist  impracticable 
country  to  be  traversed.  \\lii(  h  had  unavoidably  led  to  the  detention  of 
nearly  all,  added  t(j  the  ditlicully  of  restraining  a  multitud"  madd(MH'd 
by  the  ttjrturcs  of  burning  thirst,  rendered  the  provision  (piite  iusufli- 
cient  ;  and  during  the  whole  of  this  apj)alling  day,  with  the  nu'i-cin-y  in 
the  thermometer  standing  at  one  hundred  ami  twenty-six  degrees  under 
the  shade  of  cloaks  and  umbrellas,  ui  a  suffocating  PandemoTiiinn,  de- 
pressed five  hundred  and  seventy  feet  below  the  ocean,  where  no  zi'phyr 
famied  the  levered  skin,  and  where  the  glare,  arising  from  the  sea  of 
white  salt,  was  most  ))ainful  to  the  eyes;  where  the  furnaee-Iike  vapor 
exhali'd,  almost  choking  respiration,  (M'(>ated  an  indomitable  thirst,  and 
not  the  smallest  shelter  existe<l,  save  such  as  was  alVordeil,  in  cruel  mock- 
ery, l)y  the  stunted  boughs  of  the  solitary  leafless  acacia,  or,  worse  sliil, 
by  black  blocks  of  heated  lava,  it  was  only  practicable,  during  twelve 
tedious  hours  ro  supply  to  each  of  the  ]>arty  two  (juarts  of  the  most  me- 
pliitic  brickdust-colored  lluid,  which  the  direst  necessity  could  alone 
have  forced  dtjwn  the  parched  throat,  and  which,  after  all,  far  from  alle- 
viating thirst,  served  materially  to  augment  its  horrors." 

The  suifcrings  of  the  ])arty  were  so  terrible,  that  they  were  obliged 
to  leave  the  baggage  to  the  care  of  the  guides  and  camel-drivers,  and 
\m•^h  on  to  the  ravine  of  (loongoonteh,  beyond  the  desert,  where  there 
was  a  spring  of  wrtcr.   All  the  Europeans,  therefore,  set  out  at  midnight, 


IKHi 


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|- 


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652 


MAJOR    HAR'iKS^:'    MISSION    TO    SIIOA. 


but  at  tl:e  very  moment  ot'  starliiiir,  tlio  camel  carryiritj  the  water-skins 
fell,  burst  the  skins,  and  lost  the  last  remaininu  sii|)j>l\ .  "The  horrors 
of  that  dismal  niujht,"  says  Major  Harris,  "  set  the  itlbrts  of  dc>scrii)tion 
at  defiiuice.  An  unlimited  supply  I"  water  in  jirospeet,  at  the  distaneo 
of  only  sixteen  miles,  had  for  the  m(»menl  b\ioyed  up  tlu'  drooping  spirit 
which  tenanted  each  way-worn  frame  ;  and  when  an  exhausted  mule  was 
unable  to  totter  fin-'.iier,  his  riui-r  iontrived  manfully  to  breast  the  steep 
hill  on  foot.  I'iiit  owing  to  the  !')iig  fasting  and  privation  endured  l»y  all, 
the  limbs  .if  the  weaker  soon  refused  the  task,  and  after  the  first  two 
miles,  they  dropped  fast  in  the  rear. 

''Fannt'd  by  the  liery  blast  of  the  midniglit  sirocco,  the  cry  tbr  water, 
uttei  1  feebly  and  with  dijlloilty,  by  iiumbei's  of  j>arched  throats,  now 
became  incessant;  a-id  thr  supply  of  that  ])recious  element  brought  for 
the  whole  party  falling  short  of  one  gallon  and  a  half,  it  was  not  long  to 
be  a!isw«'red.  A  sip  of  diluted  vinegar  I'or  a  moment  assuaijing  the  burn- 
ing thirst  which  raged  in  the  vitals,  again  raised  their  droopinjj:  souls  ; 
but  its  eftects  were  transient,  and  after  strugu^ling  a  lew  steps,  over- 
whelmed, they  sunk  again,  with  husky  voice  <leclaring  their  days  to  be 
numbered,  and  their  resolution  to  rise  no  more."  One  of  the  guides 
pushed  forward,  and  after  a  time  retuTTied  with  a  single  skin  of  nniddy 
water,  which  he  bad  llircibly  taken  from  a  Hedouin.  This  supply  saved 
the  lives  of  many  of  the  party,  who  liail  fallen  fainting  on  the  sands,  and 
by  sunrise  they  all  reached  the  little  rill  of  (Joongoonteh. 

Here  termhiated  the  dreary  j»ass.age  nfthc  dire  Tehama — an  iron- 
bound  waste,  which,  at  this  inauspicious  season  of  the  year,  opposes  <lifti- 
culties  almost  overwhelming  in  the  jjath  of  the  traveler.  Setting  aside 
the  total  absence  of  water  an<l  forage  throughout  a  burning  tract  of  lilly 
miles — it>i  manifold  intricate  mountain  jiiisses,  barely  wide  enousfh  to  ad- 
mit the  trajisit  of  a  loaded  camel,  the  bitter  animosity  of  the  wild  blood- 
thirsty tribes  by  which  they  arc  infest eil,  and  tlie  nnil'orm  badness  of  the 
road,  if  road  it  maybe  termed,  everywhere  beset  with  the  j.agged  blocks 
of  lava,  .and  intersected  by  perilous  acclivities  and  descents — it  is  no  ex- 
aggeration to  state,  that  the  stilling  sirocco  which  sweeps  across  the  un- 
wholesome salt  flat  during  the  hotter  months  of  the  year,  could  not  fail, 
within  eight  and  forty  hours,  to  destroy  the  hardiest  European  adven- 
turer. 

The  ravme  in  which  they  were  encamped  was  tlie  scene  of  a  terrible 
tr.agedy  on  the  following  night.  Favored  by  the  obscurity  of  the  place, 
some  marauding  He<louins  succeeded  in  stealing  ])ast  the  scntrii's;  a 
wiltl  cry  aroused  the  camp,  and  as  the  frightened  men  ran  to  the  spot 
whence  it  proceeded.  Sergeant  "Walpole  and  Corjioral  Wilson  were  dis- 
covered, in  the  hust  ag<rnies  of  death.  One  had  been  struck  with  a  creese 
in  the  carotid  art(My  inunediately  below  the  ea*-,  and  the  other  stabbed 
through  the  heart ;  while  sncechless  beside  their  mangled  bodies  was 
stretched  a  Portuguese  follower,  Avith  a  frightful  gash  across  the  a]> 
domen.    No  attempt  to  plunder  appeared  as  an  excuse  for  the  outrage. 


iiiiijiiij 


I , 


OA. 

tlio  M-ater-skins 
"  'I'lie  Iiorrors 
's  ol'  (li'jscriptioii 
.  at  tile  (listaiico 
'<ln)()j)iiig  spirit 
iuistt'd  niiik'  was 
broust  till'  .stc'op 

endurt'd  ]>y  all, 
•  I"  t hi-  first  two 

If  cry  I'or  water, 
ed  tliroats,  now 
I'lit  brout^Iit  I'or 
was  not  long  to 
a.ijing  the  burn- 
Jrooping  souls  ; 
I'W  sl(>|)s,  ovor- 
lii'ir  days  to  be 

of  the  guides 
skin  of  nmddy 
is  supply  saved 

the  sands,  and 

llama — an  iron- 
r,  opposes  difti- 

Setting  aside 
\ir  tract  of  fifty 

enouixh  to  ad- 
he  wild  lilood- 
badness  of  the 
jagged  blocks 
ts — it  is  no  e.\- 
aoross  the  un- 
fould  not  fail, 
n'opean  ad\en- 

0  of  a  terrible 
y  of  the  place, 
le  sentries;  a 
n  to  the  spot 
Ison  were  dis- 
with  a  ereeso 
)tlier  stabbed 
ed  bodies  was 
leross  the  al)- 
■  the  outrage, 


THE    CHIEF    OF    TUR    DKBRNI. 


653 


and  the  only  object  donbtloss  was  the  acfpiisition  of  that  barbarous 
estimation  and  distinction  which  is  to  be  arrived  at  through  deeds  of 
assassination  and  blood.  For  every  victim,  sleeping  or  waking,  that 
falls  luider  the  murderous  knife  of  one  of  these  fiends,  lie  is  entitled  to 
disj)lay  a  white  ostrich-plume  in  his  woolly  hair,  to  wear  on  the  arm  an 
additional  bracelet  of  copper,  and  to  adorn  the  hilt  of  his  reeking  creese 
with  yet  another  stud  of  silver  or  jiewter.  Krc  the  day  dawned  the 
mangled  bodies  (if  the  dead,  now  stiff  and  stark,  were  consigned  by 
their  sorrowing  comrades  to  rudt;  but  compact  receptacles — untimely 
tom^s  coii<tructeil  ])y  the  native  escort,  who  had  voluntarily  addressed 
themselves  to  the  task. 

Nine  miles  of  gradual  ascent  next  day,  l.rouglit  llu-  c^i  ivui  safely  to 
the  encan  ng  ground  at  the  head  of  the  stream — a  rv  ,»;}»  i^'  rrounde<l 
by  wavii.4  palms  and  v(,'rdaiit  rushes,  on  a  high  t''.5r,(  .hifvW,  affording 
abund  :  of  green  forage  to  tin;  famislied  catlU .  Tlu,-  j>i.'Xt  night 
they  ran  '  vteen  miles,  and  on  the  forenoon  of  the  I'itli,  reached  the 
villaj^e  .  niggadera,  in  the  country  of  the  Danaki,  Debeni — the  first 
habitations  tlu'y  had  seen  since  leaving  the  sea-coast,  ninety  miles  dis- 
tant. The  banks  of  the  shallow  stream  at  this  jilace  were  fringed  with 
dwarf  palms,  and  drooping  tamarisks.  J"lo<ks  of  goats,  diligently 
browsing  on  the  fat  pods  which  iall  at  this  season  from  the  acacia, 
were  tended  by  IJedouin  crones  in  greasy  leathern  jietticoats,  who 
plaited  mats  of  the  split  date-leaf;  while  groups  of  men,  women,  and 
children,  lining  the  eminences  at  every  turn,  watchdl  the  progress  of 
the  stranger  party. 

Journeying  forward  (  ver  waste  and  dreary  plains,  crossed  here  and 
there  by  almost  exhausted  wati'r-coursi's,  tln'V  reached  on  the  ir)tli,  the 
indoseil  valley  of  (Jobaad,  one  thousand  and  fifty-seven  feet  above 
the  sea.  Hearing  that  Makobunto,  Chief  of  the  Debeni  Arabs,  was  in 
the  neighborhood.  Major  Harris  sent  a  messenger  to  him  demanding  an 
interview,  which  took  ]ilace  on  the  f)llowiiig  day.  ".\ttended  by  a 
numerous  and  disrejiutable  retinue,  ilragging  as  a  gift  an  obstinate  old 
lie-goat,  the  ])otent  savage  sauntered  carelessly  into  our  camp  during 
the  e.arly  hours  of  the  forenoon.  Xot  one  whit  better  clad  than  the 
ratr'fed  and  <j;reasv  ruffians  in  his  train,  he  Avas  vet  distintxuislieil  liy 
weapons  of  a  superior  order — the  shaft  of  his  spear,  which  resembled  a 
weaver's  beam,  lieing  mounted  below  the  broail  glittering  bladi'  Mitli 
rings  of  br.ass  and  copper,  whili'  the  hilt  and  scabbard  of  ;i  truly  for- 
midable creese  were  embelHshed  in  like  ostentatious  fashion.  The 
wearer's  haughty  air,  and  look  of  wild  <letermiiiation,  were  well  hi 
unison  with  the  re])utation  he  had  ac(piired  as  a  warrior  chief  Long 
raven  locks  tloated  like  eagles'  ti'athers  over  a  bony  and  st.'lwart  frame. 
A  jiair  of  large  sinewy  arms,  terminated  in  fingers  tijiped  with  nails 
akin  to  birds'  claws,  and  the  general  form  and  figure  of  the  jiuissant 
Makof)rmto  brought  forcibly  to  mind  the  Ogre  in  the  nursery  talc. 

"  This  had  been  a  day  of  feasting  and  carousal ;  for  both  Izhak,  and 


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654 


MAJOR    HAERIS'S    MISSION    TO    SIIOA, 


tlic  son  of  the  Rookhba  chief  had  likewise  received  sheep,  and  the 
slaughter  of  each  had  been  followed  by  a  general  tussel  for  the  pos- 
session of  the  caul.  For  the  purpose  of  larding  the  head  this  is  a 
])rize  infinitely  preferred  even  to  the  tail,  which  appendage  in  the  Ade? 
sheep  i'l  so  copiously  furnished,  that  the  animal  is  said  to  be  cajiable  of 
subsisting  an  entire  year  upon  the  absorption  of  its  own  fat,  without 
tasting  water.  It  was  truly  delightful  to  witness  the  process  of  hair- 
dressing  at  the  hands  of  the  Dantikil  barber.  The  tlit  having  been 
melted  down  in  a  wooden  bowl,  the  operator,  removing  his  quid,  and 
placing  it  in  a  secure  i)osition  behind  the  left  ear,  proceeded  to  suck  up 
tropious  mouthfuls  of  the  liquid,  which  were  then  sputtered  over  the 
frizzled  wig  of  a  comrade,  who,  with  mantle  drawn  before  his  eyes  to 
exclude  stray  portions  of  tallow,  remained  squatted  on  his  haunches, 
the  very  jjicture  of  patience.  The  bowl  exhausted,  the  operator  care- 
fully collects  the  suet  that  has  so  creamed  around  his  chaps  as  to  render 
him  inarticulate  ;  and  having  duly  smeared  the  same  over  the  iilthy 
garment  of  him  to  whom  it  in  ecpiily  belongs,  proceeds,  with  a  skewer, 
to  put  the  last  finishing  touch  to  his  work,  Avhich,  as  the  lard  con- 
geals, gradually  assumes  the  desired  aspect  cf  a  fine  full-blowu  cauli- 
flower."* 


A  WANnEmsa  apuican  rninE. 

The  next  march  led  over  the  high  table-land  of  Hood  Ali,  a  stony 
level  thickly  studded  with  dry  grass,  and  extending  in  one  monotonous 
plateau  as  liir  as  the  eye  could  reach.     The  tetid  carrion-llowcr  hen'  jtre- 

*  This  original  Rtylo  of  li!iir-(lrossln(?  is  prnclicod  nlso  nmoiig  tlio  Almlnlilia,  tlio 
Binlmroos,  ami,  in  fart,  nil  Iho  imtivo  tribes  of  tlio  Nuliiuii  Dosorl  and  of  Si'nnnAr. 
Tliciiititi  al)Siinl  and  iliojrnstin^'  in  apiiiunmci',  it  is  donlitk'.sn  a  u.scfiil  proti'ction  to  tho 
Load,  us  these  races  wear  no  turban  or  any  other  eovoring. 


iW^r . 


INSOLENCE  OF  THE  NATIVES. 


655 


sented  its  globular  pnrj)le  blossoms  aiuon<:]f  llio  crevices,  and  a  singular 
medicinal  plant,  termed  Lab-lubba,  was  detected  by  the  keen  eye  ut'  a 
savage.  The  usual  encamping  ground  at  ^Vrabdera  was  ibiuid  to  bo 
pre-occupied  by  a  nomatl  tribe  of  Bedouin  goat-herds,  wlio  monoj)o- 
lized  the  scanty  water.  For  several  days  afterward,  the  character  of  the 
journey  did  not  materially  vary.  The  table-land  gradually  ascended, 
and  the  peaks  of  distant  mountains  appeared  on  the  horizon.  The  em- 
bassy tre<iuently  met  with  companies  of  the  wandering  tribes,  moving 
from  one  Avatering-place  to  another,  with  their  goats  and  camels.  At- 
temj)ts  Avere  made  to  steal  the  horses,  and  the  travelers  wt're  annoyed 
by  the  impudent  curiosity  of  the  natives  ;  but  they  kept  a  strict  watch, 
and  were  not  threatened  with  open  liostility. 

On  the  2:!d  they  reached  the  Wady  ICilhilloo,  which  is  considered 
exactly  lialf-way  from  the  sea-coast  to  the  frontier  of  Shoa.  The  worst 
portion  of  the  road  was  now  behind  tlii-m,  but  they  Mere  destined  to 
waste  many  days  in  that  vile  s])ot,  in  annoying  debates  and  dis(!Ussions, 
which  at  one  time  caused  them  to  fear  that  their  only  chance  of  pro- 
ceeding Avouhl  be  to  abandon  all  their  baggage.  T/.hak,  tlu'  brother  of 
the  Sultan  of  Tajura,  the  chief  of  the  Ily  Somauli  tribe,  and  tlu'  chiif 
of  the  Woemas,  all  disputed  whidi  .shouM  have  the  management  of  the 
expedition.  The  opportunity  was  also  taken  of  arbitrating  old  feuds 
and  private  (piarrels  :  a  vast  concourse  ot"  armed  natives,  members  of 
the  various  tribes,  sat  day  and  night  in  a  wide  circle,  loudly  discussing 
the  various  (piestions  brought  before  them.  "  Tiirougliout  this  ]ieriod 
of  irksome  detention,"  says  ^fajor  Harris,  "the  thermometer  stood  daily 
at  llli',  and  the  tempeiature  of  the  small  lent,  already  suHlciently  op- 
pressive, was  considerably  raised  by  tiic  unceasing  obtrusions  of  the 
wild,  dirty,  mmiannerly  rabble  who  lilled  th(i  ravine.  Imperiously  de- 
manding, not  suing,  l!)r  snulf,  beads,  and  tobacco,  with  jiaper  whereon 
to  write  charms  and  sjiells  for  defense  .against  I'vil  spirits,  swarms  forced 
themselves  in  from  the  fir.st  dawn  of  day  to  tlu?  mounting  of  the  guard 
at  night.  Treating  the  pale-fiiced  proprietors  with  the  most  marked  in- 
sult and  contumely,  they  spat  upon  the  beds,  excludetl  b(Mh  air  and  light, 
and  tainted  the  already  close  atmospliere  with  every  abominable  smell," 

At  length,  on  the  liHth,  it  -was  announced  that  every  point  at  is  ue 
had  been  satisliictorilv  arranged,  and  the  iournev  was  to  l»e  resuuicd  on 
the  morrow.  But  other  ditliculties  arose,  and  meanwhil(>  the  ruilian-i 
cnde.ivorcd  to  plunder  the  camp  of  the  embassy  by  night,  and  vented 
their  spite  in  throwing  stones  at  the  sentries.  On  the  UOtli,  utler  a 
week's  delay,  tliey  got  otf,  .and  soon  at'terward  met  !i  messenger  who 
had  been  sent  forward  froniTajura,  with  a  letli'r  ioKing  Sahela  Selassie, 
requesting  assistance  on  the  roa<l.  He  l>ronght  a  note  from  Dr.  Krapf 
to  ^lajor  Harris,  but  nierely  assurances  of  welcome  from  the  king,  wlio 
was  absent  from  nis  capital  on  a  military  ex|)e(lition.  Tint  rainy  season 
had  now  liiirlv  set  in,  .and  it  was  Ixlievi'il  that  the  ))ools  along  the  road 

the  caravan.     Their  course  hiy  over 


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656 


MAJOR    HARRIS'S    MISSION    TO    SHOA, 


the  extensive  plain  of  Merilian,  along  the  base  of  the  grass-clad  Bun- 
(loora  Hills.  Water,  however,  was  not  so  plenty  as  they  had  anticipated, 
and  they  suffered  great  distress  on  the  plain  of  Sultelli,  from  which  they 
were  providentially  relieved  by  a  heavy  fall  of  rain  at  night. 

"  Singular  and  interesting  indeed,"  remarks  Major  Ilarris,  "  is  the 
wild  scenery  in  the  vichiity  of  the  treacherous  oasis  of  Sultelli.  A 
field  of  extinct  volcanic  cones,  encircled  each  by  a  black  belt  of  vitrified 
la\a,  environs  it  on  three  sides  ;  and  of  these  Mount  Abida,  three  tho.i- 
f^and  feet  in  height,  would  seeni  to  be  the  ])arent,  its  yawning  cup,  en- 
veloped in  clouds,  stretching  some  two  and  a  half  miles  in  diameter. 
Beyond,  the  still  loftier  crater  of  Aiiilloo,  the  ancient  landmark  of  the 
now  decayed  empire  of  Ethiopia,  is  visible  in  dim  2>erspective  ;  and  in 
the  extreme  distance,  the  great  blue  Abyssinian  range,  toward  which 
our  toil-Avorn  steps  were  directed,  arose  in  towering  grandeur  to  the 
skies." 

On  the  nth  of  July,  they  left  these  waste  volcanic  plains,  and  passing 
over  a  narrow  ridge  of  land,  descended  into  the  vallev  of  Ilalik-disxiri 
Zughir,  styled  by  the  Adaiel  the  great  Iliiwash — its  breadth  being  about 
two  and  a  half  miles,  and  the  lied  a  perfect  level,  covered  with  fine  grass, 
on  whicli  grazed  a  troop  of  wild  asses.  Mules,  horses,  and  camels,  in 
considerable  numbers,  were  abaiuloned  before  the  termination  of  this 
tedious  and  sultry  march — fatigiu',  want  of  water,  and  lack  of  forage, 
having  reduced  all  to  such  positive  skeletons,  that  they  walked  with  dif 
ficulty.  Ascending  thri'e  successive  terraces,  each  of  fifty  feet  elevation, 
the  road  finally  wound  into  the  confined  and  waterless  valley  of  Ilao, 
famous  for  the  number  of  jiartles  that  have  at  various  times  been  sur- 
prised and  cut  up  by  the  neighboring  (ialla. 

From  the  sunnuit  of  the  height  they  obtained  an  exhilarating  pros- 
pect over  the  dark  lone  valley  of  the  long-looked-for  TIawash.  The 
course  of  the  shining  river  was  marked  by  a  dense  belt  of  trees  and 
verdure,  which  stretchecl  toward  tlit.  base  of  the  great  mountain  range, 
whereof  the  cloud-capped  cone  that  frowns  over  the  capital  of  Slioa 
fi)rmed  the  most  conspicuous  feature.  Although  still  far  distatit,  the 
ultimate  destination  of  the  embassy  seemed  almost  to  have  been  gained; 
and  they  had  liltli"  idea  of  tin-  length  of  time  that  would  clai)se  before 
their  feet  should  ])ress  the  soil  of  Aiik(')ber. 

The  Iliiwash,  here  upward  of  two  thousainl  two  Inuidr.  .  above 

the  ocean,  forms  in   this  direction  the  nominal   boundary  (.'  domin- 

ions of  the  King  of  Slioa.  It  was  about  sixty  yanls  wide,  l>ut  swollen 
from  the  recent  rains,  and  the  current  had  a  velocity  of  three  miles  an 
hoin-.  "With  the  dawning  day,  |)re|)arations  were  commenced  for  cross- 
ing the  river  on  ten  frail  rafts  which  had  already  been  launched — tratis- 
versi- layers  of  drift-wood  rudely  lashed  together,  being  rendered  suffi- 
ciently buoyant,  by  the  addition  of  numerous  infiated  hides  an<l  water- 
skins,  to  support  two  camel  loads.  This  was  the  lumdiwork  of  the 
Daiuikil ;  an<i  their  shurp  creeses  soon  clearing  a  passage  through  the 


ifHHl 


THE    MOUNTAINS    OP    SHOA. 


657 


junglo,  every  portion  of  the  baggage  was  in  llio  course  of  a  few  hours 
deposited  at  the  water's  edge. 

The  passage  of  the  river  was  safely  accomplished,  and  the  mission 
proceeded  to  Wady  Azboti,  where  they  were  visited  hy  a  sjiy  from  the 
capital.  From  their  camp  the  lofty  peak  of  Mamrat,  the  "  Mother  of 
Grace,"  was  plainly  visible,  and  they  saw  the  distant  glimmer  of  Anko- 
ber,  on  the  mountain-side.  The  next  day  they  commenced  ascending 
the  hills.  "Three  thousand  feet  above  the  ocean,  with  an  invigorating 
breeze  and  a  cloudy  sky,  the  climate  of  this  principal  ])ass  into  tSouthern 
Abyssinia  was  that  of  a  fine  summer's  day  in  England,  rather  than  of 
the  middle  of  July  between  the  tropics.  But  from  the  summit  of  an 
adjacent  basaltic  knoll,  which  we  ascended  toward  the  close  of  day, 
there  burst  upon  our  gaze  a  magnificent  prospect  of  the  Abyssinian 
Alps.  Ilill  rose  above  hill,  clothed  in  the  most  luxurious  and  vigorous 
vegetation;  mountain  towered  over  moimtain ;  and  the  hail-clad  peaks 
of  the  most  remote  range  stretched  far  into  the  cold  blue  sky.  Villages, 
dark  groves  of  evergreens,  and  rich  fields  of  every  hue,  checkered  the 
broad  valley ;  and  the  setting  sun  shot  a  stream  of  golden  light  over  the 
mingled  beauties  of  wild  woodland  scenerv,  and  the  labors  of  the  Chris- 
tian  husbandman." 

They  were  now  fairly  within  the  dominions  of  Suhela  Selassie,  and 
were  surpriscil  that  no  escort  arrived  to  welcome  them.  A  letter  ar- 
rived from  Dr.  Krapf,  however,  stating  that  this  was  owing  to  the  jeal- 
ousy of  the  3Ioslem  governor  of  Farri,  the  frontier  town,  who  had  sent 
the  escort  back  under  the  false  pretense  that  the  Franks  had  not  been 
heard  of.  The  next  day  Dr.  Krapf  himself  arrived,  and  was  able  to 
afford  them  great  assistance,  by  his  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  lan- 
guage. The  king  also  sent  a  me>sage  inquiring  after  their  health,  and 
they  were  abundantly  supplied  with  beef,  sheep,  bread,  beer,  and  liydro- 
mel.  The  expected  escort  at  length  made  its  appearance,  and  the  em- 
bassy was  conducted  forward  with  something  of  the  pomp  aiul  state 
which  its  leader  seemed  to  think  was  required  by  its  character. 

He  gives  the  following  account  of  the  final  ascent  to  the  elevated 
mountain  region  in  which  Ankuber  is  situated  :  "Loaded  for  the  thirty- 
fifth  and  last  time  with  the  baggage  of  the  British  endtassy,  the  caravan, 
escorted  by  the  detachment  of  Ayto  Katama,  with  fiutes  j)Iaying  and 
muskets  echoing,  and  the  heads  of  the  warriors  decorated  with  white 
plumes,  in  earnest  of  their  l)old  exploits  during  the  late  expedition,  ad- 
vanced, on  the  afternoon  of  the  IGtIi  of  July,  to  Farri,  the  frontier  ton-n 
of  the  kingdom  of  Ktat,  Tt  was  a  cool  and  lovely  morning,  and  a  fresh 
invigorating  breeze  playeil  over  tlie  moimtain-side,  on  which,  thoitgh 
less  than  ten  degrees  removed  from  the  equator,  fiourished  the  vegeta- 
tion of  nortliern  «!limes.  The  rough  and  stony  road  wound  on  by  a 
Bteep  ascent  over  hill  and  dale — now  skirting  the  extreme  verge  of  a 
precipitous  cliff — now  dipping  into  the  basin  of  some  verdant  hollow, 
whence,  after  traversing  the  pebbly  course  of  a  murmuring  brook,  it 

42 


iiti 


I'F 


fiM  if 


ti 


\l 


1     :   •     f       1,                    1 

i 
i 

j      '        ! 
■      >        1  . 
i        ► 

i 


II,' 


658 


MAJOR   IIAIIIIIS'S    MISSION    TO    SHOA. 


suddenly  emerged  into  a  succession  of  shady  lanes,  bounded  by  flower- 
ing hedge-rows.  The  Avild  rose,  the  fern,  the  tantana,  and  the  honey- 
suckle, smiled  around  a  succession  of  highly  cultivated  terraces,  into 
which  the  entire  range  was  broken  by  banks  supporting  the  soil ;  and 
on  every  eminence  stood  a  cluster  of  conically-thatched  houses,  envi- 
roned by  green  hedges,  and  partially  embowered  amid  dark  trees.  As 
the  troops  passed  on,  the  peasant  abandoned  his  occupation  in  the  field 
to  gaze  at  the  ncn'el  ])rocession  ;  while  merry  groups  of  hooded  women, 
decked  in  scarlet  and  crimson,  attracted  by  the  renewal  of  martial 
strauis,  letl  their  avocations  in  the  hut  to  welcome  the  king's  guests 
with  a  shrill  zugjiarect,  which  rang  from  every  hamlet. 

"  Lastly,  the  view  opened  upon  the  wooded  site  of  Ankober,  occupy- 
ing a  central  position  in  a  horso-shoe  crescent  of  mountains,  still  high 
above,  which  inclose  a  magnificent  amphitheater  of  ten  miles  in  diameter. 
This  is  clothed  throughout  with  a  splendidly  varied  and  vigorous  vege- 
tation, and  choked  by  minor  abutments,  converging  toward  its  gorge 
on  the  confines  of  the  Adel  plains.  Here  the  journey  was  for  the  pres- 
ent to  terminate,  and,  thanks  to  Abyssinian  jealousy  and  suspicion,  many 
days  Mere  yet  to  elapse  ere  the  remaining  height  should  be  climbed  to 
the  capital  of  Shoa,  now  distant  only  two  hours'  walk." 

The  mission  had  enemies  at  court,  and  was  detained  day  after  day, 
waiting  for  ])ermission  to  visit  the  king  at  Ankober.  llemonstrances 
sent  to  him  were  answered  by  polite  jjroniises,  which  were  not  fulfilled, 
and  the  monarch  appeared  quite  indifferent  to  beholil  the  splendid  i)res- 
cnts  they  had  brought  him.  The  most  probable  exj)lanation  of  his  con- 
duct was,  that  he  desired  to  maintain  a  due  respect  in  the  eyes  of  his 
subjects,  and  perhaps  also  to  impress  his  foreign  visitors  with  a  befitting 
sense  of  his  j)0wer  and  importance.  While  they  were  passing  the  weary 
days  in  the  little  market-town  of  Alio  Amba,  robberies  became  frecpient, 
and  a  thief-catcher  was  sent  for  by  some  of  the  inhabitants.  Major  Har- 
ris gives  the  following  curious  ac<'ount  of  the  operations  of  the  detective 
police  at  Shoa :  "A  ruig  having  been  formed  in  the  market-place  by  the 
crowded  spectators,  the  diviner  introduced  his  accomplice,  a  stolid-look- 
ing lad,  who  seated  himself  upon  a  bullock's  hide  with  an  air  of  deep 
resignation.  An  intoxicating  drug  was,  imder  many  incantations,  ex- 
tiacted  from  a  mysterious  leathern  scrip,  and  thrown  into  a  horn  filled 
with  new  milk ;  and  this  potation,  aided  by  several  hurried  inhalations 
of  a  certain  narcotic,  had  the  instantaneous  effect  of  rendering  the  recip- 
ient stupidly  frantic.  Sprniging  upon  his  feet,  he  dashed,  foaming  at  the 
mouth,  among  the  rabble,  and  without  any  respect  to  age  or  sex,  dealt 
vigorously  about  him,  until  at  length  he  was  secured  by  a  cord  about 
the  lohis,  when  he  dragged  his  master  round  and  rouiul  from  street  to 
street,  snuffling  through  the  nose  like  a  bear,  in  the  dark  recesses  of 
every  house,  and  leaving  unscrutinized  no  hole  or  corner. 

"  After  scraping  for  a  considerable  time  with  his  nails  under  the  found- 
ation of  a  hut,  wherein  lie  suspected  the  delintpient  to  lurk,  the  impen- 


L 


I.J  ! 


KING    SAIIELA    SELASSIE. 


659 


terod,  sprang  upon  the  back  of  the  proprietor,  and  became  totally  insens- 
ible. The  man  was  forthwith  arraigned  before  a  tribunal  of  justice,  at 
which  .\yto  KdtaniaWork  presided;  and  althouglj  no  evidence  could  bc! 
adduced,  and  he  swore  repeatedly  to  liis  innocence  by  the  life  of  the 
king,  he  was  sentenced  by  tlu!  just  judges  to  pay  forty  pieces  of  salt. 
This  line  was  exactly  double  the  amount  alleged  to  have  been 
stolen." 

After  a  foilnight's  uncertainty,  news  came  that  the  king  had  taken 
up  his  residence  in  the  neighboring  jialaco  of  ]\Iachal-wans,  and  that  he 
would  receive  the  embassy  on  the  following  Monday.  JMajor  Harris  ap- 
plied for  permission  to  lire  a  salute  of  twenty-one  guns  ;  but  the  most 
extravagant  reports  were  in  circuhition  relative  to  the  powers  of  the  ord- 
nance imported,  the  mere  report  of  which  was  believed  sufficient  to  set 
fire  to  the  earth,  to  shiver  rocks,  and  dismantle  mountain  fastnesses, : 
]Men  were  said  to  have  arrived  with  "  copper  legs,"  whose  duty  it  was 
to  servo  these  tremendous  and  terrible  engines;  and  thus,  in  alarm  for 
the  safety  of  his  palace,  capital,  and  treasures,  the  suspicious  monarch 
still  peremptorily  insist(;d  upon  withholding  the  desired  license. 

Still  another  remonstrance  was  necessary  before  the  king  Avould  con- 
sent to  be  saluted,  or  to  receive  them.  The  morrow  was  at  last  ap- 
pointed, and  the  officers,  mounted  on  horseback,  in  full-dress  uniform, 
rode  ui>  the  hill  to  the  i)alace,  while  the  gun  which  they  had  brought 
with  so  much  difficulty,  bellowed  its  salutation  to  the  opposite  hills. 
"  Just  as  the  last  peal  of  ordnance  was  rattling  in  broken  echoes  along 
the  mountain  (;hain,"  says  Major  Harris,  "  we  stepped  over  the  high 
threshold  of  the  reception  hall.  Circular  in  form,  and  destitute  of  the 
wonted  Abyssinian  pillar  in  the  center,  the  massive  and  lofty  clay  walls 
of  the  chamber  glittered  with  a  profusion  of  silver  ornaments,  emblazoned 
shields,  matchlocks,  and  double-barreled  guns.  Persian  carpets  and  rugs 
of  all  sizes,  colors,  and  patterns,  covered  the  iloor,  and  crowds  of  Alakas, 
governors,  chiefs,  and  principal  ofliccrs  of  the  court  arrayed  in  their  lioli- 
day  attire,  stood  around  in  a  ])osture  of  respect,  uncovered  to  the  girdle. 
Two  wide  alcoves  receded  on  either  side,  in  one  of  which  blazed  a  cheer- 
ful wood  lire,  engrossed  by  indolent  cats,  while  in  the  other,  on  a  flow- 
ered satin  ottoman,  surrounded  by  withered  eunuchs  and  juvenile  pages 
of  honor,  and  sn])])orted  1)y  gay  velvet  cushions,  reclined  in  Ethiopic 
state,  his  INIost  Christian  ]Majesty  Suhela  Selassie. 

"  The  king  was  attired  in  a  silken  Arab  vest  of  green  brocade,  par- 
tially concealed  under  the  ample  folds  of  a  white  cotton  robe  of  Abys- 
sinian nianufacture,  adorned  with  sundry  broad  crimson  stripes  and  bor- 
ders. Forty  summers,  whereof  eight-and-twenty  had  been  passed  under 
the  uneasy  cares  of  the  crown,  hail  slightly  furrowed  his  dark  brow,  and 
somewhat  grizzled  a  full  b\ishy  head  of  hair,  arranged  in  elaborate  curls, 
after  the  fashion  of  (tcorge  the  First ;  and  although  considerably  disfig- 
ured by  the  loss  of  the  letl  eye,  the  expression  of  his  manly  features, 
open,  pleasing,  ami  coimnanding,  did  not,  in  their  tovt  cnscviMe,  belie 


■■  >  '. 


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.  .  I 


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I  t  I 


lli 


III 


:  fl' 


tii'iir 


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i 


k. 


660 


MAJOIl    IIAURIS'S    MISSION    TO    SIIOA. 


llio  chanictor  for  impartial  jnstico  whicli  the  ilcspot  has  obtained  far  and 
^viJ(! — even  tho  Daiiakil  comparing  him  to  "a  lino,  balance  of  gold." 

The  presents  fur  tho  king,  including  Cashmere  shawls,  music  boxes, 
doth,  velvet,  and  three  hundred  staiid  of  arms,  tilled  the  court  with 
wonder  and  delight,  which  Avas  raised  to  its  highest  pitch  by  a  second 
peal  (if  twcnty-ono  guns  from  the  cannon,  and  the  tearing  into  shreds 
<if  a  slu'Ct  suspended  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  valley,  by  a  discharge 
of  canister-shot.  "Compliments  from  the  throne,  and  personal  con- 
gratulations from  the  principal  courtiers  and  oflicers  of  state,  closed  tho 


■'-^^i^^^^^^^-' 


WARRIORS   or   8  noA. 


evening  of  this  unwonted  display  ;  and  tho  introduction,  by  the  hands 
of  the  favo'-ite  page,  of  a  huge  pepper  pie,  tho  produce  of  the  royal  kit- 
chen, with  a  command  that  '  tho  king's  chihbx'n  might  feast,'  was  accom- 
panied by  the  unheard-of  honor  of  a  visit  from  the  dwarf  father  confessor, 
who  might  without  difficulty  have  concealed  his  most  diminutive  person 
beneath  the  ample  pastry.  Enveloped  in  robes  and  turbans,  and  armed 
with  silv(.'r  cross  and  crosier,  the  deformed  little  priest,  whose  entire 
long  life  has  l)ei.'n  passed  in  doing  good  to  his  tellow-crtjatures,  seating 
his  hideous  and  Punch-like  form  in  a  chair  placed  for  its  reception,  in 
squeaking  accents  delivered  liimself  thus: 

"Forty  years  have  rolled  away  since  Asfa  ^(josen,  on  ■•vhose  mem- 
ory be  peace,  grandsire  to  our  beloved  monarch,  saw  in  a  dream  that 
the  red  men  were  bringing  into  his  kingdom  curious  and  beautiful  com- 
modities from  countries  beyond  the  great  sea.  The  astrologers,  on 
being  commanded  to  give  an  interpretation  thereof,  predicted  with  one 
accord  that  foreigners  from  tho  land  of  Egypt  would  come  into  Abys- 
sinia during  his  majesty's  most  illustrious  reign,  and  that  yet  more  and 


on 


RK8IDK>fCE    AT    ANKOBEPw. 


661 


wcaltluor  v.ould  follow  in  tluit  of  his  son,  and  of  his  son's  son,  wlio 
should  sit  iioxt  upon  the  throne.  Praise  bo  unto  Cxod  tluit  the  dreani 
and  its  interpretation  have  now  been  fulfilled!  Our  eyes,  though  they 
be  old,  have  never  beheld  wonders  until  this  day,  and  during  the  reign 
over  Shoa  of  seven  suecessive  kings,  no  Buch  miracles  as  these  have  been 
wrought  in  Ethiojua.' 

"  No  suitable  lodging  being  obtainable  ut  Machalwans,"  continiies 
jVIajor  Harris,  "  I  deemed  it  advisable  to  adopt  the  king's  proposal  of 
proceeding  at  onco  into  Avinter-quartcrs  at  the  capital.  l*reparatory  t  > 
setting  out  thither  avc  had  an  raidiencc  of  the  king.  '^ly  ehiUlren,' 
quoth  his  ninjesty,  *■  all  my  gua-people  shall  accompany  you ;  may  you 
enter  in  sai't'ty  !  Whatsoever  your  liearts  think  and  wish,  that  send 
word  unto  me.  Saving  myself,  you  have  no  relative  in  this  distant  land. 
Ye  ha\c  traveled  far  on  my  affairs.  I  will  give  you  what  I  can,  accord- 
ing to  that  which  my  country  j)roduces.  I  can  not  give  you  M'hat  I  do 
not  jMissess,  Be  not  afraid  of  me.  Listen  not  to  the  evil  insinuations 
of  my  ])eo])le,  for  they  are  bad.  Look  only  inito  Sahehi  Selassie.  May 
his  fatlier  die,  ho  will  accomplish  whatsoever  yo  desire !' 

"Instantly  on  onuTghig  from  the  forest,  the  metropolis  of  Shoa, 
spreading  far  and  wide  over  a  verdant  mountain,  sha])ed  like  Africa's 
appropriate  endjlem,  the  fabled  si)hinx,  presented  a  most  singular  if  not 
imposmg  aiipearance.  Clusters  of  thatched  houses  of  all  sizes  and 
shapes,  resembling  barns  and  Jiay-stacks,  Avith  small  green  inclosures 
and  sphnter  jialings,  rising  one  above  the  other  in  very  irregular  tiers, 
adapt  themselves  to  all  the  inequalities  of  the  rugged  surface  ;  some 
being  ])erched  high  on  the  abrupt  verge  of  a  cliff,  and  others  so  involved 
in  the  l.iosom  of  a  dee])  fissure  as  scarcely  to  reveal  the  red  earthen  pot 
which  crowns  the  apex.  Connected  with  each  other  by  narrow  lanes 
and  h('ilgero\\s,  these  rude  habitations,  the  residence  of  from  twelve  to 
fifteen  thousand  inhabitants,  cover  the  entire  mountain-side  to  the  ex- 
troiUL'  pinnacle — a  lofty  spire-like  cone,  detaching  itself  by  a  narrow 
isthmus  to  form  the  sphinx's  liead.  Hereon  stands  the  ])alaco  <  i  '.ho 
Negoos,  a  most  ungainlydookhig  edifice  with  staring  gable  cinls,  i\  '\l 
fortilied  by  spiral  lines  of  wooder  ]ialissades.  They  extend  from  the  base 
to  the  summit,  and  are  interspersed  with  barred  stockades,  between 
which  are  profusely  scattered  the  abodes  of  household-slaves,  with  brew- 
eries, kitchens,  cellars,  store-houses,  magazines,  and  granaries." 

The  embassy  being  at  length  settled  hi  the  capital,  and  favored  with 
the  friendsliip  of  the  grateful  kuig.  Major  Harris  and  his  associates  soon 
became  familiaiized  to  their  novel  situation,  and  during  a  stay  of  nearly 
two  years,  made  themselves  intimately  acquainted  with  the  people  and 
country  of  Shoa.  There  is  no  space  here  to  describe  his  excursions  with 
Sahela  Selassie  ;  his  hunting  trips  in  the  forests  of  the  lowlands,  or  the 
many  curious  and  striking  ceremonies  which  lie  witnessed.  A  few  lead- 
ing illustrations  must  suflice.  With  regard  to  their  religion,  he  says : 
"  Ethiopia  derived  her  faith  from  the  fountain  of  Alexandria ;  but  how 


ill! 

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U.klii    - 

662 


MAJOR    HARRIS'S   MISSION    TO    SIIOA. 


is  her  Christianity  disfigured  by  folly  and  superstition  !  Tlie  intolcraneo 
of  the  bigoted  clergy,  who  rule  Avith  the  iron  hand  of  religious  ascend- 
ancy, soon  proclaimed  the  British  worse  than  Pagans,  for  the  non-ob- 
servance of  absurd  fasts,  and  blasphemous  doctrines.  Nevertheless,  wo 
were  permitted  to  attend  Divine  service  in  the  less  inimical  of  the  five 
churches  of  the  capital,  and  offerings  were  made  according  to  the  custom 
of  the  country.  The  cathedral  of  St.  Michael,  distinguished  above  all 
its  compeers  by  a  sort  of  Chinese  lantern  on  the  apex,  being  invariably 
attended  by  the  monarch,  came  first  in  order  ;  and  after  wading  through 
the  miry  kennels  that  form  the  avenues  of  access,  our  slippers  were  put 
off  in  accordance  with  Jewish  prejudice,  and  giving  them  in  charge  of 
a  servant  to  prevent  their  being  stolen,  Ave  stopped  over  the  threshold. 
The  scowling  eye  of  the  bigoted  and  ignorant  priest  sparkled  with  a 
gleam  of  unrepressed  satisfaction  at  the  sight  of  a  rich  altar-cloth,  glow- 
ing with  silk  and  gold,  which  Avas  now  unfolded  to  his  gaze  ;  and  a  smile 
of  delight  played  around  the  corners  of  his  mouth,  as  the  hard  dollars 
rung  in  his  avaricious  palm. 

"The  high-priest  having  proclaimed  the  munificence  of  the  strangers, 
pronounced  his  solemn  benediction.  Then  arose  a  burst  of  praise  the 
most  agonizing  and  unearthly  that  ever  resounded  from  dome  dedicated 
to  Christian  Avorship.  No  deeji  melloAV  chant  from  the  chorister — no 
sovxl-inspiring  .anthem,  lifted  the  heart  toward  heaven.  The  Abyssinian 
cathedral  rang  alone  to  the  excruciating  jar  of  most  unmitigated  dis- 
cord ;  and  amid  howling  and  screaming,  each  sightless  orb  was  rolled  in 
the  socket,  and  every  mutilated  limb  convulsed  Avith  disgusting  vehem- 
ence. A  certain  revenue  is  attached  to  the  performance  of  the  duty ; 
and  for  one  poor  measure  of  black  barley  bread,  the  hired  lungs  Avere 
taxed  to  extremity ;  but  not  the  slightest  attempt  could  be  detected  at 
music  or  modulation  ;  and  the  dissonant  chink  of  the  timbrel  was  ably 
seconded  by  the  cracked  A'oice  of  the  mercenary  A'ocalist. 

"  The  Abyssinian  Christian  Avill  neither  cat  Avith  the  Jew,  nor  with 
the  Galla,  nor  with  the  IMohammedan,  lest  he  should  thereby  participate  in 
the  delusions  of  his  creed.  The  church  and  the  church-yard  are  equally 
closed  against  all  Avho  commit  this  deadly  sin  ;  and  the  Ethiopian  is 
bound  by  the  same  restrictions  Avhich  prohibited  the  Jews  from  partak- 
ing of  the  flesh  of  certain  animals.  The  JcAvish  Sabbath  is  strictly  ob- 
^;erved  throughout  the  kingdom.  The  ox  and  the  ass  are  at  rest.  Ag- 
ricultural pursuits  arc  suspended.  Household  avocations  must  be  laid 
aside,  and  the  spirit  of  idleness  reigns  throughout  the  day. 

"  Caucasian  features  predominate  among  the  Amhara,  notAvithstand- 
ing  that  the  complexion  passes  through  every  shade,  from  an  olive  brown 
to  the  jet  black  of  the  negro.  An  approximation  to  the  thick  lip  and 
flattened  nose  is  not  unfretpunitly  to  be  seen  ;  but  the  length  and  silki- 
ru'ss  of  the  hair  iiivarialjly  marks  the  Avide  difiercnce  that  exists  between 
the  two  races.  The  men  are  tall,  robust,  and  well-formed  ;  and  the 
Avomen,  although  synnnetrically  made,  are  scarcely  less  n.asculine.    They 


.^i._. 


Tl;f 


HABITS    OF    THi'.    PEOPLE. 


663 


are  rarely  beautiful ;  and  tlicir  attempts  are  imlocd  ingenious  to  render 
hideous  the  broad,  unmeaning  expanse  of  countenance  bestowed  upon 
them  by  nature. 

"  From  the  king  to  the  peasant  the  costume  of  the  men  consists  of 
a  large,  loose  web  of  coarse  cotton-cloth,  enveloping  the  entire  person  in 
graceful  folds,  but  ■\vell-nigh  incapacitating  the*  wearer  from  exertion. 
Frequently  disarranged,  and  falling  ever  and  ainm  upon  the  ground,  the 
troublesome  garment  must  be  constantly  tucked  uj)  and  folded  anew 
about  the  shoulders,  from  Avhich  it  is  removed  in  deference  to  every 
passing  superior,  A  cotton  waist-doth  of  many  yards  in  length  is 
swathed  about  the  loins,  and  a  pair  of  very  wide,  loose  trowsers,  termed 
send]) fill,  hang  barely  to  the  knee. 

"  The  bulk  of  the  nation  is  agricultural ;  but  on  pain  of  forfeiting 
eight  pieces  of  salt,  value  twenty  pence  sterling,  every  Christian  subject 
of  Shoa  is  compelled,  whenever  summoned,  to  follow  his  immediate  gov- 
ernor to  the  field.  A  small  bribe  in  cloth  or  honey  will  sometimes  ob- 
tain leave  of  absence,  but  the  peasant  is  usually  ready  and  anxious  for 
the  foray ;  presenting  as  it  does  the  chance  of  capturing  a  slave,  or  a 
flock  of  sheep,  of  obtaining  lienor  in  the  eyes  of  the  despot,  and  of 
gratifying  his  inherent  thirst  for  heathen  blood. 

"  Meals  are  taken  twice  during  the  day — at  noon  and  after  sunset. 
The  doors  are  first  scrupulously  barred  to  exclude  the  evil  eye,  and  a 
fire  is  invariably  lighted  before  the  Amhiira  will  venture  to  ai:)pease  his 
hunger — a  superstition  existing  that,  without  this  precaution,  devils 
would  enter  in  the  dark,  and  there  would  be  no  blessing  on  the  meat. 
Men  and  Avomen  sit  down  together,  and  most  affectionately  pick  out 
from  the  common  dish  the  choicest  bits,  which,  at  arm's  length,  they 
thrust  into  each  other's  mouth,  wiping  their  fingers  on  the  pancakes 
Avhich  serve  as  platters,  and  which  are  afterward  devoured  by  the  do- 
mestics. The  appearance  of  the  large,  owlish  black  face,  bending  over 
the  low  wicker  table,  to  receive  into  the  gaping  jaws  the  proffered  mor- 
sel of  raw  beef,  which,  from  its  dimensions,  requires  considerable  strength 
of  finger  to  be  forced  into  the  aperture,  is  sufficiently  ludicrous,  and 
brings  to  mind  a  nest  of  sparrows  in  the  garden-hedge  expanding  their 
toad-like  throats  to  the  whistle  of  the  school-boy.  Mastication  is  ac- 
companied by  a  loud  smacking  of  the  lips — an  indispensable  sign  of 
good-breeding,  Avhich  is  said  to  be  neglected  liy  none  but  mendicants, 
'  Avho  eat  as  if  they  were  ashamed  of  it ;'  and  sneezing,  which  is  frequent 
during  the  operation,  is  accompanied  by  an  invocation  to  the  Holy 
Trinity,  Avheu  every  bystander  is  expected  to  exclaim,  3fdroo  f  '  God 
bless  you !' 

"A  commercial  convention  betAvixt  Great  Britain  and  Shoa  was  a 
subject  that  had  been  frequently  adverted  to ;  and  his  majesty  had 
shaken  his  head  Avlien  first  assured  that  five  hundred  pair  of  hands 
efficiently  emj)loyed  at  the  loom  Avould  bring  into  his  country  more 
permanent  Avealth  than  ten  thousand  Avarriors  bearing  spear  and  shield. 


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664 


MAJOR    HARRIS'S    MISSION    TO    SlIOA. 


But  lu!  hud  j;radually  begun  to  coinprcht'iid  how  coraiuorcc,  equitably 
conducted,  might  prove  a  truer  source  of  wealth  than  forays  into  the 
territories  of  the  heathen.  This  conviction  resulted  in  the  expression 
of  his  desire  that  certahi  articles  agreed  upon  might  be  drawn  up  on 
parchment,  and  presented  for  signature,  which  had  accordingly  been 
done ;  and  the  day  lixed  for  the  return  of  the  embassy  to  Ankober  was 
appointed  for  the  public  ratilication  of  the  document  by  the  annexure 
thereto  of  the  royal  hand  and  seal. 

"  Nobles  and  captains  thronged  the  court-yard  of  the  palace  of  An- 
goUula,  and  the  king  reclined  on  the  throne  in  the  attic  chamber.  A 
highly  illuminated  sheet,  surmounted  on  the  one  side  by  the  Holy  Tri- 
nity— the  device  invariably  employed  as  the  arras  of  Shoa — and  on  the 
other  by  the  royal  achievement  of  England,  was  formally  presented, 
and  the  sixteen  articles  of  the  convention  in  Amharic  and  English,  read, 
commented  upon,  and  fully  approved." 

As  the  mission  to  Shoa  has  not  been  renewed  of  late  years,  it  may 
be  presumed  that  no  particular  advantage  was  derived  from  this  treaty. 
Major  Harris,  in  liis  work,  gives  no  account  of  Lis  return  to  the  sea- 
coast. 


-^ 


P  A  K  K  Y  N  S  ^  S 


LIFE    IN    ABYSSINIA 


Mr.  Mansfield  Paukyns,  an  English  gentleman  with  a  taste  for 
traveling,  left  home  ahout  the  year  1841,  and  after  rambling  over  the 
Continent,  and  visiting  Constantinople  and  Asia  Minor,  joined  Mr. 
Monckton  Milnes  (the  poet  and  member  of  Parliament),  at  Smyrna,  with 
whom  he  ascended  the  Nile  during  the  winter  of  184J-4;],  On  returnhig 
to  Cairo  he  determined  to  set  out  for  Abyssinia,  prompted  not  less  by  a 
desire  to  explore  that  interesting  cor  itry  than  by  a  native  relish  for 
savage  life  and  adventure.  In  both  these  objects  he  succeeded  to  his 
heart's  content,  and  after  years  spent  in  Abyssinia,  Soudan,  and  Egypt, 
returned  to  England  in  1850.  Three  years  afterward  lie  published  the 
results  of  liis  experiences — a  quaint,  picturesque,  half-savage  narrative, 
which,  in  its  descriptions  of  Abyssinian  life  and  customs,  is  more  com- 
plete and  satisfactory  than  any  thing  which  has  appeared  since  the 
famous  work  of  Bruce.  In  this  respect,  it  is  greatly  superior  to  the 
narratives  of  Mr.  Salt  and  of  Bishop  Gobat,  and  may  be  taken  as  the 
most  important  contribution  to  our  knowledge  of  the  country,  which  the 
present  century  has  produced. 

Leaving  Cairo  on  the  5th  of  IMarch,  1843,  Mr.  Parkyns  proceeded  to 
Suez,  whence  he  sailed,  on  the  25th,  in  a  miserable  Arab  boat,  bound  for 
Djidda.  "She  was  filled  to  the  deck,"  says  he,  "cabin  and  all,  with 
empty  rice-bags  belonging  to  that  prince  of  merchants,  Ibrahim  l*asha ; 
the  deck  only  remained  for  the  passengers,  and  well-filled  it  was  with 
them  and  their  luggage.  We  mustered,  I  should  think,  nearly  a  hun- 
dred persons  of  all  races — ^Turks,  Greeks,  Albanians,  Bec'ouins,  Egypt- 
ians, and  negroes — men,  women,  and  children,  all  crowded  together, 
formed  a  motley  group — picturesque,  I  should  perhaps  have  said,  if  it 
liad  been  a  little  further  off."  In  this  craft  he  spent  twenty-three  days, 
the  wind  being  contrary  during  the  greater  portion  of  the  time.  During 
his  stay  in  Djidda  he  formed  a  plan  for  visiting  Mecca,  but  was  dis- 
suaded by  the  English  consul,  who  considered  the  risk  of  the  journey 
much  too  great  to  be  encountered.    He  therefore  took  passage  a  second 


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I'AUKYNH'.^    T-IKK    IN    AHYSRINIA., 


lime  on  nn  Ar:il>  lK>:it,  lioimd  for  Sowiik'm,  on  tlio  Nultian  coast,  juul 
]M;iss;i\v;i,  llic  |irini'i|i.il  seaport  of  Aliyssinia,  wlu'iv,  alYiM-  a  very  trdioiirt 
vin:ij.',t',  111'  landi'il  aliont  tln>  end  of  May, 

CoMctMiiini:;  Massawa  and  its  rlinialc,  lu<  makes  tlic  Collowinj^  re- 
iniirks;  "In  a  eonvorsation  aliout  tlu<  tdni|taralivo  Iicat  of  dilVcrcnt 
jilaces,  an  olVu-er  ol"  tlio  Indian  navy  icmarkcd,  tliat.  lie  lidicvrd  I'ondi- 
elv  iry  to  lie  tlie  lioltist  jilaci"  in  India,  Iml  still  tliat  it  was  iiolliinf^  lo 
Allen,  w  liile  ai;ain  Aden  was  a  trille  lo  IMassawa.  lie  coniiiared  tlio 
eliinati"  ol'the  first  to  a  liot-ltath;  (hat  ol'tlu'  second  lo  a  I'innacc  ;  wliilo 
(he  third,  he  said,  could  he  c(|nale<l  in  teni|ierature  l»y  nothinfjj  hut— — , 
a  place  which  he  had  never  visitcil,  and  which  it  is  (o  he  hoped  neither 
he  nor  any  oi'  us  will.  'I'oward  the  latter  <  nd  of  th«>  month  of  May  I 
ha\c  known  the  thcrnionuler  rise  to  ahout  I'Jd'  l''ahrcnheit  in  (h(i 
sliatlc,  and  in  July  and  Auj^ust  it  ran<j,es  nuieh  hi!_;;her.  Such  a  climato 
is  o['  course  most  \mhealthy,  es|>ecially  so  duiiui;  the  sunuuer  nuiullis, 
when  a  miinluT  id'  ilan^erous  diseases  prevail,  such  as  «iyscntery  ami 
tlie  \isual  tl'vers  ot'  the  tropii-al  countries.  'I'lic  island  is  a  mere  rock  of 
cvu"al,  without  a  vestii^e  ol"  vi';xctation  to  eiili\i'n  its  liiir  lace.  There  are 
cisterns  lor  collectiiiL:;  llu>  rain-water  (lu)  spring  cxistim;),  hut  most  of 
(hese  have  been  allowed  lo  Tail  into  «lisuse,  and  (he  iidiahitants  of  llio 
island  are  <d>Iii;ed  to  Irust  ti>  Arkiko,  a  villaLjc  on  the  maiii-Iaiui,  <lislant 
sonic  ihri'C  ov  lour  miU>s,  tor  thi>ir  supjily.  Tliis  water,  nioreovi-r,  is 
rather  brackish.  The  evtrcnu'  heal  of  the  place  wmild  mil  apjiear 
extraordinary  to  any  one  acipiainteil  with  its  jiositiou.  Massawa  is  open 
on  the  one  side  io  the  sea.  while  the  other  is  shut  in  by  an  amphitlu'alro 
of  di>taut  hills,  sulliciently  near,  however,  lo  prevent  its  receivin;:;  a 
breath  oi'  air  tVom  that  diri't  lion,  but,  i>n  the  contrary,  (o  collcet,  as  il 
were,  the  r.iys  «>f  the  sun  into  llu'  narrow  slip  of  land  (hey  inclose." 

.\t  this  place  he  was  ri'eeivcd  by  a  .lew  merchant  nam*  d  Ani^elo, 
wlio  furnished  him  with  a  Inuise,  wlu're  he  remaincil  leu  days,  while 
makiuLr  the  necessary  arranu;emiMits  for  a  jourmv  into  the  interior. 
"()nc  i>art  oC  these  arraniXi'incnls,"  he  says,  "and  truly  a  very  essential 
one,  was  to  divest  myself  of  every  needless  incumhrance,  and  jiack  up 
my  stores  in  a  safe  place.  Accortlinirly,  my  best  articles  of  Kuropeaii 
dress  were  otVercd  lo  my  tVicnd  An<j;elo,  as  a  recompen-ic  for  his  kind- 
ness. 1  had  already  ^ivi-n  away  :v  larije  i»ortion  at  Cairo,  and  now  pos- 
sessed only  (hroo  Turkish  shirts,  three  pair  of  ilrawers,  ouv  suit  of  Turk- 
ish clothes  lor  best  occasions,  a  ])air  of  sandals,  and  a  red  cap.  Fritui 
the  day  I  loll  Suez  (March  I'.Mh,  lt<l;0,  (ill  :»bout  the  same  time  in  (ho 
yo.ir  1S4}>,  I  novcr  wore  any  article  of  Kuropt-an  dress,  nor  indeed  over 
elopt  on  i\  bod  o(  any  sort — not  even  a  maKrass  ;  (he  ntnjost  extent  of 
luxury  which  I  enjoyed,  .ven  when  all  but  dyins.:  of  a  pestilential  fever 
that  kept  me  live  months  on  my  beam-iiids  at  Khartoum,  was  a  coverlid 
under  a  rujx.  The  red  cap  I  wore  on  leavinj;  Massawa  was  soon  hor- 
roircil  of  mc,  nud  the  sandals  after  a  month  were  jjiveii  up;  and  so  for 
more  than  three  years  ((bat  is,  till  I  reached  Kliar(oum)  I  wore  no  eov- 


KNTIIANCK    INTO    AKYSHINIA 


or,7 


rrliifjf  to  my  licml,  cxci'id,  ;i  lillli'  IdilhT,  wlicii  I  coiiM  j:;(l,  il, ;  imf  Id  iiiy 
feci,  cxcciit,  tlin  liorny  Mile  wliicli  ;i  fcU'  iiioiitlis'  riiii'j;li  iis;i;^'i'  jilmi'il  iiii- 
«l('r  llicm.  Diiiiiij^  ill''  wliolc  of  lliis  tiiiKi  I  iicvcr  Ii.kI  :i  1m;i(1;i(Im!, 
1Iioii;^li  rx|i(»MC(l  l(»  I  lie  Mini  jit.  :ill  Ikhii'.s  (if  I  In-  il;iy,  uml  \mi.h  never  fuol,- 
Mne,  (Iidii^li  F  wiilkeil  eoiist.'inlly  in  llie  roui^liesl,  iiii;i)^iii;ilil(^  iiIiiceM." 

Selliiii;  out.  on  ("ool,  with  :i  jn-'ile  and  two  siTviinl m,  lie  pinceeiled  to 
llie  neij^Iiltoriiirf  villui^e  of  ^loncnllon,  wiiere  lie  \s;is  lios|iit;il)Iy  enlei-- 
lained  hy  tin!  huly  of  \\\v  l"'rencli  Consul  at,  jMassaua.  Ft,  u  as  now  I  lie 
most  Kiiltiy  Hcasoii  of  llni  y<'af,  and  the  Fieat,  was  so  fjjical,  that,  tin'  party 
•\\('i('  ohlii^ed  to  start  liefoio  dayli^^ht,  and  halt,  diiriii;^  tlii'  lioiiis  c.fniid- 
<!ay.  'I'he  ne\t  nludit  they  reached  the  vil!a.;^e  of  Ail.il,  u  here  j'arkytiM 
rciilJUMeil  for  two  or  three  weeks,  aninsiii^  himself  with  shootin;^  ante. 
Fopcs  and  wilil  iioars,  and  hathiiij^  iti  the  natural  warm  sptin^^s  near  tli<! 
J)la<'e.  '''F'lie  inhahitants  of  Ailat  are  I'ledoniiis  of  the  Uellaw  trilie, 
whieh  oeeiipies  all  tli(!  I  raet,  <d*<'iiimtry  lyin;^  ahoiit,  ArKeeko,  and  tlienee 
1()  ihe  nei;4hliorhood  of  Ailat,.  'I'liose  of  the  latter  disliirt  are  hy  caste 
mostly  soldiers,  if  they  may  lie  so  (h'si<^nat(MF.  'I'hcy  arc;  easily  dislin- 
}i;Mished  Irom  ihi'ir  more  peaceful  l»retlii'en,  I  he  lierdsnien,  hy  I  heii-  wear- 
in;^  their  hair  close-shaved,  while  the  herdsmen  arran[f<'  their  hu-hy  wi;^H 
ill  tiifls  or  tre.sses  on  the  head.  'F'lieir  manners  arc  most  purely  paslDr.al. 
Fti  the.  morniiifjj  they  eat  a  little  hread  and  milk,  and  tin;  same  himph; 
meal  repealed  in  the  cveiiim^,  :md  si'iisoned  with  contentment  and  a 
j^ood  ap|ietile,  completes  their  daily  nourishment.'" 

'F'wo  other  F'lmjjlishmen,  i^Fessrs.  F'lowden  and  IJell,  h;id  preceded 
IMr.  F'arkyns,  ami  one  day,  duriie^  his  sojourn  at,  /\ilal,,  a  letter  from  the; 
firmer  was  sent  to  him  from  F\iai|nor,  a  villa;.^e  ahoiit  three  (hiys' jour- 
ney 'list ant,  ^vhere  lu'  lay  in  a  state  of  j^reat,  weakness  from  tlu!  effects 
of  a  severi-  fever,  Avhii'h  holli  he  and  his  companion,  AFr.  IJell,  had  con- 
tracted durimj  their  st.iy  at  IMassawa.  'F'hey  iia<l  started  for  the  inte- 
rior; hut  F'lowden,  l»eiri^  unahle  to  cotitinu(5  tin;  jounioy,  rcmaineil  at 
FviaipKM",  while!  F»ell  went  on  to  ,\dona  to  prepare  a  jilace  for  liis  recep- 
tion. 'I'lic  fever,  howe\'er,  coiitimied  to  attack  hiiii  at  intervals,  and  had 
roduceil  him  to  such  a  state  of  weakness  tliat  lie  had  remairK'd  in  this 
jilace  for  Hi'veral  weeks,  unahh!  to  pro(!eed,  till  iiciidetitiiliy  heari'i'^  of 
the  arrivid  of  F'arkytis,  he  -wrote  to  him  Fx'ggJn^  him  to  join  liim  witli 
all  possihhi  dispatch. 

J'arkyns  at  oiu'c  determined  to  comply  with  this  rcqrest,  "  IFavinjj 
little  preparation  to  make,"  say.s  lie,  "wo  were  afofjt  tin;  next  morning 
long  lu'fori'  the  s  :ii  Mas  u]),  ami  when  he  aroso  w*;  Avere  some  way  ad- 
vanced on  mir  road,  with  our  hacks  turue(l  to  him.  I  say  W(.'  had  little 
preparation  to  make.  Our  jtarty  conHistcMl  of*  four  persons — myself,  a 
countryman  as  guiile,  a  ne-^ro  servant  of  Fiell's,  called  Ahdallah,  from 
Semiaar,  and  an  Ahyssiniaii  lad  who  lia<l  lately  entered  my  service.  Tho 
whole  of  our  baggage  at  starting  was  a  small  hag  of  Hour,  sufTicient  for 
three  (lays'  provision,  half  a  pint  of  honey  in  a  drinking  liorn,  a  change 
of  raiment,  and  my  auimunition  and  arms.   Each  of  us  carried  his  share. 


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II 


Itl'ij'il 


668 


PARKYNS'S    LIFE    IN    ABYSSINIA. 


The  plain  Avhich  wo  had  to  cross  before  arriving  at  the  hills  literally 
teemed  with  guinea-fowl,  which  at  that  early  hour  appeared  unwilling 
to  quit  their  roosting-places  on  the  trees ;  and  when,  as  we  approached 
them,  they  did  condescend  to  budge,  they  collected  on  the  ground  in 
coveys  of  some  hundreds  each.  The  road,  as  Ave  advanced,  became 
more  and  more  rough  and  difficult,  till  at  last  we  found  ourselves  as- 
cending and  descending  almost  perpendicular  hills,  covered  with  large, 
round,  loose  pebbles,  and  well  garnished  with  the  usual  proportion  of 
thorny  trees,  neither  of  which,  as  may  be  imagined,  contributed  to  the 
comfort  of  a  barefooted  jjcdestrian  in  one  of  the  hottest  climates  in  the 
Avorld. 

"  My  boy,  wishing  to  have  especial  care  of  the  honey,  had  taken  it 
from  the  guitle,  and  was  carrying  it  in  his  leathern  case  by  a  strap  round 
his  neck;  but  now,  tired  and  hot,  he  threw  himself  down  and  spilled  it 
on  the  ground ;  forgetting  that  a  wide-mouthed  drinking-horn  will  not 
carry  a  Ihiid  like  clear  honey  on  a  hot  day,  unless  it  is  kej)t  in  a  vertical 
jjosition.  Without  stopping  to  speak,  we  all  rushed  forward  knocking 
our  heads  together  from  eagerness,  and  suc^ked  up  the  little  honey  that 
the  greedy  sand  had  left  on  its  surface.''  Their  supi)!y  was  now  reduced 
to  a  little  flour,  "■  but,"'  adds  I'arkyns,  Avith  the  most  cheerful  resigna- 
tion, "  a  man  who  knows  huw  to  appreciate  bread  and  water  may  with 
that  simple  diet  go  more  comibrtably  through  a  hard  days'  march  in  a 
hot  climate  than  if  attendeil  bv  the  best  cook  in  England  with  all  his 
hatterlc  de  cuisine ;  and  for  this  })lain  reason,  that  though  the  culinary 
art  may  procure  him  sonu;  enjoyment  at  the  halfway  halt,  yet  he  will 
find  that  such  temporary  ])leasure  nuist  be  severely  paid  for  in  the  alUr- 
noon's  walk ;  meats  and  all  other  strong  food  l)eing  of  too  heating  a 
nature.  But,  if  hungry,  don't  eat  your  bread  greedily,  and  then  wash  it 
down  with  buckets  of  water  to  prevent  choking;  sop  your  bread  in  the 
water,  and  then  eat  it ;  you  will  thus  at  once  a])])ease  your  lumger  aiul 
quench  your  thirst,  without  being  in  danger  of  strangulation,  or  of  hav- 
ing to  carry  a  few  extra  pounds  weight  of  water  rattling  about  in  your 
Btomach  for  the  remainder  of  the  day ;  above  all  things,  make  it  an  in- 
variable rule  ahrai/s  to  (hink  as  little  inuttr  <m  jwssibk,  remembering 
that  the  more  you  drink  the  more  you  will  thirst." 

After  a  long  day's  march,  they  reached  at  night  an  encampment  of 
the  wandering  tril)e  of  the  Sliohos.  "  AVc  were  hospitably  received  by 
these  people,  who  lent  us  skins  for  beds,  and  i)rovided  us  with  tire-wood, 
as  we  preferred  the  society  of  the  cows  outside  to  that  of  their  masters' 
parasites  within  the  huts.  Shortly  after,  the  cows  being  milked,  we 
were  supplied  with  a  large  bowl  of  milk  for  our  8Ui)per,  and,  having 
made  our  homely  repast,  were  soon  all  sound  asleep.  Next  morning, 
having  carefully  wriqiped  uj*  the  skins  on  which  we  had  slept,  we  started 
before  either  the  sun  or  our  good  hosts  had  risen."  On  arriving  at  Kia- 
qiior,  I'arkyiis  found  Mr.  I'lowden  much  better,  though  still  in  a  deplor- 
able state  of  weakness.     Thhiking  that  a  change  of  air  might  be  beneli. 


HI' 


AERIVAL    AT    ADOUA. 


069 


cbl  to  lilm,  thoy  dctermincJ  to  proceed  together  to  Adoim,  ns  ponn  fi3 
possible.  But  at  the  end  of  thr  <(rst  day's  inarch,  Plowden  hecame  much 
Avorse,  and  the  hut  offorcJ.  t  icni  was  so  close  and  disagreeable  that 
they  went  on  to  a  village  call.  ;.  Maiya,  about  six  miles  further,  in  the 
hope  of  finding  better  accommodation.  "  But  it  was  a  vain  hope  !"'  says 
Parkyns.  "  At  first  we  found  none  at  all ;  and  it  was  not  till  after  a 
vast  deal  of  j)ersuasion  and  great  ])romiscs  that  we  induced  the  good 
people  of  the  village  to  consent  to  our  occupying  a  dwelling  lor  the 
night;  and  when  they  did  so,  that  which  they  offered  was  so  bad,  so 
very  far  inferior  even  to  the  last,  that,  rather  than  be  stifled  in  a  hut,  avo 
preferred  lying  in  the  open  air,  covered  Avith  hides  as  a  j)rotection  from 
the  rain,  which  kept  pouring  for  several  hours.  T'lowden's  contiinied 
illness  compelled  us  to  remain  here  two  days  and  nights,  dm-ing  which 
time  we  amused  ourselves  as  Avell  as  we  could,  contriving  tents  and  huts 
among  the  rocks  near  the  iidiospitable  village." 

The  invalid  was  now  carried  in  a  litter  made  of  bouglis,  but  on  reach- 
ing a  village  named  Kouddofelassy,  he  became  so  much  worse  that  they 
were  obliged  to  halt  there  for  five  days,  during  Avhich  time  they  could 
procure  nothing  to  eat  except  some  honey  and  a  few  starved  fowls.  The 
rainy  season  had  now  set  in,  and  when  tliey  resumed  their  jourtu-y,  they 
were  frequently  interrupted  by  the  heavy  showers  which  fell  eviM-y  day. 
After  f(jrding  the  river  Mareb,  which  flows  down  from  the  Abyssinian 
liighlands  to  lose  itself  in  the  sands  of  the  desert  bordering  the  Ued  Sea, 
they  traveled  more  rapidly,  and  at  noon  of  the  second  day,  through  a 
heavy  nhower,  caught  sight  of  Adoua,  the  capital  of  the  kingdom  of 
Tigre.  ^ 

"  When  we  arrived  iu  sight  of  Adoua,"  says  Parkyns,  "I  galloped  on 
ahead  of  the  party,  anxious  to  obtain  shelter  as  soon  as  jiossible  ;  but 
bi'ing  mounted  on  a  weak  and  tiriid  mule,  and  tlu;  road  being  of  a  stiff 
and  greasy  clay,  and  in  many  places  very  steep,  I  gained  but  litth'  by  my 
haste;  {or  the  mule  slid  down  all  the  hills,  and  stumbled  or  tumbled 
over  all  the  ine(iualiti<,'S  of  the  plain.  I^fy  attention  being  thus  occupied, 
and  the  rain  driving  in  my  face,  I  had  not  leisure  to  <'njoy  a  distant  view 
of  the  city  wo  were  appro.'U'hing  ;  nor  could  1,  till  within  a  short  distanoo 
of  it,  see  enough  to  en:djle  mo  to  determine  wliether  Adoua  was  built  in 
the  Grecian  or  Moorish  taste,  I  own  I  rather  expected  to  see  eolumns 
or  obi.'lisks,  If  lu.t  an  acropolis  oti  some  of  the  neighl)oring  liills.  .Iiidge 
then  of  my  astonishment  wlien,  on  arriving  at  this  great  city,  the  capital 
of  one  of  the  most  j)owerf'ul  kingdoms  of  Kthiopia,  I  found  nothing  but 
ft  large  straggling  village;  of  huts,  some  llat-roofed,  but  mostly  thatctied 
with  straw,  and  lln'  wails  of  ail  of  them  built  of  rough  stones,  laid  to- 
gether with  mud,  in  the  rudi'st  possil)le  maimer.  Being  wet,  moreover, 
with  the  rain,  the  place  presentecl  the  most  miserably  dirty  ajipearance. 
Before  entering  the  town  we  liad  to  cross  a  brook,  and  to  scramble  up  a 
Btcop  bank,  in  ascending  wliich  more  than  otieof  our  party  measured  his 
length  in  the  mud,  to  the  extreme  delight  of  some  young  gentlemen  col- 


1 

1 

n 

ll'l 


(   I' 

I.    t ' 


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tli 


i  ,  I 


i  i: 


yij 


!  ! 


11 


w. 


670 


PARKYNS'S    LIFP]    IN    ABYSSINIA. 


lected  on  the  top,  "who  laughed  and  yelled  at  each  successive  niisliap. 
This  i-ather  annoyed  me,  especially  as,  when  I  took  my  turn  to  rise  from 
the  recumbent  posture,  with  my  nice  white  trousers  considerably  dark- 
ened by  the  dirt  collected  in  this  and  several  j)revious  falls,  I  was  wel- 
comed by  a  double  allowance  of  shouting.  It  was  explained  to  me  that 
I  should  only  get  more  if  I  took  any  notice  of  it ;  and  I  afterward  dis- 
covered that  it  was  tlic  fashionable  amusement  during  the  rainy  season 
for  the  young  men  about  town  to  collect  in  the  vicinity  of  any  slip])ery 
jilace,  and,  standing  there,  amuse  themselves  at  the  exjwnse  of  the 
passers-by.    After  Avinding  down  two  or  three  streets,  filled  with  green 


ABYSSINIAN     WARRIORS. 

mud  nearly  a  fiiot  deep,  and  barely  broad  enough  io  allow  a  man  to  pass 
mounted,  we  arrived  at  the  liouse  then  o(\Mipied  by  Mr.  Bell,  whom  wc 
were  glad  to  find  considerably  better  in  liealth  than  we  had  ventured  to 
liope.  Kight  glad  also  was  I  to  find  myself  housed,  with  a  prospect  of 
our  getting  something  to  eat." 

The  day  afterwanl,  Tarkyns's  baggage,  which  he  had  letl  belnml  at 
IMassawa,  reached  Adoua,  and  as  the  governor  of  the  place  demanded  a 
heavy  duty  upon  it,  he  resolved  at  once  to  visit  Oubi,  the  Prince  of 
Tigre,  who  was  then  in  liis  camp  at  Ilowazayn,  and  ask  his  interference. 
Accordingly  he  l(;tl  Adoua  the  next  day,  and  arter  a  j  'iniey  of  several 
days  through  the  rain  reached  Oubi's  cam[),  Avhere  lie  was  lodged  in  a 
grass  hut,  seven  feet  long  and  five  feet  high.     Knowing  that  it  was  cus- 


I 

J 


M 


THE    CAMP    OP    OUBI. 


671 


tomary  for  tlie  king  to  sond  food  to  travelers  as  soon  as  he  heard  of 
their  arrival,  Parkyns  expected  to  be  treated  in  a  similar  manner,  and 
took  no  provisions  ■\vith  him.  He  Avas  disappointed  in  his  expectations, 
however,  and  found  great  diftimilty  in  })rocuring  enough  to  satisfy  liis 
appetite.  It  was  not  mitil  the  fourth  evening  after  liis  arrival  that  ho 
received  a  supply  of  food  from  OuLi.  It  consisted  of  forty  thin  cakes, 
thirty  being  of  coarser  quality  for  the  servants,  and  ten  of  white  "  telf " 
for  their  own  consumi)tion.  These  Avere  accompanied  by  two  pots  of  a 
sort  of  sauce  composed  of  common  oil,  dried  peas,  and  red  pei)per,  l»ut, 
it  being  fast  time,  there  was  neither  meat  nor  butter.  To  Avash  all  doAvn, 
there  Avas  an  enormous  horn  of  honey  beer. 

"The  appearance  of  an  Abyssinian  permanent  camp,"  says  Parkyns, 
"  is  singular,  but  by  no  means  impleasing.  The  diversity  of  tents — some 
bell-shaped,  some  square,  like  an  English  marquee,  some  Avhite.  and 
others  of  the  black  Avoolen  stuif  made  jjrincipally  in  the  southern  proA'- 
inces  of  Tigre  ;  huts  of  all  sizes  and  colors,  and  their  inmates  scattered 
about  in  groups,  Avith  their  horses,  mules,  etc.,  form  altogether  a  pictu- 
resque and  very  lively  scene.  In  the  center  is  the  dAvelling  of  Oulji, 
Avhich  consists  of  three  or  four  large  thatched  Avigwams  and  ,i  tent,  in- 
closed by  a  double  fence  of  thorns,  at  the  entrances  through  Avhich 
guards  are  stationed,  the  space  belween  them  being  divided  into  courts, 
in  Avhich  the  soldiers  or  other  persons  craving  an  audience  of  the  king 
aAvait  his  j)leasure."  This  audienct',  on  the  part  of  our  traveler,  Avas  not 
granted  until  the  sixth  day  after  his  arrival.  "While  strolling  through 
the  camp,  he  Avas  summoned  by  a  soldier,  and,  having  ha«;tily  gathered 
together  the  ])resent3  he  had  brought  for  Oubi,  betook  himself  to  the 
royal  tent.     He  gives  the  following  account  of  his  reception  : 

"  We  had  to  Avait  a  considerable  time  in  the  outer  court  and  door- 
AA'ay  before  his  majesty  Avas  pleased  to  admit  us,  A  crowd  of  soldiers 
collected  round  us,  and  amused  themselves  Avith  many  facetious  remarks 
on  our  ai)pearance,  such  as  '  Cat's  eyes,'  '  3Ionkey's  hair,'  '  What  nice 
red  morocco  tlieir  skin  Avould  make  for  a  SAVord-sheath !' etc.  These 
expressions  Avere  afterward  made  known  to  uk*  ;  for  in  those  days  T  Avas 
in  a  state  of  ignorance  as  regarded  the  language  ;  and  having  myst'If  a 
tolerably  good  oi)inion  of  my  ajiijcarance,  I  judged  that  their  remarks 
must  be  highly  complimentary.  I  remember,  some  years  after  this,  ask- 
ing a  person  Avith  Avhom  I  liad  become  intimate,  and  Avho  had  never  seen 
any  white  man  but  myself,  Avhat  impression  my  first  aj)pearance  had 
made  on  him.  He  answered  me  very  simply  that  I  resembled  a  rather 
good-looking  Abyssinian  Avho  had  lost  his  skin.  But  I  nnist  own  that 
our  appearance  at  the  time  of  our  first  visit  to  Ilowazayn  Avas  calculated 
to  excite  much  amusement.  We  had  only  recently  adojited  the  Abys- 
sinian costume,  aiul  as  yet  Avere  not  altogether  Avell-practiced  in  the  mode 
of  putting  on  the  cloth.  Beside  Avhicli,  our  straight  hair,  not  yet  long 
enough  to  bo  tressed,  av us  plastered  back  Avith  butter,  and  the  faces  of 


.!  l! 


!!n 


ilt 


11 


i ' ! : 


llll' 


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1 1 


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I,  (•  I ' 


1     •  '     ■     , 


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f      :i 


Hill 


lift! 


G72 


PARKYNS'S   LIFE    IN    ABYSSINIA. 


those  of  our  party  who  were  incased  in  a  thin  skin,  which  I  am  happy 
to  say  never  was  my  fate,  were,  as  red  as  a  fresh  capsicum. 

"At  hist  we  entered  the  great  hall  of  the  m(7«7««;?c'c»</?fl'/flree  of  Ouhi. 
It  Avas  a  round  hut,  of  about  thirty  feet  in  diameter,  M'ith  a  large  wood 
fire  burning  on  the  floor,  which  had  not  cveii  a  carpet  of  grass  strewed 
to  hide  the  dirty  face  of  the  original  earth.  Having  been  previously  in- 
structed, we  each  of  us  on  entering  made  a  polite  but  vaguely-directed 
bow.  On  such  occasions  the  natives  usually  put  their  heads  to  the 
ground,  but,  as  we  were  foreigners,  such  a  mark  of  humility  was  dis- 
jiensed  with.  I  have  said  that  our  bow  was  vaguely  directed,  because 
in  passing  from  the  glare  of  a  troj)ical  sun  at  noon  into  a  large  apart- 
ment lighted  only  by  a  small  door,  over  which  was  suspended  a  curtain, 
and  which  communicated  with  a  tent  without,  it  may  be  imagined  that 
we  could  not  so  much  as  distinguish  a  single  object  within.  Oubi,  in  a 
very  patronizing  tone,  asked  us  how  Ave  were.  An  humble  bow  was  the 
customary  answer,  lie  then  desired  us  to  bo  seated,  and  we  accord- 
ingly sat  ourselves  down  on  the  ground,  there  being  no  seat  in  the  hut 
except  the  one  appropriated  for  his  highness's  throne.  My  sight  was 
just  beginning  to  accustom  itself  to  the  darkness  when  we  received  this 
permission,  Init  my  place  being  directly  under  the  lee  of  the  horrible 
wood  fire,  and  sitting  as  I  did  within  a  yard  of  it,  I  was  nearly  suffo- 
cated, and  in  a  moment  my  eyes  began  to  stream  from  the  effect  of  the 
smoke,  Avhich  iioarly  blinded  me.  I  bore  it  with  the  utmost  fortitude 
till  I  could  endure  it  no  longer,  and  then  started  up  with  an  exclamation 
something  like  '  Oof!'  and  my  eyes  red  and  ])Ouringwith  tears,  at  which 
Oubi  laughed  amazingly.  Great  men,  I  suppose,  require  more  heat  than 
others  in  these  countries,  as  I  can  not  otherwise  account  for  Oubi's  taste 
in  liaving  a  large  fu  u  in  the  middle  of  August,  especially  in  a  tropical 
climate. 

"  Oubi  was  seated,  reclining  on  a  stretcher,  which  was  covered  with 
a  common  Smyrna  rug,  and  furnished  with  a  couide  of  chintz  cushions, 
from  beneath  one  of  which  appeared  the  hilt  of  a  Turkish  saber.  We 
found  him  a  rather  good-looking,  slight-mado  man,  of  about  forty-five 
years  of  age,  with  bushy  hair,  which  was  fist  turning  gray.  Hh  phys- 
iognomy did  not  at  all  prepossess  me  in  his  favor.  It  struck  me  as  in- 
dicative of  nuu'h  cunning,  pride,  and  filsity  ;  and  I  judged  him  to  be  a 
man  of  some  talent,  but  with  more  of  the  fox  than  the  lion  in  his  na- 
tuic.  Our  i)resents  were  brought  in  covered  with  cloths,  and  carried  by 
our  servants.  They  consisted  of  a  Turkey  rug,  two  European  light  cav- 
alry swords,  four  pieces  of  muslin  for  turbans,  and  two  or  three  yards  of 
red  cloth  for  a  cloak.  He  examined  each  article  as  it  was  presented  to 
him,  making  on  almost  every  one  some  complimentary  remark.  After 
having  inspected  them  all  he  said,  '  God  return  it  to  you,'  and  ordered 
his  stewaril  to  give  us  a  cow.  Toward  evening  our  promised  cow  ar- 
rived from  Oubi— such  a  cow  1  as  thin  as  a  cat— an  absolute  bag  of 
bones,  which  could  never  have  realized  any  thing  approacliing  to  two 


m 


)  ii 


THE    CITY    OF    AXUM. 


673 


dollars  in  the  market ;  such  as  she  was,  hoAvcver,  she  was  immediately 
slaughtered,  and  before  night  not  an  eatable  morsel  was  left. 

After  this  interview  and  the  adjustment  of  the  difficulties  concerning 
his  baggage,  Parkyns  returned  to  Adoua.  "  Shortly  after  this  I'lowden 
returned  from  Axum,  and  he  and  Bell  set  out  on  a  tour  to  visit  IMr. 
Coffin,  at  Antichaou,  while  I  prepared  for  a  journey  into  Addy  Abo,  a 
province  on  the  northern  frontier  of  Tigro,  then  so  little  known  as  not 
to  be  placed  on  any  map.  !My  principal  object  in  going  there  was  tlic 
chase,  and  if  j)ossible  to  learn  something  of  the  neighboring  ]3area  or 
Shangalla — a  race  totally  imknown  except  by  the  reputation  they  have 
gained  in  many  throat-cutting  visits  paid  to  the  Abyssinians.  Except 
for  such  objects,  the  nations  have  not  been  on  visiting  terms  for  many 
generations.  I  was  told  much  of  the  dangers  I  was  to  meet  with  from 
the  climate  and  the  people,  and  that  the  only  two  Europeans  who  had  ever 
been  there  had  died.  My  curiosity,  however,  was  raised,  and  I  felt  that 
I  could  trust  to  my  own  prudence  not  to  expose  myself  to  any  unneces- 
sary danger.  I  have,  moreover,  always  found  that,  of  the  perils  de- 
scribed to  a  traveler  before  he  undertakes  a  journey,  not  more  than  half 
need  be  believed." 

Toward  the  end  of  September,  1843,  lie  started  on  this  journey,  ac- 
companied only  by  a  few  native  servants.  "The  road  skirts  the  foot  of 
the  hills  for  a  considerable  distance,  till  at  last  a  small  plain  obelisk,  on 
tlie  right  hand,  and  further  on,  to  the  left,  a  large  stone  tablet  inscribed 
in  Greek  characters,  proclaim  to  the  traveler  his  near  ap])roach  to  the 
city  of  Axum.  From  the  tablet  a  sharp  turn  to  the  right  brings  him 
in  view  of  half  the  town,  which,  being  situated  in  an  ami)hitheater  of 
hills,  and  possessing  a  tolerably  well-built  sqnan^  church,  probably  of 
I'ortuguese  construction,  forms  altogether  a  rather  agreeable  coitp  d'a'.il. 
The  church  is  prettily  situated  among  large  trees,  and  surrounded  by 
rustic  but  neatly-built  huts.  From  the  tablet,  liowever,  to  the  church, 
there  is  a  distance  of  several  hundred  yards,  along  which  lie  scattenid, 
every  here  and  there,  unfinished  or  broken  columns,  pedestals,  and  other 
remnants  of  the  civilization  of  former  ages.  The  remaining  part  of  tluf 
town,  Avith  the  beautiful  obelisk  and  splendid  sycamore-tree,  at  last  come 
hi  view,  having  been  hidden  by  the  projecting  foot  of  one  of  the  hills. 
The  obelisk  and  tree  are  both  of  great  lieight,  but  the  latter  is  remark- 
able for  the  extraordinary  circumference  of  its  trunk  and  the  great 
spread  of  its  branches,  which  east  their  dark  sha<le  over  such  a  space  of 
ground  as  would  be  sufficient  for  the  camp  of  the  largest  caravan.  The 
principal  obelisk  is  carved  on  the  south  side,  as  if  to  represent  a  door, 
windows,  cornices,  etc. ;  while  under  the  protecting  arms  of  the  vener- 
able tree  stand  five  or  six  smaller  ones,  witliout  ornament,  most  of  which 
have  considerably  deviated  from  the  perpendicular.  Altogether  they 
fonn  a  very  interesting  family  party." 

lie  was  obliged  to  remain  at  Axum  a  fi-w  days,  liaving  met  with 
some  difficulty  in  procuring  provisions  for  the  journey.     On 

43 


Btartuig 


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674 


PARKYNS'S    LIFE    IN    ABYSSINIA. 


again,  ho  passed  the  ancient  church,  which  is  considered  the  most  sacred 
in  Abyssinia.  The  custom  of  the  country  obliges  all  persons  to  dis- 
mount and  walk,  while  passing.  For  some  distance  after  leaving  the 
town,  ho  continued  in  the  high-road  to  Gondar.  "  This  appellation," 
says  he,  "may  give  an  idea  of  macadamizing,  Avith  footpaths  along-side, 
mile-stoTios,  fences,  etc. ;  but  here  the  high-road  is  only  a  track  worn  by 
use,  and  a  little  larger  than  the  sheep-paths,  from  the  fact  of  more  feet 
passing  over  it.  The  utmost  labor  bestowed  on  any  road  in  this  country 
is  when  some  traveler,  vexed  with  a  thorn  that  may  happen  to  scratch 
his  face,  draws  his  sword  and  cuts  off  the  S{)ray.  Even  this  is  rarely 
done ;  and  I  have  been  astonished  at  seeing  many  high-ways,  and 
even  some  of  those  most  used,  rendered  almost  impassable  by  the 
number  of  thorns  which  are  allowed  to  remain  spread  across  them. 
An  Abyssinian's  maxim  is,  'I  may  not  pass  by  this  way  for  a 
year  again  ;  why  should  I  give  myself  trouble  for  other  people's  con- 
venience ?' " 

Immediately  after  describing  this  rough  experience,  the  traveler, 
with  wonderful  chccu-fulness,  bursts  into  the  following  rhapsody :  "  How 
little  are  the  gifts  of  nature  appreciated  by  those  Mho,  living  in  tho 
midst  of  luxury,  arc  accustomed  only  to  wish  for  a  thing  in  order  to  ob- 
tain it !  Ye  who  have  already  satiated  yourselves  with  the  bounties  of 
Providence,  and  from  constant  enjoyment  of  every  thing  can  no  longer 
find  pleasure  in  any  thing,  take  my  advice — leave  for  a  time  your  lives 
of  hixury,  shoulder  your  rifle,  and  take  a  few  months'  experience  of 
hardship  in  a  hot  climate.  You  will  suffer  much  at  first,  but  in  the  end 
will  learn  what  real  enjoyment  is.  You  will  sleep  soundly  when  you 
tlirow  yourself  down  on  the  bare  ground,  while  in  your  bed  of  down  at 
Iiome  you  might  have  been  tossing  about  in  a  fever  all  night.  You  will 
find  more  real  pleasure  in  a  draught  of  water,  even  if  it  be  a  little  dirty, 
or  flavored  with  tar  from  the  leather  bag  in  which  it  has  boon  carried, 
than  you  ever  did  in  the  choicest  wine  to  be  got  in  England.  You  will 
devour  a  half-burned  piece  of  gazelle,  and  find  it  more  palatable  than  tho 
cuisine  of  tho  greatest  gourmand  in  Paris.  And  as  for  fruit,  it  is  true 
we  have  none  to  speak  of  in  Abyssinia,  but  a  good  raw  onion  is  not  a 
had  thing  by  way  of  luncheon.  Shade,  a  bit  of  green  grass,  even  coarse 
tliough  it  be,  a  rippling  stream,  a  cloud — all  these  are  treab'ures  in 
Africa,  though  not  cared  for  or  heeded  in  a  land  where  you  have  trees 
in  every  hedge-row,  a  velvet  turf  in  every  garden  and  in  many  fields,  a 
river  almost  every  three  or  four  miles,  and,  as  for  clouds,  perhajw  rather 
too  many  of  them. 

"  On  my  arrival  at  a  village  I  have  always  found  it  the  better  plan 
to  do  as  native  travelers  would — wait  under  a  tree  till  some  one  asks  mo 
in.  This  is  generally  soon  done,  though  a  little  patience  is  sometimes 
needed.  People  often  gather  round  you  to  look  at  you,  and  occasionally 
make  rather  personal  remarks,  though  generally  they  arc  very  civil. 
Only  answer  their  questions  good-naturedly,  and  take  pleasure  in  making 


G 


^^-— -™-.— rf^tn.-i"*'^ 


iN    ABYSSINIAN    SUPERSTITION. 


675 


yourself  agreeable,  which  yoii  will  find  will  beoomo  a  habit,  and  you 
will  be  welcome  everywhere. 

"  Part  of  our  next  day's  journey,"  he  continues,  "  was  disagreeably 
rough.  The  road  in  many  places  reminded  me  of  the  ascent  or  descent 
of  the  pyramids  of  Gizeh,  but  was  even  more  difficult,  being  literally  a 
staircase,  formed  by  enormous  blocks  of  stone,  with  often  a  depth  of 
four  feet  or  more  between  each  step.  Had  I  been  shod,  instead  of 
being  barefoot,  it  would  have  been  scarcely  possible  for  me  in  many 
places  to  have  reached  the  bottom  without  a  fall.  It  was  not  till  then 
that  I  thoroughly  understood  why  the  Abyssinians  in  general  never  wear 
shoes,  ivA  why  those  few  who  have  borrowed  from  their  neighbors  on 
the  Kel  Sea  the  custom  of  wearing  sandals,  should  only  use  them  in 
town,  and  immediately  take  them  oft*  when  going  on  a  journey." 

After  three  days' travel  Parkyns  reached  the  town  of  Addiiro,  where 
he  was  hospitably  received  by  the  chiefs,  but  was  greatly  amioyed  by 
the  constant  crowd  of  visitors  Avho  Hocked  into  his  hut,  many  of  whom 
had  never  before  seen  a  European.  They  also  had  a  superstition  that 
he  possessed  the  secret  of  making  money  by  magical  arts,  and  carefully 
watched  him  Avhcrever  he  went,  in  order  to  detect  the  process.  "  I 
happened  to  have  a  good  many  new  dollars,"  says  he,  "  and  whenever  I 
circulated  any  of  them  the  receiver  would  sometimes  exclaim :  '  Wa ! 
this  is  only  just  made  ;  look,  how  it  shines!'  I  often  retire  to  the  neigh- 
boring hills,  when  about  to  take  an  observation,  or  for  some  other 
reason  Avishing  to  be  undisturbed,  and  seek  out  some  snug  little  nook  or 
corner  among  the  rocks.  Scarcely,  however,  have  I  time  to  make  my 
preliminary  arrangements,  when  looking  up  I  find  two  or  throe  heads 
curiously  peeiing  into  my  retreat,  fully  persuaded  that  they  are  about 
to  behold  the  entire  process  of  obtaining  dollars  from  the  earth,  ready 
stamped  with  the  august  head  of  her  imperial  majesty.  If  a  servant 
of  mine  returns  from  market  with  an  ass  laden  Avith  corn  or  othisr  pro- 
visions, the  people  at  once  say  it  is  dollars,  which,  having  been  made 
by  me  during  the  week,  I  had  left  hidden  in  the  rocks,  and  that  the 
servant  had  been  to  fetch  them." 

From  Addaro  he  proceeded  to  Rohabaita,  on  the  noithern  frontier 
of  Abyssinia,  where  he  remained  nine  months,  familiarizing  himself  Avitli 
the  language  and  habits  of  the  people.  lie  became,  to  all  intents  and 
purposes,  a  genuine  Abyssinian,  adopting  the  dress  and  mode  of  lift;  of 
the  country,  which  he  retained  during  the  remainder  of  his  residence 
there.  The  regular  narrative  of  his  travels  tt^rminates  at  this  point,  but 
the  interest  of  the  remaining  portion  of  his  book,  which  is  devoted  to 
an  account  of  the  country  and  people,  illustrated  with  many  curious  ad- 
ventures and  experiences,  is  not  dirainislied  by  this  want  of  continuity. 
"  After  waiting  two  years  without  receiving  any  supplies  or  communica- 
tions from  Europe,"  ho  remarks,  "  I  began  to  think  that  I  should  be 
compelled  to  remain  at  any  rate  for  a  long  period  in  Abyssinia.  So,  to 
bo  prepared  for  the  worst,  I  applied  to  Dejatch  Lemma  for  a  govern- 


!l 


iiiilipllii^ 


'I 


m 


i 


ill'! 


hlli'^ni 


fill    |l 


i|:i„  li 


t  '•  I 


676 


PARKYNS'S    LIFK    IN    ABYSSINIA. 


inent  in  those  parts,  offering  not  only  that  a  leguhir  tribute  should  be 
j)ai(l  him,  but  also  that  I  would  engage  to  keep  in  order  the  hostile 
IJarea,  without  liis  putting  himself  to  any  inconvenienee  on  their  score. 
He  accepted  my  terms,  offering  to  receive  a  certain  number  of  guns  in 
lieu  of  tribute;  but  the  nuitter  was  not  concluded  fur  some  months,  as 
he  had  to  ask  his  father's  consent,  and  in  the  mean  while,  my  supplies 
arriving,  I  left  the  country.  Notwithstanding  that  the  affair  was,  both 
by  his  wish  and  my  own,  kept  as  secret  as  jtossible,  it  became  known 
to  some  of  the  people  of  tlu;  country,  and  many  of  those  who  had 
iled  to  the  distant  provinces  came,  bringing  me  presents,  and  anx- 
iously iiupiiring  when  they  should  bo  able  to  return  to  their  former 
homes. 

"  I  had  made  my  plans  for  governing,  as  I  thouglit,  to  perfection.  I 
considered  that  if  once  regularly  appointed  I  should  feel  myself  bound  t<; 
remain  till  at  least  I  had  done  some  little  good  to  my  poor  people,  and 
arranged  matters  lor  them,  so  as  to  leave  them  in  comparative  security. 
Had  I  received  the  sum  I  expected  (£300),  after  having  entered  upon  my 
government  I  should  have  invested  a  portion  of  it  in  plows,  oxen,  and 
seeds.  These  I  should  have  lent  out  to  poor  peasants,  counting  £2  for 
each  outfit.  One  or  two  good  harvests  would  have  enabled  them  to  re- 
fund the  money,  not  only  for  these  articles,  but  also  for  any  provisions 
of  corn,  etc.,  Avith  which  I  might  have  supplied  them  during  the  first 
year.  Thus,  at  the  expiration  of  two  years,  up  to  which  time  I  should 
liave  required  no  taxes,  they  would  have  been  in  comfortable  circum- 
stances, and  able  to  look  forward  to  a  chance  of  ameliorating  their  con- 
dition. In  this  way,  without  much  difficulty,  and  (if  properly  arranged) 
with  little  risk  of  loss  to  myself,  I  should  in  a  short  time  have  mustered 
a  thick  and  thriving  population. 

"  During  my  whole  stay  at  Rohabaita  I  was  looked  upon  by  the 
people  as  a  chief,  or  man  of  importance  among  them  (be  it  known  we 
were  in  a  state  of  semi-rebellion),  and  consulted  on  .all  the  most  import- 
smt  occasions.  I,  for  my  part,  felt  myself  as  one  of  them,  and  entered 
Avith  the  greatest  sympathy  and  zejvl  into  all  their  proceedings.  At  a  feast 
no  one  enjoyed  the  dance  and  song  more  than  I  did.  I  had  the  most 
guns  discharged  .at  a  funeral.  No  hunting  party  or  foraying  expedition 
but  I  was  in  it.  I  took  my  turn  in  scoutings  and  outlyings  ;  .and  I  am 
.afraid  I  must  add,  that  even  on  one  or  two  occasions,  though  of  course  I 
had  no  hand  in  the  act,  I  w.as  privy  to  the  getting  rid  of  a  few  disgreeii- 
ble  soldiers  who  came  to  annoy  our  peaceful  village,  and  to  rob  the  poor 
peasantry  of  what  little  their  predecessors  had  left  them.  The  truth  is, 
I  did  not,  nor  do  even  now,  consider  these  other  than  justifiable  homi- 
cides.  Be  it  always  remembered,  the  Amhara  are  not  the  lawful  rulers 
of  the  country  ;  but  having  conquered  it,  partly  by  force,  but  principally 
by  treachery,  they  hold  it  under  an  iron  rod,  and  pillage  the  inhabitants 
to  their  utmost. 

"  The  high  lands  of  Abyssinia  enjoy  probably  as  salubrious  a  climate 


SLEEPING    BETWEEN    FIUEa. 


677 


as  any  country  on  the  face  of  the  globe.  The  licat  is  by  no  means  op- 
pressive, a  fine  light  air  counteracting  the  power  of  the  sun.  At  eertaui 
seasons  of  the  year  the  low  valleys,  as  of  the  March  and  Teccazze,  esjje- 
cially  the  former,  are  much  to  be  feared,  from  the  malaria  which  pre- 
vails, and  which  brings  on,  in  persons  exposed  to  its  inlluence,  most  ter- 
rible inflammatory  fevers,  of  which  four  cases  out  of  fivo  are  fital ;  and 
even  in  a  case  of  escape  from  death,  the  efleets  on  the  constitution  are 
such  that  it  Avill  be  years  before  the  sufferer  recovers  its  shock,  if  indecil 
he  should  ever  do  so  entirely.  More  than  one  of  the  il'W  Europi>ans 
who  ha\e  -s isited  Abyssinia  within  the  present  century  have  fallen  vic- 
tims to  it.  Many  have  died  also  from  dysentery — a  comjilaint  which  of- 
ten comes  on  in  the  rainy  season  as  an  epidemic.  These  two  are  the 
most  commonly  fatal  complaints  of  Abyssinia. 

"  The  season  most  to  be  dreaded  is  innnediatdy  after  t!ie  rains  (about 
September),  and  the  two  or  three  following  months.  I  once  traveled 
througli  a  whole  '  krumt,'  or  rainy  season,  across  one  of  th(^  most  febrile 
districts  in  this  part  of  Africa,  viz.,  the  provinces  of  Shire,  Waldabba, 
and  Walkait,  in  Abyssinia,  and  the  plains  of  the  Atbara  aud  Sotifi,  on 
my  way  to  the  capital  of  Xubia;  but  then  I  had  the  experience  of  three 
years,  a  great  part  of  Avhich  time  had  becu  passed  in  the  backwoods 
about  the  March.  Wlu'n  I  could  get  wood,  I  invariably  li'i^dited  two 
large  fires,  and  slept  between  them.  This  plan,  though  not  vi'ry  agree- 
able till  you  are  used  to  it,  is  a  capital  preventive  of  diseaso  ;  for  during 
the  day  the  sun's  heat  raises  the  moisture  in  steam,  which,  when  the 
evening  becomes  cool,  descends  in  tlie  form  of  dew  or  fog,  and  in  this 
form  is  one  of  the  greatest  helps  to  a  fever.  The  heat  you  have  around 
you  answers  the  purpose  of  a  local  sun,  and  you  are  in  no  more  danger 
than  during  the  daytime.  But  when  I  say  I  lay  between  two  fires,  it 
must  bo  understood  that  they  were  so  close  together  that  I  was  obliged 
to  cover  myself  with  a  piece  of  hide  or  a  coarse  native  woolen  cloth,  to 
prevent  the  sparks  or  embers,  which  might  fly  out,  setting  fire  to  my 
cotton  clothes.  Another  plan,  which  is  always  adopted  by  the  natives, 
is  not,  I  think,  a  bad  one  :  KoU  your  head  completely  up  in  your  cloth, 
which  will  then  act  as  a  respirator. 

"  As  a  general  rule,  abstinence  does  no  harm  in  these  climates,  but, 
on  the  contrary,  it  is  always  a  good  thing,  and  often  necessary.  T  never 
felt  lighter  in  my  life,  or  more  free  from  the  many  ills  that  vex  liuman- 
ity,  than  during  this  my  long  period  of  semi-starvation.  Wounds  of  all 
kinds  healed  on  me  like  magic,  and  I  never  knew  what  it  was  to  feel 
lazy  or  fatigued.  On  one  or  two  occasions  I  remembered  being  much 
astonished  at  the  little  I  suffered  from  otherwise  ugly  wounds  about  the 
feet.  Once,  in  running  down  the  stony  and  almost  precipitous  path 
which  leads  to  the  March,  I  struck  my  bare  foot  against  an  edge  of 
rock,  Avhich  was  as  sharp  as  a  razor,  and  a  l/it  of  flesh,  ^vith  the  whole 
of  the  nail  of  my  left  foot  little  toe,  was  cut  off,  leaving  only  the  roots 
of  the  nail.     This  latter  I  suppose  to  have  becu  the  case,  as  it  has  grown 


in 

Hi! 


K 

t'l\ 


II  ! 


,f 


1  . 


i  .,  , 


ill 


?  !lTi;!  I 


.ill! 


!  1 


lii!; 


m 


'■i: 


m 


m 


678 


PAKKYNS'S    LIFK    IN    ABYSSINIA. 


all  ri^lil  again.  I  couUl  not  htop  longer  tlian  to  polish  olF  the  bit  which 
was  hanging  by  a  skin,  lor  wo  were  in  cliasu  of  a  party  of  Uarea,  Avho 
had  cut  the  throats  of  thrco  of  Waddy  Ilil's  nephews  the  night  before — 
(by  the  way  I  '11  tell  that  story  allerward,  to  »how  what  cowardly  louts 
8onio  of  the  Abyssinians  ai'e) — but  was  obliged  to  go  on  running  for 
about  twenty  miles  that  afternoon,  the  greater  part  of  the  way  up  to 
our  ankles  in  burning  sand.  Whether  this  cured  it  I  know  not,  but  I 
scarcely  sufFered  at  all  from  it  next  day,  and  forgot  it  the  day  after. 
^Vnolher  day  I  was  running  after  an  antelope  which  I  liad  wounded,  and 
in  my  eagerness  juin^jed  over  a  bush,  and  on  to  the  trunk  of  a  fallen 
tree.  Now  it  so  happened  that  a  bough  had  once  stood  exactly  where 
my  foot  now  lighted,  but,  having  been  broken  off,  had  left  a  jagged 
stump,  oii(>  splinter  of  which,  of  about  the  thickness  of  a  tenpenny  nail, 
enleiiiig  the  ball  of  my  foot,  passed  so  far  throngli  that  the  point  ap- 
peared like  a  black  spot  immediately  under  the  skin,  half  an  mch 
above  the  jmiction  of  the  third  and  fourth  toes,  toward  the  instep,  and 
then  broke  short  oil".  I  got  my  game,  butchered  it,  and  carried  it  home 
(some  two  miles),  with  the  spUnter  in  my  foot,  which  I  then  drew  out 
with  a  nail-wrench.  A  quantity  of  blood  issued  from  the  wound,  but, 
with  the  exception  of  a  little  stifthess  for  a  day  or  two,  which  however 
nowise  jireventcd  my  walking,  I  sutlercd  no  j)ain  at  all.  Now,  had  this 
occurred  to  me  in  Europe,  and  under  a  good  European  diet,  I  should 
have  been  at  least  a  fortnight  laid  up  with  a  bad  foot. 

"As  for  tliorns  in  the  feet,  it  may  be  easily  imagined  that,  in  a  coun- 
try where  there  is  scarcely  a  tree  unfurnished  with  these  appendages, 
and  some  of  them  of  the  length  of  three  or  four  inches,  the  whole 
ground  must  be  strewed  with  them,  and,  consequently,  that  the  feet  of 
a  person  going  barefoot  must  frequently  act,  to  all  intents  and  purposes, 
the  part  of  pincusliions ;  yet  I  can  truly  say  that,  after  some  time,  such 
is  the  force  of  habit  and  the  thickness  of  skui  that  one  gets  by  use,  I 
thought  no  more  of  picking  half-a-dozen  thorns  out  of  my  feet  than  an 
English  Ri)ortsinan  would  of  kicking  away  the  clod  of  clay  he  may  have 
accumulated  on  his  shooting-boots  in  crossing  a  soft-plowed  field." 

In  June,  18  44,  Parkyns  returned  to  Adoua,  where  he  lived  during 
the  greater  portion  of  his  stay  in  Abyssinia.  From  his  interesting  pic- 
tures of  the  life  and  customs  of  the  country,  we  have  only  space  for  a 
few  extracts.  "The  slaughtering  of  animals  in  Abyssinia,"  he  remarks, 
"  is  attended  with  a  regular  ceremony,  as  in  Mohammedan  countries. 
The  animal  is  thromi  down  with  its  licad  to  the  east,  and  the  knife 
passed  across  its  throat  Avhilo  the  words,  '  In  the  name  of  the  Father, 
Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,'  are  pronounced  by  the  butcher.  Almost  before 
the  death  struggle  is  over  persons  are  ready  to  flay  the  carcase,  and 
pieces  of  raw  meat  are  cut  off  and  served  up  before  this  operation  is 
completed ;  in  fact,  as  each  part  presents  itself  it  is  cut  off,  and  eaten 
while  yet  warm  and  quivering.  In  this  state  it  is  considered,  and  justly 
BO,  to  be  very  superior  in  taste  to  what  it  is  when  cold.    Kaw  meat,  if 


HABITS    OJ-'    TllK    ABYSSINIANS. 


679 


kept  a  littlo  time,  gets  tough  ;  whereas  if  eaten  fresh  and  warm  it  is  far 
tenderer  than  the  most  tender  joint  tli:  t  lias  been  hutij^  a  week  in  P^ii- 
gland.  The  taste  is,  perhaps  from  imai;iiiation,  rather  disagreeable  at 
first,  but  far  otherwise  when  one  gets  accustomed  to  it ;  and  I  can 
readily  believe  that  raw  meat  would  be  pn-tl-rred  to  cnoked  meat  by  a 
man  who  from  childhood  had  been  a('(uistomed  to  it. 

"From  the  foregoing  description,  "ne  is  apt  to  run  away  with  the 
impression  that  these  people  are  by  no  means  delicate  hi  their  choice  of 
food,  while,  in  truth,  no  nation  is  more  scrupulously  so  after  its  own 
fashion.  JJesides  refusing  all  animals  which  have  teeth  in  their  ujjper 
jaw — as  the  hare;  and  all  such  as  have  not  cloven  feet — as  ihe  camel, 
whose  foot  is  only  cloven  above  ;  and  many  others,  from  religious  ju'ej- 
udice,  of  which  I  shall  say  more  liereafter;  they  have  also  various  j)oints 
of  delicacy  which  diifer  in  the  several  parts  of  the  country.  An  animal 
killed  by  a  lion  or  leopard  is  by  most  persons  considered  eatable,  those 
beasts  being  reckoned  Christian ;  while,  on  the  contrary,  no  one  could 
touch  the  meat  of  an  animal  which  had  fallen  a  prey  to  the  hyteiui,  that 
disgusting  scavenger  being  considered  as  of  the  Mussulman  religion. 
The  iMoslems  are  very  lax  in  these  points,  some  of  them  eating  the  llesh 
of  the  wild  boar,  or  the  mislaughtcrcd  (and,  consequently,  forbidden) 
leavings  of  their  brother  hyicna. 

"When  the  master  of  an  Abyssinian  house  takes  his  meals,  all  his 
servants  stand  round  the  doorway  and  look  on ;  which  custom,  though 
it  has  at  first  a  disagreeable  effect  to  a  stranger,  is  in  reality  a  mark  of 
respect  to  their  superior,  showing  that  they  are  in  attendance  on  him, 
and  not  merely  eating  his  bread,  and  idling  their  time  away.  The 
master's  feeding-time,  in  fact,  is  a  sort  of  muster  for  the  servants.  The 
dinner-tables  in  great  houses  are  usually  of  wood,  roughly  made,  but 
frequently  also  of  wicker-work  neatly  put  together.  When  a  party  is 
expected,  fresh  grass  is  spread  on  the  floor,  and  the  tables  are  ranged  of 
various  sorts  and  sizes — the  highest  nearest  the  master's  end  of  the  room 
— some  wooden,  some  wicker,  some  broad,  others  narrow,  it  being  only 
in  a  few  IJishionable  establishments  that  two  or  three  of  corresponding 
size  can  be  found.  All  of  course  are  very  low',  being  made  of  the  height 
most  convenient  for  a  person  seated  on  the  ground ;  for  chairs  are  un- 
known in  the  country.  The  table  being  spread,  the  bread  is  brought  in 
by  servants  in  largo  baskets  carried  on  their  heads. 

"  The  Abyssinians  arc  of  middle  stature,  averaging,  I  should  think, 
about  five  feet  seven  inches,  rather  more  than  less.  I  have  seldom  seen 
natives  above  six  feet,  and  only  one  or  two  reached  six  feet  two  inches. 
In  color  some  of  them  are  perfectly  black ;  but  the  majority  are  brown, 
or  a  very  light  copper  or  nut  color.  This  variety  of  complexion,  ob- 
servable in  both  sexes,  is,  I  should  think,  attributable  to  the  mixture  of 
races  of  which  the  nation  is  composed.  The  women  of  the  higher  classes 
have  remarkably  pretty  f(;et  and  shapes,  owing  to  the  absence  of  the 
horrible   confining  foshions:    they,  however,   soon   fall   off",   chiefly,  I 


1   . 

I       ! 


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If 


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1 

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1. .  1 

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If '^  i 


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Hi! 


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f 

^    ij^in: 

r.:ll|N  ^ 

680 


PARKYNS'S   LIFE    IN   ABYSSINIA. 


imagine,  from  climate,  though  partly  perhaps  from  want  of  the  artificial 
8ui>ports  which  are  usual  in  European  countries.  But  this  to  the  traveler 
matters  little,  as  in  passing  through  the  country  he  seldom  sees  any 
thuig  but  the  beautiful  forms  of  young  girls,  who  go  half  naked  ;  while 
married  women,  always  wearing  long  loose  shirts,  and  quarries  over 
them,  effectually  conceal  their  figures,  whether  they  be  good  or  bad.  In 
feature,  as  in  form,  the  young  Abyssinian  women  are,  perhaps,  among 
the  most  beautiful  of  any  on  the  earth. 


AN  ABYSSINIAN  LAHT  OP  FASmON. 

"  For  dross,  the  male  Abyssinians  wear  .i  pair  of  tight  cotton  inex- 
pressibles, a  large  belt,  and  a  '  (juarry,'  or  mantle  of  the  same  material. 
,\s  I  have  liefore  remarked,  the  dress  of  the  soldiers  and  peasantry  is 
nearly  alike;  that  of  the  former  being  only  of  a  rather  more  stylish  <'ut. 
The  trowsers  are  of  a  soft-textured  but  rather  coarse  cotton  stutf,  mado 
in  the  CDuntry,  and  are  of  two  sorts;  one  called  '  culliss,'  the  other 
'counita.'  The  Ibrmer  reaches  half  way  down  the  calf  of  the  leg,  tho 
latter  to  about  three  or  four  inches  above  the  knee.  Doth,  if  the  wearer 
be  a  dandy,  are  niu<le  skin-tiujht.  I  might  enter  into  a  Imig  account  of 
the  jHculiar  CusirhMH  to  which  these  tiowsers  are  subject,  parts  l)eing  j 
doubled,  parts  single.  One  year  it  may  be  tho  fashion  to  have  the  seam  j 
at   the  .'^ide  u{'  the  '  calliss,'  below  the  knee,  of  about  two  inches  long 


DRESS    AND    HAIR- DRESSING. 


681 


only,  before  it  branches  oif  on  tlio  thigh  ;  while  another  year  it  will  be 
lengthened  to  six  or  eight  uiehes.  The  last  was  the  measure  at  which  I 
left  it.  This,  however,  was  considered  so  very  ultra  fashionable,  that, 
except  Dejatch  Shetou,  myself,  and  one  or  two  others,  few  dared  to 
attempt  it. 

"The  women  of  Abyssinia  are  dressed  quite  as  decently  as  any 
women  in  the  world,  without  having  a  particle  of  the  trouble  of  the 
ladies  of  more  civilized  nations.  There  is  a  distinguishing  costume  for 
young  girls,  and  those  who,  from  being  married  or  otherwise,  are  no 
longer  considered  as  such.  The  dress  of  the  former  is  indeed  rather 
slight,  though  far  more  picturesque  than  that  of  the  latter.  Down  in 
our  part  of  the  country  (about  Shire)  the  girls  merely  wear  a  piece  of 
cotton  stulf  wrapped  round  the  waist  and  hanging  down  almost  to  the 
knee,  and  another  (or  the  end  of  the  former  if  it  be  long  enough)  thrown 
over  the  left  shoulder,  so  as  to  leave  the  right  arm  and  breast  exposed. 
In  other  parts  of  Tigre  a  black  goat -skin,  ornanu'nted  A\ith  cowries,  is 
often  substituted  for  this  latter.  An  ordinary  woman  wears  a  large 
loose  shirt  down  to  the  feet,  with  sleeves  made  tight  toward  the  wrist. 
This,  Avith  a  '  quarry'  similar  to  those  of  the  men,  but  worn  rather  dit- 
ferently,  and  a  parasol  when  out  of  doors,  is  a  complete  suit. 

"  In  general,  neither  sex  Avears  any  covering  on  the  head,  preferring 
to  tress  and  butter  that  with  which  nature  has  provided  them.  Tiiu 
hair  of  the  Abyssinians  is  admirably  adajited  for  this  purpose,  being  nei- 
ther short  and  crisp  like  a  negro's,  nor  yet  of  the  soft  elasticity  of  a 
European's,  but  between  the  two  ;  suHIciently  long  to  tress  well,  and 
even  often  to  hang  luxuriantly  over  the  shoulders,  but  at  the  same  time 
sulliciently  woolly  to  prevent  its  being  liable  to  come  out  of  jilait  as  soon 
as  it  is  done,  whi:.h  ours  always  does.  I  had  the  greatest  bother  in  the 
world  with  mine.  In  the  iirst  place,  it  recpiired  twice  as  much  jiulling 
as  any  body  else's,  otherwise  it  would  not  have  remained  a  moment  in 
its  ])lace  ;  and  then  it  had  to  be  tied  at  the  ends  and  stuck  with  a  'fixa- 
ture' of  boiled  cotton-seeds  ;  and,  after  all,  it  never  lasted  in  plait  more 
than  a  week, 

"The  Abyssinians,  Avhcn  startled  or  alarmed,  are  in  the  habit  of  ex- 
claiming, '  In  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy 
(ihost  I' — as  a  Roman  Catholic  would  cross  himself  if  similarly  situated, 
(Jreat  care  must  be  taken  to  avoid  using  these  words  in  the  presence  of 
a  person  supposed  to  be  possessed  by  an  evil  spirit,  Avhen  slie  is  in  an 
animated  or  dancing  fit ;  for  even  to  whisper  them  to  one's  self  would 
assuredly  cause  a  terrible  convulsion  and  entire  relapse  of  the  sufferer. 
A  friend  of  mine*  cautioned  me  against  this  while  we  were  going  together 
to  visit  a  sick  person.  He  toM  me  that  once,  hearing  that  there  was  .an 
extraordinary  case  in  a  village  where  lie  was  a  jierfeet  stranger,  he  went 
to  th(>  place,  and  found  a  lady  cngnged  in  dancing  amid  a  crowil  of  her 
friends.  No  sooner  did  lu-  approach  tlian  she  sprang  toward  him,  and 
ordered  him  to dunco  willi  her  ;  at  the  same  time  lilling  her  mouth  witli 


i  i 


i 


IK  hi 


lliil 


V 


• 


i 

ill 


■rw 


■■ii 


m 


■i\ 


k '.' 


682 


PARKYNS'S    LIFE    IN    ABYSSINIA. 


milk  from  a  can  iioar  licr,  hIio  spirted  it  into  liis  face.  Naturally  startled 
by  this  unexpt'fti'd  recoption,  and  boing  a  man  of  decidedly  nervous 
temperament,  my  poor  friend,  not  approving  of  this  proximity  of  the 
devil,  ejaculated  the  fatal  words.  Scarcely,  however,  had  they  passed 
his  lips,  when  the  Avoman,  uttering  a  terrilic  scream,  threw  herself  on 
the  groiuul  and  tore  olf  all  her  clothes  and  ornaments,  while  her  husband, 
Avho  also,  it  appears,  was  more  or  less  aflected  by  the  Tigritiya,  drew 
his  shotel,  and  made  a  ferocious  attack  on  the  imwitting  offender. 

"In  Abyssinia  the  trade  of  blacksmith  is  hereditary,  and  considered 
as  more  or  less  disgraceful,  from  the  ilict  that  blacksmiths  are,  Avith  very 
rare  excej)tions,  believed  to  be  all  sorcerers,  and  are  opprobriously  called 
'  I»ouda.'  They  are  supjiosed  to  have  the  power  of  turning  themselves 
into  hyenas,  and  sometimes  into  other  animals.  I  remember  a  story  of 
some  little  girls,  Avho,  having  been  out  in  tlie  forest  to  gather  sticks, 
canu!  runnhig  back  breathless  with  fright ;  and  on  being  asked  what 
was  the  cause,  they  answered  that  a  blacksmith  of  the  neighborhood 
liad  met  hem,  and,  entering  into  conversation  with  him,  they  at  length 
began  to  joke  him  about  whether,  as  had  been  asserted,  he  could  really 
turn  himself  into  a  hyena.  The  man,  they  declared,  made  no  reply,  but 
taking  some  ashes  which  he  had  with  him,  lied  up  in  the  corner  of  his 
cloth,  s})rinkled  them  over  his  shoulders,  and,  to  liieir  horror  and  alarm, 
they  began  al)ru)st  immediately  to  j)erceive  that  the  njctamorphosis  Avas 
actually  taking  jilace,  and  that  the  blacksmith's  skin  Avas  assuming  the 
hair  and  color  of  the  hyena,  Avliile  his  limbs  and  head  took  the  shape 
of  that  animal.  "When  the  change  Avas  complete  ho  grinned  and  laughed 
at  them,  and  thei»  retired  into  the  neighboring  thickets.  They  liad  re- 
mained, as  it  were,  rooted  to  the  j)lace  from  sheer  fright ;  but  tlu;  mo- 
ment llie  hideous  creature  AvithdrcAV  they  made  the  best  of  their  Avay 
home. 


In  June,  IStn,  I'arkyns  received  the  funds  for  Avhich  he  had  so  long 
AA'aited,  atnl  in  the  following  month  took  a  ilnal  leave  of  Adoua.  Trav- 
eling slowly  northward,  he  passed  through  the  dangi'rous  and  ahnost 
unknown  region  along  the  Atbara  Kiver,  aiul  suciceeded  in  reaching  the 
Blue  Nile,  below  Sennaar.  On  arriving  at  Khartoum  lie  Avas  attacked 
Avith  a  fi'ver  Avhich  confmed  him  to  his  bed  for  five  months.  lie  ap- 
}»ears  to  have  passed  two  or  three  years  in  Sc.udan  and  Nubia,  but  of 
his  exjuM'iences  in  those  countries  In^  has  as  yet  given  no  account.  His 
Btory  of  Abyssinian  life  closes  Avith  the  following  Avords,  Avhich  few  trav- 
elers have  ever  been  able  to  say  :  "  During  nine  years  of  travel  I  met 
Avith  companions  of  every  color,  station,  and  religion  ;  but  n(>ver  picked 
up  with  on(!  Avho  gave  me  a  moment's  cause  to  <piurrcl  with  Lim,  orfrom 
Avhoni  I  parted  otherwise  thuu  with  regret." 


m 


W  0  0  D'S 


JOURNEY     TO     TIIK     OXUS. 


Aftku  tho  voyago  of  Sir  Aloxrindor  T^irnos  up  tlio  Indus  to  Lahore, 
in  1830,  the  Indian  Ciovernmcnt  undertook  a  survey  of  that  Ktroani  and 
the  adjacent  countries.  The  right  to  na\  igate  tlie  river  for  tlie  |)ur[>osea 
of  connnerco  wa3  obtained  by  treaty  Mith  the  eountries  of  Scinde,  La- 
hore, and  tho  smaUer  principalities  bordering  upon  it,  in  18;t'J,  and  three 
years  afterward  a  survey  uf  the  sea-ltoard  of  Scimle  was  math".  Toward 
the  close  of  the  year  ia;iG,  Captain  Bmnes  was  a])pointed  by  the  Govern- 
or General  of  India,  chief  of  a  commercial  mission,  which  Avas  to  pro- 
ceed to  AUghanistan  by  way  of  the  Indus,  witli  Lieutenant  John  AVood, 
of  the  Indian  Navy,  and  Lieutenant  Leech,  uf  the  Lombay  Engineers,  aa 
assistants. 

The  mission  left  llombay  on  the  'JOth  of  November,  isrjij.  On  ap- 
proaching tho  coast  of  Scinde,  Captain  liiii  ncs  directed  Lieutenant  Wood 
to  make  a  careful  survey  of  the  Indus,  from  its  mouth  to  the  fortress  of 
Attock,  below  its  egress  from  the  Himalayas,  wh(3re  it  recseives  the  wa- 
ters of  the  river  of  Cabul.  This  survey  was  not  completed  until  the  1 8th 
of  August,  1HM7,  when  ho  reached  Peshawm-,  on  tho  Aflghan  frontier, 
where  Captain  liurnes  and  the  remainder  of  the  mission  had  already  ar- 
rived. Tht'y  all  set  out  soon  allerward  for  Cabul,  ami  aller  safely  thread- 
ing tho  defiles  of  tho  famous  Kliyber  Pass,  reached  that  city  on  the  iiOth 
of  September,  and  were  favorably  received  by  the  Ameer,  Dost  iMoham- 
med  Khan.  One  of  tho  objects  which  Cajitain  Ihirnes  had  greatly  at 
heart,  Avas  to  obtain  materials  for  tho  construction  of  an  entirely  new 
map  of  Aftghanistan,  in  which  actual  survey  should  pupersodo  hearsay 
information.  He  obtaiiu'd  permission  to  visit  the  valley  of  Koh  Daman, 
in  which  are  the  celebrateil  gardens  of  Istalaf,  lying  north  of  C:d)ul,  at 
the  foot  of  the  great  range  of  the  Hindoo  Koosli,  t)r  Indian  Caucasus. 

While  Lieutenant  Wood  was  engaged  in  the  survey  of  this  valh-y,  ho 
was  summoned  b.ack  to  Cab\il,  to  accompany  Dr.  Lord  on  a  mission  to 
Turkestan.  Toward  the  en<l  of  October,  Mur.ad  All  Hey,  of  Koondooz, 
had  arrived  at  Cabul  with  prosonts  for  Dost  Mohammed,  seeking  modi- 


f 


14 


tl  I 


«1i 


■!    \:\': 


Ij    '  I 


i  I 


i  . 


Ill!lll!^ 


684 


WOOD'S   JOURNEY   TO   THE    OXUS. 


cal  assistance  for  his  brother,  Mohammed  Bey,  who  •was  a  martyr  to 
ophthahnia.  Captain  Burnes  resolved  not  to  lose  so  favorable  an  oppor- 
tunity of  securing  the  good  will  of  these  Uzbeck  chieftains,  and  accord- 
ingly appointed  Dr.  Lord  and  Lieutenant  Wood  to  accompany  Murad 
Ali  back  to  Koondooz.  On  the  3d  of  November,  all  the  necessary  ar- 
rangements  being  completed,  they  set  out,  intending  to  cross  the  Hindoo 
Koosh  by  the  Pass  of  Parwan.  After  a  journey  of  six  days,  they  ap- 
j)roached  the  highest  i)art  of  the  pass,  but  the  snows  were  so  deep,  that 
it  was  impossible  to  advance  ;  the  guides  soon  lost  the  road,  the  Indian 
servants  were  on  the  point  of  perishing,  from  tho  severe  cold,  and  noth- 
ing remained  but  to  return  to  Cabul,  where  they  arrived  on  the  1  ;3th. 

"  Our  experience  of  the  eastern  passes,"  says  Lieutenant  "Wood, 
"  taught  us  the  importance  of  not  tarrying  long  in  Cabul.  We  allowed 
ourselves,  therefore,  only  one  day  for  repose  and  for  reducing  our  bag- 
gage to  light  marching  order ;  and  having  got  rid  of  the  useless  Hindus- 
tani servants,  now  as  anxious  to  remain  behind  as  they  were  formerly 
solicitous  to  go  with  us,  at  an  early  hour  on  the  15th  of  November, 
we  set  out  by  the  Bamian  route  for  Koondooz."  On  the  morning  of  the 
19th,  they  crossed  the  ridge  of  Iladjikak,  which  divides  the  waters  of 
the  AiTghan  river  of  Ilclmund  from  those  which  flow  into  the  Oxus. 
This  pass  being  considerably  lower  than  that  of  I'arwan,  they  met  with 
but  little  difficulty  from  the  snow ;  the  descent  through  the  wild  mount- 
ain tribes  to  the  plains  of  Tui'kestan  was  safely  accomplished,  and  they 
entered  Koondooz  on  the  4(.h  of  December. 

Lieutenant  Wood  gives  the  following  account  of  Koondooz,  its  chief, 
and  its  people :  "  Koondooz,  though  the  capital  of  Murad  Bey,  is  one  of  tho 
most  wretched  towns  in  his  dominions.  Five  or  six  hundred  mud  hovels 
contain  its  fixed  population,  while  dotted  among  these,  and  scattered  at 
random  over  the  suburbs,  are  straw-built  sheds  intermixed  with  the  Uz- 
beck tent  or  kirgah.  Gardens  and  corn-fieUls  alternate  in  its  suburbs 
and  extend  even  into  the  town.  Notliing,  in  short,  can  be  imagined 
less  resembling  a  metropolis.  Overlooking  the  east  end  of  the  town  is 
the  fortress.  This  is  merely  a  mound,  of  an  oblong  figure  and  consider- 
able extent,  strengthened  by  a  mud  wall,  and  a  diy  ditch.  The  wall  is 
in  a  dilapidated  state  on  all  sides  but  the  south,  on  wh'ch  is  the  principal 
entrance  by  the  bazaar  gate.  On  the  north-east  end  of  the  fortn  ss  is  tho 
citadel,  the  winter  residence  of  Murad  Bey.  It  is  an  irregular  structure 
of  kiln-dried  brick,  surrounded  by  a  moat.  It  has  many  loop-holes  for 
match-locks ;  there  arc  also  guns  Avithin  it,  but  none  are  mounted  on  tho 
walls. 

"  ^lurad  Bey,  tho  head  of  this  Uzbeck  state,  is  one  of  those  promi- 
nent  political  characters  that  unsettled  times,  and  a  di^org.inized  state 
of  socii'ty  produce.  Such  were  Mohammed  Ali  in  Kgypt  and  the  lato 
llunjeet  Singh  in  Iliiiduslan.  But  with  all  his  high  (jiialincations  Murad 
Bey  is  but  at  the  head  of  au  organiz('(l  barnlitti,  a  nation  of  pliutdcrcrs, 
whom,  however,  none  of  the  neighboring  powers  can  exterminate.   Able 


bag. 


THE    UZBECKS    AND    THEIR    HORSES. 


685 


as  he  is  to  bring  togother,  in  a  surprisingly  short  space  of  timo,  a  body 
of  fifteen  tliousand  horsemen,  inured  to  predatory  warfare,  and  to  those 
stealthy  attacks  for  which  Turkoman  and  Uzbeck  are  equally  celebrated, 
he  feels  himself  perfectly  secure  from  the  assault  of  any  of  the  clueftains 
by  whon  he  is  surrounded,  nor,  indeed,  were  they  to  league  together 
could  they  successfully  oppose  him. 

"TheUzbccks  of  Koondooz  have  genuine  Tartar  features,  though 
the  phvsiocnomv  of  their  cliiefs  is  becomimx  softened  bv  intermarriatre 
•with  the  Tajik,  a  Caucasian  race  whom  I  believe  to  be  the  indigenous 
inhabitants  of  Persia,  and  perha{)S  of  Transoxiana  also,  and  who  arc;  now 
found  widely  scattered  on  both  sides  of  the  Paropamasian  cliain.  A 
Tajik  is  not  permitted  to  marry  the  daughter  of  an  Uzbeck ;  but  this 
tinjust  distinction  is  the  only  social  difference  that  now  exists  between 
them.  The  Uzbecks  are  Sunnee  Mohammedans,  and  consider  an  intoler- 
ant persecution  of  the  other  sect  as  the  best  evidence  of  the  sincerity  of 
their  own  faith  and  of  their  attaclmient  to  the  l*rophet.  Tliey  are  much 
fettered  by  their  priests,  or  Ishan  Kajahs,  to  whom  they  yield  implicit 
obedience  in  all  things,  temporal  and  spiritual. 

"The  Koondooz  breed  of  horse  is  very  inferior  to  that  of  the  Turko- 
man, or  even  to  tliat  which  their  countrymen  rear  about  Shehr  Sabz 
and  the  environs  of  Bokhara.  The  animal,  to  suit  Murad  ]iey  and  his 
subjects,  must  be  small  and  hardy,  adapted  to  the  hilly  country  as  well 
as  to  the  plain.  Speed  is  a  se(!ondary  consideration  ;  endurance  every 
thing.  Their  fore  and  liind  cpiarters  are  remarkably  large.  One  y(>ar 
from  the  day  on  whicli  a  colt  is  foaled,  it  is  mounted  and  ridden  by  a 
light  weight  for  a  considisrable  distance  at  ftill  speed,  after  which  for 
two  yeai's  it  is  not  again  saddled,  and  at  three  years  old  it  is  regularly 
broken  in.  Shoes  are  used  only  upon  the  fore  feet,  and  in  shape  are  a 
perfect  circle.  Like  the  rest  of  their  race,  the  I  .,.^)ecks  are  extremely 
fond  of  horses  and  racing.  Many  idioms  in  their  e  »lloquial  language 
have  reference  to  them.  For  instance,  if  you  inquire  tiow  far  any  [)ar- 
tieular  place  is  distant,  you  arc  answered  '  ek  d(jwee<hih'  (a  gallo[)) ;  or 
if  you  ask  what  time  any  operation  Avill  recpiire,  the  answer  is  the 
same — '  while  you  may  gallop  so  many  miles.'" 

There  was  every  ]n'obability  that  Dr.  Lord  would  be  comjielled  to 
remain  the  whole  winter,  in  attcnd'.uice  on  his  royal  patient,  .and  Lieu- 
tenant AVood  determined  to  employ  his  time  as  jirofitably  as  possible 
d\n-ing  this  delay.  lie  says  :  "The  great  object  of  my  thought  by  day 
and  dreams  by  night  had  for  some  time  past  been  the  discovery  of  the 
source  of  the  river  Oxus,  and,  thanks  to  my  fellow  traveler's  tact  and 
Mirza  Huddi's  goo(bwill,  INIurad  IJey  on  the  lOth  of  December  conceded 
his  permission  to  me  to  trace  the  .lilir.n,  an  ajipellation  by  which  this 
river  is  better  known  among  the  IMjccks. 

"Monday  the  llth  of  December  was  fortunately  a  market  day  in 
Koondooz;  so  that  the  articles  reiiuireil  for  our  expedition  were  at  onco 
obtained;   and  lest   I^furad  l?ey  might  recall    the  permission  he  had 


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686 


WOOD'S    JOURNEY   TO    THE    OXUS. 


given,  we  started  that  same  ovcning  for  Badakhshan  and  tho  Oxus.  "Wo 
adopted  the  costume  of  tho  country,  as  a  measure  calculated  to  smooth 
our  uitercourse  Avith  a  strange  people,  and  we  had  little  baggage  to  ex- 
cite cupidity  or  suspicion.  Coarse  clothes  to  barter  for  food  with  tho 
inhabitants  of  the  mountains,  was  our  stock  in  trade ;  and  my  chronom- 
eters and  other  instruments  the  only  articles  of  value  which  I  took  with 
me.  Dr.  Lord  accompanied  us  for  the  first  few  miles,  and  parted  from 
us  with  cordial  wishes  for  the  success  of  our  expedition. 

"  The  most  important  of  my  fellow  travelers  was  Gholam  Hussein, 
Munshi,  cook,  and  '  servant  of  all  work,''  in  whom  were  more  sterling 
good  qualities  than  I  at  one  time  believed  it  possible  to  find  in  the 
breast  of  a  Hindustani.  More  intimate  acquaintance  with  eastern  coun- 
tries has  considerably  modified  my  unfavorable  opinion  of  their  inhabit- 
ants, and  taught  me  to  dissent  from  those  wholesale  terms  of  abuse  which 
P^uropeans  too  often  lavish  on  the  native  population.  It  will  generally 
be  found  that  our  opinions  of  the  people  rise  as  our  acquaintance  with 
them  increases.  Another  of  our  small  party  was  Abdul  Ghuni  Yesawal, 
a  Tajik  by  descent,  and  at  heart  a  genuine  Uzbeck.  He  had  been  edu- 
cated for  a  moUah  (priest),  but  had  long  ago  renounced  the  cloister  for 
the  field,  and  was  now,  as  the  aflix  'yesawal'  implies,  an  ofiicer  of  Murad 
Bey's  household.  He  Avas  a  jocund,  good-hearted  soul,  though,  perhaps, 
a  little  too  susceptible  of  the  tender  passion.  After  a  day's  march,  when 
a  glowing  fire,  and  the  enlivening  cup  of  tea  had  mellowed  his  rugged 
nature,  I  have  listened  to  him  expatiating  on  what  he  termed  the  three 
best  friends  of  man,  and  what,  next  to  life,  should  be  most  cared  for. 
These  were  the  Koran,  a  horse,  and  a  sword.  The  first  he  would  un- 
case from  its  numerous  clumsy  leather  coverings,  kiss  tho  volume,  and 
holding  it  out  to  the  Munshi,  swear  by  Khoda  there  was  no  book  like 
it.  A  good  horse,  lie  would  sagely  remark,  Avas  a  (jreat  hhssinfj,  it  Avas 
invaluable  ;  for  Avhat  did  it  not  do  ? — it  procured  a  man  his  livelihood, 
and  obtained  for  him  his  Avives.  That,  in  fact,  without  the  horse,  it 
Avould  be  impossible  to  steal,  and  then  the  Kattaghan's  occupation  and 
glory  Avould  be  no  more.  His  sword  AA'as  a  very  poor  one,  but  that 
mattered  nothing." 

For  tAvo  days  they  traveled  eastward  over  the  open  plains  of  tho 
Oxus,  to  the  town  of  Talikhan,  where  they  A\'cre  detained  a  day  on  ac- 
coinit  of  the  rain.  Beyond  this  place  rose  a  mountain  ridge,  tlie  frontier 
of  Badakshan.  From  the  top  of  the  pass  there  was  a  superb  prospect 
of  tho  snoAvy  peaks  of  the  Hindoo  Koosh,  and  the  lateral  spurs  of  the 
great  chain,  gradually  lessening  doAvn  into  the  plains  of  Tartary.  Cross- 
ing another  i)ass  next  day,  six  thousand  five  hundred  feet  aboAC  the  se.a, 
Lieutenant  Wood  descended  into  the  valley  of  the  Kokcha  River,  up 
the  banks  of  Avhich  he  proceeded  to  the  town  of  Jerm,  Avhich  he  reached 
on  the  18th.  The  country  appeared  to  be  depopulated.  He  did  not 
meet  a  single  traveler  on  the  road ;  and  except  partridges,  Avhieh  Avere 
very  plentiful,  and  the  tracks  of  wild  hogs,  there  were  no  indications  of 


DETENTION    AT    JERM. 


687 


animal  life.  Of  llio  city  of  FyzaTjud,  onco  fio  celebrated  throughout  the 
east,  scarcely  a  vestige  u  lell,  except  the  withered  trees  Avhicli  ouco 
ornamented  its  gardens. 

"On  arriving  at  Jerm,"  says  Lieutenant  Wood,  "our  first  applica- 
tions for  food  and  shelter  were  unsuccessful,  hut,  after  rciieated  disap- 
pointments, we  at  length  prevailed  upon  an  honest  Tajik  to  receive  us 
as  his  guests,  and  had  soon  wherewithal  to  appease  our  keen  appetites, 
sharpened  by  cold  and  a  twenty-four  hours'  fast.  The  town  of  Jerra, 
although  the  largest  place  in  Badakhshan,  is  little  more  than  an  exten- 
sive cluster  of  scattered  hamlets,  containing  at  the  very  utmost  one 
thousand  five  hundred  people.  The  fort  is  substantially  built,  and  is  the 
most  important  of  any  we  saw  in  Murad  Bey's  dominions."  On  deliver- 
ing his  letters  to  Mirza  Suleiman,  the  Governor  of  Jerra,  and  informing 
him  of  his  desire  to  trace  the  Oxus  to  its  source,  as  well  as  to  visit  the 
mines  of  ruby  and  lapiz  laziili  in  the  neighborhood.  Lieutenant  Wood 
was  informed  that  it  was  too  early  for  the  first  of  these  journeys.  lie 
received,  however,  a  guide  to  the  mines  of  lapiz  lazuli,  which  lie  in  the 
depths  of  the  Hindoo  Koosh,  near  the  head-waters  of  the  Kokcha. 
They  had  not  been  worked  for  several  years,  on  account  of  the  poor 
returns. 

"From  the  2Gth  of  December  to  the  GOth  of  January,"  says  Lieu- 
tenant Wood,  "we  were  detained  in  Jerm  by  the  inclemency  of  the 
season.  The  snoAV  took  the  good  people  of  Badakhshan  completely  by 
surprise.  Xot  expecting  so  hard  nor  so  early  a  winter,  they  had  made 
no  adequate  provision  for  their  live  stock;  and  no  sooner  did  the  snow 
cover  the  grcnmd  than  there  was  a  cry  for  fodder  and  fire-wood.  Wo 
took  uj)  our  abode  with  Ilussain,  our  former  host,  Avho,  though  at  first 
suspicious  of  his  guests,  became  ere  long  our  warm  friend  and  almost 
constant  companion.  It  is  customary  in  these  countries  for  relations  to 
live  in  the  same  hamlet,  often  to  the  number  of  six  or  eight  families. 
An  outer  wall  surrounds  this  little  knot  of  friends,  within  which  each 
family  has  its  separate  dwelling-house,  stable,  and  cattle-shed ;  and  a 
number  of  such  hamlets  form  a  kishlak,  or  village." 

"The  hill-men  always  go  armed,  but  the  inhabitants  of  the  open  val- 
leys very  rarely  do  so.  Nevertheless  there  is  not  a  liouse  in  Badakh- 
shan without  its  quota  of  rusty  old  matchlocks.  In  dress  the  people 
differ  little  from  the  Uzbec^ks,  They  wear  the  same  peaked  skull-cap, 
and  when  a  turban  is  superadded,  its  color  is  generally  white.  At  the 
season  of  our  visit  every  man  wore  thick  colored  worsted  t^tockings,  and 
warm  Avoolen  cloaks,  or  chupkuns.  On  the  cold  d.-iys  three  of  these 
cloaks  were  not  an  uncommon  allowance.  The  shoes  in  use  resembled 
half-boots,  made  from  goats' -skin,  and  mostly  of  homo  manufacture. 
Instead  of  the  heavy  kammerband,  or  shawl,  round  the  waist,  the  Ba- 
dakhshi  ties  ahandken'hief,  and  no  native  of  the  country  ever  thinks  of 
Betting  out  on  a  journey  without  a  staff"  in  his  hand. 

"  In  former  times  liadakhshan  was  noted  for  the  social  qualities  ot  ita 


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688 


WOOD'S    JOURNEY    TO    THE    OXUS. 


inhabitants,  and  wo  couM  still  tlisccni  indications  of  tliis  generous  spirit, 
but  few  have  now  the  means  of  l)eing  hospitable ;  and  poverty  under 
a  task-master  has  produced  a  selfishness  that  exists  not  among  Tajiks 
who  are  free.  Among  those  communities  which  were  styled  Yaghi,  or 
rebellious,  we  always  experienced  a  more  hearty  welcome  than  from 
their  kinsmen  in  the  lower  valleys,  Avho,  though  richer,  were  galled  and 
irritated  by  their  l^zbcck  oppressors.  Where  independence  is  wanting, 
it  is  seldom  that  man  retains  his  generous  feelings. 

"  On  new-year's  day,  1838,  Ave  visited  Ahmed  Shah,  the  pir,  or  head 
mollah  of  .Term,  Avho  had  emigrated  from  Hindustan  Avhen  the  British 
mission  of  1809  Avas  at  I'eshawur.  He  had  traveled  much,  and  made  a 
long  abode  in  China,  aaIucIi  country  he  entered  by  the  road  of  Wakhan, 
and  left  by  that  of  Kokand.  The  difficulties  of  the  first  of  these  routes 
he  described  as  great,  arising  chioily  from  the  height  of  I'amir,  the 
severity  of  its  climate,  and  the  almost  total  absence  of  inhabitants.  Of 
that  l)y  Kokand  lie  spoke  more  favorably.  Tlie  pir  Avas  a  large,  stout, 
cheerful,  old  man,  Avho  looked  much  yoiuiger  than  he  reported  himself 
to  be.  He  Avas  in  China  Avhen  the  lamented  j\[oorcrofl's  messenger  ar- 
rived in  Yarkand  to  request  pcrmissicm  for  Jiis  master  to  visit  that  city; 
on  Avhich  occasion,  a  mandarin  of  Ahmed  Shah's  acquaintance  told  him 
that  the  Chinese  had  determined  not  to  admit  jNIr.  Moorcroft,  for,  added 
the  noblemen,  Ave  are  persuaded  Avei-e  njirh/f/i  (European),  to  enter  the 
country  some  dreadful  evil  Avould  befiiU  us. 

"  All  our  visitors  sjwke  in  higli  terms  of  Yarkand,  and  appeared  de- 
lighted with  its  climate,  and  its  inhabitants.  They  expatiated  on  the  pe- 
culiarities of  the  Chinese,  and  the  contrast  Avhich  they  exhibit  A\'hen  com- 
pared with  other  nations.  jMany  accounts  of  their  customs,  and  habits, 
Avhicli  I  received  Avhen  at  .Term,  Avcre  afterward  confirmed  by  a  traveling 
Jew,  Avho  had  tried,  but  faik'd,  to  accom])lish  a  journey  through  their 
territories.  This  man  Avas  a  Ilussian  by  birth,  and  had  been  for  many 
years  a  travekT  in  the  countries  bordering  the  Caspian  and  tlie  lake  of 
Aral.  Hearing  that  records  of  the  missing  tribes  were  to  be  obtained  in 
Cashmere,  or  Thilict,  he  Avas  journeying  thither  Avhon  my  Munshi,  Gho- 
1am  Hussein  fell  in  Avith  him  at  ]>alkli.  This  man's  original  plan  Avas,  to 
penetrate  by  the  route  of  Kokand,  Tvashghar,  and  Yarkand  ;  but,  though 
skilled  in  the  various  languages  of  Central  Asia,  and  conforming  to  the 
dress  and  habits  of  its  ])ooi)le,  the  cunning  of  his  nation  Avas  no  match 
for  the  honest  zeal  Avith  Avhicli  the  public  functionaries  of  Kashghar  exe- 
cuted the  orders  of  their  emj)eror.  Suspicion  attached  to  his  character  ; 
and  after  proceeding  as  fiir  as  that  town,  he  was  forced  to  retrace  his 
steps.  A  large  guard,  he  said,  Avas  stationed  in  a  tower  above  the  city 
gate,  from  Avliich  all  caravans  rould  be  seen,  Avhile  yet  distant.  Tiefore 
they  are  permitted  to  enter  the  city,  each  individual  is  strictly  examined  ; 
their  jjcrsonal  appearance  is  noted  down  in  writing,  and  if  any  are  sus- 
pected, an  artist  is  at  haiul  to  take  their  likenesses.  Interpreters  for 
every  current  dialect  are  also  present.     To  each  of  the  persons  subjected 


THE   YAK. 


689 


to  this  vexatious  investigation,  the  Chinese  make  a  present  of  a  few  cop- 
per coins." 

On  the  30th  of  January,  Lieutenant  Wood  learned  that  the  Upper 
Oxus  was  frozen,  an  occurrence  which  would  enable  him  to  visit  the  ruby 
mines,  and  he  accordingly  set  out  at  once.  On  approaching  the  mines, 
however,  the  ice  became  soft  and  insecure,  and  as  there  was  no  other 
practicable  road  except  the  bed  of  the  river,  he  was  obliged  to  give  up 
the  attempt,  and  endeavor  to  ascend  the  Oxus  to  its  source.  The  weather 
promised  to  be  favorable,  although  the  cold  was  still  severe  "  Proceed- 
ing up  the  valley  of  the  Oxus,"  continues  the  narrative,  "  with  the  mount- 
ains of  Shekh  Durah  on  our  left  hand,  and  those  of  Chitral  on  our  right, 
both  rising  to  a  vast  height,  and  bearing,  far  below  their  summits,  the 
snows  of  ages,  we  arrived  early  in  the  afternoon  at  the  hamlet  of  Ish- 
trakh.  We  reached  the  village  in  the  middle  of  a  heavy  snow-fall ;  and 
its  houses  built  among  fractured  pieces  of  the  neighboring  mountains, 
must  have  been  passed  unnoticed,  but  for  a  Yak,  or  Kash-gow,  as  the 
animal  is  here  called,  standing  before  a  door  with  its  bridle  in  the  hand 
of  a  Kirghiz  boy.  There  was  something  so  novel  in  its  appearance,  that 
I  could  not  resist  the  impulse  of  mounting  so  strange  a  steed  ;  but  in 
doing  so  I  met  with  stout  resistance  from  the  little  fellow  who  had  it  in 
charge.  In  the  midst  of  our  dispute  the  boy's  mother  made  her  appear- 
ance, and  very  kindly  permitted  me  to  try  the  animal's  paces.  It  stood 
about  three  feet  and  a  half  high,  was  very  hairy  and  powerful.  Its  belly 
reached  within  six  inches  of  the  ground,  which  was  swept  by  its  bushy 
tail.  The  long  liair  streamed  down  from  its  dewlap  and  fore  legs,  giving 
it,  but  for  the  horns,  the  appearance  of  a  huge  Newfoundland  dog.  It 
bore  a  light  saddle  with  horn  stirrups ;  and  a  cord  let  through  the  cartil- 
age of  the  nose,  served  for  a  bridle.  The  good  Kirghiz  matron  wiis  not 
a  less  interesting  object  than  her  steed.  She  was  diminutive  in  stature, 
but  active  and  strong,  and  Avoro  some  half  dozen  petticoats  under  a 
showy  blue  striped  gown,  the  whole  sitting  close  to  her  person,  and  held 
there,  not  by  ribbons,  but  by  a  stout  leather  belt  about  the  waist.  Her 
rosy  cheeks  and  Chinese  countenance,  were  seen  from  under  a  high  white 
starched  tiara,  while  broad  bands  of  the  same  color  protected  the  ears, 
mouth,  and  chin.  Worsted  gloves  covered  the  hands,  and  the  feet  were 
equally  well  taken  care  of.  She  chid  her  son  for  not  permitting  me  to 
mount  the  Kash-gow  ;  and  I  quite  won  the  good  woman's  heart  by  prais- 
ing the  lad's  spirit,  and  hanging  a  string  of  beads  about  his  neck.  Strut- 
ting up  to  her  steed  with  tlio  air  of  an  Amazon,  she  took  the  bridle  out  of 
her  son's  hand,  and  vaulted  astride  into  the  saddle.  The  sight  appeared 
to  be  new  not  only  to  us,  but  to  the  inhabitants  of  Wakhan ;  for  the 
villagers  had  thronged  round  to  see  her  depart.  They  inquired  if 
she  would  not  take  the  boy  up  behind  her?  '()  no,' was  her  answer, 
'he  can  walk.'  As  the  mother  and  son  left  us,  a  IroU  looking  calf  leis- 
urely trode  after  its  dam  ;  and  when  the  party  disap])cared  amid  the 
falluig  snow-flakes,  the  rugged  half-dad  Wakhanis  exclaimed,  as  if  taken 

44 


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690 


"WOOD'S   JOURNEY    TO   THE    0XU3. 


by  Burprisp,  *  None  but  a  Kirghiz  boy  could  thrive  under  such  rough 
trealmont.' 

"  The  Yak,  is  to  the  inhabitants  of  Thibet  and  Pamir,  what  the  rein- 
deer is  to  the  Laplander  in  northern  Europe.  Where  a  man  can  walk  a 
Kash-gow  may  be  ridden.  Like  the  elephant  ho  possesses  a  wonderful 
knowledge  of  Avhat  will  bear  his  weight.  If  travelers  are  at  fault,  one 
of  these  animals  is  driven  before  them,  and  it  is  said  that  ho  avoids  the 
hidden  depths  and  chasms  with  admirable  sagacity.  His  footing  is  sure. 
Should  a  full  of  snow  close  a  mouiitaiii-iiass  to  a  man  and  horse,  a  score 
of  Yaks  driven  ahead  answer  the  purpose  of  pioneers,  and  make,  as  my 
informant  expresses  it,  '  a  klng^s  highway?  In  this  case,  however,  tho 
snow  must  have  recently  fallen  ;  lor  when  once  its  surface  is  frozen  and 
its  depth  considerable,  no  animal  can  force  its  way  through  it.  Other 
cattle  require  the  provident  care  of  man  to  subsist  them  through  tho 
winter.  Tho  most  hardy  sheep  would  fare  but  badly  without  its  human 
protection,  but  the  Kash-gow  is  left  entirely  to  itself  He  frequents  tho 
mountain  slopes  and  their  level  summits.  Wherever  the  mercury  does 
not  rise  above  zero,  is  a  climate  for  the  Yak.  If  the  snow  on  the  ele- 
vated flats  lies  too  deep  for  him  to  crop  tho  herbage,  he  rolls  himself 
down  the  slopes  and  cats  his  way  up  again.  When  arrived  at  the  top, 
he  performs  a  second  summerset,  and  comjiletes  liis  meal  as  ho  displaces 
another  groove  of  snow  in  his  second  ascent.  The  lioat  of  summer  sends 
the  animal  to  what  is  termed  the  old  ice,  that  is  to  the  regions  of  eternal 
snow ;  the  calf  being  retained  below  as  a  pledge  for  the  mother's  re- 
turning, in  which  she  never  fails. 

"  The  first  Yaks  wo  saw  were  grazing  among  the  snow  on  the  very 
summit  of  the  rugged  pass  of  Ish  Kashm,  and  at  tho  village  oi'  his 
name,  I  procured  one  for  Dr.  Lord,  and  dispatched  it  to  Koondooz  in 
charge  of  tAvo  trusty  men.  But  so  cold  a  climate  do  these  singular  ani- 
mals require,  that  though  winter  still  reigned  in  the  Koondooz  plain, 
the  heat  was  too  great,  and  the  Yak  died  within  a  march  or  two  of  the 
town.  In  fact  it  began  to  droop  as  soon  as  it  had  passed  Jerm.  Some 
years  back,  an  Aflghan  nobleman  succeeded  in  bringing  two  or  three  of 
these  animals  to  Cabul,  but  even  the  temperature  of  that  city,  though 
situated  six  thousand  feet  above  sea-level,  is  not  sufficiently  cold  to  suit 
tlicir  constitution.  They  declined  as  tho  snow  left  the  ground,  and  died 
early  in  the  spring."* 

After  following  the  course  of  the  river  for  three  or  four  days,  shelter- 
ing themselves  by  night  in  the  huts  of  the  Kirghiz,  Lieutenant  Wood 
and  his  attendants  reached  a  place  called  Issar,  where  the  Oxus  divides 

*  Jf.  de  Montigny,  late  French  Consul  at  Shanghai,  who  first  introduced  tho  Dioscorea 
laiatas,  or  Cliinpso  yam,  into  Europe,  succeeded  in  bringing  four  living  Yaks  to  France 
in  tho  year  18r)3.  A  few  wcfkn  before  M.  do  Montigny's  departure  from  Slianghai,  I  saw 
these  Yaks  in  his  stahles  at  tliat  place.  They  had  already  passed  two  years  in  that 
semi-tropical  climate,  and  it  is  therefore  probable  that  they  may  bo  successfully  natural- 
ized  in  France. — B.  T. 


,.L 


HEAD-WATERS   OF    THE    OXUS. 


691 


into  two  branches.  IIo  was  for  a  timo  undocldcd  uhicli  to  choose,  as 
the  volume  of  water  was  nearly  ocjual,  but  the  Kirghiz  assured  him  that 
the  source  of  the  river  was  a  lake  upon  the  liam-i-dvoniah,  or  "Hoof 
of  the  World,"  hi  Pamir,  and  that  the  most  northerly  of  the  branches 
llowed  from  this  lake.  Upon  further  examination,  ho  discovei-ed  that 
the  current  of  this  branch  was  much  more  rajnd  than  that  of  the  other, 
and  tliat  its  temperatm-e  was  colder.  The  point  of  junction  was  ten 
thousand  feet  above  the  sea.  A  suj)ply  of  provisions  for  eis^ht  (hiys  was 
procured  at  this  ])lace,  and  the  party,  enveloping  themselves  in  cloaks 
and  skins,  to  ])rolect  them  from  the  extreme  cold,  set  out,  up  the  nar- 
row valley  of  Sir-i-kol.  l*roceeding  slowly  forward  tln-ough  the  snow, 
which  Avas  very  deep,  and  suifering  from  the  intense  cold,  they  encamped 
on  the  third  night  at  a  height  of  thirteen  thousand  live  hundred  feet 
above  the  sea.  Some  of  the  men  were  so  exhausted  that  they  were  left 
behind  here,  to  hunt  and  keep  guard  over  a  cache  of  provisions,  while 
Lieutenant  Wood  pushed  forward  with  four  attendants. 

On  the  second  day  after  this  division  of  the  J'arty,  the  intre]>id  and 
persevering  traveler  achieved  his  object.  '"  We  had  no  occasion  to  re- 
mark the  absence  of  the  snow  this  day,"  he  says,  "for  every  step  Ave  ad- 
vanced, it  lay  deeper  and  deeper  ;  and  near  as  Ave  had  now  ap[)roached 
to  the  source  of  the  Oxus,  avc  should  not  have  succeeded  in  reaching  it 
had  not  the  river  been  frozen.  We  Avere  fully  two  hours  in  forcing  our 
Avay  through  a  field  of  snow  not  five  hundred  yards  in  extent.  Each  in- 
dividual of  the  party  by  turns  took  the  lead,  and  forced  his  horse  to 
struggle  ouAvard  \mtil  exhaustion  brought  it  doAvn  in  the  snow,  Avhere  it 
Avas  allowed  to  lie  and  recruit  Avhile  the  next  Avas  urged  forward.  It 
Avas  so  great  a  relief  when  Ave  again  got  upon  the  river,  that  in  the  elas- 
ticity of  my  spirits  I  pushed  my  pony  to  a  trot.  This  a  Wakanni  per- 
ceiving, seized  hold  of  the  bridle,  and  cautioned  me  against  the  toind  of 
the  niountahi.  We  had,  indeed,  felt  the  effects  of  a  highly  raritied  at- 
mosphere ever  since  leaving  Wakhan  ;  but  the  ascent  being  gradual, 
they  Avere  less  than  Avhat  Avould  be  experienced  in  climbing  an  abrupt 
mountain  of  much  less  altitude. 

"  As  Ave  neared  the  head-Avatcrs  of  the  Oxus  the  ice  became  Aveak 
and  brittle.  The  sudden  disappearance  of  a  yabii  gave  us  the  iirst  Avarn- 
ingofthis.  Though  the  Avater  A\'as  deep  Avhero  the  accident  occurred, 
tliere  fortunately  Avas  little  current,  and,  as  the  animal  Avas  secured  by 
Ins  halter  to  a  companian,  he  Avas  extricated,  but  his  furniture  and  lading 
Averc  lost.  The  kind-hearted  Khii-akush  to  Avhom  the  animal  belonged 
Avrapped  him  in  felts,  took  off  his  own  Avarni  jjosteen,  and  bound  it 
round  the  shivering  brute.  Had  it  been  his  son  instead  of  his  yabu  ho 
could  not  have  jiassed  a  more  anxious  night  as  to  tlie  effects  of  this 
clucking.  The  next  morning,  however,  the  y;d)U  Avas  alive  and  Avell,  and 
the  good  mule-driver  Avas  most  eloquent  in  his  thanks  to  I'rovidence  tor 
its  preservation. 

"  Shortly  after  this  accident  Ave  came  in  sight  of  rough-looking  build- 


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692 


■\VOODH    JOCRXEY    TO    THE    OXUS. 


mg,  decked  out  with  liorns  of  the  ■wild  nheep,  and  all  but  buried 
among  the  snow.  It  "was  a  Khiroiz  buriul-ground.  On  coining  abreast 
of  it,  the  leading  horseman,  avIio  chanced  to  be  of  that  tribe,  pulled  np 
and  dismounted.  Ills  comjtanion  followed  l>is  example,  and  wading 
througli  the  deep  drift  they  reached  a  tombstone,  the  top  of  Avhich  was 
uncovered.  Before  this  they  knelt,  all  cumbered  as  they  were,  and  with 
their  huge  forked  matchlocks  strapped  to  their  backs,  and  oftered  up 
pi-ayers  to  the  ever-present  Jehovah.  Tlie  whole  of  the  party  involuntar- 
ily reined  in  their  horses  till  the  two  men  liad  concluded  their  devotions. 

"After  quitting  the  surface  of  the  river  Ave  traveled  about  an  hour 
along  its  right  bank,  and  then  ascended  a  low  hill,  which  apparently 
bounded  the  valley  to  the  eastwai-d  ;  on  surmounting  this,  at  five  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  of  the  19th  of  February,  ISHS,  we  stood,  to  use  a  native 
expression,  upon  the  Bani-l-Dimiah,  or  ''  lioof  of  the,  World^''  while  be- 
fore us  lay  stretched  a  noble  but  frozen  sheet  of  water,  from  whose 
western  end  issued  the  infant  river  of  the  Oxus.  This  fine  lake  lies  in 
the  form  of  a  crescent,  about  fourteen  miles  long  from  cast  to  west,  by 
an  average  breadth  of  one  mile.  On  three  sides  it  is  bordered  by  swell- 
ing hills,  about  five  hundred  feet  high,  Avhile  along  its  southern  bank 
they  rise  into  mountains  three  thousand  five  lumdred  feet  above  the 
lake,  or  nineteen  thousand  above  the  sea,  and  covered  with  perpetual 
snow,  from  which  never-failing  source  the  lake  is  su])plied.  From  ob- 
servations at  the  western  end  I  found  the  latitude  to  be  3?°  2V  north, 
and  longitude  73°  40'  east ;  its  elevation,  measured  by  the  temperature 
of  boiling  Avater,  is  fifteen  thousand  six  hundred  feet,  as  my  thermo- 
meter marked  184°  of  Fahrenheit.  The  temperature  of  the  water  below 
the  ice  was  32° — the  freezing  point. 

*'  This,  then,  is  the  position  of  the  sources  of  this  celebrated  river, 
which,  after  a  course  of  upward  of  a  thousand  miles  in  a  direction  gen- 
erally north-west,  falls  into  the  southern  end  of  the  sea  of  Aral.  As  I 
had  the  good  fortune  to  be  the  first  European  Avho  in  later  times  had 
succeeded  in  reaching  the  sources  of  this  river,  and  as,  shortly  before 
setting  out  on  my  journey,  Ave  had  received  the  ncAvs  of  her  gracious 
majesty's  accession  to  the  thi-one,  I  AA'as  much  tempted  to  apply  the 
name  of  Victoria  to  this,  if  I  may  so  term  it,  ncAvly  re-discovered  lake; 
but  on  considering  that  by  thus  introducing  a  ncAV  name,  hoAvever  hon- 
ored, into  our  maps,  great  confusion  in  geography  might  arise,  I  deemed 
it  better  to  retain  the  name  of  Sir-i-kol,  the  appellation  given  to  it  by 
our  guides.  The  description  of  this  spot  given  by  that  good  old  trav- 
eler ]\Iarco  Polo,  nearly  six  centuries  ago,  is  correct  in  all  its  leading 
jioints. 

"  The  aspect  of  the  landscape  AA'as  Avintry  in  the  extreme.  Wherever 
tlie  eye  fell,  one  dazzling  sheet  of  snow  carpeted  the  ground,  Avhile  the 
sky  ovei'head  Avas  everywhere  of  a  dark  and  angry  hue.  Clouds  Avould 
have  been  a  relief  to  the  eye,  but  they  Avere  Avanting.  Not  a  breath 
moved  along  the  surface  of  the  lake ;  not  a  beast,  not  even  a  bird,  Avas 


"TnE    ROOF    OF    TIIK    WORLD." 


003 


visible.  Tlio  Round  of  a  limnan  voice  would  liuvp  boon  music  to  tho 
car,  but  no  one  at  this  iiiIios]iitable  soason  thiuks  ot'iuvadiiiic?  those  ^olid 
domains.  Silence  reigned  around — silence  so  jirolbund  that  it  oppress- 
ed tho  lieait,  and,  as  I  contomidatod  the  lioary  summits  of  the  evor- 
lastiiiff  mountains,  where  human  foot  had  lu-vor  trodo,  and.  whore  lay 
]iile(l  the  snows  of  ages,  my  own  d'"T  country  and  all  tho  social  blos>ings 
it  contains  jtassod  across  my  mind  with  a  vivi(hioss  of  recollection  that  I 
liad  never  felt  before. 

"  In  walking  over  tho  lake  I  could  not  but  reflect  liow  many  coun- 
tries owe  their  importance  and  their  wealth  to  rivers  the  sources  of 
Avhich  can  bo  traced  to  the  lonely  mountains  which  are  piled  up  on  its 
southern  margin.  This  elevated  chain  is  common  to  India,  China,  and 
Turkistan  ;  and  from  it,  as  from  a  central  point,  their  several  streams 
diverge,  each  augmenting  as  it  rolls  (jnward,  mitil  the  ocean  and  the 
lake  of  Aral  receive  tho  swollen  tribute,  again  to  be  given  up,  and  in  a 
circuit  as  endless  as  it  is  wonderful  to  bo  swept  back  l)y  the  winds  of 
heaven,  and  showered  down  in  snowy  flakes  upon  tho  self-same  mount- 
ains from  which  it  flowed.  lIow  strange  and  how  hiteresting  a  group 
would  bo  formed  if  an  individual  from  ( acli  nation  whoso  rivers  have 
their  first  source  in  I'amir  were  to  met't  ujion  its  summit ;  what  varieties 
would  there  bo  in  person,  language,  and  manners  ;  what  contrasts  be- 
tween tho  rougli,  untanicd,  and  iicrce  mountaineer  and  the  nu:)ro  civil- 
ized and  elleniinato  dweller  on  the  phiin  ;  how  much  of  virtue  and  of 
vice,  luider  a  thousand  diflorent  asj)ects,  would  bo  met  with  among  them 
all;  and  how  strongly  Avould  tho  conviction  press  upon  the  mind  ihat 
tho  amelioration  of  tho  whole  could  result  only  fronj  tlie  diifusiou  of 
early  education  and  a  pm-er  religion ! 

'•I'amir  is  not  only  a  radiating  j)oiut  in  tho  liydi'ographioal  system 
of  Central  Asia,  but  it  is  tho  focus  from  whicli  originate  its  priiu'ipal 
mountain-chains.  Tho  'Wakhanis  name  this  plain  IJam-i-Duniah,  or 
'Roof  of  tho  World,'  and  it  would  indeed  a])pear  to  be  the  highest 
table-land  in  .Vsia,  and  probably  in  any  part  of  our  glolie.  From  Pamir 
tho  ground  sinks  in  every  direction  excc]»t  to  the  south-east,  where 
similar  i)]ateaux  extend  alon^c  tho  northern  liico  of  tho  Himalayas  into 
Thibet.  An  individual  who  had  soon  the  region  betwon  Waklian  ami 
Caslnnero  informed  nu'  that  tho  Knner  Uiver  had  its  jiriucipal  som-co  in 
a  lake  resembling  that  in  wliich  the  Oxus  has  its  rise,  and  that  the  whole 
of  this  country,  comprehending  the  districts  of  (>ilgit,  (iungit,  and  Chi- 
tral,  is  a  series  of  mountain  defllos  that  act  as  water-courses  to  drain 
Pamir. 

"  As  early  in  tho  morning  of  Tui'sday,  tho  '20th  of  February,  as  tho  cold 
permitted,  "wo  walked  out  about  six  hundred  yards  upon  the  lake,  .and 
having  cleared  the  snow  from  a  portion  of  its  surface,  commenced  break- 
ing the  ice  to  ascertain  its  depth.  This  was  a  matter  of  greater  diftjeulty 
than  it  :it  ilrst  sight  api)eare(l,  for  the  water  was  frozen  to  the  «lopth  of 
two  feet  and  a  half,  and,  owing  to  tho  great  rarity  of  the  atmosphere, 


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31;! 


694 


WOOD'S  JOURNEY  TO  THE  OXUS. 


a  few  strokes  of  tho  pick-ax  proclnced  an  exhaustion  that  stretched  us 
upon  the  snow  to  recruit  our  breath.  The  souncliiig-lead  struck  bottom 
at  nine  feet.  The  water  emitted  a  shghtly  fetid  smell,  and  was  of  a  red- 
dish tinge.  The  bottom  was  oozy  and  tangled  with  grassy  weeds.  I 
tried  to  measure  the  breadth  of  the  lake  by  sound,  but  was  balHed  by 
the  rarity  of  the  air.  A  musket,  loaded  with  blank  cartridge,  sounded 
as  if  the  charge  had  been  ]ioured  into  the  barrel,  and  nehher  wads  nor 
ramrod  used.  "When  ball  was  introduced  the  report  was  louder,  but 
])0ssessed  none  of  the  sharpness  that  marks  a  similar  charge  in  denser 
almospliores.  The  ball,  however,  could  be  distinctly  heard  whizzing 
through  the  air.  The  human  voice  was  sensibly  aftectcd,  and  conversa- 
tion, especially  if  in  a  loud  tone,  could  not  be  kept  up  without  exhaus- 
tion :  the  slightest  muscular  exertion  was  attended  with  a  tiimilar  result. 
Haifa  dozen  strokes  with  an  ax  brought  the  workman  to  the  ground  ; 
and  though  a  few  minutes'  respite  sufficed  to  restore  the  breath,  any 
thing  like  continued  exertion  was  impossible.  A  run  of  lifty  yards  at 
full  sjieed  made  the  runner  gasp  for  breath.  Indeed,  this  exercise  pro- 
duced a  pain  in  the  lungs  and  a  general  prostration  of  strength  which 
was  not  got  rid  of  for  many  hours.  Some  of  the  jiarty  complained  of 
dizziness  and  headaches ;  but,  except  the  effect  thus  described,  I  neither 
felt  myself,  nor  perceived  in  others,  any  of  those  painfid  results  of  great 
<'Ievation  which  travelers  hav(>  suffered  in  ascending  Mont  jjlanc.  This 
might  have  been  anticipated,  for  where  the  transition  from  a  dense  to 
a  highly-rarefied  atmosphere  is  so  sudden,  as  in  the  case  of  ascending 
that  mountain,  the  circulation  can  not  be  expected  to  accommodate 
itself  at  once  to  the  dilference  of  presstu'e,  and  violence  nnist  accrue  to 
some  of  the  more  sensitive  organs  of  the  body.  The  ascent  to  I'auiir 
was,  on  the  contrary,  so  gradual,  that  some  extrinsic  circumstances  were 
necessary  to  remind  us  of  the  altitude  wo  had  attained.  The  cll'ect  of 
great  eh^'ation  upon  the  general  system  had,  indeed,  been  proved  to  me 
some  time  before  in  a  manner  fn*  which  I  was  not  prepared.  One  even- 
ing in  Ikulakhshan,  while  sitthig  in  a  brown  study  over  thelire,  Ichancil 
to  touch  my  pulse,  and  the  gallojiing  rate  at  which  it  was  throbbing 
roused  my  attention.  I  at  once  tt)ok  it  for  granted  that  I  was  \n  a  rag- 
ing fever,  and,  after  perusing  some  hints  on  the  i)reservalion  of  health 
which  Dr.  Lord,  at  parting,  ha<l  kindly  drawn  out  for  me,  I  forthwith 
prc'^eribed  for  myself  most  liberally.  Next  morning  my  pidse  was  as 
l)risk  as  ever,  but  still  my  feelings  denoted  health.  T  now  thotight  of 
examining  the  wrists  of  all  our  ])arty,  and,  to  my  surprise,  founil  that 
the  ))ulses  of  my  companions  beat  yet  faster  than  my  own.  The  cause 
of  this  increased  circulation  innnediately  occurred  to  me;  and  when  we 
af\erward  ooiumenced  marching  toward  AVakhaii  T  felt  the  pulses  of 
the  party  whenever  I  registered  ihi'  boiling  jioiiit  of  water.  The  mo- 
tion of  the  blood  is  in  fact  a  sort  of  living  barometer  by  which  a  man  ac- 
quainted with  his  own  habit  of  body  can,  in  great  altitudes,  roughly 
calculate  his  height  uhov;  the  sea." 


A    WILD    SHEEP— RETURN. 


695 


"After  getting  a  clear  and  beautiful  meridian  altitude  of  the  sun  on 
the  20th,  we  saddled,  and  casting  a  last  look  at  Lake  Sir-i-kol,  entered 
the  delile  leading  to  Waklian.  (Jn  arriving  at  the  station  where  Ave  had 
left  the  hunters,  wo  were  agreeably  surprised  to  find  they  had  been  suc- 
cessful in  the  chase,  and  had  slaughtered  a  Mutnh-kar,  or  wild  sheop.  It 
was  a  noble  animal,  standing  as  high  as  a  two-year-old  colt,  with  a  ven- 
erable beard,  and  two  splendid  curling  horns,  which,  with  the  head, 
were  so  heavy  as  to  require  a  considerable  exertion  to  lift  them.  Tiiough 
in  poor  condition,  the  carcase,  divested  of  offal,  was  a  load  for  a  bag- 
gage-pony. Its  flesh  was  tough  and  ill-tasted  ;  but  wo  were  told  tliat  in 
autumn,  when  the  animal  is  in  prime  condition,  no  venison  is  better  fla- 
vored." 

Returning  by  way  of  Jerm,  Lieutenant  Wood  reached  Koondooz  on 
the  nth  of  March,  having  been  absent  just  three  months.  IVIurad  Vioy, 
whose  health  was  much  shattered,  died  Boon  afterward,  and  Dr.  Lord 
and  himself  accordingly  returned  to  Cabul,  where  they  arrived  ou  tho 
Ist  of  May. 


>n 


IM: 


'J  I 


'J   )■  ! 


ilitejij 


I'lilWIl:! 


II  If!  •• 


i!l 


FREMONT^S 


EXPLORATIONS  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS  AND  CALIFORNIA. 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS. 

Ix  the  year  1842,  Cfiptiiin  Jolin  C.  Fremont,  of  the  United  States 
Topographical  Engineers,  was  ordered  to  explore  the  country  between 
the  tiontiers  of  Missouri  and  tlie  South  Pass  in  the  Koeky  ^Fountains, 
and  on  the  line  of  the  Kansas  and  (Ireat  Platte  rivers,  which  was  then 
but  iinpcrleetly  known,  except  by  the  traders  ami  trappers.  lie;  Icll 
Waslungton  on  the  2d  of  May,  and  arrived  at  St.  Louis,  by  way  of  New 
York,  on  the  2'Jd.  Here  he  collected  twenty-one  men,  principally  Creole 
and  Canadian  roi/i/(/rurs,  who  had  become  tamiliar  with  jirairie  life  in  the 
service  of  the  fur  companies  in  the  Indian  country.  ,"\Ir.  Charles  Preuss, 
a  native  of  (lerriiany,  assisted  in  the  topographical  part  of  the  survey, 
and  Cln'istopiier  Carson  (more  familiaily  known,  for  his  exploits  in  the 
mountains,  as  Kit  Carson)  was  their  guide.  They  travek'd  by  steam- 
boat to  (.'houteaii's  landnig,  about  tour  hundred  miles  by  water  from  St. 
L(mis,  and  near  the  mouth  of  the  Kansas  river,  whence  they  proceeded 
twelve  miles  to  Mr.  Chouteau's  trading-house,  where  they  completed 
the  linal  arrangements  fc»r  the  expedition. 

Tiiey  set  li)r\vard  on  the  10th  of  June,  and  on  the  1  tlh,  late  in  the 
afternoon,  reached  the  U)ril  of  the  Kansas.  The  rivtr  was  so  much 
swollen  by  late  rains  that  they  crossed  it  with  <litliculty.  .rouriicyiug 
westward  ne:ir  the  Kansas,  and  at\erward  along  the  banks  of  the  Platte, 
they  caught  the  lirst  glimpse  <if  the  Rocky  Mountains  on  the  morning 
of  July  t)tii.  The  day  was  l)right,  but  there  was  a  ^*light  mist,  and  tlie 
moimtains,  .seen  at  a  distance  of  sixty  miles,  ap])eared  liki'  clouds  along 
the  horizon.  On  the  evening  of  the  loth  they  reached  St.  N'rain's  tl.rt, 
situated  on  the  south  fork  of  the  Plalte,  in\medialcly  under  tlie  mount- 
ains, and  about  seventeen  miles  east  of  Long's  Peak.  The  elevation  of 
the  l'latt('  at  tliis  jioint  is  five  thousand  four  Iiundrcil  feet  above  tiie 
level  of  the  sea.  Tlie  neighlioring  moimtains  wen-  covired  with  snow, 
which  extended  severul  huudrcd  leet  below  the  summits  oil  tiiu  noilhera 
alopoa. 


n! 


>ii 


I    r! 


-f<'»wi 


I 


II" 


li  1 


I       * 


1  llil 

i 

li: 

''' ;  ■ 

1    - 
!      i 

:   i 
■  (    ■ 

I  :l 


w 


698 


FREMONT'S    EXPLORATIONS. 


They  resumed  their  journey  on  the  mornhicf  of  tlie  12th.  Their 
next  point  of  destination  was  the  fort  at  the  nioutli  of  Laramie's  Creelv, 
Kituated  about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles  to  the  nortli.  On  the 
14th  they  encamped  on  a  fork  of  Horse  Creek,  near  a  point  where  it 
passes  ])etween  two  ramies  of  precipitous  hills,  sujiposed  by  Fremont  to 
be  the  locality  called  Goshen's  Hole.  These  hills  are  Avrought  by  the 
winds  and  lains  into  a  variety  of  singular  forms.  One  on  the  western 
side  resembles  a  massive  fortified  place,  with  remarkable  j^recision  of 
detail.  The  rock  is  marl  and  earthy  limestone,  white,  without  the  least 
apjiearance  of  vegetation,  and  much  resembles  masonry  at  a  little  dis- 
tance. Along  the  whole  line  of  the  parapets  appear  domes  and  slender 
minarets,  forty  or  fifty  feet  liigh,  giving  it  every  appearance  of  an  old 
foitilied  town.  On  the  waters  of  AVhite  Hiver,  where  this  formation  exists 
in  great  extent,  it  presents  appearances  which  excite  the  admiration  of 
the  solitary  voyageur,  and  fijrin  a  frequent  theme  cf  their  conversation 
when  speaking  of  the  Avonders  of  the  country.  Sometimes  it  ofiers  the 
perfectly  illusive  ajipearance  of  a  large  city,  with  numerous  streets  and 
magniiicent  buildings,  among  which  the  Canadians  never  fail  to  see  their 
cabai'et — and  sometimes  it  takes  the  form  of  a  solitary  house,  with  many 
large  chambers,  into  which  they  diive  their  horses  at  night,  and  sleep  in 
these  nat  ural  defenses  perfectly  secure  from  any  attack  of  pro  wling  savages. 

On  the  15th  they  reached  the  post  of  the  American  Fur  Company, 
above  the  junction  of  the  Laramie  with  the  Platte,  called  Fort  John,  or 
Fort  Laramie.  It  was  a  largo  post,  having  more  the  air  of  military  con- 
struction than  the  i<)rt  at  the  mouth  of  the  river.  It  is  on  the  left  bank, 
on  a  rising  ground,  some  twenty-five  feet  above  the  water  ;  and  its  lofty 
walls,  whitewashed  ami  j)icketed,  with  large  bastions  at  the  angles,  gave 
it  (piite  an  imposing  ai»pearance.  During  their  stay  :it  the  Ibrt  the  men 
were  engaged  in  repairs,  and  in  ]ireparing  for  the  chances  of  a  rough 
road  and  niountain  travel.  l''remont  engaged  an  interpreter,  and  all 
prejiarations  being  made,  they  struck  their  tents  on  the  morning  of  the 
21st,  and  were  ready  to  depart,  Avhen  a  deputation  of  Indian  chiefs 
waited  on  them  for  the  jiurpose  of  inducing  them  to  stay.  The  Indians 
represented  that  their  young  men,  who  had  gone  to  the  mountains,  were 
eager  to  avenge  the  blood  of  their  n  lations,  which  liad  been  shed  by  the 
whites;  that  th"y  would  l)elieve  Fremont's  party  were  carrying  goods 
and  aimnunition  to  their  enemies,  and  would  lire  upon  them.  Tiusy 
urged  many  reasonable  objections,  but  l)eing  aware  that  their  object 
was  merely  to  prevent  him  from  going  further  into  the  country.  Colonel 
Fi-emont  replied  at  length  to  their  speeches,  then  broke  up  the  conler- 
cnce  and  set  out  immediately. 

Atler  cro'^sing  the  Platte  on  tho  28tli,  they  encountered  a  band  of 
Sioux,  who  gave  them  a  discouraging  ))icturcof  the  country.  The  great 
drought  ami  the  plagiu*  of  grasshoppers  had  swejit  it  so  that  scarcely  a 
blade  of  grass  was  to  be  seen,  and  there  was  not  abufialo  to  be  found  in 
tho  whole  region.     Their  people  had  been  nearly  starved  to  death,  and 


:i  '     S 


iJi 


THE    SOUTH    PASS. 


699 


had  marked  tho  road  by  lodges  ■wliich  they  had  thrown  away  in  order  to 
move  more  rri|iidly,  and  l»y  tlie  carcasses  of  horses  which  they  had  eaten, 
or  wiiich  JKid  jierislied  from  starvation.  When  tiie  interpreter,  Bisso- 
nettc,  luid  conveyed  this  intelligence,  he  nrged  Colonel  Fremont  to  aban- 
don the  fnrther  prosecution  of  his  exploration,  and  turn  back  at  once, 
lie  was  himself  about  to  return,  having  gone  as  far  as  he  had  engaged 
to  attend  the  expedition.  Colonel  Fremont  replied  by  calling  up  his 
men,  and  communicating  to  them  the  intbrmation  he  had  received.  lie 
then  expressed  his  determination  to  proceed  to  the  end  of  the  enterprise 
on  which  he  had  been  seiit;  but  left  it  optional  with  them  to  continue 
with  him  or  to  return.  They  had  still  ten  days'  provisions  ;  and  should 
no  game  be  found  when  this  stock  was  expended,  they  had  their  horses 
and  nnilcs  as  a  last  resource.  But  not  a  nian  ilinclied  from  the  under- 
taking. '•  We'll  cat  tho  mules,"  said  Basil  Lajeunesse ;  and  thereupon 
they  shook  hands  with  their  interpreter  and  his  Indians,  and  parted. 
With  tlieni  Colonel  Fremont  sent  back  one  of  the  men,  whom  theetfects 
of  an  old  wound  in  the  leg  rendered  incapable  of  coiuinuing  the  journey 
on  foot.  They  then  dejjosited  the  carts  and  all  the  baggage  not  abso- 
lutely necessary  to  their  future  operations,  and  next  morning  continued 
their  route  along  the  Platte,  finding  an  abundance  of  grass  and  other 
vegetation,  as  well  as  of  game,  notwithstanding  the  representations  of 
the  Indians.  On  the  last  day  of  July  they  left  the  Platte,  and  began 
to  ascend  tiie  Sweet  Water  River.  On  the  ;3d  of  August,  as  they  jtassed 
over  a  sliglit  rise  near  the  liver,  they  caught  the  lirst  view  of  the  Wind 
Kiver  ^Mountains,  which,  at  tlu^  distance  of  about  seventy  miles,  appeared 
to  be  a  low  and  dark  ridge.  '•  Tlie  view,"  says  Colonel  Fremont,  "  dis- 
nipalcd  in  a  moment  the  pictures  which  had  been  created  in  our  minds, 
by  many  travelers  who  have  compared  these  mountains  with  the  Alps  in 
Suit/A'rland,  and  s{)eak  of  the  glittering  peaks  which  rise  in  icy  majesty 
amidst  the  etern|^l  glaciers  nine  or  ten  thousand  feet  into  the  region  of 
eternal  snows."   '  y 

Following  lh%  fOurso  of  the  Sweet  Water  they  gradually  ascended 
the  moimtains,  and  on  the  7th,  encamped  on  its  banks  near  the  South 
I'ass.  Early  in  the  morning  they  set  out  for  the  dividing  ridge.  "  About 
(six  miles  from  our  encampment,"  continues  Colonel  Fremont,  "  brought 
us  to  the  sinnmit.  The  ascent  had  been  so  gradual  that,  with  all  the  in- 
timate knowledge  possessed  by  Carson,  who  had  made  the  country  his 
liome  for  seventeen  years,  avc  were  obliged  to  watch  very  closely  to  lind 
the  jtlaco  at  which  we  had  reached  the  culminating  jioint.  Tliis  was  be- 
tween two  low  hills,  rising  on  either  hand  fifty  or  sixty  I'cit.  When  I 
looked  baek  at  ihi-ni,  from  the  foot  of  the  inunediate  slope  on  the  west- 
ern plain,  their  sunnnits  appiared  to  be  about  one  hundred  and  twenty 
feet  above,  ]"'rom  the  impression  on  my  mind  at  tiiis  time,  and  subsc- 
(piently  on  our  return,  I  should  ccjiupare  the  elevation  which  we  sur- 
mounted inunediately  at  the  [lass,  to  the  ascent  of  tlm  Capitol  hill  ti'om 
tho  avenue,  at  Washington,     It  is  dillicult  for  mo  to  iiK  positively  tho 


ilii^ 


i    !l 


It  1 1 


m  1 1 


iJ! 


:j^i;:| 


1  '^lii 


III 


IH 


I  I 


700 


FREMONT'S    EXPLO  RATIONS. 


breadth  of  this  pass.  Frojn  the  broken  tfrounJ  wlioro  it  commoncos,  at 
the  loot  of  tlie  Wind  llivcr  cliain,  llie  view  to  tlio  south-oast  is  over  a 
chain])aign  eouiitry,  broken,  at  the  distance  of  nineteen  niik's,  by  the 
Table  Hock;  wliieh,  ■\vith  tlu;  otlier  isolated  hills  in  its  viehiity, seem  to 
stand  on  a  comparative  plain.  This  I  judged  to  be  its  termination,  the 
ridge  recovering  its  rugged  cliaraeter  with  tlic  Table  lloek.  It  will  bo 
seen  that  it  in  no  manner  resembles  the  places  to  wliieh  the  term  is  com- 
monly applied — nothing  of  the  gorge-like  character  and  winding  ascents 
of  the  Alleghany  passes  in  America;  nothing  of  tlie  (Ireat  St.  IJernard 
and  Simplon  jiasses  in  Kurope,  Approaching  it  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Sweet  Water,  a  sandy  iilain,  one  hunch-ed  and  twenty  miles  hing,  con- 
ducts, by  a  gradual  and  regular  ascent,  to  the  summit,  about  seven  thous- 
and feet  above  the  sea  ;  and  the  traveler,  without  being  reminded  of  any 
charigo  by  toilsome  ascents,  suddenly  fmds  himself  on  the  waters  Mliich 
flow  to  the  Pacific  Ocean.  l>y  tlie  route  we  had  traveled,  the  distance 
from  Fort  Laramie  is  three  hundred  and  twenty  miles,  or  nine  hundred 
and  lifty  from  the  mouth  of  the  Kansas." 

Continuing  their  ma-ch,  they  reached  in  eight  miles  from  tlio  pass, 
the  Little  Sandy,  a  tributary  of  the  Colorado,  or  (Irreen  Kiver  of  the 
(lulfof  Calitbrnia,  and  as  they  ailvanced,  crossed  other  tributaries  of  that 
river,  llowing  down  from  the  Wind  liiver  ^Nfouiitains,  whose  loftiest  range 
they  were  now  approaching.  After  winding  tlieir  Avay  up  a  long  ravine 
on  the  lOtli,  they  came  unexpectedly  in  view  of  a  beautiful  lake,  which 
lay  across  the  direction  they  liail  been  pursuing.  "Here,"  says  Fremont, 
"  a  view  of  thn  utmost  mngniflcenco  and  grandem*  burst  ujton  our  eyes. 
AVith  iiolliing  ln'twet  n  us  and  their  feet  to  lessen  the  ell'ect  of  the  whole 
height,  a  grand  bed  of  snow-capped  mountains  rose  l)efore  us,  jiile  njKm 
pile,  glowing  in  the  bright  liglit  of  an  August  day,  Lnniediately  below 
them  lay  the  lake,  betncen  two  ridges,  covered  with  dark  pines,  which 
swept  ilowii  from  the  main  chain  to  the  spot  where  wo  stood.  'Never 
before,'  said  Mr.  Preiiss,  'in  this  country  (n*  in  Europe,  liavo  I  seen  sucli 
grand,  magnilici'iit  rocks.'  I  was  so  much  pleased  with  the  beauty  of 
the  place,  that  I  d(termine(l  to  make  the  main  cam])  here,  where  our 
animals  would  lind  gooil  pasturage,  and  explore  the  mountains  with  a 
small  party  of  men."' 

Karly  on  the  morning  of  the  12th  they  leil  the  camp,  firteen  in 
number,  well  armeil,  and  mounted  on  their  best  mules.  A  ]»ack-aniinal 
carried  their  provisions,  and  every  man  had  a  blanket  strajiped  over  his 
saddle,  to  serve  for  his  bed,  while  the  instruments  were  carrii'(l  by  turns 
on  their  backs.  After  crossing  the  iirst  low  range,  and  passing  through 
dense  forests  with  a  rich  unih'rgrowth  of  jilants,  they  at  length  struck 
the  summit  of  the  ridge.  "  WV  liail  rt-ached  a  very  elevated  point,"' 
continues  Fremont, '  and  in  the  valley  below,  and  ajiiong  the  hills,  were 
a  numlier  of  lakes  of  <litlerent  levels;  some  two  or  three  hundreil  feet 
above  others,  with  which  they  communicatcMl  l»y  foaming  torrents.  Kven 
to  our  great  height  the  roar  of  the  cataracts  came  up,  and  we  could  sec 


!l'^l  \H 


m: 


THE    WIND    RIVKR    MOUNTAINS. 


701 


thorn  leaping  down  in  lines  of  snowy  foam.  From  tliis  scene  of  busy 
■waters,  we  turned  abruplly  into  the  stillness  of  a  forest,  where  we  rode 
among  the  open  bolls  of  the  pines,  over  a  lawn  of  verdant  grass,  having 
strikingly  the  air  of  cultivated  grounds.  This  led  us,  after  a  time, 
among  masses  of  rock  which  hail  no  vegetable  earth  but  in  hollows  and 
crevices,  though  still  the  pine  forest  contiimed.  Toward  evening  we 
reached  a  detile,  or  rather  a  hole  in  the  mountains,  entiriily  shut  iu  by 
dark  pine-covered  rocks." 

They  wandered  al)out  among  the  crags  and  ravines  until  dark,  and 
then  hastened  down  to  the  camp.  In  the  morning  they  ascended  a 
mountain-stream,  tlwough  a  deiile  where  the  ])assage  was  sometimes  diffi- 
cult, until  they  reached  a  small  law  n  where,  in  a  little  lake,  the  stream 
had  its  source.  "  Here,"  says  Fremont,  "  I  determined  to  leave  our 
animals,  and  make  the  rest  of  our  way  on  lixjt.  The  jicak  appeared  vSO 
near  that  there  was  no  doubt  of  our  returning  before  night ;  aiid  a  few 
men  were  left  in  charge  of  the  mules,  with  our  provisions  and  blankets. 
We  took  with  us  nothing  but  our  arms  and  instruments,  and,  as  the  day 
had  become  warm,  the  greater  part  left  our  coats.  Having  made  an 
early  dimier,  we  started  again.  We  were  soon  involved  in  the  most 
rugged  ])reci})ices,  Hearing  the  central  chain  very  slowly,  and  rising  but 
little.  The  lirst  ridge  hid  a  succession  of  others;  and  when,  whh  great 
fatigue  and  ditliculty,  we  had  climbed  up  five  hundred  feet,  it  was  but 
to  make  an  equal  descent  on  the  other  side ;  all  these  intervening  ])lace3 
were  filled  with  small  deep  lakes,  which  met  the  eye  in  every  direction, 
descending  from  one  level  to  another,  sometimes  under  bridges  formed 
by  huge  fragments  of  granite,  beneath  which  was  heard  the  roar  of  the 
■water.  These  constantly  obstructed  our  path,  forcing  us  to  make  long 
(Jitonrs;  frecjuetitly  obliged  to  retrace  our  steps,  and  frequently  tailing 
among  the  rocks.  Maxwell  Avas  j»recipitated  toward  the  face  of  a  prec- 
ij)ice,  and  saved  liiniself  from  going  over  by  throwing  himself  fiat  on 
the  ground.  AVe  clambered  on,  always  expecting,  with  every  ridge 
that  we  crossed,  to  reach  the  foot  of  the  j)eaks,  and  always  disappointed, 
imtil  about  four  o'clock,  when,  pretty  well  worn  out,  we  reached  the 
shore  of  a  little  lake,  in  which  was  a  rocky  island. 

"  By  the  time  we  had  reached  the  further  side  of  the  lake,  we  found 
ourselves  all  exceedingly  fatigued,  and,  much  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
whole  party,  we  encamped.  The  s])ot  we  had  chosen  was  a  broad  fiat 
rock,  in  some  measure  protected  from  the  winds  by  the  surrounding 
crags,  and  the  trimks  of  flillen  pines  afibrded  us  bright  fires.  Near  by 
was  a  foaming  torrent,  which  tumbled  into  the  little  lake  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  feet  behtw  us,  and  which,  by  way  of  distinction,  we  have 
called  Island  Lake.  We  had  reachecl  the  upper  limit  of  the  piney 
region;  as,  above  this  ))oint,  no  tree  was  to  be  seen,  and  ])atches  of 
snow  lay  everywhere  around  us,  on  the  cold  sides  of  the  rock.  From 
baromi'trical  observations  made  during  oiu*  three  days'  sojourn  at  this 
place,  its  elevation  above  the  (iulf  of  Mexico  is  ten  thousand  tl-et." 


ill! 
illl 


I'll 


S!*  I"     iT? 

"^ 

fi;      '             ■ 

r 

■!•    ".. 

■i '  ; 


■■^it! 


■■I; 


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II    '  i     I    ;    ,  > 


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|:P 


fl\>' 


i  ,ip 

11 

sr: 

1  \ 

i ']' 

i 

702 


FREMONT'S    EXPLORATIONS. 


Soon  after  they  encamped,  Colonel  Fremont  was  taken  ill,  ancl  con- 
tinued so  till  late  in  the  night,  Avitli  violent  headache  and  vomiting.  This 
"was  probably  owing  to  fatigue,  the  want  of  food,  and,  in  some  measure, 
to  the  rarity  of  the  atmosphere.  The  night  was  cold,  and  their  granite 
beds  were  not  favorable  to  sleep,  therefore,  as  they  were  not  delayed 
by  any  preparation  for  breakfast  iu  the  morning,  they  set  out  imme- 
diately. 

"  On  every  side,  as  wo  advanced,-'  continues  Fremont,  "  was  heard 
the  roar  of  waters,  and  of  a  torrent,  which  wc  followed  up  a  short  dis- 
tance, until  it  expanded  into  a  lake  about  one  mile  in  length.  On  the 
northern  side  of  the  lake  was  a  bank  of  ice,  or  rather  of  snow,  covered 
with  a  crust  of  ice.  Carson  had  been  our  guide  into  the  mountains,  and, 
agreeably  to  his  advice,  we  left  this  little  valley,  and  took  to  the  ridges 
again,  which  we  found  extremely  broken,  and  where  we  were  again  in- 
volved among  precipices.  Here  Averc  ice-lields,  among  which  Ave  were 
all  dispersed,  seeking  each  the  best  jiath  to  ascend  the  peak.  Mr.  Preuss 
attemj)ted  to  walk  along  the  upper  edge  of  one  of  these  fields,  which 
sloped  away  at  an  angle  of  about  twenty  degrees ;  but  his  feet  slipped 
from  under  him,  and  he  went  plunging  down  the  ])lain.  A  few  hundred 
feet  below,  at  the  bottom,  were  some  fragments  of  sharp  rock,  on  which 
he  landed  ;  and,  though  he  turned  a  couple  of  somersets,  fortunately  re- 
ceived no  injury  beyond  a  few  bruises." 

Two  of  the  men  had  been  taken  ill,  and  Fremont  himself  was  again 
unwell ;  as  he  grew  Avorse  he  sent  Basil  Lajeunesse,  Avith  four  men,  back 
to  the  place  Avhere  the  mules  had  been  left.  Finding  it  unpleasantly 
cold  on  the  rock,  they  at  length  set  out  to  return  to  the  camp,  avIutc 
thev  all  came  straggling  in  one  after  the  other.  Toward  evening  Col- 
onel  Fremont  recovered  and  they  Avcre  relicA'cd  by  the  ajipearance  of 
Basil  and  four  men  Avith  mules  and  a  sup))ly  of  blankets  and  j)rovisious. 
In  the  morning  Fremont  set  out,  Avith  IMr.  Preuss  and  four  men,  to 
ascend  the  peak  toward  Avhich  all  their  efforts  had  been  directed.  Tiiis 
time  they  determined  to  proceed  quietly  and  cautiously,  being  resolved 
to  accomplish  tlieir  object  if  it  Avas  Avitliin  the  comjiass  of  human  me.ans. 
They  Avent  forward  by  a  long  defile,  Avhich  Avas  of  easy  ascent,  but 
rugged  and  sometimes  slippery  Avith  ice,  and  soon  had  the  satisfaction 
of  riding  along  the  huge  Avail  which  formed  the  central  summits  of  the 
mountain.  It  rose  at  their  sides,  a  nearly  perpendicular  mass  of  granite, 
terminating  at  two  or  three  thousand  feet  above  their  lieads  in  a  ser- 
rated  line  of  broken,  jagged  cones.  At  length  they  reached  a  level  at 
the  base  of  the  main  i)eak,  called  Snow  Peak  by  Fremont,  aiul  finding 
good  grass  they  turned  the  mules  loose  to  graze.  Tlie  parly  now  began 
leisurely  to  climb  the  ascent.  Colonel  I'rcmont  availed  himself  of  a 
j  comb  of  the  mountain,  Avhich  stood  against  the  Avail  like  a  buttress,  and 
I  Avliich  the  Avind  and  sun,  joined  to  the  smoothness  of  the  rock,  had  kept 
I  almost  free  from  snow.  I'^j)  this  he  made  his  Avay  very  raj)idly,  until 
i     ho  reached  a  point  Avherc  the  buttress  Avas  overhanging,  and   tiiero 

i 1 


THE    SUMMIT    OF    THE    PEAK. 


703 


was  no  other  way  of  surmounting  the  difficulty  tlian  by  passing  around 
one  side  of  it,  whicli  was  the  face  of  a  vortical  precipice  of  several  hun- 
dred feet. 

"  Putting  hands  and  feet  in  the  crevices  between  the  blocks,"  ho 
contiuues,  "  I  succeeded  in  getting  over  it,  and,  when  I  reached  the  top, 
found  my  companions  in  a  small  valley  be'  .  Descending  to  them,  avo 
continued  climbing,  and  in  a  short  time  reached  the  crest.  I  sprang  upon 
the  summit,  and  another  step  would  have  precipitated  me  into  an  im- 
mense snow-field  tive  hundred  feet  below.  To  the  edge  of  this  Held  was 
a  sheer  icy  precipice  ;  and  then,  with  a  gradual  fall,  the  field  sloped  olf 
for  about  a  mile,  until  it  struck  the  footof  another  lower  ridge.  I  stood 
on  a  narrow  crest,  about  three  feet  in  width,  with  an  inclination  of  about 
20^  north,  51°  cast.  As  soon  as  I  had  gratified  the  first  feelings  of  cu- 
riosity, I  descended,  and  each  man  ascended  in  his  turn  ;  for  I  would 
only  allow  one  at  a  time  to  mount  the  unstable  and  precarious  slab, 
which  it  seemed  a  bi'cath  would  luu-l  into  the  abyss  below.  We  mounted 
the  barometer  in  the  snow  of  the  summit,  and,  fixing  a  ramrod  in  a  crev- 
ice, unfurled  the  national  flag  to  wave  in  the  breeze  where  never  flag 
waved  before.  During  our  morning's  ascent,  Ave  had  met  no  sign  of 
animal  lite,  except  a  small  sparrow-like  bird.  A  stillness  the  most  pro- 
found and  a  tcrrililo  solitude  forced  themselves  constantly  on  the  mind 
as  the  great  features  of  the  place.  Here,  on  the  sunmiit,  where  the 
stillness  was  absolute,  unbroken  by  any  sound,  and  solitude  complete, 
wc  thought  ourselves  beyond  the  region  of  animated  life  ;  but  while 
we  Avero  sitting  on  the  rock,  a  solitary  bee  {bronuis,  the  Jiumble-bce) 
came  Avinging  his  flight  from  the  eastern  valley,  and  lit  on  the  knee  of  one 
of  the  men. 

"  It  Avas  a  strange  place,  the  icy  rock  and  the  highest  peak  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  for  a  lover  of  Avarm  sunshine  and  floAvers ;  and  avc 
pleased  ourselves  Avitli  the  idea  that  he  Avas  the  first  of  his  species  to 
cross  the  mountain  barrier — a  solitary  pioneer  to  foretell  the  advance  of 
civilization.  I  believe  that  a  moment's  thought  Avould  have  made  us  let 
him  continue  his  Avay  unharmed  ;  but  Ave  carried  out  the  laAv  of  this 
country,  Avhere  all  animated  nature  seems  at  Avar ;  and,  seizing  him  im- 
mediately, put  him  in  at  least  a  fit  place — in  the  leaves  of  a  large  book, 
among  the  floAvers  Ave  had  collected  on  our  Avay,  The  barometer  stood 
at  18'29;3,  the  attached  thermometer  at  44°  ;  giving  for  the  elevation  of 
this  summit  13,570  feet  above  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  Avhich  may  be  called 
the  highest  flight  of  the  bee.  Ii  is  certainly  the  highest  knoAvn  flight 
of  that  insect.  From  the  description  given  by  Mackenzie  of  the  mount- 
ains Avherc  he  crossed  them,  Avith  that  of  a  French  ofticer  still  further 
to  the  north,  and  Colonel  Long's  measurements  to  the  south,  joined  to 
tlie  opinion  of  the  oldest  traders  of  the  couniry,  it  is  presumed  that  this 
is  the  highest  jicak  of  the  IJocky  Mountains.  The  day  Avas  sumiy  and 
bright,  but  a  slight  shining  mist  hung  over  the  lower  jilains,  Avhich  in- 
terfered Avilh  our  vicAV  of  the  surrounding  country.     On  one  side  avo 


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704 


FREMONT'S   EXPLORATIONS. 


overlooked  innumerable  lakes  and  streams,  the  spring  of  the  Colorado  of 
the  Gulf  of  California;  and  on  the  other  was  the  Wind  River  valley, 
•where  were  the  heads  of  the  Yellowstone  branch  of  the  Missouri ;  far 
to  the  north,  we  could  just  discover  the  snowy  lieadsof  the  JVois  Tetons, 
where  were  the  sources  of  the  Missouri  and  Columbia  Rivers  ;  and  at  the 
southern  extremity  of  the  ridge,  the  peaks  were  plaiidy  visible,  among 
which  were  some  of  the  sj)rings  of  the  Nebraska  or  I'latte  River. 
Around  us,  the  whole  scene  had  one  main,  striking  feature,  which  was 
that  of  terrible  convulsion.  Parallel  to  its  length,  the  ridge  was  split 
into  chasms  and  fissures  ;  between  which  rose  the  thin  lofty  walls,  termi- 
nated ^vith  slender  minarets  and  columns." 

They  reached  the  camp  on  the  evening  of  the  next  day,  and  on  the 
iTth  the  party  turned  their  faces  homeward.  At  Rock  Independence, 
where  they  arrived  at  their  old  encampment  on  the  22d,  Colonel  Fre- 
mont embarked  fur  the  purpose  of  m.aking  a  survey  of  the  Platte  River 
on  their  return,  but  after  dragging  their  boat  a  mile  or  two  over  the 
sands,  he  gave  up  the  undertaking  until  reaching  tlie  mouth  of  the  Sweet 
Water  River,  where  they  embarked  on  the  25th.  Proceeding  rapidly 
down  the  river,  they  soon  approached  a  ridge  where  the  stream  passes 
between  perjjcndicular  rocks  of  great  height,  which  frequently  approach 
each  other  so  closely  overhead  as  to  form  a  kind  of  tunnel  over  thf>  stream, 
while  it  foams  along  below,  half  choked  up  by  fallen  fragments.  To  this 
pass  the  Si)anish  term  "  canon"  has  been  applied.  As  they  neared  the 
ridge,  the  river  made  a  sudden  turn  and  swept  square  down  against  one 
of  the  walls  of  the  canon,  with  great  velocity,  and  so  steep  that  it  had 
the  appearance  of  an  inclined  plane.  When  they  launched  into  this  the 
men  jumped  overboard  to  check  the  velocity  of  the  boat,  but  were  soon 
in  water  up  to  their  necks,  and  the  boat  ran  on.  They  succeeded,  how- 
ever, in  bringing  her  to  a  small  point  of  rocks  on  the  right,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  canon.  From  the  summit  of  the  rocks  the  passage  ap- 
pearetl  to  be  a  continued  cataract,  foaming  over  many  obstructions,  and 
broken  by  a  number  of  small  falls.  They  all  again  embarked,  and  at  first 
attempted  to  check  the  way  of  the  boat ;  but  they  narrowly  escaped 
being  swamped,  and  were  obliged  to  let  her  go  in  the  full  force  of  the 
current,  and  trust  to  the  skill  of  the  boatmen.  In  some  places  the  stream 
was  contracted  to  frotn  three  to  five  feet  by  huge  rocks  which  liad  fallen 
in,  and  was  preci])itated  over  them  in  a  fall,  or  rushed  through  the  con- 
tracted opening  with  tremendous  violence.  The  boat,  being  of  India- 
rubber,  was  imhurt  by  every  shock.  In  this  way  they  passed  three 
cataracts  in  succession,  where  about  a  hundred  feet  of  smooth  water  in- 
tervened, and  finally  issued  from  the  tunnel  with  a  shout  of  joy.  They 
stopped  at  eight  o'clock  to  breakfast  on  the  banks  below  the  canon,  for 
all  were  wet,  fatigued,  and  hungry. 

Tiiey  re-embarked  at  nine,  and  in  about  twenty  minutes  reached  the 
next  canon.  Landing  to  reconnoitcr,  they  found  portage  was  out  of  the 
question ;  the  jagged  rocks  pointed  out  the  course  of  the  canon  on  a 


ADVENTURE    IN    THE    RAPIDS. 


705 


winding  lino  of  seven  or  eight  miles.  It  was  simply  a  narrow,  dark 
chasm  in  the  rock  ;  the  jjcrpendicular  faces  were  much  higher  than  in 
the  previous  pass,  being  from  two  to  three  hundred  feet  at  the  upper 
end,  and  five  hundred  feet  further  down.  Every  thing  being  now 
secured  as  firmly  as  possible,  they  pushed  into  the  stream  and  came  to 
the  first  difficult  pas,^.  A  strong  rope  had  been  fastened  to  the  stern  of 
the  boat ;  three  men  clambered  along  the  rocks,  and  with  this  rope  let 
her  slowly  through  the  pass.  In  one  of  the  narrows,  formed  by  the  liigh 
rocks  which  lay  scattered  about  the  channel,  the  boat  stuck  liist  for  an 
instant,  and  the  water  flew  over  them,  sw('e[)ing  away  only  a  pair  of 
saddle-bags,  but  they  quickly  forced  her  through  and  came  into  smoother 
water.  The  next  jjassage  was  much  worse,  and  they  found  themselves 
in  a  rather  bad  position.  To  go  back  was  impossible  ;  before  them  the 
cataract  was  a  sheet  of  foam  ;  and  shut  up  in  the  chasm  by  the  rocks, 
which  seemed  almost  to  meet  overhead,  the  roar  of  the  water  was  deaf- 
ening. They  pushed  off  again  ;  but  soon  the  current  became  too  strong 
for  the  men  on  shore,  and  two  of  them  let  go  the  roi)e.  Lajeunesse 
hung  on  and  was  jerked  head-foremost  into  the  river  from  a  rock  about 
twelve  feet  high  ;  the  boat  shot  forward,  Basil  following  in  the  rapid 
current,  his  head  only  seen  occasionally  in  the  white  foam.  They  suc- 
ceeded at  length  in  turning  the  boat  into  an  eddy,  and  Basil  Lajeunesse 
arrived  immediately  alter,  declaring  that  he  had  been  swinnuing  half  a 
mile.  They  then  took  him  and  the  two  others  on  board,  and  again  be- 
gan the  rapid  des:  ""ent.  They  cleared  rock  after  rock,  and  shot  past  fall 
after  fall,  until  they  became  familiar  with  the  danger,  and,  yielding  to 
the  excitement  of  the  occasion,  they  broke  forth  into  a  Canadian  boat- 
song.  They  were  in  the  midst  of  the  chorus  when  the  boat  struck  a 
hidden  rock  at  the  foot  of  a  fall,  which  whirled  her  over  in  an  instant. 
Tiiey  saved  themselves  on  the  rocks  upon  either  side,  although  with 
considerable  difficulty,  as  three  of  the  men  could  not  swim.  For  a  hun- 
dred yards  below  the  stream  was  covered  with  books  and  boxes,  bales 
and  blankets  ;  all  their  books — almost  every  record  of  the  journey — 
their  journals  and  registers  of  astronomical  and  barometrical  observa- 
tions, had  been  lost  in  a  moment. 

Colonel  Fremont  immediately  set  about  endeavoring  to  save  some- 
thing from  the  wreck.  They  descended  the  stream  on  each  side,  and 
Lajeunesse  in  the  boat  alone  proceeded  down  the  canon.  The  search 
was  continued  for  a  mile  and  a  half,  when  the  bed  of  the  river  became 
choked  up  Avith  fragments  of  the  rock  and  the  boat  could  proceed  no 
further.  Fortunately  they  recovered  all  their  registers,  except  one  of 
Fremont's  journals,  containing  notes  and  incidents  of  travel,  and  various 
descriptions  ami  observations,  many  of  which  were  8upj>lied  by  the  other 
journals.  As  the  day  was  iiow  declining  they  set  forward  over  the 
rocks  and  joined  tlie  rest  of  the  i>arty  at  Goat  Island,  a  short  distance 
below  this  rocky  pass. 

They  reached  Fort  Laramie  on  the  last  day  of  August,  and  after  a 

45 


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706 


FREMONT'S    EXPLORATIONS. 


two  days'  rest  continued  thoir  homeward  journey  down  the  Platto, 
which  was  glorious  with  the  autumnal  splendor  of  imiunierabie  flowers 
in  full  bloom.  On  the  morning  of  October  10th  they  arrived  at  ihe 
mouth  of  the  Kansas,  just  four  months  since  they  had  left  Chouteau's 
trading-post,  ten  miles  above,  and  on  the  17th  the  expedition  arrived 
safely  in  St.  Louis. 


JOURNEY  TO  OREGON  ANL  CALIFORNIA. 

In  order  to  connect  the  explorations  of  1842  with  the  surveys  of 
Commander  Wilkes  on  the  coast  of  the  Pacific,  so  as  to  give  a  connect- 
ed survey  of  the  interior  of  our  continent.  Colonel  Fremont  was  dis- 
patched to  the  West  in  the  spring  of  1843,  to  organize  another  exploring 
party.  After  passing  two  weeks  at  the  little  town  of  Kansas,  he  com- 
pleted the  preparations  necessary  for  the  exi)edition  contemplated  by 
his  instructions.  The  party,  consisting  principally  of  Creole  and  Cana- 
dian French,  and  Americans,  amounted  in  all  to  thirty-nine  men  ;  among 
whom  were  several  who  had  been  on  the  first  expedition.  They  set  out 
on  the  29th  of  May;  the  route  now  determined  on  Avas  up  the  valley  of 
the  Kansas  River  and  to  the  head  waters  of  the  Arkansas. 

They  ascended  the  Republican  P"'ork  of  the  Kansas,  and  on  crossing 
an  elevated  range  of  rolling  liills,  on  the  aoth  of  June,  found  themselves 
overlooking  a  broad  valley,  where,  about  ten  miles  distant  and  a  thou- 
sand feet  below  them,  the  south  Fork  of  the  I'latte  flowed  along,  swollen 
by  the  waters  of  the  melting  snows.  "Traveling  along  up  the  valley  of 
the  river,  here  four  thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  in  the  afternoon  of  July 
1st,"  says  Colonel  Fremont,  "we  caught  a  far  and  uncertain  view  of  a 
faint  blue  mass  in  the  west,  as  the  sun  sank  behind  it ;  and  from  our 
camp  in  the  morning,  at  the  mouth  of  Bijou,  Long's  ]*eak  and  the  neigh- 
boring mountains  stood  out  into  the  sky,  grand  and  luminously  white, 
covered  to  their  bases  with  glittering  snow." 

On  the  4th  of  July  they  reached  St.  Vrain's  fort,  and  atlerward  pur- 
sued their  route  down  the  Boiling-spring  River  to  its  mouth  on  the 
Arkansas,  Avhere  they  arrived  on  the  14th.  Here  they  had  expected  a 
re-enforcement  of  mules  and  supplies  from  Taos,  but  the  natives  having 
pillaged  the  inhabitants  of  that  place,  these  supplies  Avere  cut  oft".  Here 
Colonel  Fremont  had  the  satisfaction  of  meeting  with  their  old  buffalo- 
hunter,  Kit  Carson,  whose  services  he  again  secured.  As  a  supply  of 
mules  was  absolutely  necessary,  he  sent  (Jarson  to  the  post  of  Mr.  Bent, 
on  the  Arkansas,  about  seventy-five  miles  below  Boiling-spring  River, 
with  directions  to  proceed  across  the  country  with  what  animals  ho 
could  find,  and  meet  the  party  at  St.  Vrain's  fort.  Returning  thither 
on  the  2nd,  they  found  Fitzpatrick,  the  guide,  and  liis  party,  in  excel- 
lent health  and  spirits,  and  the  reliable  Kit  Carson,  who  had  brought 
ten  mules  with  their  pack-saddles.     Mr.  Fitzpatrick,  who  was  inured  to 


CRORSINO   THE    ROOKY    MOUNTAINS. 


707 


inonntam  life  nnd  Ivnew  well  tho  valiio  of  provisions  in  this  pountry,  had 
Becurcd  an  ubiindaiit  siipj)Iy  in  tho  camp. 

"  IIavin<;  dcitfM-niined  to  try  the  passage  by  a  pass  through  a  ppur  of 
tho  mountains  made  by  the  Cacho-a-la-Poudrc  Kiver,  which  rises  in  the 
high  bed  of  mountains  around  Long's  peak,"  continues  Fremont,  "  I 
thought  it  advisable  to  avoid  any  encumbrances  which  would  occasion 
detention,  and  accordingly  again  separated  tho  party  into  tAVo  divisions 
— one  of  which,  under  the  command  of  Mr.  Fitzpatrick,  was  directed  to 
cross  the  plains  to  the  mouth  of  Laramie  River,  and  continuing  thence 
its  route  along  the  usual  emigrant  road,  meet  mc  at  Fort  Hall,  a  post 
belonging  to  tho  Hudson  Bay  ('ompany,  and  situated  on  Snake  River, 
as  it  is  commonly  called  in  tho  Oregon  Territory,  although  better  known 
to  us  as  Lewis's  fork  of  tho  Columbia.  Our  Delaware  Indians  having 
determined  to  return  to  their  homes,  it  became  necessary  to  provide 
tliis  party  with  a  good  hunter ;  and  I  accordingly  engaged  in  that 
capacity  Alexander  Godey,  a  young  man  who  had  been  in  this  country 
six  or  seven  years,  all  of  which  time  had  been  actively  employed  in 
hunting  for  tho  support  of  tho  posts,  or  in  solitary  expeditions  among 
the  Indians." 

On  the  1  .^th  of  August  Colonel  Fremont  crossed  the  dividing  ridge 
which  se])arates  the  Atlantic  from  the  Pacific  waters,  by  a  road  some 
miles  south  of  tho  one  followed  on  his  return  in  1R42.  They  crossed 
near  tho  Table  IMountain,  at  tho  southern  extremity  of  the  South  Pass, 
which  is  near  twenty  miles  in  width,  and  was  already  traversed  by  sev- 
eral different  roads.  The  elevation  of  their  route  on  this  pass  was  seven 
thousand  four  hundred  and  ninety  feet.  Entering  here  tho  valley  of  the 
Green  River — the  groat  Colorado  of  the  West — and  inclining  southward 
along  tho  streams  which  form  the  Sandy  River,  the  road  led  for  several 
days  over  dry  and  level  plains,  and  on  tho  15th  they  encampe<l  in  the 
Mexican  territory,  on  tho  Green  River,  eixty-nine  miles  from  the  South 
I*ass,  and  one  thousand  and  thirty  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  Kansas. 
This  was  the  emigrant  trail  to  Oregon,  which  they  followed  along  the 
Green  River,  and  thenco  toward  the  Salt  Lake.  After  crossing  the  di- 
viding ridge  of  tho  Rocky  Moxmtains,  the  plants  were  few  in  variety,  the 
grass  became  poor  and  insufficient,  and  in  this  portion  of  the  journey 
they  lost  several  of  their  animals. 

To  avoid  delay,  Colonel  Fremont  sent  Carson  in  advance  to  Fort 
Hall  on  tho  inth,  to  make  arrangements  for  a  supply  of  provisions.  On 
the  21st  they  entered  tho  fertile  and  picturesque  valley  of  Bear  River, 
tho  principal  tributary  to  the  Great  Salt  Lake.  The  stream  is  here  two 
hundred  feet  Avide,  fringed  with  willows  and  occasional  groups  of  haw- 
thorns. "  We  were  now  entering  a  region,"  observes  Colonel  Fremont, 
"which,  for  us,  possessed  a  strange  and  extraordinary  interest.  We  were 
upon  the  waters  of  the  flunous  lake  which  forms  a  salient  point  among 
the  remarkable  geographical  features  of  the  country,  and  around  which 
the  vague  and  superstitious  accounts  of  the  trappers  had  thrown  a  de- 


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\m 


708 


FREMONT'S    EXPLORATIONS. 


liglitful  obscurity.  In  our  occasional  conversations  with  tlio  few  old 
hunters  wlio  had  visited  the  rej^ion,  it  had  been  a  subject  of  fretjuent 
speculation  ;  and  the  wonders  wiiich  they  related  were  not  the  less  agree- 
able because  tliey  were  highly  exaggerated  and  iinjiossible." 

Next  morning  tluiy  crossed  Sniitli's  Fork,  a  clear,  broad  strt>ani,  low- 
ing in  through  a  wide  mountain  pass.  Uelow,  the  valk-y  of  the  IJear 
Kiver  was  broad  and  beauti'Ail,  but  contracted  as  they  advanced,  and  at 
length  swe])t  tlirough  an  open  canon  where  high  vertical  rocks  rose;  up 
from  the  water's  edge.  Jsight  came  on  as  they  were  crossing  tlie  ridgi; 
around  this  canon,  and  they  had  great  dilliculty  in  groping  their  way 
down  the  steep  mountain  side,  which  it  Avas  necessary  to  descend  for 
water  atid  grass.  In  the  morning  tli'sy  found  they  IlkI  encamped  near  a 
large  jiarty  of  emigrants,  and  otiiers  wei;^  movhig  along  the  road  below. 
In  an  hour's  travel  they  met  a  sma''  party  of  Shoshonees,  wlio  informed 
them  that  a  large  village  had  lately  come  into  the  valli'y,  from  a  hunting 
excursion  among  the  mountains  on  the  west.  Oolonel  Fremont  immedi- 
ately set  off  to  visit  their  encampment.  lie  had  approached  within  about 
a  mile  when,  ho  observes,  "su(Ulenly  a  single  horseman  enu-rged  from  it 
at  full  speed,  followed  by  another  and  anoilier  in  rapid  succession  ;  and 
tlien  Jiarty  after  i)arty  poured  into  the  plain,  until,  when  the  foremost 
rider  reached  ns,  all  the  whole  intervening  jilain  was  occupied  by  a  mass 
of  horsemen,  which  came  charging  down  upon  ns  with  guns  and  iiakecl 
sworils,  lances,  and  bows  and  arrows — Indians  entirely  naked,  .ind  war- 
riors fully  dressed  for  war,  with  the  long  red  streamers  of  their  Avar- 
bonnets  reaching  nearly  to  the  ground,  all  mingled  togi'tiier  in  the 
bravery  of  savage  warfare.  They  liad  been  thrown  into  a  sudden  tumult 
by  the  aj)pearance  of  our  flag,  which,  among  these  people,  is  i-egarded 
as  an  end)lem  of  hostility — it  being  usually  borne  l)y  the  Sioux  and  the 
neighln)ring  mountain  Indians,  when  they  come  hereto\\ar;  and  we 
liad,  accordingly,  been  mistaken  for  a  bt)dy  of  their  enemies.  .\  lew 
wortls  from  the  chief  quieted  the  excitement ;  and  the  whole  band,  in- 
creasing every  moment  in  nundter,  escorte(l  us  to  their  encampment." 

Tiu'y  purchased  eight  horses  and  a  (piantity  of  berries  and  roots  from 
the  Indians,  and  encamped  near  them  for  the  night.  On  the  25th,  they 
reached  the  l:inious7/t'tT  Sjtrinijs.  They  are  situated  in  a  basin  of  mine- 
ral waters  inclosccl  by  the  mountains,  which  sweep  around  a  circular 
bi'ud  of  the  i>ear  Kiver.  A  stream  of  clear  water  enters  the  upper  part 
of  the  basin  from  an  open  valley  hi  tho  mountains,  and  discharges  into 
the  river.  They  encamped  a  mile  below,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  .springs. 
In  the  bed  of  the  river,  for  a  space  of  several  himdred  yards,  they  were 
very  abund;  it,  the  ell'ervesi'ing  gas  rising  up  ami  agitating  the  water  in 
countless  bubbling  colunms.  In  the  vicinity  were  numerous  springs  of 
an  entirely  ditVerent  and  0(pially  marked  mineral  character.  One  of 
these,  at  some  •listance  below  the  cam[»,  throws  up  a  variable  jet  of 
water  to  the  height  of  about  tliree  feet. 

"  Ucmaining  in  camp  until  nearly  eleven  o'clock,  on  the  'jrHh,"  con- 


!!il 


NAViaATION  OF  THE  SALT  LAKE. 


709 


tlniips  Fremont,  "wotravolod  a  nliort  distanco  down  tliorivor,  and  halted 
at  noon  on  the  i)ank,  at  a  pohit  where  the  road  quils  fh((  vaMey  of  Bear 
Kiver,  and,  crossing  a  ridi^e  whicli  diviih'S  the  (Jreat  Hiisin  from  the  Pa- 
cific, Avaters,  readies  Fort  Ilall,  ])y  way  of  the  Portneuf  Iliver,  in  a  dis- 
tance of  ])robably  fifty  miles,  or  two  and  a  lialf  days'  journey  for  wajrons. 
An  exatnination  of  the  p^reat  lake  which  is  the  outlet  of  this  river,  and 
the  ])rineij)al  feature  of  geo<;rrai)hicaI  interest  in  the  h.-isin,  -was  one  of  the 
main  objc^cts  contemplated  in  the  {general  iilaii  iA'  our  survey,  and  T  ac- 
cordincjly  determined  at  this  place  to  leave  the  road,  and,  at'ter  haviiij^ 
completed  a  reconnoissancc  of  the  lake,  rcijaiii  it  subsequent Iv  at  Fort 
Ifall." 

l*urs!iin<^  his  route,  he  ma<lo  preparations  on  th(>  1st  of  Se])tember  for 
reaclung  the  lake.  II<!  remarks:  "Among  the  useful  things  which 
formed  a  part  of  our  equipage,  was  an  India-rubber  boat,  eighteen  feet 
h>ng,  made  somewhat  in  the  form  of  a  bark  cauoc!  of  the  northern  lakes. 
The  sides  were  formed  by  two  air-tight  cylinders,  eighteen  inches  in 
diameter,  connected  with  others  forming  the  bow  and  stern.  To  lessen 
the  danger  from  accidents  to  the  boat,  these  were  divide<l  into  four  dif- 
ferent compartments,  and  the  interior  space  was  suflicicntly  large  to  con- 
tain live  or  six  persons,  and  a  considerable  weight  of  Ijaggage.  The 
IJoscaux  being  too  dei'p  to  be  forded,  our  boat  was  filled  with  air,  and 
in  about  one  hour  all  the  cfpiipage  of  the  camp,  carriage  and  gtm  in- 
cluded, ferried  across.  Thinking  that  ]»erhaps  in  the  co\irse  of  the  day 
we  might  reach  the  outlet  of  the  lake,  1  got  into  the  boat  with  Basil  La- 
jeunesse,  and  paddled  down  Bear  River." 

The  channel  of  the;  river  became  so  obstructed  that  they  were  obliged 
to  leave  the  l)oat  next  day  and  proceed  by  land,  and  on  the.Td  sent  back 
men  and  horses  for  the  bo;it  and  baggage.  Their  provisiftns  were  begin- 
ning to  f:\il,  "wlien  Carson  ciurn"  uj)  on  the  Ith  with  a  light  supply  from 
Fort  Hall.  After  ni.any  diflieullies,  they  saw,  on  the  fith,  an  isolated 
mountain,  twelve  miles  distant,  toward  which  they  <lirected  their  course, 
in  the  hope  of  obtaining  from  it  a  vi<'\v  of  the  lake,  but  the  deepening 
marshes  obliged  them  to  retiuii  to  the  liver,  and  gain  higher  ground. 
On  the  Otli  they  again  made  the  attempt.  "This  time,"  Ik;  continues, 
"we  reiu'heil  tlu;  butfe  without  any  <linieulty,  and,  ascending  to  the  sum- 
mit, iminecliiitely  at  our  feet  beheld  the  object  of  our  anxious  search — th(> 
waters  of  the  inland  sea,  stretching  in  Rtill  and  solitary  grandeur  far 
beyotid  the  limit  of  our  vision.  It  was  one  of  the  great  jmints  of  the  explo- 
ration; and  as  W(>  looked  eagerly  over  the  lake  in  the  lirst  emoticMis  of 
excited  ])leasure,  I  am  doubtful  if  thi' followers  of  Balboa  felt  more  enthu- 
siasm whiMi,  from  the  heights  of  the  Andes,  they  saw  for  the  first  time 
the  great  Western  Ocean.  It  was  certainly  a  mairnificent  object,  and  .1 
noble  fi i'»itNns  to  this  part  of  our  expedition  ;  ami  to  travelers  so  lotijj 
shut  up  among  inouiitaiii  ranges,  a  sudden  view  over  flu?  evp:inse  of  si- 
lent  waters  had  in  it  something  sublime.  Several  large  islands  raised 
their  high  rocky  heads  out  of  the  waves;  but  whether  or  not  they  wore 


I  i. 

n 


if 


!: 


I: 


I  If. 


^\ 


ii    I 


!  iis':/-:  I 


710 


FREMONT'S    EXPLORATIONS. 


.  I   !" 


I 


tiinberod,  was  still  left  to  our  iinaguuition,  as  the  distance  was  too  great 
to  detormiiic  it'tlie  dark  hues  upon  them  were  woodland  or  naked  rock." 

They  returned  to  a  grove  which  was  the  nearest  point  to  the  lake 
where  a  suitable  camp  could  be  found,  and  next  day  built  an  inclosure 
for  the  animals  and  a  small  foi-t  for  the  men  who  were  to  remain. 

"  The  provisions  which  Carson  brought  Avith  him  being  now  ex- 
hausted, and  our  stock  reduced  to  a  small  quantity  of  roots,  I  deter- 
mined to  retain  Avith  me  only  a  sufficient  number  of  men  for  the  execu- 
tion of  our  de:?ign  ;  and  accordingly  seven  were  sent  back  to  Fort  Ilall, 
under  the  guidance  of  Francois  Lajeunesse,  Avho,  having  been  for  many 
years  a  trapper  in  the  country,  was  considered  an  experienced  mount- 
aineer. Though  they  were  provided  Avith  good  horses,  and  the  road 
Avas  a  remarkably  jjlain  one  of  only  four  days'  journey  for  a  horseman, 
they  became  bewildered  (as  Ave  afterward  learned),  and,  losing  their 
Avay,  wandered  about  the  country  in  parties  of  one  or  tAVO,  reaching  the 
fort  about  a  Aveek  afterward. 

'•  We  formed  now  but  a  small  family.  With  Mr.  Preuss  and  myself, 
Carson,  liernier,  and  IJasil  Lajeunesse,  had  been  selected  for  the  boat- 
expedition — the  lirst  attempted  on  this  interior  sea;  and  Hadeau,  Avith 
l^erosier,  and  Jacob  (the  colored  man),  were  to  be  letl  in  charge  of  the 
camp. 

"■  In  view  of  our  present  enterprise,  a  part  of  tho  equipment  of  tho 
boat  had  been  made  to  consist  in  three  air-tight  bags,  about  three  feet 
long,  and  capable  each  of  containing  five  gallons.  Tiiese  had  bet'n  filled 
with  water  the  night  before,  and  Avere  now  placed  iu  the  boat,  Avith  our 
blankets  and  instruments.  We  letl  the  camp  at  sunrise  on  the  8th,  and 
had  a  jjleasant  voyage  down  the  river,  in  Avhich  there  Avas  giuierally  eight 
or  ten  feet  of  Avater,  deepening  as  avc  neared  tho  mouth  in  the  latter 
jiart  of  the  day.  In  the  course  of  the  mornhig  Ave  discoverd  that  two 
of  the  cylinders  leaked  so  much  as  to  require  one  man  constantly  at  tlio 
bellows,  to  kei'i)  them  sulliciently  full  of  air  to  support  the  boat.  On 
the  fllh  the  channel  became  so  siiallow  that  our  navigation  Avas  at  an 
end,  being  merely  a  sheet  of  soft  mud,  Avilh  a  few  inches  of  Avater,  and 
sometimes  none  at  all.  We  took  olFour  clothes,  and,  getting  overboard, 
conunenced  dragging  the  boat,  making,  by  this  oj)eration,  a  v«'ry  curious 
trail,  and  a  very  disagreeable  smell  in  stirring  up  the  nnid,  as  we  sank 
above  the  knee  at  e\ery  step.  Tho  Avater  hero  Avas  still  iVesli,  Avith 
only  un  insipid  and  ilisagreeablc  taste,  jjrobably  derived  from  the  bed 
of  ti'tid  mud.  After  proceeding  in  this  Avay  about  a  mile,  Ave  came  to 
a  small  black  ridge  on  the  bottom,  beyond  which  tlie  Avatcr  became  sud- 
tlenly  salt,  beginning  gradually  to  deepen,  and  tlie  bottom  Avas  sandy 
and  firm.  It  Avas  a  renuirkable  division,  scjiarating  tlie  fresh  waters  of 
the  river  from  llie  briny  water  of  the  lake,  which  was  entirely  Kiitiirtttul 
with  connnon  salt.  I'ushing  our  little  vessel  across  the  narriuv  bound- 
ary, we  sprang  ou  board,  uud  at  length  wcro  afloat  ou  the  Avatera  of  tho 
unknown  Bea.'» 


'M 


THE    ISLAND    CAMP. 


711 


?reat 
>ck." 
lukc 
osux'e 


They  stocrccl  first  for  one  of  the  islands,  from  which  to  begin  their 
operations.  As  they  iidvanced  into  deep  water  tliey  encountered  a 
stroii<T  north  wind  and  a  rough  sea,  and  when  they  were  half  way  across, 
two  of  the  divisions  between  the  cylinders  gave  way,  so  that  the  bello^vs 
were  in  constajit  use  to  keep  in  a  sufficient  quantity  of  air.  For  a  long 
time  they  made  slf)W  progress,  but  finally  gained  the  smoother  water 
under  the  ke  of  the  island,  and  about  noon  readied  the  shore.  Carry- 
ing Avith  them  the  instruments,  in  the  afternoon  they  ascended  to  the 
highest  point  of  the  island — a  bare,  rocky  peak,  eight  hundred  feet 
above  the  lake.  From  tlie  sunmiit  they  had  an  extended  view  of  the 
lake,  incloseil  in  a  basin  of  rugged  mountains,  which  in  some  places  rose 
directly  from  the  water  in  bold  and  precipitous  bluffs.  "  Following 
with  our  glasses  the  irregular  shores,"  continues  Fremont,  "we  searched 
for  some  iudi<'atiinis  of  a  communication  Avith  other  bodies  of  water,  or 
the  entrance  of  other  rivers  ;  Ijut  the  distance  was  so  great  that  we 
could  make  out  nothing  with  certainty.  As  wc  looked  over  the  vast 
expanse  of  water  spread  out  beneath  ns,  and  strained  our  eyes  along  the 
silent  shores  ov(>r  which  luing  so  much  doubt  and  uncertainty,  and  which 
were  so  full  of  interest  to  us,  I  could  hardly  repress  the  almost  irresist- 
ible desire  to  continue  our  ex|)lorations;  but  the  lengthening  snow  on 
the  mountains  was  a  plain  indication  of  the  advancing  season,  and  our 
frail  liuen  '"^.•>t  aiipeare<l  so  insecure  that  I  was  nnwilling  to  trust  our 
lives  to  til'  1.  '••*;' inties  of  the  lake.  I  therefore  unwillingly  res(jlved 
to  terminate  ,  .«  ;vey  here,  and  remain  satisfied  for  the  present  with 
what  we  had  '  .  .  able  to  add  to  the  imknown  geography  of  the  region. 
Out  of  the  drift-wood,  we  made  ourselves  ])leasant  little  lodges,  open  to 
the  Avater  ;  and,  after  having  kindled  large  fires  to  excite  the  wonder 
of  any  slraggling  savage  on  the  lake  shores,  lay  dow^l,  for  the  first  time 
in  a  long  journey,  in  perfect  security;  no  one  thinking  about  his  arms." 

Leaving  the  lake  next  day  they  j)roceedcd  toward  Fort  Hall,  and 
on  the  It^th  emerged  on  the  plains  of  the  Columlna,  in  sight  of  the 
famous  "Three  IJuttes,"  a  well-known  landmark  in  the  country.  At 
sunset  (hey  encamped  with  their  friends  who  liad  preceded  them  to 
Fort  Hall,  ;uid  in  lln!  morning  Colonel  Fremont  rode  up  to  the  fort  and 
purchase(l  several  vi'ry  iiulitferent  horses,  ami  five  oxen  in  fiiu'  order, 
which  were  received  at  the  camp  with  great  satisfaction.  Here  the  early 
ajiproach  of  winter  and  the  difficulty  of  supporting  a  large  j)arty,  deter- 
mined I'^remoiit  to  send  back  a  number  of  the  men  who  had  become 
Batislietl  that  ihcy  were  not  fitted  for  the  laborious  service  and  frecpient 
privaticm  to  which  they  were  necessarily  exposed. 

The  jinrty  with  Colonel  Fremont  now  proceetled  down  the  Snake 
River,  holding  occasional  intercourse  with  the  Indians  by  tho  way,  and 
on  the  morning  of  December  )»th,  arrived  at  I'V)rt  Moise,  a  simple 
ilwelling-houso  on  the  bank  of  the  liver  below  the  moiitii  of  Iiiritr« 
Jioii^/c.  lb-re  they  were  hospitably  received  by  Mr.  Fayette,  an  officer 
of  the  Hudson  IJay  Company,  in  charge  of  the  fort,  all  of  whose  gar- 


\m 


ii     ! 


'ii 


1 1 


1  1  1!^ 


!  i, 


llfi! ! 

1"!    •■'    '  '    » 


! 

f 

1    ■<  i  .^ 

m 


712 


FREMONT'S   EXPLORATIONS. 


risou  consisted  in  a  Canadian  engage.  On  the  13tli  they  left  the  valley 
of  tlie  great  southern  branch  of  the  Columbia  Kiver,  to  winch  the  ab- 
sence of  timber  and  the  scavjity  of  water  gave  the  appearance  of  a 
desert,  and  crossing  over  to  the  valley  of  Burnt  River,  entered  a 
mountain  region,  where  the  soil  is  good  and  the  face  of  the  countiy 
covered  with  nutritious  grasses  and  dense  forests.  Continuing  their 
journey  northward,  they  reached  the  I'owder  River,  Avhose  course  they 
followed  a  few  days,  then  leaving  the  emigrant  route,  they  crossed  tlio 
mountains  by  an  Indian  trail  to  the  head-waters  of  the  Umatilah.  They 
were  sometimes  obliged  to  cut  their  way  through  the  forests,  which 
here  consist  of  several  varieties  of  spruce,  larch,  and  balsam-pine,  of  a 
regular  conical  figure.  The  trees  Avere  from  sixty  to  two  hundred  feet 
in  height,  the  usual  circumference  behig  ton  to  fifteen  feet,  and  in  the 
pines  sometimes  twenty-one  feet. 

On  the  23d  the  trail  led  along  one  of  the  spurs  of  the  mountain  on 
which  they  had  been  traveling,  descending  gradually  toward  the  ]>lain, 
and  they  at  length  emerged  from  the  forest  in  full  view  of  the  plain  be- 
low, and  saw  the  snowy  mass  of  Mount  Ilood  standing  high  out  above 
the  surrounding  country  at  the  distance  of  one  hundred  and  eighty 
miles.  Here  they  reached  the  "Wallah wallah  River,  just  after  it  has  is- 
sued from  narrow  ravines,  walled  with  precipices.  Next  day  they 
crossed  a  principal  fork,  below  which  the  scattered  waters  of  the  river 
Avero  gatiiered  into  one  channel ;  and  passing  on  the  way  several  unfin- 
ished houses  and  some  cleared  patches  a\  here  corn  and  potatoes  were 
cultivated,  they  reached,  a  few  miles  further,  the  missionary  establish- 
ment of  Dr.  Whitman,  which  consisted  at  this  time  of  one  adobe 
house. 

"  The  road  on  the  25th,"  says  Colonel  Fremont,  "  led  over  a  sandy, 
undulating  ])lain,  througli  which  a  scantily-timbered  river  takus  its 
course.  AVe  halted  about  three  miles  above  the  mouth,  on  account  of 
grass ;  and  the  next  morning  arrived  at  the  Xez  I'erce  fort,  one  of  tlie 
trading  establishments  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  a  few  hundred 
yards  above  the  junction  of  the  Wallalnvallah  with  the  Columbia  River. 
Here  we  had  the  first  view  of  this  river,  and  found  it  about  twelve  hun- 
dred yards  wide,  and  presenting  the  ai)pearance  of  a  fine  navigable 
stream."  Continuing  down  the  valley  of  tlie  Columbia,  he  reached  the 
Metliodist  missionary  station  at  tlie  Dalles,  on  the  4th  of  November. 

"Our  land  journey,"  says  he,  "finind  here  its  western  termination. 
The  delay  involved  in  getting  our  camji  to  the  right  bunk  of  the  Colum- 
bia, and  in  opening  a  road  through  the  continuous  forest  to  Vancouver, 
rendered  a  journey  along  tlie  river  impracticable;  and  on  this  side  the 
usual  road  across  the  mountain  recjuired  strong  an<l  fresh  animals,  there 
bi'ing  an  interval  of  three  days  in  which  they  could  obtain  no  food.  I 
therefore  wrote  immediately  to  Mr.  Fitzpatrick,  directing  him  to  aban- 
don the  carts  at  the  Wailahwallah  jni«"'ionary  station,  and  as  soon  as  the 
necessary  pack->atld!es  could  be  made,  which  his  jiarty  reipiired,  meet 


..J 


m 


NEW    EXPLORATIONS. 


713 


me  at  the  Dalles,  from  which  point  I  proposed  to  commence  our  Lome- 
ward  journey." 

lie  then  descended  the  river  to  Fort  Vancouver,  where  he  found  the 
hark  Columbia,  lying  at  anchor  near  the  landing.  She  was  about  to 
start  on  a  voyage  to  England,  and  was  now  ready  for  sea ;  being  de- 
tained only  in  waiting  the  arrival  of  the  express  battcaux,  which  descend 
the  Columbia  and  its  north  fork  with  the  overland  mail  from  Canada 
and  Hudson's  Bay,  which  had  been  delayed  beyond  the  usual  time.  IIo 
immediately  waited  upon  Dr.  McLaughUn,  the  executive  officer  of  tlie 
Hudson  Bay  Company,  who  supplied  him  with  stores  and  provisions  for 
his  party  in  their  contemplated  winter  journey  to  the  States  ;  and,  also 
with  a  boat,  and  canoes,  and  men,  fur  their  transportation  to  the  Dalles 
of  the  Columbia.  Xear  sunset  on  the  lOlh  the  boats  left  the  fort,  and 
in  the  afternoon  of  the  18th  the  party  arrived  again  at  the  Dalles. 

The  camp  Avas  now  occupied  in  making  preparations  for  the  home- 
ward journey,  for  which  he  contemplated  a  new  i-oute  to  the  south  and 
south-west,  and  the  exploration  of  the  Great  Basin  between  the  Rocky 
Mountains  and  the  Sierra  Nevada.  Colonel  Fremont  wished  to  ascer- 
tain the  character  or  existence  of  three  pruicipal  objects  reported  to  be 
on  this  route,  which  ho  assumed  as  leading  points  on  the  projected  line 
of  return.  "  The  first  of  these  points  was  the  Tlamath  Lake,  on  the 
table-laud  between  the  head  of  Fall  lliver,  which  comes  to  the  Columbia, 
and  the  Sacramento,  which  goes  to  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco  ;  and  from 
which  lake  a  river  of  the  same  name  makes  its  way  westwardly  direct  to 
the  ocean.  From  this  lake  our  course  was  intended  to  be  about  south- 
east, to  a  reported  lake  called  Mary's  at  some  days'  journey  in  the  (ircat 
Basin  ;  and  thence,  still  on  south-east,  to  the  reputed  Buenaventura 
lliver,  wiiich  has  had  a  place  in  so  many  maps,  and  countenanced  the  be- 
lief of  the  existence  of  a  great  river  flowing  from  the  Ilocky  Mountains 
to  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco.  From  the  Buenaventura  the  next  point 
was  intended  to  be  in  that  section  of  the  Rocky  IVfountains  which  in- 
cludes the  heads  of  the  Arkansas  River,  and  uf  the  opposite  waters  of 
the  California  Gulf;  and  thence  down  the  Arkansas  to  Bent's  fort,  and 
liome.  This  was  our  projcjcted  line  of  return — great  part  of  it  abso- 
lutely new  to  geographical,  botanical,  and  geological  science — and  the 
subject  of  reports  in  relation  to  lakes,  rivers,  deserts,  and  savages,  hardly 
above  the  condition  of  mere  wild  animals,  which  inflamed  desire  to 
know  what  this  terra  incoijnita  really  contained. 

"It  was  a  serious  enterprise,  at  the  commcn<'ement  of  winter,  to  un- 
dertake the  traverse  of  such  a  region,  and  with  a  party  consisting  only 
of  twenty-five  persons,  and  they  of  many  nations — American,  Frencii, 
German,  Canadian,  Indian,  and  cohn-ed — and  most  of  them  young,  sev- 
eral being  under  twenty-one  years  of  age.  All  knew  that  a  strange 
country  was  to  be  explored  ami  dangers  and  hardships  to  be  encoun- 
tered ;  but  no  one  blenched  at  the  prospect.  On  the  contrary,  courage 
and  conlidence  animated  the  whole  party.    Cheerfulness,  readiness,  sub- 


!  > 


Ul 


» 


SI 


'M\i 


m 


u  if 


711 


J'"  K  KM  ON 'I"  H    KX  I' I,  OR  ATIONH. 


nnliii.ition,  |>r<)ni|>t  olicdinu 


(•(>,  clinrarti'ii/.cil  all;  nor  did  niiy  cxdcniity 
«>i  Mi'iil  iind  |iiiv:ili('n,  to  wliicli  we  were  iillfiward  »x|m>h('iI,  rviT  lidic, 
or  (\'ri>!::;a((<  iVdin  (lie  iiiic  hpiiil  of  tliis  lnavr  aixl  im'ikmous  ctinmiciicc- 
imio 

"  l''i)r  (lie  Mi|iiM>it  (il'llic  pail y,  I  had  |ii<)vid('<l  at.  N'aiicoiivcr  :i  Niip- 
j)ly  of  jirovisioiis  lor  nol.  Icsh  lliaii  lliroo  iiioiillis,  roiisisliii!.^  iiriiici|>ully 
of  lloiir,  peas,  and  tallow  llii<  latlor  Ix'iiitj;  used  in  <'ookiii!;;  and  in  ail- 
dilion  to  lliis,  I  liad  pnicliasi'd  Homo  Calil'ornia  <'alllt',  \\  liitli  « cro  (<) 
Ix"  ilii\iMi  on  tho  hoof.  \\'r  liad  one  linmlnd  ami  lonr  iinilcs  and  liorNcs, 
lor  till'  sustcnanrc  of  wliitli  onr  rclianco  was  upon  tlio  j^tass  Mliich  wo 
should  iiutl,  and  llio  sol)  porons  wood  which  was  to  li(>  sul)stilnl»'d 
vlu'ii  ihi'io  was  noHo." 

Tlio  picpaialions  licimr  luliy  coniplclod,  llioy  hoI,  ont.  on  tho  L'r>lh  of 
Ts'o\('inl»or,  and  aOir  procccdin!^  aloii;;  tlio  tiihntarios  of  I'all  U'ivcr, 
(he  last,  bratiili  orwhich  thoy  orossod  on  tho  Hlh  of  l)o(«'nilior,  tlwy 
ri'iU'liod  a  spiiiiii;  of  oold  wal<Tonlho  lOth,  sitnalod  on  tlu«  cdi^**  of  ji 
grassy  nn-adow,  which  llicir  «:;nid('rt  inlormcd  thcni  wa><  an  arm  of  tho 
TIaniatii  I.ako.  A  tow  miles  Inrlhcr  tiicy  entered  an  «'\lonsiv('  meadow, 
or  !alv<'  of  mass,  smroiindcd  liy  tindiored  monnlains.  'I'his  was  tho 
Tlaniath  Lake.  Il  was  a  picf nros(]ne  and  iieanlithl  spot,  ami  icnih'ifd 
more  a1tracti\  e  lo  the  tra\eieis  hy  tin'  ahnndant.  and  o.\e«'llent  j^^rass, 
which  tite  animals,  at\er  travi  rsin<^  pine  liirests,  so  miieli  necdoil  ;  but 
tho  iiroad  sheet,  ol"  watiT  wliich  const ilntes  a  lake  was  not  to  lu'  scon. 
(hiMiookimx  it  on  the  west,  wt'i<'  sevfral  snowy  knohs  heloii-^inij  to  the 
I'ascado  ran^o.  Ne\t  day  they  visited  ;mi  Indian  villajj^e,  on  tho  slroani 
at  llu'  outlet  ot"  (ho  marsh.  Niimliers  of  siuLinlar-lookinij  dot^s,  re- 
8en\liiintx  wohcs,  w«'i(>  sitlimjj  on  tho  tops  of  (lu>  huts.  'I'ho  l.ani^uap' 
spoken  hy  thesi>  Indians  is  ditVercMt  iVoiu  that  «>f  tlu'  Shosiiouoo  and 
(.\>liMnl>ia  Ki\i  r  trihes.  'I'hey  told  Colonel  l''remont  that  they  were  at 
w.ir  w  it  h  the  people  w  ho  lived  stuithward  and  oast  ward,  Imt  ho  could 
obtain  im  certain  information  from  them. 

"From  'I'lamalli  Lake,"  says  Colonel  Kn'mont,"tho  further  con- 
tinuation of  our  vovaLjc  assumed  a  character  ot'  discovery  and  explora- 
tion, which,  from  tho  Indi.ans  hero,  wt'  could  obtain  no  information  to 
iliroil,  and  whoro  the  im.iiiinary  maps  of  fho  comilry,  insti>ad  of  assist- 
iuir.  o\posi>d  1)8  to  sulU  riiiLT  and  defeat.  In  our  journey  across  tho  di-.s- 
ort.  Mary's  Lake,  and  the  fimons  Mnenaventur.i  Kivi-r,  were  two  points 
o[\  whicli  I  ri'Iicil  to  recruit  tho  animals  .and  ri'poso  the  party.  I''ormin!j;', 
ai^recably  to  tho  ln-st  maps  in  my  jiossession,  a  connected  water-lim*  froiu 
tlu'  Kocky  Mountains  to  the  ra*'itic  Ocean,  I  felt  nt>  iMJier  anxiety  than 
t(*  pass  sat'oly  across  the  intirvonini;  dosort  to  tho  banks  of  tho  Ibioua- 
vcntura,  where,  in  the  solh>r  elimato  of  a  more  Hoiithern  latitu(b>,  our 
horses  mii;ht  lind  urass  to  sustain  them,  and  omsolvi>s  be  shiltored  from 
tho  riiro.s  of  winter,  and  from  tlu-  iiilu)spitable  desert." 

Continuiiii;  their  explorations  thev  reached  a  eonsiderable  stream  on 
the  l;Uh,  whidi  seemed  to  be  the  jtriiieipal  affluent  to  tho  hike,  and  tho 


'     ^ 

1,  i 

1      ,           ^  , 

«) 


'■»  'i  j 


•  'I 


'  .^i 


I-' ':^  ', 


■)\ 


:\\'j 


4  !' 


ii  % 


:  ?•  S    'J 


1  : 


716 


FREMONT'S    EXPLORATIONS. 


miles  in  length,  to  which  Colonel  Fremont  gave  the  name  of  Lake  Abert, 
in  honor  of  the  chief  of  the  corps  to  which  he  belonged.  When  they 
came  near,  the  white  elfiorescences  which  lined  the  shore  like  a  bank  of 
snow,  and  the  disagreeable  odor  which  filled  the  air,  told  them  too 
plainly  that  the  water  belonged  to  one  of  those  fetid  salt  lakes  which 
are  common  in  this  region.  Pursuing  their  route,  they  attained  an  ele- 
vated position  on  the  23d,  from  which  they  saw  another  small  lake  about 
ten  miles  to  the  southward,  toward  which  a  broad  trail  led  along  the 
ridge  ;  and  as  this  appoared  the  most  practicable  route,  Fremont  deter- 
mined to  continue  the  Journey  in  that  direction. 

Still  moving  southward  in  search  of  an  outlet  toward  the  Pacific, 
they  came,  on  the  10th  of  January,  1844,  to  the  end  of  a  basin  they 
had  been  traversing,  where  they  found  a  hollow  extending  into  the 
mountain  inclosing  it.  Colonel  Fremont  and  Mr.  Preuss,  who  were  in 
advance,  continued  their  way  up  the  hollow,  to  see  what  lay  beyond  the 
mountain.  "  The  hollow,"  says  Fremont,  "  was  several  miles  long, 
forming  a  good  pass  ;  the  snow  deepening  to  about  a  foot  as  we  neared 
the  summit.  Beyond,  a  defile  between  the  mountains  descended  rapidly 
about  two  thousand  feet ;  and,  filling  up  all  the  lower  space,  was  a  sheet 
of  green  water,  some  twenty  miles  broad.  It  broke  upon  our  eyes  like 
the  ocean.  The  neighboring  peaks  rose  high  above  us,  and  we  ascended 
one  of  them  to  obtain  a  better  view.  The  Avavcs  were  curling  in  the 
breeze,  and  their  dark-green  color  showed  it  to  be  a  body  of  deep 
water.  For  a  long  time  \vc  sat  enjoying  the  view,  fur  we  had  become 
fatigued  with  mountains,  and  the  free  expanseof  moving  waves  was  very 
grateful.  It  Avas  set  like  a  gem  in  the  mountains,  Avhich,  from  our  posi- 
tion, seemed  to  inclose  it  almost  entirely.  At  the  western  end  it  com- 
municated Avith  the  line  of  basins  we  had  left  a  few  days  since  ;  and  on 
the  opposite  side  it  swept  a  ridge  of  snowy  mountains,  the  foot  of  the 
great  Sierra." 

As  they  advanced  along  the  shores  of  the  lake,  the  most  conspicuous 
object  was  a  remarkable  rock  rising  from  the  surface  of  the  water,  which 
attracted  their  attention  for  many  miles.  It  rose  six  hundred  feet  above 
the  surface,  in  the  form  of  a  pyramid.  This  striking  feature  suggesting 
a  name  for  the  lake.  Colonel  Fremont  called  it  Pyramid  Lake.  The  In- 
dians whom  they  met  told  them  of  a  large  river  at  the  southern  extremity, 
which  they  reached  on  the  15th,  but  instead  of  an  outlet,  they  found  the 
inlet  of  a  large  fresh-water  stream.  They  were  at  once  satisfied  they 
had  discovered  a  large  interior  lake,  which  had  no  outlet.  On  the  16th 
they  continued  their  journey  along  this  stream,  and  in  a  week  found 
themselves  in  the  heart  of  the  mountains.  The  snow  deepened  as  they 
advanced ;  their  moccasins,  which  were  wot  in  the  heat  of  the  day, 
froze  perfectly  stiff  as  the  sun  declined,  and  they  had  great  difiiculty  to 
keep  their  feet  from  freezing.  The  mountain  passes  became  difficr.lt,  and 
they  endured  great  hardships  from  fatigue  and  cold,  but  they  still  pushed 
on,  expecting  at  every  stream  to  find  some  outlet  from  the  great  laby- 


I  ' 


THE    SIERRA    NEVADA. 


717 


rinth  of  mountains  which  inclosed  them.  Holding  a  council  with  somo 
Indians  on  the  29th,  they  found  that  they  wore  still  on  waters  flowing 
into  the  Great  Basin,  in  the  edge  of  which  tliey  had  been  since  the  17th 
of  December. 

"  We  explained  to  the  Indians,"  continues  Fremont,  "  that  we  wero 
endeavoring  to  find  a  pass  across  the  mountahis  into  the  country  of  the 
whites,  whom  we  were  going  to  see ;  and  told  them  that  we  wished 
them  to  bring  us  a  guide,  to  whom  we  would  give  presents  of  scailet 
cloth,  and  other  articles,  which  were  shown  to  them.  They  looked  at 
the  reward  we  oftered,  and  conferred  with  each  othei-,  but  pointed  to  the 
snow  on  the  mountain,  and  drew  their  hands  across  their  necks,  and 
raised  them  above  their  lieads,  to  show  the  depth  ;  and  signified  that  it 
was  impossible  for  us  to  get  through.  They  made  signs  that  we  must 
go  to  the  southward,  over  a  pass  through  a  lower  range,  which  they 
pointed  out :  there,  they  said,  at  the  end  of  one  day's  travel,  we  would 
find  people  who  lived  near  a  pass  in  the  great  mountain ;  and  to  that 
point  they  engaged  to  furnish  us  a  guide." 

They  set  forward  next  day,  and  on  the  evening  of  the  31st  held  an 
interesting  council  with  the  Indians  who  had  assembled  at  their  camp- 
fires.  The  Indians  told  Fremont  that,  before  the  snows  fell,  it  was  six 
sleeps  to  the  place  where  the  whites  lived,  but  that  now  it  was  impossible 
to  cross  the  mountains  on  account  of  the  deep  snow.  Fremont  said  that 
the  men  and  the  horses  m  ere  strong,  and  would  break  a  road  througli 
the  snow ;  and  then  showed  what  he  would  give  for  a  guide.  The  In- 
dians told  him  that  if  they  could  break  through  the  snow,  at  the  end  of 
three  days  they  Avould  como  down  upon  grass,  where  the  ground  was 
entirely  free.  Afterward  a  young  man  was  brought  in  who  had  seen 
the  whites,  and  who  was  at  length  prevailed  upon  to  be  their  guide. 

In  the  morning  Colonel  Fremont  acquainted  the  men  with  his  decis- 
ion, and  assured  them  that  from  the  heights  of  the  mountain  betlMc  them 
they  would  doubtless  see  the  valley  of  the  Sacramento,  and  with  one  ef- 
fort bo  again  in  the  midst  of  plenty.  They  received  this  decision  a\  ith 
cheerful  obedience,  and  immediately  prepared  to  carry  it  into  effect.  On 
the  2d  of  February  they  continued  tlieir  journey.  The  snow  deepened 
rapidly,  and  it  soon  became  necessary  to  break  a  road.  On  the  '.Ul  they 
ascended  a  hollow  directly  toward  the  main  chain,  but  the  depth  of  the 
snow  at  length  obliged  them  to  travel  along  the  steep  hill-sides,  and  next 
day  they  had  to  abandon  it  altogether.  They  cut  a  footing  as  fh(>y  ad- 
vanced along  the  mountain  side,  and  trampled  a  road  through  tor  the 
animals ;  but  occasionally  one  plunged  outside  the  trail  and  slid  along 
the  field  to  the  bottom,  a  hundred  yards  below. 

"  The  camp,"  continues  Fremont,  "  had  been  occujiied  all  the  day  in 
endeavoring  to  ascend  the  hill,  but  only  the  best  horses  had  ;  uceeeded  ; 
the  animals,  generally,  not  having  sufHcient  strength  to  bring  themselves 
up  Avithout  the  packs;  and  all  the  line  of  road  between  this  and  the 
springs  was  strewed  with  camp-stores  and  eijuipage,  and  horses  flounder- 


frfl 


^i! 


^'1 


/! 


1               ■ 

■:     , 

- 

■r 

1  '       * 

M 

!                      ! 

i 

'\v 

:i  ' 

i 

\  ■ 

^^ 

I  n, 


« 


1 

i 

•  !  "1' 

.  1, 

718 


FREMONT'S    EXPLORATIONS. 


iiip^  in  snow.  I  ih.oreforo  iinmcdiatoly  oncamped  on  tlio  ground  with  my 
own  mess,  wliioh  was  iu  advanco,  and  directed  IMr.  Fitzpatrick  to  encamp 
at  the  springs,  .and  send  all  the  animals  back  to  the  pl.icc  where  they  had 
been  pastured  the  night  before. 

"To-night  we  had  no  .shelter,  but  wc  made  a  large  fire  around  the 
trunk  of  one  of  the  huge  j)ines ;  and  covering  the  snow  with  small  boughs, 
on  which  we  spread  our  blankets,  soon  made  ourselves  comfortable.  Tho 
night  was  very  bright  and  clear,  though  the  thermometer  was  only  at 
ten  degrees.  Accompanied  by  Mr.  FitzjDatrick,  I  set  out  on  the  Cth, 
with  a  reconnoitering  party  on  snow-shoes.  We  marched  all  iu  single 
file,  trampling  the  snow  as  heavily  as  we  could.  Crossing  tho  open  basin, 
in  a  niLVfh  of  about  ten  miles  we  reached  Uic  top  of  one  of  the  peaks,  to 
the  left  of  the  pass  indicated  by  our  guide.  Far  below  us,  dimmed  by 
the  distance,  was  a  large  snowlcss  v.illey,  bounded  on  the  western  side, 
at  the  distance  of  about  a  liundred  miles,  by  a  low  range  of  mountains, 
which  Carson  recognized  Avith  delight  as  the  mountains  bordering  the 
coast.  'There,'  said  he,  'is  the  little  mountain — It  is  fifteen  years  since 
I  saw  it ;  but  I  am  just  as  sure  as  if  I  had  seen  it  yesterday.'  Between 
us,  then,  and  this  low  coast  range,  was  the  valley  of  the  Sacramento ; 
and  no  one  who  had  not  accompanied  us  through  the  incidents  of  our 
life  for  the  last  few  months  could  realize  the  deliticht  with  which  at  last 
we  looked  down  upon  it.  At  the  distance  of  apparently  thirty  miles  be- 
yond us  were  distinguished  spots  of  prairie  ;  and  a  dark  line  which  could 
be  traced  with  the  glass,  was  imagined  to  bo  the  course  of  tho  river ; 
but  Ave  were  evidently  .it  a  great  height  above  tho  valley,  and  between 
us  and  the  plains  extended  miles  of  snowy  fields  and  broken  ridges  of 
pine-covered  mountains." 

They  returned  late  in  the  day,  and  next  morning  Fremont  advanced 
Avith  one  party,  drawing  sleighs  loaded  Avith  baggage,  leaving  Fitzpatrick 
Avith  another  party  to  form  an  intermediate  station.  On  the  11th  he  re- 
ceived a  message  from  Fitzpatrick,  stating  that  it  Avas  impossible!  to  get 
the  mules  and  horses  along — they  had  broken  through  the  snoAA',  and 
Avere  plunging  about  or  lying  lialf  buried  in  it.  He  gave  orders  for  the 
animals  to  be  sent  back  to  their  old  p.asturcs,  and  all  the  party  to  turn 
out  with  mauls  and  shovels  to  beat  a  road  through  the  snow.  Fremont 
and  his  party  worked  at  their  end  of  the  road,  and  on  the  13th  had  the 
satisfliction  of  seeing  the  people  working  doAvn  the  face  of  the  opposite 
hill,  tliree  miles  distant.  By  the  IGth,  they  succeeded  in  getting  tho 
animals  to  the  first  grassy  bill,  and  the  same  morning  Colonel  Fremont 
started  on  a  reconnoitering  expedition  beyond  the  imuntain.  lie  found 
some  grassy  spots  where  the  snoAV  Avaa  melting  aAvay,  and  encamped  in  the 
evening  on  a  little  creek  Avhere  at  last  the  water  found  its  Avay  toward  the 
Pacific.  Following  the  creek  next  day,  it  acquired  i*  regular  breadth  of 
about  twenty  feet ;  he  Avas  now  satisfied  they  liad  struck  the  stream  on 
Avhich  Mr.  Sutter  lived,  and  turning  about,  reached  the  camp  at  dark. 
Tlie  labor  of  making  a  road  and  bringing  up  the  baggage  continued,  and 


tlio 


DESCENT    INTO    CALIFOIINIA. 


719 


finally,  on  the  20thof  February,  they  encamped,  ^vith  all  the  animals  and 
baggage,  on  the  summit  of  the  pass  in  the  dividing  ridge,  one  thousand 
miles  from  the  Dalles  of  the  Columbia.  The  elevation  of  the  encamp- 
ment was  nine  thousand  three  hundred  and  thirty-eight  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea. 

They  now  considered  the  difficulties  of  the  mountain  to  be  overcome, 
having  only  the  descent  before  them  and  the  valley  under  their  eyes ; 
but  this  descent  was  not  easy.  Deep  fields  of  snow  still  lay  between, 
and  there  was  a  large  uitervening  space  of  rough  mountains,  through 
which  they  had  yet  to  wind  their  way.  The  23d  was  their  most  dillieult 
day.  They  were  obliged  to  take  to  the  mountain  sides,  which  were 
steep  and  slippery  with  snow  and  ice,  and  where  the  tough  evergreens 
impeded  their  way.  Some,  whose  moccasins  were  slippery,  a\  ere  fre- 
quently obliged  to  crawl  across  the  snow-beds.  Continuing  down  the 
river,  which  pursued  a  westerly  course  through  a  narrow  valley,  they 
occasionally  met  with  excellent  grass  at  their  encam[tments,  but  some- 
times the  animals  suffered  greatly  from  the  scarcity  of  ])usture.  The 
valleys  were  covered  with  magnificent  forests ;  some  of  the  pines  were 
ten  feet  in  diameter. 

On  the  2d  of  March  Mr.  Preuss,  vho  was  in  advance  when  they  en- 
camped, was  lost.  For  several  days  his  absence  caused  great  imeasiness 
to  the  party,  when,  on  the  evening  of  the  5th,  he  made  his  appearance. 
Knowing  that  Fremont  would  keep  near  tlie  river,  he  had  walked  on 
Avithout  much  concern  on  the  first  day,  going  right  and  hjft  to  obtain 
good  views  of  the  country,  but  the  next  day  it  became  more  serious. 
He  knew  not  whether  the  party  was  'm  advance  or  not,  but  still  he  kept 
on,  and  on  the  second  night  again  encamped  alone.  His  principal  means 
of  subsistence  were  a  few  roots,  which  he  obtained  with  great  labor. 
In  the  pools  lie  caught  some  of  the  smallest  kind  of  frogs,  which  he 
swallowed,  not  so  much  for  the  gratification  of  hunger  as  in  the  liope 
of  obtaining  some  strength.  At  length  he  found  a  fire  left  by  the  party, 
and  the  tracks  of  the  horses,  and  following  as  fust  as  he  could,  rejoined 
his  companions  in  the  evening. 

On  the  6th  they  descended  into  broad  groves  on  the  river,  and,  as 
they  passed  along,  the  valley  was  gf.y  with  flowers,  some  of  the  banks 
being  absolutely  golden  with  the  (.alifornian  popi)y.  Here  the  grass 
was  smooth  and  green,  and  the  groves  very  ojien  ;  the  large  oaks  throw- 
ing a  broad  shade  among  sunny  spots.  Soon  afterward  they  passed  a 
neat  adobe  house  with  glass  windows,  but  found  only  Indians.  Tluy 
now  pressed  eagerly  forward ;  the  hills  lowered  as  they  ad\  anc(><l,  and 
on  entering  a  broad  valley  they  came  unexpectedly  into  a  large  Indian 
village,  Avhere  the  pef)ple  wore  cotton  shirts  and  various  other  articles 
of  dress.  While  they  were  trying  to  communicate  with  the  natives,  a 
well-dressed  Indian  came  up  and  nuide  his  salutations  in  well-spoken 
Spanish. 

"  In  answer  to  our  inquiries,"  continues  Fremont,  "  he  informed  us 


r' 


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720 


FREMONT'S    EXPLORATIONS. 


tlwit  we  Avere  upon  tlio  Jlio  de  ios  Aniericrnins  (tlic  river  of  tlio  Ameri- 
cans), and  tliat  it  joined  the  Sacramento  IJiver  about  ten  miles  below. 
Never  did  a  name  sound  more  sweetly  !  We  felt  ourselves  among  our 
countrymen  ;  for  the  name  of  Az/ierircni,  in  these  distant  parts,  is  apjdiod 
to  tlie  citizens  of  the  United  States.  To  our  eager  iiKpiiries  lie  answered, 
'  I  am  a  vaqnero  (cowherd)  in  the  service  of  Cai)tain  Sutter,  and  the 
people  of  this  noirheria  work  for  liim.'  Our  evidcjnt  satisfaction  made 
him  communicative;  and  lie  went  on  to  s.ay  that  Ca|)tain  Sutter  was  a 
veiy  rich  man,  and  always  glad  to  see  his  country  j)eople.  We  asked 
for  his  liouse.  He  answered  that  it  was  just  over  the  hill  before  us  ;  and 
offered,  if  we  would  wait  a  moment,  to  take  his  horse  and  conduct  us  to 
it.  AVe  readily  accepted  this  civil  ofler.  In  a  sliort  distance  avc  came 
in  sight  of  the  ibrt ;  and  jiassing  on  the  way  the  Iiouse  of  a  settler  on 
the  op])Osite  side  (a  INIr.  Sinclair),  we  forded  the  river,  and  in  a  few 
miles  were  met,  a  short  distance  from  the  fort,  by  Captain  Sutter  him- 
self. He  gave  us  a  most  frank  and  cordial  reception — conducted  us 
immediately  to  his  residence — and  under  liis  hospitable  roof  we  had  a 
night  of  rest,  enjoyment,  and  refreshment,  which  none  but  ourselves 
could  appreciate.  But  the  party  left  in  tlie  mountains,  with  3Ir.  Fitz- 
patrick,  were  to  be  attended  to;  and  the  next  morning,  supplied  with 
fresh  horses  an  provisions,  I  hurried  off  to  meet  them.  On  the  second 
day  we  met,  a  few  miles  below  the  forks  of  the  Kio  de  Ios  Americanos ; 
and  a  more  forlorn  and  pitiable  sight  than  they  ])resented,  can  not  well 
be  imagined.  They  were  all  on  foot — each  man,  weak  and  emaciated, 
leading  a  liorse  or  mule  as  weak  and  emaciated  as  themselves.  They 
had  exj)erienced  great  difHculty  in  descending  the  mountains,  uiade 
8lij)j)ery  by  rains  and  melting  snows,  and  many  horses  fell  over  precipices, 
and  were  killed ;  and  with  s(jme  were  lost  the  jxiv/cs  they  carried. 
Among  these  was  a  mule  with  the  plants  which  we  had  collected  since 
leaving  Fort  Hall,  along  a  line  of  two  thousand  miles'  travel. 

"The  next  day,  March  8th,  we  encamped  at  the  junction  of  the  two 
rivers,  the  Sacramento  and  Americanos ;  and  thus  found  the  whole 
party  in  the  beautiful  valley  of  the  Sacramento.  It  was  a  convenient 
place  for  the  camp ;  .and,  among  other  things,  was  within  reach  of  the 
wood  necessary  to  make  the  p.ack-saddles,  which  we  should  nee<l  on  our 
long  journey  hotne,  from  which  we  were  further  distant  now  than  we 
were  four  months  before,  when  from  the  Dalles  of  the  Columbia  we  so 
cheerfully  took  uj)  the  homeward  line  of  march." 

On  the  24th  they  took  leave  of  Captain  Sutter,  who  accompanied 
them  a  few  miles  on  their  way,  and  set  out  on  their  journey  homeward. 
They  encamped  at  the  Kio  de  Ios  Cosnnmes,  and  next  evening  halted  at 
the  ford  of  the  Rio  de  Ios  Mukelemnes,  whence  the  route  led  through  a 
pleasant  country  toward  the  San  Joacjuin.  They  touched  this  river  on 
the  3d  of  April,  ascended  its  b.ank  for  a  few  days,  then  crossed  a  ])rai- 
rie  country  to  the  tributaries  of  the  Tule  Lake,  one  of  which  they 
ascended  toward  the  i)ass  of  the  Sierra.     "  On  the  13th,"  says  Fremont, 


THE    SPANISH    TRAIL. 


721 


"a  Christian  Indian  rode  into  the  camp,  well  dressed,  with  long  spurs 
and  a  sonibrei'o,  and  speakinjij  Spanish  lluently.  It  was  an  unexpected 
apparition,  and  a  strange  and  pleasant  sight  in  this  desolate  gorge  of  a 
mountain — an  Indian  face,  Spanish  costume,  jingling  spurs,  and  horso 
e(piipped  after  tiic  Spanish  manner."  The  Indian  undertook  to  guide 
them  through  the  j)ass,  where  two  others  joined  him.  They  here  left 
the  waters  of  the  bay  of  San  Francisco,  and  on  the  15th  the  deseit  wart 
hi  full  view  on  their  lell,  apparently  illimitable.  "  Our  cavalcade,*'  con- 
tin'i  3  Fremont,  "  made  a  strange  and  grotesque  ai)))earance ;  and  it 
was  "ipossible  to  avoid  reflecting  upon  our  position  and  composition  in 
this  remote  solitude.  Within  two  degrees  of  the  I'acilie  Ocean — already 
far  south  of  the  latitude  of  Monterey — and  still  forced  on  south  by  a 
desert  on  one  hand,  and  a  mountain  range  on  the  other — guided  by  a 
civilized  Indian,  attended  by  two  wild  ones  from  tlie  Sierra — a  C'hinook 
from  the  Columbia,  and  our  mixture  of  Americans,  French,  (lermans — 
all  armed — four  or  five  languages  heard  at  once — above  a  hundred  horses 
and  mules,  lialf  wild — American,  Spanish,  and  Indian  drcssc.  and  ecpiip- 
ments  intermhigled— such  was  our  composition.  Our  march  was  a  sort 
of  procession.  Scouts  ahead  and  on  the  Hanks ;  a  front  and  rear  divi- 
sion ;  the  pack-animals,  baggage,  anil  horned-cattle  in  the  center  ;  and. 
the  whole  stretching  a  quarter  of  a  mile  along  our  dreary  path.  In  tins 
form  we  journeyed,  looking  more  as  if  we  belonged  to  Asia  than  to  tho 
United  States  of  America." 

On  the  ITth  they  left  their  guide  and  turned  directly  eastward  alo'  - 
the  trail,  which  was  liardly  visible.  Still  continuing  in  this  direct  ni, 
along  a  diflerent  route,  they  struck  upon  the  Spanish  Trail  on  the  I'Jth, 
the  great  object  of  their  search.  Tho  road  itself,  and  its  course,  which 
was  due  north,  were  happy  discoveries  to  the  party,  as  they  wished  to 
bear  several  degrees  northward  before  crossing  the  Uocky  Mountains. 
Relieved  from  the  rocks  and  the  brush,  they  now  advanced  more  rapi  Uy 
and  pleasantly  along  the  beaten  road.  In  the  afternoon  of  the  'ZHh 
they  were  surprised  by  tlie  sudden  appearance  in  the  camp  of  two  Mex- 
icans— a  man  and  a  boy,  named  Andreas  Fuentes  and  Pablo  llernandc!!. 
They  belonged  to  a  party  of  six  jiersons  who  liad  lell  Pueblo  de  los 
Angeles  with  about  thirty  liorses.  The  remaining  four  were  the  wife 
of  Fuentes,  the  father  and  mother  of  Pablo,  and  Santia  '  <iiacomo,  who 
had  charge  of  the  cavalcade.  While  waiting  at  ArcluJ'  ;  ;br  a  Spanish 
caravan,  they  had  been  attacked  by  a  large  party  of  Indians,  whose  ob- 
ject was  to  get  possession  of  the  horses.  I'ablo  and  Fuentes,  in  obedi- 
ence to  Giacomo,  drove  the  animals  over  and  throui^h  the  assailants  and 
made  ofl:' at  full  speed  across  the  plain.  AtU"-  r.ding  hlxty  miles  they 
had  left  the  horses  at  Agua  d(>  Tomaso,  a  watering-place  on  the  trail, 
and  were  hurrying  on  to  meet  the  caravan,  when  they  discovered  Fre- 
mont's camp. 

On  tho  25th,  Fremont's  party  arrived  at  Agua  de  Tomaso,  the  spring 
where  the  horses  had  been  left,  but  they  had  been  driven  off  by  the  In- 

4C 


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722 


FREMONT'S    EXPLORATIONS. 


dians.  Carson  and  Godcy  vohintocrod,  -witli  the  Mexican,  to  pursue 
them  ;  and,  woll-mountcd,  the  three  set  off  on  the  trail.  In  the  even- 
ing Fuentcs  returned,  his  horse  liaving  failed,  but  Carson  and  (iodey 
had  continued  tlie  pursuit.  Xext  evening  a  war-whooj)  was  hoard, 
and  soon  Carson  and  Godey  apjjcared,  driving  before  them  a  band  of 
horses,  recogniztnl  by  Fuentcs  to  be  part  of  those  they  had  lost.  Two 
bloody  scalps  were  dangling  from  (Jodey's  gun.  They  liail  entered  the 
mountains  toward  night-fall  and  followed  the  trail  by  moonlight  to  a 
narrow  delile,  in  which  they  closed  upon  the  Indians  in  the  morning,  re- 
gardless of  tlu?  number  Avhich  the  four  lodges  would  imply.  "The  In- 
dians received  them  with  a  flight  of  arrows  shot  from  their  long-bows, 
one  of  which  passed  througli  Godey's  shirt-collar,  barely  missing  the 
neck  ;  our  men  fired  their  rillca  upon  a  steady  aim,  and  rushed  in.  Two 
Intbans  were  stretched  upon  the  groun<l,  fatally  pierced  wilh  bullets; 
the  rest  fled,  except  a  little  lad  that  was  captured.  The  scalps  of  the 
fallen  were  instantly  strij)ped  off;  but  in  the  jtroccss,  one  of  them,  who 
had  two  balls  through  his  body,  sprang  to  his  feet,  the  l>loud  streaming 
from  his  skinned  head,  and  uttering  a  hideous  howl.  The  frightful  spec- 
tacle ai)palled  the  stout  hearts  of  the  men,  but  they  (juickly  dispatched 
the  gory  savage."  They  released  the  l^oy,  gathered  uj)  the  surviving 
horses,  returned  upon  their  trail,  and  rejoined  their  friends  at  their 
camp,  in  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day.  They  rode  about  a  hundred 
miles  in  the  pursuit  and  return,  all  in  thirty  hours. 

Continuing  their  JouriK^y  northward  over  a  gloomy  and  sterile  waste, 
they  came  on  the  evcninir  of  the  29th  to  a  sandy  basin,  in  which  a  grassy 
sjtot,  with  its  springs  and  wi'lows,  forms  a  camping-place  in  the  desert, 
called  the  Archilete.  "The  dead  silence  of  the  place,"  says  Colonel 
Fremont,  "  was  ominous ;  and,  galloj)ing  rapidly  uj»,  we  fouixl  only  the 
corpses  of  the  two  men  ;  every  thing  else  was  gone.  They  were  naked, 
mutilated,  and  pierced  with  arrows.  Hernandez  had  evidently  Ibught, 
and  with  desjx-ration.  He  lay  in  advance  of  the  willow  half-faced  tent, 
which  sheltered  liis  family,  as  if  he  liad  come  out  to  meet  <l:niger,  and 
to  1  -pidse  it  from  that  asylum.  One  of  his  liands,  and  lioth  his  legs, 
had  been  cut  off.  Giacomo,  who  was  a  large  and  strong-looking  man, 
Mas  lying  in  one  ot  the  willow  sliclters,  pierced  with  arrows. 

"  Of  the  women  no  trace  could  be  fotmd,  and  it  was  evident  iliey 
liad  been  carried  ofl'  captive.  A  little  lap-dog,  which  ha<l  belongeil  to 
I'ablo's  mother,  remained  Avith  the  dead  bodies,  and  was  frantic  with 
joy  at  seeing  Pablo;  he,  poor  child,  was  frantic  with  grief,  ami  filled 
the  air  with  lamentations  for  his  father  and  mother.  Mi  /''I'frr !  }[[ 
J/infrc! — was  his  incessant  cry.  When  we  beheld  this  jiitiable  sight, 
and  pictured  to  ourselves  the  late  of  tln'  two  wonuMi,  carried  otf  by  sav- 
ages so  brutal  and  so  loathsome,  all  eompinu-tioii  for  the  scaljied-alivo 
Ii'.dian  ceased;  and  we  rejoiced  that  Carsoi,  and  (Jodey  h.'id  lieen  able 
to  give  so  useful  a  lesson  to  these  American  Arabs,  wlio  lie  in  wait  to 
murder  and  plunder  the  inno'cnt  traveler." 


]   i 
1   i 


1  * 


RETURN    OF    THE    EXPEDITION. 


723 


On  the  3(1  of  May  thoy  cnpampcJ  at  Las  Vegas,  and  next  day  camo 
to  the  Rio  de  los  Angeles.  Along  the  route  they  had  frequent  visits 
from  the  Indians,  who  Avere  sometimes  very  tronblesorao.  From  the 
camp  at  which  they  I'emaincd  over  the  9th,  the  horses  were  sent  with  a 
strong  guard  in  charge  of  Tabeau  to  a  neighboring  pasture  for  the  day. 
In  the  afternoon  Carson  reported  that  Tabeau,  who  early  in  the  day 
had  left  his  post  and  rode  back  to  the  camp  they  had  left,  in  search  of  a 
lame  mule,  had  not  returned.  Search  was  immediately  made,  and  at 
length  the  mule  was  f<jund,  mortally  wounded  by  an  arrow,  and  in  an- 
other place,  something  like  a  puddle  of  blood,  which  the  darkness  pre- 
vented them  from  verifying.  "  In  the  morning,"  says  Colonel  Fremont, 
"I  set  out  myself  with  Mr.  Fitzpatrick  and  several  men,  in  search  of 
Tabeau.  We  went  to  the  spot  Avhere  th(»  ajipearance  of  i)uddled  blood 
had  been  seen ;  and  this,  avc  j^aw  at  once,  had  been  the  place  Avhere  he  fell 
and  died.  Blood  upon  the  lea\cs,  and  beaten-down  bushes,  showed  that 
he  had  got  his  wound  about  twenty  paces  from  where  he  f^H,  and  that 
he  had  struggled  for  his  life,  lie  had  probably  beea  shot  through  the 
lungs  with  an  arrow.  From  the  place  where  he  lay  and  bled,  it  could 
be  seen  that  he  had  been  draaged  to  the  river  bank,  and  thrown  into  it. 
No  vestige  of  what  had  belongi'd  to  him  couM  be  found,  except  a  frag- 
ment of  his  hi^rso  equipment.  Horse,  gun,  clothes — all  became  the  prey 
of  these  Arabs  of  the  Now  World." 

On  the  17th  they  left  the  Sj)anish  trail,  which  had  been  their  road 
for  four  hundred  and  forty  miles,  and  again  found  themselves  under  the 
necessity  of  exploring  a  track  through  the  wilderness.  The  trail  bore 
off  south-eastwardly,  across  the  Wah-Satch  range,  to  Santa  Fe,  while 
their  course  led  northeastwardly  along  the  foot  of  that  range,  tov^ard 
the  Utah  Lake.  They  rca(  lit  d  the  lake  on  the  'iTith,  having  made  a  cir- 
cuit of  three  thousand  five  hundred  miles  since  l(>aving  the  northern  ex- 
tremity of  the  same  sheet  of  water  hi  Si-ptembcr,  1813. 

Turning  their  faces  once  more  eastward,  they  left  the  Utah  Lake  on 
the  2Tth,  and  bearing  .'southward  from  tin  ir  old  route,  crossed  the  sum- 
mit of  the  Uocky  Mountains  on  the  i:uh  of  June,  at  an  aftluent  of  tho 
riatto,  called  ]*ullam'8  Fork.  Thence  they  ascended  the  I'latte  to  ex- 
amine the  mountains  at  the  three  remarkable  coves  called  the  Parks,  in 
which  the  heail  waters  of  the  I'latte,  the  Arkansas,  and  the  (irand  Kiver 
Fork  of  the  Colorado  take  their  rise.  From  this  pass,  which  Colonel 
Fremont  found  to  i)e  tin-  b(  st  lu>  had  seen  on  tho  dividing  ridge  of  tho 
Rocky  Mountains,  he  descended  the  waters  of  the  ArLansas,  and  arrived 
at  lient's  fort  on  the  1st  of  July.  Twenty  miles  below  Bent's  fort  he 
h'ft  the  river,  and  crossing  over  to  the  Smoky  Hill  Fork,  he  j)rocceded 
down  the  waters  of  tin-  Kansas,  and  on  the  last  d.ay  of  July  encamped 
agaiu  ut  the  Utile  town  of  Kansas,  on  the  banks  of  the  Missouri  River. 


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HUC'S 


TRAVELS  IN  TARTAR Y,  THIBET,  AND  CHINA, 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  TARTARY  AND  THIBET. 


PEKIN. 

TiiK  Fronoli  Calliolic  Mission  at  Pckin,  which  had  hoon  vory  lloiir- 
ishiiiLT  iliiiiiitjf  tlio  last  century,  was  broken  up  and  scaltercd  by  thu 
Emperor  Kia-kint^,  who  ascended  the  throno  in  1799,  and  a  lonjj  tinii! 
plapseil  before  the  jiriests  connected  with  it  dared  to  return  to  the  ('hi- 
nose  cajiital.  When  they  ventured  back  airaiu,  they  found  the  mission 
entirely  deserted  :  many  of  the  nativ(>  Christians,  to  withdraw  tliemselves 
from  the  jiursuit  of  the  Chinese  autliorities,  had  passed  the  Groat  Wall, 
and  iiad  ^^one  to  seek  peace  and  liberty  in  the  deserts  of  Tartary  ;  they 
Mere  livinij  here  and  there  on  some  i)atches  of  land,  which  the  IMontrols 
permitted  thum  tu  cultivutu.    By  dint  of  purscvcrancc,  tho  mkaiunarios 


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II     '  I 


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728 


irUC'S    TRAVELS. 


at  lengtli  Fuccecdcil  in  ro-asspmbling  Ihoso  scattered  remnants ;  tliey 
cstalili>hcd  themselves  in  the  midst  of  tliem,  and  directed  from  thenco 
the  ancient  mission  of  I'l.'kin,  the  immediate  care  of  which  was  intrusted 
to  some  ( /hincse  liazarists. 

Amonjjj  the  French  priests  who  were  sent  out  to  re-establish  tlie  mis- 
sion, were  Messrs,  (iabet  and  Hue,  the  hitter  of  whom  reached  I'ekin 
in  the  year  18  tO,  and  devoted  himself  to  acquiriniij  the  Chinese  and 
^r;ml(lKio  languages.  In  visiting  the  Christians  of  Mongolia,  Hue  and 
(i.'.bet  had  more  than  once  occasion  to  nuikc  excursions  into  the  La)ul 
of  ^'>v^s■.s•,  and  to  sit  beneath  a  ^longol  tent ;  and  having  thus  become 
acciuaiuted  with  this  nomadio  people,  they  became  interested  in  tliem, 
and  earnestly  desired  to  undertake  the  task  of  Christianizing  th(^m. 
I''rom  that  time  they  devoted  all  tiieir  leisure  to  the  study  of  the  Tartar 
languages,  and  in  the  course  of  the  year  1842  the  Holy  See  crowned 
their  wishes  by  erecting  Mongolia  into  an  apostolic  vicariate. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  year  1811,  Hue  and  (iabet,  who  were  then 
living  at  lie  Chui/,  the  "  Valley  of  the  JJlack  Waters,"  received  a  mes- 
sag'"  frtiiu  the  Apostolic  Vicar  of  3Iongolia,  commanding  them  to  under- 
take an  extensive  journey  into  the  interior,  for  the  purjiose  of  studying 
the  (l.aractrr  ami  manners  of  the  Tartars,  and  of  asc^ertainiug,  if  possible, 
the  cxtejit  and  limits  of  the  vicariate.  They  had  long  been  contem- 
]ilatiiig  such  a  journey,  and  had  prepared  themselves  for  it  by  all  the 
means  in  their  power.  They  at  oiu-e  dispatched  a  young  Lama,  who 
ha>l  recently  been  converted,  to  procure  camels  and  njoin  them  at  J'ie- 
lii'-h'iou,  the  "  Contiguous  Gorges."  Here  they  waited  for  many  days, 
enijili.yiii.,'  themselves  in  translating  books  of  prayc  and  doctrine  into 
the  Mongol  language,  and  were  finally  on  the  point  of  engaging  a  Chi- 
nese cart  to  the  town  of  Tolon-nor,  a  distance  of  one  lumdred  and  lifty 
mill's,  wlie;i  the  Lama  arrived  with  their  camels.  Ailer  completing  their 
preparations,  service  was  performed  in  the  chapel,  and  they  proceeded 
the  lirst  day  to  an  inn  ke]it  by  one  of  the  Chinese  converts.  Beyond 
tliis  all  wa-;  unknown  ;  ^Mongolia,  untraveled  for  centuries  by  a  Euroiiean, 
lay  before  them  ;  but  they  were  full  of  courage  and  enthusiasm,  and  did 
not  shrink  from  the  dangers  and  uncertainties  of  their  midertaking. 

''The  d:)v  had  ^'cavcelv  dawncil,"  savs  Hue,  "  when  we  were  arrain 
on  ro'^>t  ;  but,  before  settling  off,  we  had  to  eO'ect  a  nn  tamorphosis  in 
our  cost  nine.  The  missionaries  who  resitle  in  China  all  wear  the  dress 
of  the  <  liines*!  nu'reliiuits,  aiul  liave  nothing  in  their  costume  to  mark 
their  religious  charact(T.  This  custom,  it  ajipears  to  us,  has  been  in 
some  measure  an  obstacle  to  ihe  success  oi'  their  missions.  For  among 
the  Tartars,  a  ^hhirk  mail,'  that  is,  a  secular  person,  who  un<l(Utakes  to 
Fpe:ik  of  rili'_:ion,  excites  only  contempt.  Heli^ion  they  consider  as  an 
affair  belonging  exclusively  to  tlu^  Lamas,  Wo  resolved,  therefore,  to 
adopt  the  costume  worn  on  ordinary  occasions  by  the  Lamas  of  Tliibet; 
namely,  a  long  yellow  robe  f istetuMl  by  a  red  girdle,  and  live  gilt  but- 
tons, with  a  viol(!t  velvet  collar,  and  a  yellow  cap  surmoimted  by  a  red 


■i}: 


IC- 


SAMDADGIIIEMBA. 


729 


rosotto.  AVc  also  thought  it  cxpotliont  from  this  time  to  give  np  the  use 
of  wine  and  tobacco,  and  when  the  host  brought  us  a  smoking  urn  full 
of  thj  hot  wine  so  much  in  favor  among  the  Chinese,  wc  signified  to  him 
that  wo  were  about  to  change  our  jnodes  of  lifu  as  well  as  our  dress. 
*  You  know,'  wo  added,  laughing,  '  that  good  Lamas  abstain  from  smok- 
i:ig  and  drinking.'  But  our  Chinese  friends  regarded  us  with  corapas- 
fsion,  and  evidently  thought  we  were  about  to  perish  of  privation. 

"  After  leaving  this  inn  wc  may  be  considered  to  have  fiiirly  com- 
menced our  pilgrimage,  and  the  only  companion  of  our  wayfaring  for 
tiic  future  was  to  be  the  camel  driver,  Samdadchiemba.  Tiiis  young 
m;in  was  neither  a  Chinese,  a  Tartar,  nor  a  Thibetan,  but  a  little  of  all 
three,  a  Dchiahour.  At  the  first  glance  it  was  easy  to  perceive  his 
Jlongol  origin  ;  ho  had  a  deeply- 
bronzed  complexion — a  groat  mouth, 
cut  in  a  straigh<^  line — and  a  large  nose 
insolently  turned  up,  that  gave  to  his 
whole  ])hysiognomy  a  disdainful  aspect. 
When  ho  looked  at  you  with  his  littlo 
eyes  twinkling  between  lids  entirely 
without  eye-lashes,  and  with  the  skin 
of  his  forehead  wrinkled  up,  the  feeling 
he  inspired  was  something  between 
conlldonce  and  fear.  His  life  had  been 
Hpent  in  rather  a  vagabond  manner,  in 
rambiing,  sonu-times  about  the  Chinese 
towns,  and  sometimes  in  the  deserts  of 
Tartary — for  he  had  run  away,  at  the  age  of  eleven,  from  a  Lama  col- 
lego,  to  escape  the  excessive  corrections  of  his  mJfeter.  This  mode  of 
life  had  of  course  not  tended  much  to  polish  the  natural  asperity  of  his 
characlor,  and  his  intellect  was  entirely  uncultivated  ;  but  his  muscu- 
lar strength  was  immense,  and  he  was  not  a  little  ])roud  of  it.  After 
having  been  instructed  and  baptized  by  jNI.  (Jabot,  ho  had  wished  to 
attach  himself  to  the  senico  of  the  missionaries,  and  the  journey  wo 
were  about  to  undertake  was  precisely  iu  harmony  with  his  rambling  and 
adv(Milurous  humor." 

Tliiir  lirst  undertaking  was  to  cross  the  rugged  mountain  of  i^'thi- 
Oid'i,  which  is  infested  Avith  bands  of  robbers.  This,  however,  they  ac- 
coniiilislied  in  safety,  and  encamped  on  the  otiier  side,  on  the  Ijordors 
of  the  groat  imperial  ^forest.  Hue  remarks:  "The  robbers  of  tlieso 
countries  are  in  general  remarkable  for  the  ])olitene.ss  with  which  they 
flavor  their  address.  They  do  not  put  a  jnstol  to  your  head,  and  cry 
roughly,  '  Your  money  or  youf  life  !'  but  they  say,  in  the  most  courteous 
tone,  '  My  oldest  brother,  I  am  weary  of  walking  on  foot.  V>o.  so  good 
as  to  lend  me  your  horse  !'  or,  '  I  am  without  money — will  you  not  lend 
iwc  your  purse  ?'  or,  '  It  is  very  cold  to  day — be  kind  enough  to  lend 
me  your  coat.'     If  the  eldest  brother  bo  charitable  enough  to  comj)ly,  ho 


SAMDADCmEMBA. 


'.i 


ti, 


■  i  ■ 


;i 


1 

1 
1 

■ 

i>^'} 

k:t 

h 

\\i\, 

I. 

,,    : 


I  I  I 


\)".'  '! 


fl 

\<  im 

If 

jll 

\\\        \ 

730 


HUG'S    TRAVELS. 


receives  tliankg  ;  if  not,  the  request  is  enforced  by  two  or  three  bloAva 
of  the  cudgel,  or,  if  tiiut  is  not  suflicient,  recourse  is  had  to  tlie  saber. 

"  The  sun  was  about  to  set,  and  we  were  still  on  the  immense  jilatcau 
which  forms  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  and  m  hence  you  obtain  an 
extensive  view  over  tlie  jjlains  of  Tartary,  and  the  tents  of  the  Mongols 
ranged  in  the  form  of  an  amphitheater  on  the  declivities  of  the  hills. 
The  imperial  forest  extends  from  north  to  south  for  three  hundred  miles, 
and  nearly  eighty  from  east  to  west,  and  it  has  been  used  as  a  hunting- 
griiund  by  many  successive  emperors  of  China;  but,  for  about  twenty- 
seven  years  i)ast,  these  huntings  liave  been  discontinued,  and  not  only 
stags  and  wild  boars,  but  also  bears,  panthers,  wolves,  and  tigers  abound 
in  it.  Woe  to  the  Avoodcutter  or  the  Imnter  who  should  venture  alone 
into  its  recesses.  Those  who  have  done  so,  have  disappeared  without 
k'aving  a  vestige  behind  them," 

After  three  or  four  days'  journey,  they  crossed  the  Mongol  kingdom 
of  (iechekten,  and  entered  that  of  Thakar,  w.'iere  tliey  met  a  camp  of 
Chinese  soldiers,  whose  duty  it  was  to  keep  the  roads  safe.  They  feared 
these  soldiers,  however,  mcjre  than  the  native  robbers,  and  pitched  their 
tent  between  two  high  rocks,  where  it  would  be  difficult  for  thicvi.'S  to 
approach  them.  "Wliile  thus  engaged,  they  saw,  on  the  ojiposite  side  of 
the  mountain,  several  horsemen,  "two  of  wliom,-'  says  Hue,  "hastened 
toward  us,  and,  dismounting,  j)rostrated  themselves  at  the  entrance  of 
our  tent.  Tliey  were  Mongol-Tartars.  '  Men  of  i>rayer,'  said  they,  Avitli 
much  ajiparent  emotion,  '  we  come  to  beg  you  to  draw  a  horoscope.  Two 
horses  liave  been  stolen  from  us  to-day,  and  we  have  vainly  sought  to 
discover  the  tliieves.  Oh  men  whose  power  and  knowledge  are  without 
bouiuls,  toacli  us  how  we  may  fmd  them !'  'My  brethren,'  we  replied, 
*we  are  not  lamas  of  Buddha;  we  do  not  believe  hi  horoscopes;  to 
pretend  to  such  knowledge  is  false  and  deceitful.'  The  poor  Tartars 
redoubled  their  solicitations;  but  when  they  saw  that  our  resolution 
coidd  not  be  shaken,  they  remounted  their  horses,  and  returned  to  the 
moimtaius, 

"  Sanuhi'h'hiemba,  <hiring  tliis  conversation,  had  remained  crouched 
in  a  corner  by  the  fire,  Iu>lding  in  both  liands  a  bowl  of  tea,  which  lie 
never  onc(^  took  from  hU  lii)s.  At  length,  as  they  were  taking  their  de- 
jiarture,  he  knitted  his  brows,  rose  from  his  seat  abruptly,  and  went  to 
flie  door  of  the  tent.  The  Tartars  were  already  at  a  considerable  dis- 
taiu'e  ;  but  he  uttered  a  loud  sliout,  and  made  gestures  with  his  hands 
to  induce  them  to  come  back.  Thinking,  probably,  that  we  had  elianged 
our  minds,  and  would  consent  to  draw  the  lioroscope,  they  returned ; 
but,  as  soon  as  they  came  within  hail,  Saindadchieniba  addressed 
them  : 

"  'My  ^Mongol  brotliers,'  he  said,  'in  future  be  more  prudent  ;  take 
better  care  of  your  animals,  and  they  will  not  be  stolen.  Kemember 
these  words,  for  they  arc  worth  more  than  all  the  horoscopes  in  tho 
world.'     And  having  linished  his  sj)ecch,  he  marched  gravely  back  to 


THE   TOWN    OF   TOLON-NOOR. 


731 


his  tent,  and  sat  clown  again  to  his  tea.    At  first  wc  were  vexed  with 
him ;  but,  as  the  Tartars  did  not  appear  angry,  we  ended  by  laughing. 

"  On  the  following  day,  the  numerous  Tartars  and  Chinese  travelers 
whom  we  met  on  the  way  were  a  sign  to  us  that  we  were  approaching  the 
large  town  of  Tolon-Noor ;  and  already  we  could  see  before  us,  glitter- 
ing in  the  sun,  the  gilded  roofs  of  the  tAvo  magnificent  lama  convents  to 
the  north  of  the  town. 

"  Two  motives,"  Hue  continues,  "  had  induced  us  to  visit  Tolon- 
Noor.  We  wished,  in  the  first  place,  to  complete  our  stock  of  traveling 
utensils ;  and  we  also  considered  it  desirable  to  place  ourselves  in  rela- 
tion with  the  lamas  of  the  country,  and  obtain  information  concerning 
some  important  points  in  Tartary ;  and  in  pursuit  of  these  objects,  wo 
had  to  traverse  almost  every  quarter  of  the  town.  Tolon-Noor  is  not  a 
walled  town,  but  a  vast  agglomeration  of  ugly  and  ill-arranged  houses, 
and  in  the  middle  of  its  narrow  and  tortuous  streets  you  see  open  mud 
holes  and  sewers ;  and  while  the  foot  passengers  walk  in  single  file  along 
the  slippery  pavement,  mules,  camels,  and  carts,  make  their  way  through 
the  deep  black  foul-smelling  mud.  Often  enough  the  wheeled  carriages 
upset ;  and  then  it  is  impossible  to  describe  the  confusion  that  takes 
place  in  these  miserable  streets.  Goods  are  either  stolen  by  the  thieves 
who  watch  fur  such  opportunities,  or  lost  in  the  mud,  and  the  animals 
are  not  unfretpiently  suffocat(,'d.  But  notwithstanding  the  few  attrac- 
tions of  Tolon-Xoor,  the  sterility  of  its  environs,  the  extreme  cold  of  its 
winter,  and  the  suifocating  heat  of  its  sununers,  its  pojnilation  is  im- 
mense, and  its  commerce  i)rodigiou3.  Russian  goods  find  their  way  here 
by  the  way  o^  KiaJctn  ;  the  Tartars  are  constantly  bringing  vast  herds 
of  oxen,  camels,  and  horses,  and  taking  back  tobacco,  linen,  and  brick 
tea.  This  perpetual  coining  and  going  of  strangers  ;  the  hawkers  run- 
ning about  with  their  wares ;  the  traders  endeavoring  to  entice  custom- 
ers into  their  shops ;  the  lamas,  in  their  sliowy  dresses  of  scarlet  and 
yellow,  endeavoring  to  attra<;t  admiration  by  the  skill  Avith  which  they 
manage  their  fiery  horses  in  the  most  ditlicult  passes — ail  these  things 
give  the  streets  a  very  animateil  a])pearance.  AUer  having  maturely 
considered  the  information  we  had  obtained,  we  determined  to  direct  our 
course  toward  the  west,  and  quitted  Tolon-Noor  on  the  1st  of  October. 

"  We  had  not  been  more  than  an  hour  on  our  way  on  the  following 
day,  when  we  heard  behind  us  a  confused  noise  as  of  a  number  of  men 
and  horses,  and  turning  our  heads  perceived  a  numerous  caravan  ad- 
vaiu;ing  towanl  us  at  a  rapid  pace.  We  were  soon  overtaken  by  three 
horsemen,  and  one  of  them  whom  we  recognized  by  his  costume  for  a 
Tartar  mandarin,  roan.'d  out  to  us  m  a  deafening  voice — '  Lord  lamas, 
where  is  your  country  'i' 

"  'We  i.ro  from  the  sky  of  the  west.' 

"  '  Aeru  ^  what  countries  have  you  passed  your  beneficent  shadows?' 

"  '  We  come  from  the  town  of  Tolon-Noor.' 

" '  lias  peace  accomiianicd  your  route  ?* 


I : 


1 


i     I  I'i 


H 


V\ 


If-        ' 

1- 

t 

If                 ■ 

<                '  ■ 
III                 ' 

i 


I'.  I 


14- 


ll 


'!l!f|li4 


732 


HUC'S    TRAVELS. 


"  *  So  far  wc  have  journeyed  happily — and  you — are  you  at  peace  ? 
What  is  your  country  ?' 

"  '  Wo  are  Khalkas,  from  tlic  kingdom  of  Mourguevan.» 
"  'Iliis  the  rain  been  abundant?     Are  your  Hocks  in  prosperity?' 
"'All  is  at  peace  in  our  pastures.      Whither  is  your  caravan  pro- 
ceedino;?' 

"  '  We  are  going  to  bow  our  foreheads  before  the  Five  Towers.' 
"  Dui  inif  this  short  conversation  the  rest  of  the  troop  had  come  up. 
We  were  near  a  brook,  the  banks  of  Avhich  were  bordered  with  bushes, 
and  the  chief  of  the  caravan  gave  orders  to  halt,  and  immediately  the 
camels  an  iving  in  a  file  described  a  circle,  into  the  midst  of  which  was 
drawn  a  vehicle  on  four  wheels, 

"  '  iSo/c  P  VSoA;.''  cried  the  camel-drivers,  and  the  camels  obedient  to 
the  order  lay  down  all  at  once  as  if  struck  by  the  same  blow.  Then, 
while  a  multitude  of  tents  rose  suddenly,  as  if  by  enchantment,  along  tho 
banks  of  tho  brook,  two  mandarins,  decorated  with  the  blue  ball,  ap- 
proadicd  the  carn.agc,  opened  the  door,  and  immediately  we  saw  de- 
scending from  it  a  Tartar  woman,  clothed  in  a  long  robe  of  green  silk. 
It  was  the  queen  of  the  country  of  the  Khalkas,  who  was  going  on  a  pil- 
grimage to  the  famous  lama  convent  of  the  Five  Towers,  in  the  Chinese 
j)rovince  of  Chan-Si.  Immeiliately  on  perceiving  us,  she  saluted  us  by 
raising  her  two  hands,  and  said,  '  My  lord  lamas,  we  are  going  to  en- 
camp here — U  the  place  fortunate  ?'  '  Iloyal  pi.'grim  of  Mourguevan,' 
wo  replied,  '  you  can  here  light  the  fire  of  your  hearth  in  peace.  For 
us,  we  are  about  to  continue  our  route,  for  the  sun  was  already  high 
when  we  folded  our  tent.'  " 

After  travelhig  all  day  in  a  heavy  rain,  they  encamped  that  evening 
on  tho  plain,  and  were  soon  afterward  visited  by  the  Tartars,  who  fur- 
nished them  with  some  dry  fuel.  "  While  we  ate  our  frugal  meal,"  says 
Hue,  '■  I  observed  that  one  of  the  Tartars  was  the  object  of  particular 
allention  to  tho  other;  and  on  inquiry  we  found  that  the  superior  had 
had  tv.o  years  before  the  honor  of  serving  in  the  war  against  the  ''rebels 
of  the  Souths''''  that  i<,  the  English,  having  marched  with  the  banners  of 
Tchakar.  lie  had,  however,  never  been  called  upon  to  fight ;  for  the 
Jfohj  Maatcr  (the  emperor  of  China)  had  in  Ids  immense  mercy  granted 
peace  to  the  rebels  soon  after,  and  the  Tartar  troops  had  been  sent  back 
to  their  flocks  and  herds.  lie  had  been  told,  however,  by  the  Chinese, 
what  kind  of  people,  or  monsters  rather,  these  English  were — they  lived 
in  (ho  water  like  fl.sh,  and  when  you  least  expecte<l  it  they  would  rise 
to  the  surface,  and  cast  at  you  fiery  gourds.  Then  as  toon  as  you 
bend  your  bow  to  send  an  arrow  at  them,  they  plunge  into  the  water 
like  frocjs. 

"The  Tartar  mode  of  presenting  one's  self  is  frank,  simple,  and  free 
from  the  innumerable  forms  of  Chinese  conrtos)'.  On  entering  the  tent, 
you  wish  jicaoe  to  every  body  in  cenoral,  saying  Amor  or  Mvndoit^  and 
then  ;  )  at  once  and  seat  yourself  at  the  right  hand  of  the  head  of  tho 


iil'tJIII 


THE    COUNTRY    OF    TCUAKAR. 


733 


fimily,  who  is  crouching  down  opposite  the  door.  A  little  tobacco  is 
then  mutually  presented,  and  a  lew  polite  common-places  exchanged. 
'Are  your  pastures  lat  and  abundant  '/' — 'Arc  your  flocks  in  good 
order?' — 'Have  your  mares  been  fruitful?'  etc.,  pronounced  with  ex- 
treme gravity,  and  then  the  lady  of  the  tent  stretches  out  her  hand 
toward  the  strangers,  without  speaking,  and  forthwith  they  produce  the 
lit  la  V,  ooden  bowl,  which  is  an  undisponsablo  vude  mecwn  in  Tartary, 
and  she  returns  it  to  them  filled  Mith  tea  and  milk.  In  tolerably  opulent 
families,  a  tray  is  usually  j)laced  before  visitors,  with  a  modest  collation 
of  butter,  oatmeal,  and  slices  of  cheese,  all  in  separate  boxes  of  varnished 
wood  ;  and  those  who  mean  to  be  magnificent  in  their  hospitality,  plunge 
into  the  warm  ashes  near  the  fire  a  small  earthenware  bottle  full  of 
Mongol  wine,  a  sort  of  spirit  rudely  distilled  from  milV  ,  which  one  must 
have  been  born  a  Tartar  to  relish. 

"Tchakar — a  Mongol  M'ord  signifying  border-country — lies  to  the 
north  of  the  great  wall  of  China,  and  east  of  Toumct.  It  is  about  four 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  lengtl ,  and  three  hundred  in  breadth,  and  its 
inhabitants  are  all  soldiers  of  the  emperor  of  China,  and  receive  annually 
a  certain  sum  regulated  according  to  their  titles.  It  is  divided  into 
eight  banners,  distinguished  by  their  color,  blue,  red,  white,  and  yellow, 
and  bluish,  reddish,  whitish,  and  yellowish.  Jlach  banner  has  a  separate 
territory,  and  possesses  a  kind  of  tribunal  which  takes  cognizance  of  its 
affairs,  and  a  chief  called  Ou-Gounlha;  and  from  among  these  eight 
ou-gourdhas,  a  governor-general  is  chosen.  Tchakar  is,  in  fact,  nothing 
but  a  vast  camp ;  and  in  order  that  the  army  shall  be  at  all  times  in 
readiness  to  march,  the  Tartars  are  prohibited  under  severe  penalties' 
from  cultivating  the  ground.  They  are  required  to  live  on  their  pay 
and  the  produce  of  their  flocks." 

While  on  their  journey  through  this  country,  they  encamped  one 
night  near  a  coUectic.i  of  Tartar  tents,  and  when  prep.aring  to  start  next 
morning,  found  that  their  horses  \v.i\  disappeared.  All  ihuir  searching 
proved  vain,  and  nothing  was  left  but  to  go  to  the  Mongol  tents,  and 
declare  that  the  horses  had  been  lost  near  them.  "  According  to  Tartar 
law,"  says  Hue,  "  when  the  animals  of  caravans  go  astray,  whoever  is 
in  the  neighlwrhood  is  bound  to  go  in  search  of  them,  and  even  to  gi\e 
others  in  their  place,  if  they  can  not  be  fou.id.  This  would  appear  a 
very  strange  law  in  Europe.  You  come  ana  encamp  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  a  Mongol  without  his  consent,  without  his  knowledge;  yet  for 
your  cattle,  your  baggage,  your  men,  he  is  responsible  :  if  any  thing  dis- 
appears, the  law  supposes  him  to  be  the  thief,  or  at  least  the  accomplice. 
As  soon  as  we  had  m.ade  our  declaration  to  our  Mongol  neighbors,  tho 
chief  said,  'My  lord  lamas,  do  not  allow  grief  to  enter  your  hearts! 
your  animals  can  not  be  lost.  Here  are  neither  ro.ads  nor  thieves,  nor 
associates  of  thieves.  We  will  search  for  your  horses,  and  if  they  are 
not  found,  you  shall  choose  at  pleasiu-e  among  all  our  herds.  AVo  wish 
you  to  leave  us  in  peace  as  you  have  come.» 


M 


,   ': 


III 


!i:j 


\ 
I 


• 


'It! 


I 


I  I 


1 1 


In 


I 


>l  '     I 


w 


vi 


I:-    t 


iii , 


Ifri; 


itiitf    ife 


li   i 


lljll 


■    T 

1 

1  p 

734 


nUC'S    TRAVELS. 


*'  While  he  was  speaking,  eight  Tartars  mounted  their  horses,  and_. 
taking  the  long  pole  and  cord  which  they  use,  they  commenced  theii' 
search.  At  first  they  dispersed  in  all  directions,  i^erforming  various 
evolutions,  and  often  returning  on  their  steps.  At  length  they  all  united 
in  a  squadron,  and  set  off  at  a  gallop  in  the  direction  by  which  we  had 
come.  '  They  are  on  their  track,'  said  the  Mongol  chief,  who,  as  well 
as  ourselves,  had  been  watching  them.  '  3Iy  lord  lamas,  come  and 
seat  yourselves  in  my  tent,  and  we  will  drink  a  cup  of  tea  Avhile  we 
await  the  return  of  your  horses.' 

"  In  about  two  hours'  time  a  child  came  in  and  informed  us  that  the 
horsemen  were  returning ;  and,  going  out,  we  saw  a  cloud  of  dust  ad- 
vancing, and  were  soon  able  to  distinguish  the  eight  mounted  Tartars, 
and  our  two  lost  animals  drawn  along  by  the  halter,  all  coming  on  at 
full  gallop.  As  soon  as  the  Tartars  came  up,  they  said  with  the  air  of 
satisfaction  that  succeeds  a  great  uneasiness,  that  in  their  country  noth- 
ing was  ever  lost.  We  thanked  the  generous  Mongols  for  the  signal 
service  they  had  rendered  us  ;  and  after  taking  leave  of  them  we  finished 
our  packing  up,  and  set  off  for  the  Blue  Town,  the  route  to  which  wo 
had  quitted  to  come  and  furnish  ourselves  with  provisions. 

"  We  had  gone  nearly  three  days'  march  when  Ave  came  to  an  im- 
posing and  majestic  antiquity.  It  was  a  great  forsaken  city,  with  bat- 
tlement ramparts,  watch-towers,  four  great  gates  directed  to  the  four 
cardinal  points,  all  in  perfect  preservation,  but  all  sunk  three  parts  into 
the  earth,  and  covered  with  thick  turf.  Since  the  abandonment  of  the 
place,  the  soil  around  it  has  risen  to  that  extent.  We  entered  the  city 
with  solemn  emotion  ;  there  were  no  ruins  to  be  seen,  but  only  the  form 
of  a  large  and  fine  town,  half  buried  and  enveloped  in  grass  as  in  a 
funeral  shroud.  The  inequalities  of  the  ground  seem  still  to  point  out 
the  direction  of  streets  and  the  principal  buildings  ;  but  the  only  human 
beuig  we  saw  was  a  young  Mongol  shepherd,  who,  seated  on  a  mound, 
was  silently  smoking  his  pipe,  while  his  goats  grazed  on  the  deserted 
ramparts  around  him.  Similar  remains  of  cities  are  not  unfrequently  to 
be  met  with  in  the  deserts  of  Mongolia,  but  their  history  is  buried  in 
oblivion.  Probably,  however,  they  do  not  date  beyond  the  thirteenth 
century ;  for  it  is  known  that  at  this  epoch  the  Mongols  had  made  them- 
selves masters  of  the  Chinese  empire,  and  according  to  the  Chinese  his- 
torians, numerous  and  flourishing  towns  existed  at  that  time  in  Northern 
Tartary.  The  Tartars  could  give  no  information  concerning  this  inter- 
esting ruin,  but  merely  say  that  they  call  it  the  old  town." 

One  day  they  met  a  Tartar  carrying  with  him  the  corpse  of  a  rela- 
tive, whereupon  Hue  remarks:  "  In  the  deserts  of  Tartary,  IMongols  are 
frequently  met  with  carrying  on  their  shoulders  the  bones  of  their  kin- 
dred, and  journeying  in  caravans  to  the  Five  Towers,  there  to  purchase, 
almost  at  its  weight  in  gold,  a  few  feet  of  earth  whereon  to  erect  a 
mausoleum.  Some  of  them  undertake  a  journey  of  a  whole  year's  dura- 
tion, and  of  excessive  hardship,  to  reach  this  holy  spot.    The  Tartar 


his- 


BURIAL    OF    TARTAR    KINGS. 


735 


sovereigns  are  soinolimcs  interred  in  a  manner  Mliicli  appears  the  very 
height  of  extravaganec  ami  barbarism ;  the  royal  corpse*  is  phiced  in  an 
editico  of  briei<,  adorned  willi  stone  iniagus  of  men,  lions,  tigers,  cle- 
]>hants,  and  divers  subjects  from  the  IJnddhist  mythology.  With  the 
illustrious  defunct  they  inter,  in  a  largt?  vault  in  the  center  of  the  build- 
ing, considerable  sums  in  gold  and  silver,  precious  stones  atul  costly  habits. 

"These  monstrous  interments  frecpu'iitly  cost  also  tlie  lives  of  a  num- 
ber of  slaves  :  children  of  both  sexes  distinguislKul  for  their  beauty  arc 
taken,  and  compelled  to  swallow  mercury  till  they  are  sulFocated ;  by 
this  means,  it  is  asserted,  the  color  and  freshness  of  the  victims  is  pre- 
served so  well  that  they  appear  alive.  'I'hey  are  then  ranged  standing 
romxl  the  corjjse  of  their  master  to  serve  him  as  in  life.  Tiiey  hold  in 
their  hands  the  pipe,  fan,  tlu'  little  vial  of  snutV,  and  the  other  numerous 
baubles  of  Tartar  royalty.  To  guard  tliese  buried  treasures  there  is 
placed  in  the  vault  a  kiml  of  bow,  construete<l  to  discharge  a  number  of 
arrows  one  after  the  other.  This  bow,  or  rather  these  bows,  are  bound 
together,  and  the  arrows  hxed.  This  sjiecies  of  infernal  machine  is  so 
placed  that  the  act  of  opening  the  door  of  the  vault  discharges  the  first 
arrow,  the  discharge  of  the  first  releases  the  second,  and  so  on  to  tlie 
last.  The  bow-makers  keep  these  murderous  macliines  all  ready  i)re- 
jtared,  and  tiie  Chinese  sometimes  i»urchase  them  to  guard  their  houses 
in  their  absence. 

"  After  some  days'  march  we  quitted  the  coimtry  of  the  Eight  Ban- 
ners and  entered  Western  Toumet.  The  Mongol  Tartars  of  Western 
Toumet  are  not  nomadic:  they  cultivate  the  earth,  and  apply  them- 
selves to  the  arts  of  civilized  life.  We  had  been  more  than  a  month  in 
the  desert;  our  taste  luui  been  insensibly  modified,  and  our  tempera- 
ment accommodated  by  its  silence  and  solitude,  and,  on  re-entering  cul- 
tivated lands,  the  agitation,  perplexity,  and  turmoil  of  civilization  op- 
pressed and  suffocated  us;  the  air  seemed  to  fail  us,  and  we  felt  every 
moment  as  if  about  to  die  of  asphyxia.  The  sensation,  liowever,  was  of 
no  long  duration.  After  a  time  we  found  it  more  convenient  and  more 
agreeable  after  a  day's  march  to  take  up  our  lodging  at  an  inn,  well 
warmed,  and  well  stocked  witli  provisions,  than  have  a  tent  to  pitch, 
fuel  to  collect,  and  our  scanty  supper  to  cook,  before  we  couM  take  a 
little  rest.  Every  thing  throughout  Toiunet  bears  the  stamp  of  great 
abundance ;  nowhere  did  we  see,  as  in  China,  houses  half  in  ruins,  nor 
human  beings  with  emaciated  bodies  half  covered  with  rags ;  all  the 
country-people  seemed  neatly  aiul  comfortably  clothed,  and  in  nothing 
was  tlieir  superior  condition  more  evident  than  in  the  number  of  mag- 
nificent trees  surrounding  the  villages,  and  l)Oi'.]  ring  the  roads." 

Three  days  after  entering  Toumet  they  reached  the  city  of  JCoid- 
JVba-7Wicn,  or  the  Blue  Ihirn,  and  after  wandering  through  the  streets 
for  some  time,  put  up  at  a  tavern  with  the  following  sign  :  "  Hotel  of 
the  Three  Perfections  ;  Lodging  for  Travelers  on  Horse  or  Camel ;  All 
sorts  of  business  negotiated  with  Unfailing  Success."     M.  Hue  says  of 


( 


• 


[' 


If 


;1M      !: 


:  I     >' 


ii 


I'   i  i 


,''li  i 


Mi  -H'i' 


736 


IIUC'S   TRAVELS. 


this  place:  "The  commercial  importance  enjoyed  by  the  Blue  Town 
arises  from  the  lama  convents,  whose  celebrity  attracts  hither  Mongols 
from  the  most  distant  parts ;  hence  the  commerce  is  almost  exclusively 
Tartar.  The  Mongols  bring  great  herds  of  oxen,  horses,  camels,  and 
sheep ;  they  also  sell  here  skins,  mushrooms,  and  salt,  the  only  produce 
of  the  deserts  of  Tartary ;  and  they  take  in  return  brick  tea,  clothes, 
saddles  for  their  horses,  sticks  of  incense  to  burn  before  their  idols,  oat- 
meal, millet,  and  some  domestic  utensils.  Koukou-Khoton  is  also  iiiuious 
for  its  camel  trade  The  place  of  sale  is  a  vast  square,  into  which  run 
all  tlie  principal  streets  of  the  town.  Elevations  shelving  on  both  sides, 
from  one  end  of  the  square  to  tlie  other,  give  this  market  the  appear- 
ance of  a  field  deeply  furrowed.  The  camels  are  placed  in  a  line,  so  that 
their  fore  feet  rest  on  these  elevations,  and  this  position  displays,  and, 
in  c  manner,  increases  the  stature  of  the  animals,  already  so  gigantic. 
It  would  bo  difficult  to  describe  the  confusion  and  uproar  that  ])revail3 
in  this  market.  To  the  cries  of  the  buycis  and  sellers  who  are  quarrel- 
ing or  talking,  as  people  talk  when  a  revolt  is  at  its  height,  are  joined 
the  long  groans  of  the  poor  camels,  whose  noses  are  incessantly  tweaked 
to  try  their  address  in  kneeling  or  rising. 

"  When  we  were  about  to  set  ofT,  we  summoned  the  master  of  the 
hotel,  according  to  custom,  to  settle  our  account ;  and  we  calculated 
that,  f  r  three  men  and  !<ix  animals  for  four  days,  we  should  have  to  pay 
at  least  two  ounces  of  silver.  IJut  we  had  the  agreeable  surprise  of 
hearing  him  say,  '  My  lord  lamas,  let  us  not  make  any  reckoning. 
I'ut  noo  sapecks  (30  cents)  into  the  chest,  and  let  that  suffice.  My 
house,'  added  he,  '  is  recently  established,  and  I  wish  to  obtain  for  it 
a  good  reputation.  Since  you  are  from  a  distant  country,  I  wish  you 
to  tell  your  illustrious  compatriots  that  my  hotel  is  worthy  of  their  con- 
fidence.' '  We  will  certainly  speak  of  your  disinterestedness,'  we  re- 
l)lied  ;  '  and  our  countrymen,  when  they  have  occasion  to  visit  the  IJlue 
Town,  will  not  fail  to  stop  at  the  Hotel  of  the  Three  Perfections.'" 

On  leaving  the  Blue  Town,  the  travelers  determined  to  direct  their 
course  to  the  west,  through  the  country  of  the  Ortous,  in  the  hope  of 
being  able,  finally,  to  join  some  caravan  for  Lhassa,  the  i-apital  of  Thilet, 
the  holy  city  of  the  Buddhist  faith.  After  several  days  of  fatiguing 
travel,  they  "cached  the  town  of  (Hiagan-Kourcn,  on  the  banks  of  tho 
IfoiuKj-Ilo,  or  Yellow  Itiver,  whicli  it  was  necessary  for  them  to  cross 
The  next  morning,  however,  they  found  that  a  sudden  rise  of  the  watc 
had  taken  place.  "The  Yellow  Itiver,"  says  Hue,  "had  become  like  !i 
vast  sea,  to  which  no  limit  could  be  perceived,  but  merely  here  aiiti 
there  verdant  islets,  houses,  and  small  villages  that  seemed  to  float  upon 
the  water.  AV«.'  consulted  sever;il  jieople  as  to  what  we  should  do ;  but 
opinions  were  not  unanimous.  It  wad  necessary  to  take  some  resolu- 
tion. Turning  back  was  out  of  the  tiuestion.  "\Ve  had  said  ih.at,  pleaso 
God,  we  would  get  to  Lhassa,  let  the  obstacles  be  what  they  might.  To 
turn  the  river,  by  going  in  a  northerly  direction,  would  greatly  lengthen 


I     ■' 


TIIH    '-LAND    OF    GRASS." 


737 


our  journey,  and  conipol  us  also  (o  pass  tho  great  desert  of  Gobi.  To 
remain  at  Chayan-Kouren  till  the  waters  had  retired,  and  till  the  ground 
had  beeonio  hard  and  dry  enough  for  ihe  I'eet  of  our  eainels,  would  be 
the  safest  course;  but  tliis  niiglit  detain  us,  perhaps  a  month,  and  oin* 
purse;  was  too  slenderly  furnished  to  admit  of  our  reniaining  all  that 
time  at  an  iim  with  Hvo  animals.  The  only  altern.ative  then  was  to  ]»laoe 
ourselves  under  tlu*  care  of  l'rovideiu'(>,  ;iiid  go  on  in  spite  of  mud  (»r 
wli!itever  els('  there  might  be  ;  atid  this  at  last  we  (b'termineil  to  do. 
8ainiladehiemba,  who  had  been  in  an  extrenu'ly  bail  humor,  exjiressed 
himself  well  satisfied  witli  our  intention  of  <join<r  on.  '  When  one  under- 
takes  a  jouriu'y  like  ours,'  lie  observed,  'on(!  mustn't  be  afraid  of  the 
live  elements.  Those  who  are  afraid  of  dying  on  the  road  should  never 
set  out— that's  the  rule.'  " 

With  a  great  deal  of  diflieulty  and  danger  they  finally  succeeded  in 
transjiorting  theniselvi'S  and  their  camels  across  the  Yellow  Uiver,  and, 
after  sonu;  days  spent  among  the  marshes  bordi-ring  it,  across  a  second 
inmidated  arm,  called  the  l*aga-(iol.  "•  Wi;  had  now  lell  behind  us  the 
Yellow  Uiv(;r  and  flu;  inundated  country,"  eontismes  the  narrative,  ''ami 
had  entered  on  the  Land  of  (Irass,  if  that  name  eouM  l»e  given  to  a 
conntrvso  bari'en  as  that  of  the  Ortous.  Whichever  way  vou  tiini,  vou 
iiml  nothing  Init  rocky  ravini's,  hills  of  mud,  and  jdains  cneumbenil  with 
fine  movabI(!  saml,  which  the  wind  swi'cps  alioiit  in  all  direction-;.  The 
only  pasturage  consists  in  a  i\'\v  thorny  shrubs  and  lliin  heaths  ol'a  fetid 
odor.  Here  and  there  you  find  a  little  thin  brittle  grjiss,  which  sticks 
so  elosely  to  the  grouml,  that  the  animals  can  not  l>rowse  it,  without 
scraping  up  the  sand  at  the  same  tinu'.  and  the  wliole  was  so  diy.  that 
we  soon  began  almost  to  rcLrret  the  marslu  s  tliat  had  grieved  us  so 
nuich  on  the  banks  of  the  Yellow  Wiver.  'I'here  w:is  not  a  brook  or  a 
spring  where  tlie  traveler  comM  <piench  hi-;  thirst,  only  from  time  totinu) 
we  met  with  a  jtool  or  tank  filled  wi:!»  nnnhly  and  fetid  water. 

'"The  lamas  with  wlmm  we  had  l»een  !ic<piainted  in  the  Ulne  Town, 
had  warned  us  of  what  we  should  have  to  endure  in  this  cotnitry  from 
searcily  of  water,  and  by  their  advice  we  had  bouLdit  two  pails,  which 
])roved  very  serviceable.  Wheiiexcr  we  had  the  goocl  llirtim(>  to  meet 
with  po?i(l  !  or  wells  dui;  by  the  Tartars,  we  lilled  oiir  bucket-*,  without 
minding  tlu;  bail  (piality  ol'  the  wati'r,  and  always  ti  ik  care  to  use  it  as 
sparingly  as  ]»ossibIe,  as  it'it  were  some  rare  and  ]ireci(nis  liipior.  Care- 
ful as  W(!  were,  howevir,  we  olhai  had  to  go  whole  days  without  a  drop 
to  moi-'.ten  oiM"  lip-i",  and  yet  our  persmial  privations  were  nothing  com- 
pared with  the  suffering  of  seeing  our  anitnals  almost  without  water, 
■when  the  sc;»n1y  herbage  that  tliey  p)t  was  nearly  ealcim'<l  by  niter. 
They  grew  visibly  thimier  everyday;  the  aspect  of  our  horse  beeatno 
(]\\\\i'  jiiliabK';  he  went  alonir,  drooping  liis  Iwad  .piite  to  the  ground, 
and  seeming  nvuly  to  faint  at  every  step;  and  the  cam<'ls  seenieil  to 
balanro  themselves  p.ainfully  on  tliiir  long  legs,  while  their  lean  liuinpu 
hung  down  like  empty  bags.'' 

47 


Hi 


i'i 


illi 


\W 


iii|ii' 


1  i  'n^ 

t       III! 
li       II 

• 

788 


nUC'S    TRAVELS. 


One  afternoon,  while  traveling  throujjh  this  desolate  country,  they 
Avere  overtaken  liy  a  violent  storm,  and  after  seeking  for  a  long  time  tor 
shelter,  at  last,  to  their  gri'at  surprise,  discovered  a  series  of  eiiambers 
excavated  in  the  rocky  walls  of  a  ravine.  Here  they  found  a  jjrolection 
from  the  weather  and  a  supply  of  fuel,  and  were  so  rejoiced  that  they 
sat  up  ni'arly  all  night  l!)r  the  purpose;  of  enjoying  the  unexpected 
warmth.  '"Our  animals,"  says  Hue,  "were  no  less  happy  tlian  ourselves, 
iur  W(!  loinid  them  stables  cut  out  of  the  mountain,  and,  what  was  more, 
an  excelU'iit  supjiiy  of  lorage — a  grotto  full  of  oaten  straw  and  niihet- 
stalks.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  tempest,  in  which  Ave  hnagined  we  were 
to  perish,  our  ])oor  beasts  would  never  have  hail  such  a  feast.  We  sat 
for  a  long  tiitu>,  njoicing  in  otu"  preservation,  and,  at  last,  lay  down  on 
a  well-\varme<l  k.mg,  that  made  us  forget  the  terrible  cold  that  we  had 
endured  diu-ing  the  tempest. 

"On  the  iifteenth  day  of  the  new  moon,"  he  continues,  "  wo  met  nu- 
merous <-aravans,  following,  like  ourselves,  the  direction  from  east  to 
west.  The  way  was  covereil  with  men,  women,  and  children,  mounted 
on  camels  or  oven,  all  going,  as  they  said,  to  the  lama  convent  of  Ihirhr- 
C/iitrhi.  When  they  asked  whether  our  journey  had  the  sanu'  goal,  and 
heard  our  answer  in  the  negative,  their  surprise  was  extreme;  and  this, 
and  the  mnnber  of  pilgrims  we  saw,  pitpu-d  our  curiosity.  At  the  turn- 
ing of  the  (lelile,  we  met  an  o!d  lama,  who,  having  a  heavy  burden  on 
liis  back,  seemed  to  get  along  wit U  extreme  difliculty.  '  Hrother,' said 
Ave,  'you  .are  advanced  in  age  ;  yoiu'  lilack  hairs  are  not  so  numerous  as 
your  white  ;  you  must  be  nnu-h  liitigued.  I'lace  your  burden  on  one  of 
our  camels,  and  you  will  journey  more  at  your  ease,' 

"The  old  man  prostr.aled  himself  in  token  of  his  gratitude,  and  Ave 
inatle  one  «if  our  camels  kneel  down,  Avhile  Samdadchiembii  addt'd  the 
lama's  baggiige  to  ours.  As  soon  ;i:i  the  pilgrim  was  relieved  of  the 
load  that  had  weighed  upon  hiui,  his  Ktep  became  lighter,  and  a  pleased 
cxpri'ssion  spread  over  iiis  features.  '  lirother,'  saitl  we,  '  we  know  very 
little  about  the  aftairs  of  your  country;  but  we  are  astonished  to  meet 
Ko  many  pilgrims  in  the  desert.'  '  We  are  all  going  to  Kache-C'hurin,' 
he  replied,  iu  a  lone  of  profoiniil  devotion.  'Some  gn-at  solenmity, 
do\d)tle-is,  calls  you  thither?'  '  ^'es  ;  to-morrow  is  to  be  a  great  day. 
A  Lama  /Jnklc  will  display  bis  power.  Jle  will  kill  himself,  but  will 
not  die.' 

"  We  understorxl  in  a  moment  the  kiml  of  solemnity  which  h.id  p<it 
the  Tart.irs  in  motion.  A  lama  w.as  to  open  his  belly,  take  (»ut  his  en- 
trails and  place  them  before  him,  and  theii  return,  iunnedi.ately,  to  his 
fornnr  state.  This  Kpectacie,  atrocious  and  disgusting  as  it  is,  is  very 
coimntm  in  tin;  lama  convents  of  Tartary.  The  /itikfr  who  is  to  di  play 
his  power,  as  the  Mongols  say,  prepares  himself  for  the  act  by  long 
day  H  of  fasting  and  pr.ayer;  an<l  during  tlie  whole  time  he  nnist  main- 
tain the  most  absoluto  ailouce,  and  rcfraiu  from  all  couiuiunieatioti  with 
men. 


(1  put, 
t-n- 

[o  liis 
vrry 
play 

iniiin- 
\\  ith 


A    LAMA    MIRACLE. 


739 


"  When  the  appointed  hour  lias  arrived,  tlie  Avholo  multitude  of  pil- 
grims repair  to  the  great  court  of  the  lama  convent,  •\vhero  an  altar  is 
erected.  At  length  the  Jiokte  makes  his  appearance ;  he  advances 
gravely  amid  the  acclamations  of  the  crowd,  seats  himself  upon  the  altar, 
and  taking  a  cutlass  from  his  girdle,  jtlaces  it  between  his  knees,  Avhilo 
the  crowd  of  lamas,  ranged  in  a  circle  at  his  fe(,'t,  commence  the  terrible 
invocations  that  prelude  this  frightful  ceremony.  By  degrees,  as  they 
])roceed  in  their  recitation,  the  Jiokfc  is  seen  to  tremble  in  every  limb, 
and  gratlually  fill  into  strong  <'onvulsions.  Then  the  song  of  the  lamas 
becomes  wilder  and  more  animated,  and  the  recitation  is  exchanged  for 
cries  and  howlings.  Suddenly  the  Jiokte  Hings  away  the  scarf  which  ho 
has  worn,  snatches  off  his  girdle,  and  with  the  sacred  cutlass  rips  him- 
self entirely  open.  As  the  blood  gushes  out  the  multitude  prostrate 
themselves  before  the  liorrible  spectacle,  and  the  suffiTcr  is  iumu'diately 
interrogated  concerning  future  events,  and  things  concealed  from  human 
knowledge.     His  answers  to  all  these  questions  are  regarded  as  oracles. 

"As  soon  as  the  devout  curiosity  of  the  pilgrims  is  satisfied,  the  lamas 
resume  their  recitations  and  jirayers ;  and  the  I'okk',  taking  up  in  his 
right  hand  a  (juantity  of  his  blood,  carries  it  to  his  mouth,  blows  three 
times  upon  it,  and  casts  it  into  the  air  with  a  loud  cry.  lie  then  passes 
his  hand  rapidly  over  his  stomach,  u'ld  it  bivoincs  as  n'/mle  (ts  it  n-Ka  bcfure, 
without  the  slightest  trace  being  left  of  the  diabolical  operation,  Avith 
the  exception  of  an  extreme  lassitude.  The  Jiokte  then  rolls  his  scarf 
again  roimd  his  body,  says  a  short  prayer  in  a  low  voice, and  all  is  over; 
every  one  disperses  excejtt  a  few  of  the  most  devout,  who  remain  to  con- 
template and  adore  the  bloody  altar." 

Hue  and  (labet,  on  learning  that  this  ceremony  was  to  take  place  at 
the  convent  of  Uache-Churin,  resolved  to  go  thither,  witness  it,  .and  ;it 
the  projier  moment  come  forth,  declare  its  diabulieal  nature,  and  com- 
mand the  Jiokte  to  refrain  from  tlie  exercise  of  his  infernal  power.  For- 
tunately fi»r  themselves,  they  left  the  road  to  procure  supplies  at  a  Chi- 
TU'se  encampm<Mit,  lost  their  way,  and  did  not  reafh  th'  uvent  until 
after  the  magical  <iperation  had  been  jpirformeil.  "  Wcmr  i  ebut  a  short 
stay  at  Kache-Chiu-in,"  says  Hue,  "Ibr  as  it  had  j:ot  be  i  (lie  will  of 
(fod  that  we  should  reach  it  at  the  tinu'  fa\orable  to  our  purjtose  of  an- 
nouncing the  true  faith  to  the  |)eople  of  Ortous,  we  v, ere  eager  to  jiress 
forwaid  to  Thibet,  the  source  of  (he  immense  supi  r.  tition  <>f  which  we 
saw  hero  but  a  few  insignificant  streams.  Shortly  aller  leaving  it  we  foil 
in  witli  a  track  very  well  m.arked,  and  fre(iuented  by  a  great  numbiT  of 
travelers,  but  eommerce,  and  not  di'votion,  was  the  spring  that  h.ad  set 
them  in  luovcini'iit.  They  were  going  to  the  l)o.)soon-Noor,  *tr  Salt 
Lake,  celebrated  over  all  the  west  of  Mongoli.a,  which  furnishes  salt,  not 
only  to  the  neighboring  T.artarp,  but  to  several  provinces  of  the  Chinese 
empire," 

Some  days  after  passing  the  T)(d)soon-Noor,  they  came  'ipon  a  Mon- 
gol encampment  in  a  long,  narrow  valley.     They  were  very  kindly  re- 


II 


..a"! 


,  1 

1 

':p' 

i 

\ 

ft 

. 

-     i 

1 

i  ■ 

1:1 

li:iif 


t       !         ' 


Mm 


I       M  '! 


740 


IIUC'S    TRAVELS. 


ccived  by  the  n.-xtivos,  from  avIioiii  they  purcliasod  a  slicop.  The  ^Nfoii- 
gol  butcher  who  slaughtered  it  surprised  them  by  detaeliing  the  llcsli 
I'rom  the  bones  in  one  single  ])iece,  leaving  the  clear  skeleton  hanging. 
In  mentioning  this  eireunistance,  Hue  remarks  :  "  Ail  the  ]\b)ngols  know 
the  number,  name,  and  plaee  of  all  the  bones  of  an  animal's  fr.ame,  and 
never  fracture  one  in  cutting  up  a  sheep  or  an  ox.  With  the  point  of 
their  large  knives,  they  go  straight  to  the  joint,  whicli  they  sever  with  a 
speed  and  ad(b'ess  truly  astonishing.  These  fre(pient  dissections,  and 
the  habit  of  living  in  the  midst  of  their  tlocksaiid  herds,  render  the  Tar- 
tars extremely  skillful  in  the  cure  of  the  maladies  of  animals.  The  reme- 
dies tiiey  employ  are  the  simples  they  coliect  in  the  fields,  and  which 
tliey  administer  with  a  cow's  horn,  in  the  form  of  a  decoction.  If  thi- 
animal  will  not  o])en  its  mouth,  they  make  him  swallow  tiie  liipiid  through 
his  nostrils." 

The  intention  of  Hue  and  dabet  had  been  to  continue  their  course 
westward  through  the  Tartar  country  of  Alechaii,  but  on  meeting  with 
.some  Tartar  pi'inces  on  their  way  to  IVkin,  the  latter  inforined  them 
that  this  country  liad  been  rendered  almost  uninlial)itable  by  a  severe 
(b'ought,  and  was  ravaged  by  troops  of  brig.ands.  One  other  route  re- 
mained oj»en  to  tliem.  This  was  to  recross  the  Y'ellow  Kivv'r,  which 
liere  makes  a  long  l)end  northward,  ])ass  again  tlie  (Jreat  Wall,  and 
reach  the  Tartar  city  oi'  /un/-  'um-noor,  througli  the  Chinese  province  of 
Kan-Sou.  "  Formerly,"  says  .Inc.  "s\ich  a  ]>roject  would  have  made 
us  sinidder.  It  would  have  bt  'ii  to  us  cK'ar  as  the  day  that  stranglliig 
for  ourselves,  and  the  j)ersecntiou  of  all  the  Chinese  missions,  would 
have  hcen  tiie  inevitable;  eo'isecpienees  of  .so  foolhardy  an  attempt,  ihit 
the  season  of  fear  was  now  |)asse<l  lor  us.  Om-  abode  in  several  grtal 
tt)wns — the  necessity  we  had  been  under  of  transacting  our  own  bu;-i- 
ness — had  rendered  ns  more  familiar  with  the  habits  and  usages  of  the 
Chinese.  The  language  was  no  longer  an  onibarr.assment.  AVe  coulil 
speak  tl)e  Tartar  language,  and  \\i're  acijuaiiited  with  the  populai'  Chi- 
nese [ihrases,  a  knowledge  diflicult  to  acipiire  while  residi'iit  in  the  mis- 
sions, because;  till!  Christians,  out  of  ilattery  to  the  mi.ssionaries,  study 
to  employ  only  th(!  brief  nomenclature  that  the  latter  have  leariu'tl  from 
books.  In  addition  to  these;  moral  and  intellectual  advantages,  our  long 
journey  had  hecii  of  great  service  to  us  physically.  The  rain,  wind, 
and  sun,  liad  in  tlie  course  of  two  months  so  tanned  and  iiardeneil  our 
Kuropean  complexions,  that  our  aspect  liad  become  very  tolerably 
s.'ivage;  and  the  fear  of  bi'iiig  recognized  by  the  Chinese  no  longer 
alfected  us." 

A  few  davs  a!>er  this  they  readied  the  Yellow  Hivor,  at  the  town 
of  (,7ii-7'niii-/>'(\  and  re-entered  China  pro))er,  leaving  behind  them 
Mongolia  and  its  nomadic  life.  Ifuc,  at  this  point,  makes  the  follow 
remarks  npoti  (he  country  through  which  they  had  passed:  "  The  gen- 
eral aspect  of  iSfongolia  is  wilil  ami  gloomy  ;  never  is  the  eye  relieved 
by  the  churnj  .and  variety  t)f  a  landscape.     The  monotony  of  the  steppes 


U\ 


DESCRIPTION    OF   TIIK    ENGLISH. 


741 


is  broken  only  by  ravines,  gri'at  ilssiiros,  and  .stony  storile  liills.  Toward 
the  north,  in  the  country  of  the  Khalkas,  nature  appears  more  anhnated  ; 
the  summits  of  the  mountains  are  crowned  by  forests,  and  the  rich  j»ast- 
urajj;e  of  tlio  ])lain  is  watered  by  numerous  riviTs;  but  (hiring  the  long 
season  (<i'  winter  the  earth  is  buiird  under  a  thick  covering  of  snow. 
From  the  tide  of  the  Groat  AVall,  Chinese  industry  glides  like  a  serpent 
into  the  desert.  Towns  begin  to  liso  on  all  sides;  tint  '  I/uid  of  Grass' 
is  being  gradually  covi  red  by  crops,  and  the  M(»ngol  she^ihrrds  are 
by  degrees  driven  back  to  the  north  by  the  encroachments  of  agri- 
cultiu'e. 

"The  sandy  plains  occujiy  perhaps  the  greater  part  of  ^Mongolia: 
and  iu  th'se  not  a  tree  is  to  be  sei-:i  ;  short  brittli'  grasi  maki  s  its  way 
vvitii  dillieulty  through  the  barren  soil,  and  ci'eeping  thorns,  ami  some 
scanty  tufts  of  heuth,  form  the  only  vegetation,  the  sole  j)asturage,  of 
Gobi.  "Water  is  extremely  scarce,  being  only  found  in  deep  wells  dug 
for  the  use  of  travelers  who  are  obliged  to  cross  this  miserable  ngion."' 

Tile  travelers  proceeded  ibrward,  through  the  cities  of  Xingdiai,  IIo- 
hia-po,  and  other  unheard-of  Ciiinese  towns,  in  tin-  nourishing  j)rov!nce 
of  Kan-Sou.  Their  disg\iise  was  so  complete  that  their  real  character 
v.as  not  onct' suspected,  except  at  the '"  lloti'l  of  Social  Kelations,''  in 
the  town  of  Choang-Long,  the  landlord  of  which  was  a  sharp  and  satir- 
ical Chinese.  "To  give  us  a  proof  of  his  penetration,"  says  Hue,  "he 
asked  at  once  whether  we  were  not  English  (/;/y-A7(j-/,/),  the  marine 
devils  who  were  making  war  at  Canton.  'We  are  not  Kiigiish,' wo 
replied,  '  nor  arc  we  devils  (»f  any  sort — land  or  sea.'  'Don't  you  know,' 
said  a  ni:u»  who  was  lounging  about,  addressing  the  landlord,  '  that  all 
those  marine  devils  have  1>lue  eyes  and  rod  hair?'  '  Hesides,' said  we, 
'  if  wi'  were  murine  nu)nsters,  lu)W  could  we  live  on  shore,  and  go  on 
horseback';:"  '  Yes,  that's  trui-,  that's  true,'  said  he;  'the  Tngdvu'-T.i 
nt'ver  dare  1o  (piit  the  sea;  as  soon  as  ever  they  come  on  shore  they 
treiuble  and  die  like  il>h.' "' 

A  little  lurther,  they  came  to  the  town  of  Ilo-Kiaou-V,  an<l  finding 
that  the  backs  of  tiieir  animals  had  been  severely  galled,  detemiiiu'd  to 
halt  for  some  days.  They  (stablished  ilu  nisehes  in  the  "Tavern  of  the 
Tenipirate  Climates,''  and  gave  SaMidadchiemba  permission  to  visit  his 
jtari'iits,  who  livc<l  but  a  short  (listance  oil',  at\d  whom  he  had  not  seen 
for  eighteen  years.  "Dm-ing  this  eight  diiys' rest,"  says  Hue,  "  our 
cattle  had  recovered  snfllciently  to  attempt  the  j)ainfiil  road  we  should 
liave  to  tra\('rse.  ibit  the  rugged  path  by  wliii'h  we  had  to  climb  the 
mountain  of  J'ing-Keou  presenti'(l  dilliciilties  which  our  camels  found 
almost  insmnioimtable  ;  and  we  were  continually  obliged,  as  wo  W(!nt 
on,  to  utter  loud  cries  to  warn  muleteers  who  might  be  advancing  to- 
ward us  on  this  narrow  and  dangerous  road,  where  two  animals  could  not 
jiass  abreast,  that  tiny  miL;lit  have  time  to  turn  aside  their  mules,  lest 
they  should  be  tcrrilleil  by  the  sight  of  our  camels,  and  rush  down  the 
]trecipice.     When   we  had  p  i^ud  the  luountain,  we  came  to  n  village 


:■-  I 


742 


HUC'S    TRAVELS. 


'»'.  i\ 


111 


i"! 


Avhose  Chinese  ai)pc'll;ili()n  sigiiilk's  the  Old  Duck;  und  Avliat  struck  us 
most  ill  tliis  jiliicc  was,  tiiat  tlie  art  of  knitting,  which  we  had  imagined 
unknown  in  China,  was  here  carried  on  very  busily  ;  and,  moreover,  not 
by  women,  but  by  men.  Tiieir  work  appeared  to  be  very  clumsy  ;  the 
stockhigs  they  made  were  like  sacks;  and  their  gloves  liad  no  separation 
for  the  lingers.  It  looked  very  odd,  too,  to  see  mustachioed  fellows 
sitting  before  their  doors  8pinnuig,  knitting,  and  gossijihig,  like  so 
many  oid  women.'' 

In  Jainiary,  1845,  ibur  months  after  their  departure  from  the  "  Val- 
ley of  the  IJlack  "Waters,"  the  travelers  reached  the  trading  town  of 
Tang-Ke(;u-Kul,  on  the  frontier  of  Thibet,  and  congratulated  themselves 
on  being  beyond  the  reach  of  the  Chinese  authorities.  "  So  tar,"  says 
the  narrative,  "  we  had  followed  pretty  well  the  Itinerary  that  Ave  had 
traced  for  ourselves  ;  but  by  what  means  were  we  to  penetrate  to  Lha- 
8sa,  the  ca))ital  of  Thibtt  ?  AVe  learned  that  (iJinoat  ero-y  ycdr  caravans 
left  T;.:i!j,iv.  I  uKul  for  this  destination,  and  in  the  end  reached  it ;  but 
u  terribi'  accouut  was  given  to  \is  of  the  road.  A  journey  of  four  months 
had  to  '  made  across  countries  entirely  uninhabited,  and  where  (r.ivel- 
trs  Men.  .  lea  frozen  to  death  or  buried  under  the  snow.  During  the 
HUf.iMcr,  it  svas  said  many  were  drowned  ;  for  it  was  necessary  to  cross 
grcai  -ivo'o  without  bridge  or  boat ;  and  beside  this,  these  deserts  were 
rava-{.'  '  ■.  hordes  of  robbers,  who  ]>lundered  those  who  fell  into  their 
hatids  (  ■  i'  their  clothes,  and  lell  them  nakvd  and  starving  in  the 
wildernL'.--. 

A  few  days  after  their  arrival,  however,  a  small  caravan  of  Khalkhas 
Tartars  passed  through  the  town,  on  their  way  to  Lha-Ssa,  from  the 
borders  of  Russia.  They  desired  Hue  and  Cabet  to  join  their  j'arly, 
which  the  latter  Avere  about  to  do,  Avhen  they  learned  that  the  Tartars 
e.\]»ected  to  make  the  j(jiirney  Avith  great  rapidity  :  their  aniinaN  would 
not  be  able  to  kee])  up  with  sue  h  a  march,  and  they  had  not  funds  to 
buy  others.  Thi'y  therefort' ri'luctantly  gave  u|»  this  opportunity,  and 
resolved  to  Avail  for  the  return  of  the  Thibetan  embassy  fixnn  I'ekin, 
which  was  not  expected  for  six  or  eight  months.  In  order  to  occupy 
themselves  proiltably  in  the  mean  time,  they  ])rocured  a  teacher  from 'he 
famous  Lamasery  of  KfjunbouTU,  Avhich  \\!is  only  forty  miles  distant,  id 
connnenced  the  study  of  the  Thilu'tan  language.  The  teacher,  win  sas 
called  Sandara  the  Bi'arded,  Avas  a  shrewd,  intelligent  young  man,  under 
whose  instructions  they  made  rapid  v'-ogress  in  Thibetan.  lie  jireteuded, 
moreover,  to  be  deeply  interested  i-  ' 'le  C  i  istian  iloct''ines  which  (hey 
taught  him,  but,  as  they  afterward  di  icovered,  Avassom  thing  of  a  hypo- 
crite, and  they  gave  uj»  the  idea  of  !;■;  conversion. 

After  some  time  liad  been  spent  m  this  way,  Sandara  invited  them 
to  visit  the  Lamasery,  and  take  up  (heir  abode  there.  'I'hey  acceiled  to 
this  proposal  Avith  joy.  Sanidadchiend>a  had  already  been  sent  off  to 
the  valley  of  Kou-kou-noor,  to  jtasture  the  camels  ;  ho  they  motmted  their 
liorses,  and,  after  a  long  day's  ride,  reached  the  famous  Buddhist  monas- 


RESIDENCE    AMONG    THE    LAMAS. 


743 


not 


tory  of  Kouiibnum,  whore  tlioy  were  at  first  ontortainod  in  Sandara's 
liouso.  "  During  tlie  night,"  remarks  Hue,  "  wo  tried  in  vain  to  sleejt — ■ 
sleep  Avould  not  come.  Tiiis  country  of  Amdo,  a  country  unknown  in 
Europe — this  great  Lamaserai  of  Kounbouni,  so  renowned  among  the 
IJuddiiists — these  conventual  manners — the  lama's  cell  in  which  we  were 
lying — all  seemed  to  float  through  our  brains  like  the  vague,  impalpable 
forms  of  a  dream.  We  ])assed  the  night  in  forming  plans,  and  as  soon 
as  day  dawned  we  were  on  foot.  All  was  still  jtrofoundly  silent  wliilo 
we  n^ade  our  morning  prayer,  not  without  a  sensation  of  joy  and  j>ride 
that  we  had  been  pennitted  thus  to  invoke  the  true  (4od  in  this  thmous 
Lamaserai,  consecrated  to  an  im})ious  and  lying  worship.  Tt  seemed  to 
us  as  if  we  were  about  to  concpier  the  vast  realms  of  Buddhism  to  the 
faith  of  Jesus  Christ. 

"  Snndara  soon  made  his  appearance,  and  served  us  with  milk,  tea, 
dried  grapes,  and  cakes  fried  in  butter,  and  wliile  we  were  occujiIimI  with 
breakfast  he  oj)ened  a  little  closet,  and  took  from  it  a  woo(U'n  trencher, 
neatly  varnished,  and  ornamented  with  flowers  and  gilded  on  a  red 
ground.  After  having  dusted  it  with  liis  red  scarf,  he  spreail.  over  it  a 
sheet  of  rose-colore(l  paper,  ])laced  on  it  four  line  pears  symmetrically 
arranged,  and  covered  them  with  an  oval  silk  liimdkerclilef,  called  a 
Khata.  It  was  with  this  i)resent,  ho  said,  we  were  to  go  and  borrow  a 
liouse. 

"This  7i7((r^/,  or  '  scarf  of  happiness,' plays  so  imjiortant  a  j^art  in 
Thibetan  manners,  that  it  is  well  ])erhapa  to  say  a  few  words  about  it. 
It  is  usually  a  j)ieco  of  l)luish-white  silk  fringed  at  tlie  two  ends;  but  as 
it  is  an  article  imbspensable  to  rich  and  poor,  it  of  course  varies  greatly 
in  richness  and  value.  X(»  'Ue  ever  travels  without  a  stock  of  khutnH  ; 
if  you  go  to  pay  a  visit  of  ceremony,  or  to  ask  a  service,  or  to  return 
thanks  for  one,  you  always  begin  1)y  displaying  a  kliata  to  the  ]ierson 
wliom  you  wisli  to  honor.  If  two  friends  have  not  seen  each  other  tor 
a  long  time,  and  have  met  by  accident,  their  first  care  is  to  olfcr  cacli 
other  a  khata ;  when  you  write  a  letter  vo>i  inclose  a  khata  in  it:  in 
short,  tlie  importance  attache<i,  l)y  thi'  Thibetans,  the  Si  I'^an,  and  all  the 
nations  who  inhabit  the  country  to  the  west  of  the  i'due  Sea,  to  this 
ceremony  of  the  khata,  is  scarcely  credilile.  They  form  a  mo>;t  consi(b'r- 
ablc  article  of  commerce  for  the  Chinese  at  Tang-Kt-ou-Kul  ;  imd  the 
Thibetan  embassii's,  when  they  pass  through  tiie  town,  carry  away  a  ]>ro- 
digiiius  fniantity  of  them.  .As  sooti  as  we  liad  dotu'  breakfast,  we  went 
out  to  borrow  a  lodging,  preceded  by  Sandara  the  Hoarded,  bearing 
soli  iiuly  in  his  two  hands  the  famous  dish  of  four  pears.  This  jiroceed- 
ing  a])peared  to  us  so  odd  that  wo  felt  ashamed  of  it,  and  thought  all 
eyes  nmsl  be  fixed  u]ion  us.  Ibit  the  lamas  whom  we  met  went  silently 
on  their  way.  without  tuning  their  heads  or  paying  the  slightest  atten- 
tion to  us.  The  little  (7t<ibiif,  merry  and  mischievous  as  sclioobboys 
always  are,  were  the  only  persons  who  appeared  to  kiifov  or  care  what 
we  were  doing. 


Hi! 


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744 


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"  At  length  wo  ontorcd  .-i  small  lumsi',  llic  master  of  wliieh  was  in  the 
yard,  hiisiod  in  sproadinuf  out  liorso-dung  to  dry  in  tlio  snn  ;  hnt  seeing 
ns,  lie  Mrai)j)ed  liiinselfin  liis  srarf  and  went  into  his  cell.  We  lullowed 
him  with  Sandara,  wlio  oll'ered  tlie  kliata  and  the  plate  of  jiears,  and  ac- 
companied tlieni  with  an  harangue  in  the  Oriental  Thiljetan  language,  of 
which  we  did  not  uink'rstand  a  word.  During  this  time  we  kept  our- 
Hclves  modi'slly  reliri'd,  like  unforttniate  men  who  were  not  even  eapahlo 
of  asking  a  favor  tor  onrsi.  Ives.  The  lama  made  us  sit  down  oTi  a  car- 
jiet,  oilered  us  milk  tea,  and  said  to  ns  in  the  jMongoI  language,  '  that 
he  was  hajipy  that  strangers  from  the  far  west  fshould  have  deigned  to 
east  their  t'ves  on  his  poor  habitation.'  Had  we  been  speaking  French 
we  might  have  resp()nde<l  by  sonic  e(iuivaleiit  eompliment  ;  but  in  .Mon- 
gol, we  could  only  say  that  we  were  indeed  from  liir  off;  biit,  that  one 
found  in  some  measure  a  country  wherever  (me  met  with  such  hospitality 
as  his.  After  drinking  a  cup  of  tea,  and  talking  a  minute  or  two  of 
France,  Home,  the  pope,  and  the  cardinals,  wi-  rose  to  visit  the  dwelling 
assigned  to  our  use.  F(n'  poor  wanderers  like  ns  it  was  superb.  There 
was  a  vast  chamber  with  a  great  kang,  a  separ.ate  kitchen  with  stoves,  a 
kettle,  and  some  utensils  ;  and  even  a  stable  ibr  our  horse  and  mule. 
We  took  jiosscssidu  of  our  house  the  same  day  ;  and  the  neighboring 
lamas  helped  ns  to  move  oin-  batrgage,  carrying  the  things  f<»r  us  on 
their  shoulders,  as  if  it  were  a  real  pleasure  to  them  to  give  their  assist- 
ance. They  swejit  our  rooms,  liglite<l  the  fire  under  the  kang,  and  set 
the  stable  ready  for  the  reception  of  our  animals  ;  and  when  all  was  done, 
Uie  master  of  the  house,  according  to  a  rule  of  hospitality  among  them, 
jirejiarcd  a  feast  tl)r  ns.  It  is  thought  that,  on  a  moving  day,  one  can 
not  have  time  to  attend  to  (-ookery. 

"The  situation  of  the  Lamaserai  of  Kounbonm  is  enchanting.  Im- 
agine a  mountaiu  intersected  by  a  br()a(",  deep  ravine,  whence  spring  up 
large  trees,  filled  with  a  numerous  population  of  ravens,  niag|)ies,  and 
yellow-backed  crows.  On  either  side  the  ravine,  and  up  the  sidt's  of  the 
mountain,  rise,  in  amphitheati'ical  form,  the  while  dweHiiigs  of  the  lamas, 
each  with  its  little  terrace  and  wall  of  iiiclosiire,  adnnied  only  by  clean- 
liness, while  here  and  ilu  re  tower  (iir  above  tlu'm  the  [luddhist  temples, 
with  tlu'ir  "ilt  mofs  sxlitteriiiLr  with  a  thousand  colors,  and  surrounded 
bv  I'legant  peristyles.  The  houses  of  the  superiors  are  distingui-^hed  by 
liennants,  floating  above  small  hexagonal  tm-rets,  and  on  all  sides  the 
eye  is  struck  by  mystical  sentences,  in  the  Thibetan  character,  in  red 
and  black,  on  the  (lodi-s,  on  the  walls,  on  the  stones,  on  pieces  of  linen 
fixed,  like  flags,  on  masts  reared  above  the  hoi;ses.  Almost  at  every 
step  you  nu'ct  with  conical  niches,  in  which  incense  and  odoriferous 
wood  are  burning;  and  through  the  streets  of  the  Lamaserai  circulates 
the  piipulation  i»f  lamas,  in  their  red  and  yellow  dri'sscs,  grave  in  their 
di'portmeiif,  and,  altlioiigli  under  no  obligation  to  silence,  speaking  little, 
and  that  little  in  a  low  voice. 

*•  ll  is  {•<  a  legend  concerning  Tsong-Kaba,  a  great  IJuddliist  n.-fdrm- 


A    WONDERFUL    T  HK  K 


746 


cr,  tliiit  tlie  Latnasoiai  of  Koimliuiiia  owes  its  name.  It  Ki^nifics  ''Ten 
Thousaiiil  Iiiiajj,vs ;''  and  it  is  said  that  ulicn  tlic  inotlicr  ol'tln'  ritijiincr, 
in  ilevutinj;'  liini  tu  a  roiij^inus  lili',  ac('()r(ruii;-  to  ciistoia  cnit  oil"  liis  liair 
and  throw  it  away,  u  tivo  sj)ran!^  u\>  iVoni  it,  wiiich  l)urt'  on  I'Vciy  one  <>i" 
its  leaves  a  Thibetan  eharaetiT.  This  tree  is  still  to  Ik;  seen  at  the  foot 
of  the  nH)nntain  (jn  whieh  the  jirineipal  lUiddhist  tenipie  stands,  in  a 
larj^e  sijnaro  inelosnre  formed  Ly  foui"  briek  walls.  Within  this  si  amis 
tile  wonderfid  tree,  which  appears  of  i;Teat  antinnity  ;  and  ihonuli  now 
not  more  tlian  eiylit  I'eel  hiirh,  three  men  eould  hardly  end»raee  its 
trnidc.  The  wood  is  of  a  reiMish  eolor,  ami  e.\<inisite  odor,  vi'ry  nnu'h 
resembling  ciiniamon.  We  were  told  that  dnrini^  the  smniiier,  toward 
the  eij;htli  moon,  it  produces  superb  lar<jje  reil  llowers  ;  bnt  what  most 
excited  our  astonishment  was  that  every  leaf  was  really,  as  wi'  had  been 
before  told  it  was,  <lislinctly  marked  with  a  Thilietan  character,  some- 
times lighter,  sometimes  (hirker  than  the  li'af,  but  (juito  plain.  After 
till-  most  miniiiu  InvestiL^ation,  wis  eould  discovt'r  no  traces  of  framl  on 
the  part  of  the  lamas;  and  thon<fli,  doubtU'ss,  people  will  smih^  at  onr 
ignorance,  that  will  matter  little  if  they  do  not  suspect  the  veracity  of 
our  aecount.""" 

Th(!y  remained  for  three  months  at  Kounboum,  but  they  were  living 
in  o})position  to  a  positive  law  of  the  Lamaserai,  whieh  ordained  that 
tJKjse  who  wished  to  make  a  long  stay  should  jiut  on  the  sacred  vest- 
ments of  a  lama.  This  was  brought  to  their  notice,  and  as  they  eould 
not  eonsi-ijiitiously  comply  with  the  law,  they  ofiereil  to  withdraw. 
Thereupon  the  governnuiit  of  the  convent  invited  them  to  take  up  tl.oir 
abode  at  the  little  Lamaserai  of  Tehogortan,  half  an  liour's  ride  from 
Kounboum,  where  they  wouM  bo  at  liberty  to  wear  what  dress  they 
pleased.  "The  asjiect  of  Tehogortan  is  very  picturesipie,  especially  in 
sununcr.  The  liabilatioiis  of  the  lamas,  at  the  foot  of  a  high  mountain, 
rising  almost  perjiendicularly  above  them,  an-  shaded  by  trees,  centuries 
old,  whose  thick  branches  serve;  I'ov  a  retreat  to  mnnerous  kites  and 
crows.  A  few  yards  below  tln'  lionses  there  llows  an  abundant  stream, 
intersected  by  nunua-ous  dams,  constructed  l)y  the  lamas  to  turn  their 
prayer  mills.  At  tlie  bottom  of  the  valley,  and  on  the  neighboring  hills, 
appearec'  tlie  black  tents  of  the  Si-Fan,  and  some  lioeks  of  go./s.  The 
mountain-wall  itself  serves  as  a  habitation  to  a  Cvw  contemplative  anehor- 

*  Poloncl  Rloomnn,  in  Ili^;  work  on  Iiuiia,  .speaks  of  iDj-storiouH  trees  in  tlio  forest.s  in 
oci'tairi  parts  of  tli:it  fnnnlry,  cvrrv  leaf  of  wliirli  is  marked  with  tlie  names  of  tlie  pod 
Rahiii.  and  his  wil'",  l<'iUi.  in  Sanscrit  eharaeters.  Tie  examined  SL-verul  of  these  trees, 
wiiicli  the  natives  uail  tho  Silver-tree,  and  invariably  found  tho  loaves  marked  with  the 
Haeivd  Miinies,  as  if  wriiirm  uilii  u  blunt  pencil.  The  Hindoos  con.sidcr  the  writinj,'  as 
miraculous,  and  llio  Coloucl  was  nearly  ready  to  agree  with  tliem,  when  he  one  day 
ehaneed  to  see  one  of  the  trees  prowinLT  on  the  edge  of  a  eliff,  in  a  position  where  it  could 
not  be  reached  witlioni  'j-reat  di!11cu!ty  and  dan;r"r.  rin'iosity  prompted  liitn  to  run  tho 
risk  of  oxaniinin?  it,  and  he  found  its  leaves  entirely  fVoo  from  tho  mysterious  characters. 
This  led  him  (o  t)eliov(>  thiil  in  tlio  other  iu'^tanecs  they  lind  lieen  secretly  inscribed  upon 
tho  leaves  by  tho  Hindoo  devotees,  probably  U3  a  devotional  act. — B.  T. 


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746 


HUC'S   TRAVELS. 


iti's,  Avlio  have  built  tlicir  eyries,  like  eagles'  nests,  on  the  highect  and 
most  inaccessible  s]>ot.s  ;  some  have  hollowed  them  out  of  the  face  of  the 
rock,  otiiers  have  slack  a  little  wooden  cell,  like  a  swalloAv's  nest,  to  its 
side,  and  some  pieces  of  wood  fastened  to  the  rock  serve  for  a  ladder, 
by  which  they  asicnd  to  their  singular  habitations. 

"In  the  beginning  of  July  tiiere  fell  very  heavy  rains,  and  when 
these  Avere  over,  the  country  clothrd  itself,  as  if  by  magic,  with  How;  i  ri 
and  verdin-e.  For  our  camels,  too,  this  was  a  moment  of  Palingenesia. 
'i'lieir  liair  had  all  fallen  tilVin  bunches  like  old  rags,  and,  for  a  few  days, 
they  were  quite  iia!  'd,  and  perfectly  hideous.  But  now  the  hair  began 
to  appear  again,  and  in  another  fortnight  they  were  clothed  in  their 
new  attire,  and  really  handsome.  The  old  hair  furnished  us  with  a  new 
and  useful  occuiiution.  An  old  lama,  who  was  a  skillful  r(  ne-niaker,  had 
fcu^i'esled  to  u^  that  wo  mi^ht  make  with  it  a  store  of  cords  for  our 
ba''<raLre  :  and  after  some  lessons  from  him  we  set  to  work.  In  a  short 
time  wi  could  manage  it  very  well,  and  every  morning,  when  M'e  went 
to  visit  •  ir  cattle  at  their  jtasturo,  we  used  to  take  a  bundle  of  camels' 
hair,  and  work  as  we  went  along. 

"  At  length,  toward  the  end  of  the  month  of  September,  Ave  heard 
news  that  tlu>  Thibetan  embassy  had  arrived  at  Taug-Keou-Kul,  and  was 
to  stop  there  but  a  few  days.  It  was  necessary,  therefore,  that  Avithout 
loss  of  time  we  shoidd  set  about  our  prejjarations  for  this  long-looked-for 
journey  to  the  capital  of  Thibet.  Among  other  stores  Ave  bought  a 
good  (piantity  of  garlic,  Avhich  wo  Avere  reconunended  to  take  as  a  remedy 
to  the  pernicious  and  even  jioisonons  exhalations  proceeding  from  a  cei'- 
tain  mountain  that  Ave  should  have  to  pass.  We  also  got  another  camel; 
for,  though  ours  Averu  in  Dt  ig;iiticent  order,  three  were  not  sufficient  for 
svicli  ;ui  enterpriio  as  tbi?, ;  and  Ave  liired  a  young  lama,  Avhom  Ave  had 
known  at  Kounboun;.  in  the  tpjality  of  assistant  camel-driver.  After  ex- 
changing a  great  number  )f  khatas  with  our  friends  and  accpiaintances, 
we  set  out  on  our  mard.  toward  the  Blue  Sea,  Avhere  Ave  Avere  to  wait 
the  passing  of  the  Thibetan  embassy. 

"The  Blue  Lake  or  se.'i.  called  by  the  Mongols  the  Kou-kou-Xoor,  is 
an  inmiense  reservoir  of  w.iter  more  than  loin*  himdrcd  miles  in  circum- 
ference. Tlie  name  of  sea  is  applicable  to  it,  not  only  on  account  of  its 
extent,  but  l>ecause  its  Ava;ers  are  bitter  and  salt  like  those  of  the  ocean, 
and  it  i-,  subject  to  the  periodical  ebb  and  tb.w  of  tide.  The  marine 
odor  which  it  exhales  is  pi;rceptiblc  fir  oil  in  the  desi'rt.  Toward  the 
vestei-n  i)art  there  is  a  little  rocky  island  inliabited  by  tAVcnty  contem- 
j.lalivi'  lamas,  wlio  have  built  there  a  Buddhist  t  luple,  and  some  habita- 
tions where  they  ])a';s  their  days  ni  the  most  jirofound  retirement,  far 
from  the  anxieties  fif  the  AA'o.-ld.  It  is  impossible  to  pay  them  a  visit, 
for  there  is  not  a  boat  on  th?  Avhole  expanse  ofAvaters — at  least  av'c 
never  saw  one,  and  the  ^Mongols  assured  us  that  no  one  among  their 
tribes  occujiied  himself  with  navigation.  During  the  severest  cold  of 
Avinter,  however,  Avhen  the  Avaters  are  covered  by  a  solid  crust  of  ice, 


I 

J 


THEY    JOIN    THE    THIBETAN    EMBASSY. 


747 


the;  shejihonls  of  tho  neighborhood  <ro  on  jiilfiiinuitic.s  to  tlu;  island,  and 
'•arry  to  the  contt'iiiplativc  lanuis  tlieir  modest  ort'crings  of  tea,  and  but- 
ter, and  Tsaniba,  recoiving  in  exchange  blessings  on  their  ilocks  and 
pastures. 

"  We  liad  sojourned  by  the  Kou-kou-Xoor  nearly  a  month,  and  liad 
been  coinpelled,  five  or  six  times,  to  de<'amj)and  follow  the  Tartar  tribes, 
who,  at  tho  least  alarm  of  robbers,  changed  their  place — though  they 
never  went  far — when,  toward  the  end  of  October,  the  Thibetan  embassy 
arrived.  AVe  joined  this  immense  troop,  which  was  now  further  in- 
<'reased  by  the  addition  of  several  ]MongoI  caravans,  wishing  like  our- 
.selves  to  jirofit  by  this  excellent  opportimity  of  making  the  journey  to 
Lha-Ssa.  Wi'  stopped  on  the  roail  the  folhnving  day,  that  we  might  see 
this  vast  nndtitudo  of  travelers  defile  before  ns  r  and  we  made  the  fol- 
lowing estimate  of  their  nund)ers  ;  Their  wer.  ifteen  thousand  long- 
haired oxen,  twelve  hiuidred  horses,  about  tl><'  "^ame  mimber  of  camels, 
and  two  thousand  men — Thibetans  and  Ta  ..n  — suine  going  on  foot, 
and  directing  the  disorderly  march  of  tho  ("■  i>ihcrs  mounted  on 

horses,  camels,  and  oxen,  and  fully  armed.  Tin  oinba-^^ador  travcK'cl  hx 
a  litter  borne  by  two  nmles,  and  escorted  by  three  hundred  Chinese 
soldiers  furnished  by  the  province  of  Kan-Sou,  and  two  hundred  brave 
Tartars,  charged  by  the  princes  of  the  Kou-kou-Xoor  to  jirotect  the  holy 
embassy  of  the  Tale  liaina  as  far  as  the  frontiers  of  Thibet. 

"  On  the  loth  of  X'^ovcm1)er  we  quitted  the  magnificent  plains  of  the 
KdU-kou-X'^oor,  and  entered  tho  country  of  tho  Tsaidam  Mongols,  after 
crossing  the  river  of  the  same  name.  Here  the  landscape  underwent  a 
great  change,  and  became  wild  and  gloomy,  and  the  dry  and  stony  soil 
bore  nothing  but  brambles  impregnated  with  saltpeter.  The  ]ieople,  too, 
have  a  morose  manner,  as  if  they  had  been  affected  by  the  jihysical 
character  of  their  coimtry :  they  speak  \ovy  little,  .and  that  in  so  low  and 
guttural  a  tone  that  other  jNIongols  have  difliculty  in  comjirehending 
them.  In  this  arid  soil  salt  and  bora?:  abound ;  there  is  nothing  more 
to  be  done  thun  to  dig  a  hole  two  or  three  feet  deej),  and  the  salt  col- 
lects in  it,  and  crystallizes  and  jiurities  of  itself.  The  borax  is  also  col- 
lected in  little  reservoirs,  which  are  soon  entirely  fillcl. 

"We  rested  two  days  in  this  country  in  order  to  collect  all  tho 
strength  possible  f(jr  the  ascent  of  the  dreaded  BourhaM-I)ota — oiu'  long- 
liaired  oxen  and  camels  enjoying  themselves  on  the  niter  and  salt,  and 
we  feasting  onTsamba  and  some  goats  which  we  got  from  the  herdsmen 
in  exchange  for  brick  tea ;  and  then  setting  out  about  three  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  -we  arrived  at  nine  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain.  The  cara- 
van stopped  for  a  moment,  and  Ave  gazed  with  anxiety  npward  at  tho 
steep  and  rough  paths,  on  which  we  perceived  with  anxiety  a  light  vapor 
resting,  which  was  said  to  be  the  noxious  gas  before  mentioned.  We 
adopted  the  precautionary  measure,  recommended  by  tradition,  of  chew- 
ing some  cloves  of  garlic,  and  then  commenced  the  ascent.  In  a  short 
time  the  horses  appeared  to  be  incapable  of  bearing  their  riders  ;  every 


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33  WIST  MAIN  STRUT 

WIBSTIR.N.Y.  )4SS0 

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0  ' 

i 

1 

1 

1 

1 


one  slackened  liis  pace,  all  faces  tuineil  pale,  the  heart  beat  faintly,  the 
limbs  refused  their  office  ;  many  lay  down,  then  got  up  again,  made  a 
few  stcjjs,  then  lay  down  again,  and  in  this  deplorable  manner  toiled  up 
the  siile  of  the  famous  1  Jourhan-lJota.  A  i)art  of  our  troop  stopped  in  a 
deep  hollow  of  the  mountain,  where  it  was  said  the  pestilential  vapor 
was  less  thick ;  the  rest  exerted  their  utmost  energies  to  reach  the  top, 
where,  at  last,  the  lungs  could  play  freely,  relieved  from  the  murderous 
carbonic  acid  gas  that  had  so  long  oppressed  them.  To  descend  on  the 
other  side  was  mere  play,  for  there  the  air  was  pure  and  easily  respir- 
aljle.  The  people  told  us  that  when  there  was  a  strong  wind,  the  per- 
nicious etfect  was  little  felt ;  but  that  it  was  very  dangerous  in  calm 
weather,  for  then,  being  heavier  than  the  atmospheric  air,  it  remains 
near  the  surface  of  the  ground,  instead  of  being  in  some  measure  dis- 
persed." 

This  mountahi,  however,  Avas  but  an  ap))renticeship  to  Mount  Cluiga, 
which  was  much  higher  and  riu)re  rugged.  Tiie  cold  they  endured  in 
crossing  it  was  ahnost  insupportable:  M.  Gabet  became  very  sick,  and 
conthmed  so  for  many  days.  In  a  lake  which  they  passed,  they  saw  a 
number  of  dead  Mild  oxen,  who  had  been  frozen  in,  while  in  the  act  of 
swinnniug  across.  "  IJy  the  time  we  were  approaching  the  most  elevated 
point  of  Central  Asia,"  says  Hue,  "  a  terrible  wind  had  set  in  from  the 
north,  Avhich  lasted  fifteen  days,  and  increased  the  rigor  of  the  cold  to 
a  degree  that  threatened  us  ■•vith  great  misfortunes.  The  sky  Mas  still 
clear,  but  the  cold  was  so  terrible  that  even  at  mid-day  the  influence  of 
the  sun  was  scarcely  ])ercei)tible.  Even  during  the  day,  and  of  course 
still  more  during  the  night,  we  were  under  the  continual  app'-jhension 
of  being  frozen  to  death.  I  may  mention  one  circumstance  that  will 
give  an  idea  of  the  extremity  of  the  cold.  Every  morning  before  setting 
off,  the  caravan  used  to  take  a  nual,  and  then  not  again  till  they  en- 
camped ;  but  as  the  Tsaniba  was  a  kiiul  of  food  so  little  agreeable,  that 
it  was  diflicult  to  take  enough  of  it  at  once  to  support  us  during  the 
day,  we  used  to  soak  in  tea  two  or  three  balls  of  it  to  keep  in  reserve 
for  the  day's  journey.  AVe  wrapped  up  this  boiling  paste  in  very  warm 
linen,  and  placed  it  on  our  breasts ;  and  over  this  we  had  our  clothing, 
namely  a  garment  of  sheep-skin,  then  a  Avaistcoat  of  lamb's-skin,  then  a 
shoit  garment  of  fox's-skiu,  and  over  all  a  great  woolen  coat.  Now 
during  this  fortnight  we  constantly  found  the  balls  of  Tsamba  frozen, 
and  when  wo  drew  them  from  our  bosotns,  they  were  so  hard  that  we 
almost  broke  our.ti'cth  in  alttnipting  to  eat  them.  The  cattle  suffered 
terribly,  ispecially  the  mules  and  horses,  whi(;h  are  not  so  strong  as  the 
oxen.  We  had  to  dress  them  in  felt  «'arpets,  and  tie  caniels'-skin  round 
their  heads;  and  in  any  other  circumstances  their  a])pearanco  would 
certainly  have  excited  (»ur  hilarity,  but  now  we  were  in  no  humor  for 
laughing,  I'or,  notwilhstauding  all  precautions,  the  cattle  of  the  caravan 
were  decimated  by  death. 

"  As  we  advanced  toward  Lha  Ssa,  wo  perceived  that  wc  wore  get- 


L«>  '.r  SM 


\\$ 


ARRIVAL    AT    LIIA-SSA. 


7-i9 


ting  into  a  more  and  more  inhabited  eountiy  ;  the  numeroiH  pitg-riins, 
the  earavans,  the  frequent  inscriptions  on  stones  ]»y  tlie  ro;i(l.si(h',  con- 
tributed much  to  lighten  the  weariness  of  tlie  road.  The  Thilx'tans  wo 
met  were  now  no  longer  exclusively  nomadic,  cultivateil  fields  ajijx^ired, 
and  houses  took  the  place  of  black  tents.  On  the  titleenth  day  of  our 
departure,  we  arrived  at  Pampou  (erroneously  set  down  in  majis  as  ]*anc- 
tou),  which,  on  account  of  its  })ro.\iimty  to  Lha-Ss,i,  is  regardetl  by  ]iil- 
grims  as  the  vestibule  of  the  holy  city.  It  is  ;i  In'autifiil  plain,  watered 
by  a  large  river,  the  Avaters  of  which,  distributed  into  many  c;mais, 
spread  fertility  through  the  country.  Then>  is  no  village  in  it,  ])r<i|i("r!y 
so  called,  but  extensive  firms  are  seen  in  all  directions,  the  houses  with 
terraced  tops,  and  surmounted  by  littler  turrets,  whence  float  strcumTs 
of  various  colors,  coverc'l  with  Thil)i'tan  inscri])ti()iis.  After  three 
months'  traveling  through  those  terrible  deserts,  Mliere  no  livintf  thing 
was  to  be  met  with,  but  robbers  and  wild  beasts,  the  ]>lains  of  I'annion 
aj)peared  to  us  the  most  beautifid  (H)untry  in  the  world.  This  long  and 
painful  journey  had  brought  us  so  near  the  savage  state,  that  we  W(>rc 
in  ecstasy  with  every  thing  that  belonged  to  civilization.  The  hou-^cs, 
the  agricultural  im])lements,  even  a  simple  farrow,  attracted  our  atten- 
tion. But  what  struck  us  most  was  the  prodigious  elevation  of  tempera- 
ture wliich  we  noticed  in  the  cultivated  country.  Although  we  were 
still  in  the  month  of  January,  the  river  and  the  canals  wen*  merely  bor- 
dered by  a  light  covering  of  ice,  aiul  we  met  no  om;  clothed  in  furs. 

"We  were  now  only  separated  from  Lha-tSsa  by  a  mountain  ;  l)n1  it 
was  one  extremely  steep  and  difficult  of  ascent.  The  Thibetans  and  Mon- 
gols, however,  climb  it  with  great  devotion;  as  they  believe  that  those 
who  have  the  hapjiiness  to  arrive  at  its  sumniit,  receive  a  cotiiplete  re- 
mission of  their  sins;  and,  certainly,  if  the  mountain  have  !iot  the  power 
to  remit  sins,  it  has  that  of  imposing  a  pretty  stnere  penance.  We  had 
set  off  an  hour  after  midnight,  and  ve  did  not  ani\c  until  ten  o'chu  k  in 
the  morning;  having  been  compelled,  on  account  of  the  steep  and  |-  cky 
character  of  the  paths,  which  maki's  it  nearly  impossible  for  a  hoise  to 
keep  his  footing,  to  walk  almost  the  whole  way.  The  sun  was  just  about 
to  set,  when,  issuing  from  a  defile  at  the  foot  of  the  nu)nntain,  we  saw 
lying  before  us  the  renowned  Tiha-S^;;),  the  nu'tropolis  o,"  tn(>  l>u<ldliist 
world,  encircled  by  a  multitud(,' of  grainl  old  tri'cs,  whie'i  form  with  iheir 
foliage  agirdle  of  verdure  around  it ;  its  white  liouses,  with  ihi'ir  terrnees 
and  turrets;  its  minierous  temples,  with  tlu'ir  gilded  roofs;  and  liiud» 
above  all,  tli(>  majestic  palace  of  the  Tale  T,ama.  At  the  entranc(>  ol'the 
town,  sonu.' IMongols  with  whom  we  had  made  ac(|naintanci'  on  the  roads, 
had  come  to  meet  us,  and  invito  us  to  alight  at  a  lod'^ing  m  hich  they  had 
prepared  for  us.  It  was  the  1  :!tli  of  January.  1 «  If, ;  ju^t  lightecn  months 
afler  we  liad  (piitted  the  valley  of  tiie  IJlack  Wateis." 


1 


vtl 


il 


i\\ 


i 

.i 

'.     ■      [J,:     - 

1,- 
1    [■ 

• 

: 
1  ■ 

i  ^ ' 

■ ;  U 
1    1! 

750 


UUC'S    TRAVELS. 


RESIDENCE    AT    LRA-SSA. 


"  Tlic  day  following  that  of  our  arrival  at  Lha-Ssa,  wq  took  a  guide 
and  traversed  the  dilfcrent  quarters  of  tlie  town,  in  quest  of  a  lodging. 
The  houses  of  Lha-Ssa  are  generally  large,  several  stories  high,  and  ter- 
minated hy  a  terrace,  slightly  inclined,  to  facilitate  the  running  oft'  of  the 
water  ;  thi'y  are  whitewashed  all  over,  with  the  exception  of  some  bor- 
ders, and  the  door  and  window-frames,  which  are  painted  red  or  yel- 
low. The  reformed  Buddhists  are  particularly  fond  of  these  two  colors; 
they  are  in  some  sort  sacred  in  their  eyes,  Jind  are  called  lamancs(iue 
ooloi's.  The  houses  of  liha-Ssa  are  painted  every  year,  and  have,  conse- 
(piently,  an  admirable  ai)i)earance  of  freshness;  but  the  inside  is  far  from 
being  in  harmony  Avith  the  out.  The  rooms  are  smoky,  dirty,  and  foul- 
smelling,  and  generally  encimibered  with  all  sorts  of  utensils,  in  most 
disgusting  disorder.  Thibetan  houses  are  so  many  whited  sepulchers, 
true  images  of  all  llilse  religions,  which  vail  corruption  and  falsehood  by 
a  certain  number  of  dogmatic  truths,  and  some  ])rinciples  of  morality. 

"  After  a  long  search  Ave  found  a  small  lodging  in  a  large  house  con- 
taining already  fitly  lodgers.  Our  humble  abode  was  in  the  upper  story, 
ascended  by  twenty-six  stairs,  unfurnished  with  any  kind  of  balustrade, 
and  so  steep  and  narrow,  that  to  avoid  the  risk  of  breaking  our  necks, 
every  time  we  mounted  them,  it  Avas  necessary  to  make  use  of  both 
hands  and  feet.  Our  apartment  Avas  composed  of  one  large  square  room 
and  a  small  corridor  ;  the  former  lighted  by  a  narroAV  Avindow,  garnished 
Avith  three  thick  Avooden  bars,  and  a  round  skylight.  The  latter  hole 
served  a  variety  of  jjurposes;  it  admitted  the  light,  the  Avind,  the  rain, 
and  the  snow  ;  and  also  aftbrded  egress  to  the  smoke  from  our  hearth. 
In  order  to  protect  themselves  in  some  measure  from  the  Avlnter's  cold, 
the  Thibetans  place  in  the  middle  of  their  chambers  a  basin  of  baked 
clay,  in  Avhich  argol  may  be  burned.  As  this  kind  of  fuel  gives  more 
smoke  than  he.at,  the  advantage  of  a  hole  in  the  roof  is  obvious  ;  and 
this  iiH'stimable  aperture  in  our  chamber  enabled  us  to  make  a  little  lire 
Avithout  being  quite  stifled.  It  is  true  this  good  had  its  attendant  evil 
in  a<lmitting,  :it  times,  the  rain  and  snoAV  iijwn  our  backs,  but  Avhen  avo 
have  led  a  nomadic  life  for  some  time  Ave  cease  tn  Vo  disturbe<I  by  trifles. 

"  As  soon  as  Ave  had  organized  our  househi  e  began  to  make  ac- 

cpiaintanee  Avith  Lha-Ssa  and  its  inhabitants,  i.  jsa  is  not  more  than 
two  leagues  in  circumference,  and  is  not  shut  Avithin  riunparts  like  the 
Chinese  to\A-ns.  Tn  the  suburbs  the  number  of  gardens  ])laiiti(l  Avitli 
large  trees  afford  a  magnificent  girdle  of  verdure  to  the  town.  The 
])riiu'ipal  streets  are  very  wide,  straight,  and  tolerably  clean  ;  the  sub- 
urbs nu)st  disgustingly  filthy.  Tn  the  latter  there  is  a  quarter  where  the 
houses  are  entirely  built  of  ox  and  rams'  horns  ;  these  bizarre  edifices 
liave  not  an  unpleasant  aspect,  and  .are  of  trreat  solidity.     The  ox  horns 


being  smooth  and  white,  and  those  of  the  sheep  black  and  rough,  form  a 


?il 


PALACE  OF  THE  TALE  LAMA. 


751 


inultitudo  oi  singuhu'  conibiiiations  ;  the  intc'r^ti^.'C's  are  iillcd  up  witli 
mortar;  those  houses  arc  never  whitened — the  Thibetans  have  the  Ljood 
taste  to  leave  them  in  tlieir  savage  and  fantastic  beauty,  Avitliout  at- 
tempting to  improve  them. 

"The  pahice  of  the  Tale  Lama  wol)  deserves  tlie  celebrity  it  enjoys. 
Toward  the  northern  jiart  of  the  town,  at  a  small  distance  from  it,  there 
rises  a  rocky  mountain  of  no  great  elevation,  and  conical  in  form,  bear- 
ing the  name  of  Buddha-La,  that  is,  the  Divine  Mountain,  ami  on  lliis 
grand  site  the  adorers  of  the  Tale  Jiuddha  have  reared  a  palace  to  their 
living  and  incarnate  divinity.  This  jialace  consists  of  a  cluster  of  tem- 
ples, varying  in  size  and  beauty  ;  the  center  tenipli'  has  an  elevation  of 
four  stories;  the  dome  is  entirely  covered  with  plates  of  gold,  and  is 
surroimded  by  a  peristyle,  of  Avhich  the  cohmuis  are  likewise  gilded. 
Here  the  Tale  Lama  has  iixed  liis  residence,  ami  from  the  height  of  his 
sanctuary  can  contemplate,  on  days  of  high  solemnities,  liis  countless 
Avorshipers,  thronging  the  ])lain  and  prostrating  themselves  at  the  base 
of  the  Sacred  Mountain.  The  secondary  palaces  grouped  around,  ac- 
commodate a  crowd  of  lamas  whoso  continued  occupation  is  to  serve  and 
wait  on  the  living  Buddha.  Two  fme  avenues,  bordered  with  n\agnifi- 
cent  trees,  lead  from  Lha-Ssa  to  this  temple,  and  there  may  be  seen  a 
multitude  of  pilgrims  \mrolling  1)et\veeii  their  lingers  the  long  Buddhist 
rosaries,  and  the  lamas  of  the  c(jurt  splendidly  dressed,  and  nuiunted  on 
horses  richly  caparisoned.  There  is  contuiual  motion  in  the  viehiity  of 
the  Buddha-La,  but  the  multitude  is  generally  silent  and  serious. 

"The  Thibetan  wjmen  adopt  a  custom,  or  rather  submit  to  a  regu- 
lation certainly  unicpie  in  the  world.  Before  going  out  of  their  houses, 
they  rub  their  faces  with  a  sort  of  black  sticky  varnish,  a  good  deal  like 
conserve  of  grapes,  .vs  the  object  is  to  render  themselves  hi(h'ous,  they 
daub  their  faces  with  this  digusting  cosmeti(>,  till  they  scarcely  resemble 
bunum  creatures.  Tlie  following  was,  we  are  toUl,  the  origin  of  this 
monstrous  practice : 

"About  two  hundred  years  ago,  the  Xomekhan,  or  Lama  King  of 
Anterior  Tiiibet,  was  a  man  of  the  auslerest  character.  At  that  period, 
the  Thibetan  women  were  not  more  in  the  habit  of  trying  tn  make  them- 
selves look  ugly  than  the  wonu'ii  of  other  countries  ;  on  the  contrary, 
they  were  extravagantly  addicted  to  dress  and  luxury.  By  degrees, 
the  contagion  spread  even  to  the  holy  family  of  the  lamas ;  and  the 
Buildhist  convents  relaxed  their  discipline,  in  a  maimer  that  threatened 
a  comjilete  dissolution.  Li  order  to  arrest  the  jirogrcss  of  this  alarming 
libertinism,  the  noinekhan  ])ublished  an  edict,  forbidding  women  to 
aj)pcar  in  public  uidcss  disligured  in  the  fishion  above  mentioned  ;  the 
severest  punishments  and  the  heaviest  displeasure  of  Buddha  wore  threat- 
ened to  the  refractory.  It  must  have  rcijuired  no  onlinary  courage  to 
publish  such  an  edict;  but  that  the  women  obi'yed  it  was  still  more  ex- 
traordinary. TrailitioTi  makes  no  mention  of  the  slightest  revolt  on  llieir 
part.     The  fair  Thibetans  vie  with  each  other  in  making  themselves 


I  I 


i 


-^1 


irii' 


i        i 


752 


HUG'S    TRAVELS. 


frigliti'iil,  and  slio  who  is  most  offensively  bosmoarod  passes  for  the  most 
pious  ;  the  custom  appeal's  to  be  considered  as  a  dogma  to  be  aceej)ted. 
In  tlie  country  the  hiw  iss  most  rigorously  observed  ;  but  at  Llia-Ssa, 
women  arc  to  be  mit  with  who  venture  to  appear  witli  their  faces  as  na- 
ture made  tliem  ;  but  those  who  permit  tliemselves  tliis  license  are  con- 
sidered as  women  of  bad  reputation,  and  they  never  fail  to  hide  them- 
selves when  they  catch  sight  of  an  agent  of  the  police." 

The  travelers  soon  became  objects  of  attention  from  the  populace, 
ami  there  were  many  conjectures  afloat  conccrnhig  their  character  and 
origin.  To  avoid  all  difHculty,  they  resolved  to  conform  to  a  regulation 
which  requires  all  foreigners  desirous  of  dwelling  at  Lha-Ssa,  to  i)resent 
themselves  to  the  authorities.  They  repaired  to  the  chief  of  police,  to 
whom  they  declared  they  were  from  the  west,  from  a  great  kingdom 
called  France,  and  that  they  had  come  to  Thibet  to  preach  the  Christian 
religion.  The  official  received  this  information  with  apparent  satisfac- 
tion, and  the  travelers  retired,  congratulating  themselves  on  their  good 
fortune.  Some  days  atler  this,  however,  they  were  visited  by  spies,  and 
j)resently  were  summoned  l)eforo  the  regent.  Their  reception  was  not 
imfavorable,  but  they  Avere  greatly  alarmed  on  being  also  conducted  be- 
fore the  Chinese  embassador,  who,  they  knew,  would  endeavor  to  pre- 
vent them  from  remaining  in  the  city. 

After  a  long  examination,  during  which  they  stated  very  frankly  their 
true  character,  the  seal  of  the  Grand  Lama  Avas  affixed  to  every  article 
of  their  baggage,  and  they  were  kept  as  jn-isoners  for  the  night  in  the 
regent's  house.  They  Avere,  nevertheless,  treated  with  great  kindness, 
and  received  assm-ances  of  friendly  interest  from  several  of  the  Thibetan 
officials.  The  next  day  their  trunks  were  opened,  in  the  presence  of  the 
regent  and  the  Chinese  embassador.  Hue  thus  describes  the  result : 
"We  took  oft"  the  seal  of  the  Tale  Lama,  and  the  two  trunks  that  every 
body  had  been  long  devouring  with  their  eyes,  Avere  at  last  laid  open. 
"NVci  took  out  tlie  contents,  one  after  another,  and  displayed  them  on  a 
large  table.  First  ajipeared  some  Aolumes  in  French  and  Latin  ;  then 
some  TartJir  and  Chinese  books,  church  linen  and  ornaments,  sacred 
vases,  rosaries,  crosses,  medals,  and  a  magnilicent  collection  of  litho- 
graphs. Everybody  Avas  lost  in  admiration  at  the  sight  of  this  little  Eu- 
ropean museum.  They  stared,  joggeil  each  other  Avith  the  elbow,  and 
clucked  with  their  tongues  in  sign  cf  .ajiprobalion.  Xo  one  had  ever 
peen  any  thing  so  Avonderful  or  so  beautiful.  Every  shining  Avhite  object 
was  silver,  every  thing  that  shone  yellow  was  gold.  Every  coinitenance 
expanded,  and  it  seemed  to  be  quite  forgotten  Avhrit  dangerous  peoph; 
Ave  were.  The  Thihelans  put  out  their  tongues  and  scratched  their  ears; 
the  Chinese  made  us  the  most  sentimental  reverences.  The  bag  of  med- 
als made  all  eyes  turn  in  their  sockets.  They  liojied,  probably,  (hat  we 
nliould  make  a  public  distribution  of  these  brilliant  pieces  of  gold  on 
leaving  ilie  hall  of  judgment." 

The  nu)st  suspicious  olyects  were  their  maps,  but  Hue  succeeded,  by 


1  * 


m 


nr 


PLAN    OF    A    MISSION    IN    LIIA-SSA. 


753 


d,  by 


appealing  to  the  knowledge  of  tlie  Cliiiiese  einlmssador,  nnd  llierehy  llnt- 
terincc  his  vanitv,  in  oht.'iiningf  his  testimony  tliat  tliev  were  enirraved, 
and  not  made  by  the  travelers  themselves.  This  testunony  was  con- 
clusive ;  "  the  good-natured  regent,"  says  Hue,  "  looked  quite  radiant 
and  triumphant  when,  after  all,  there  appeared  nothing  among  our 
effects  to  compromise  us.  'You  see,'  said  ho  to  the  end)assador,  '  tl.es(> 
men  are  ministers  of  the  Lord  of  Heaven,  and  honest  men  ;  what  wouM 
you  have  of  theni  ?  Let  the?n  go  in  pc".ee  !'  Tiie^o  ilattering  words 
were  received  in  the  hall  with  a  murnnir  of  approbation;  and  v.f 
responded  from  the  bottom  of  our  hearts, '  JJco  _cy;v/^V^^■.'  Our  baggage  was 
again  shouldered  by  the  people  pressed  into  the  service,  and  we  returned 
to  our  home  with  much  greater  briskness  than  when  Ave  had  ([uitted  it. 
The  news  of  our  acquittal  (piickly  spread  through  the  town  ;  the  people 
flocked  from  all  sides  to  salute  us,  and  the  French  name  was  in  every 
mouth." 

On  the  day  of  their  liberation,  the  regent  furnished  themA\ith  a  s])len- 
did  house,  and  gave  them  entire  ])ennission  to  commence  the  work  of 
proselytism.  They  erected  a  chapel  in  their  dwelling,  and  lield  daily 
conversations  with  many  intelligent  natives,  who  came  to  question  them 
about  the  religion  of  the  West.  Two  or  three  of  these  appeared  to  be 
sincere  and  devout  in  their  inquiries,  and  the  missionaries  began  to  in- 
dulge in  splendid  dreams  of  establishing  Christianity  in  the  very  sanc- 
tuary of  Buddhism. 

"The  trancpiillity  wo  enjoyed,"  continues  ITuc,  "  the  disliiigui^he(l 
protection  accorded  by  the  government,  the  sympathy  of  the  ]>eojile — 
all  gave  us  the  hope  that,  with  the  aid  of  God  wo  might  lay,  in  the  very 
capital  of  Buddhism,  the  foundation  of  a  mission  whose  influence  would 
soon  extend  to  the  nomadic  tribes  of  Montxolia.  As  soon  as  we  imaiiined 
our  ]iosition  secure  in  Lha-Ssa,  we  began  to  think  of  re-establishing  com- 
munications with  Europe.  The  Avay  of  the  desert  was  imi^racticable  ; 
and  even  supposing  it  infested  neither  by  robbers  nor  wild  beasts,  the 
length  of  the  passage  maile  us  shudder.  The  route  bvTndia  seenied  tlie 
onlv  one  possible.  From  Lha-Ssa  to  the  first  Emilish  station  it  was  not 
more  than  a  month's  march  ;  and  by  establishing  a  correspondent  be- 
yond the  Himalayas,  and  another  at  Calcutta,  connnunication  with  France 
became,  if  not  prompt  or  easy,  at  least  practicable.  As  this  plan  could 
not  be  executed  Avithout  the  concurrence  of  the  govermnent,  Ave  com- 
municated it  to  the  regent,  AA'ho  entered  into  our  views;  and  it  Avas 
agreed  that  A\'hen  the  fine  season  commenced,  3L  Gabet  should  under- 
take the  journey  to  Calcutta  Avhh  a  Thibetan  escort  as  far  as  Boutan. 
Such  were  our  plans  for  the  establishment  of  a  mission  at  TJia-Ssa;  but, 
at  this  Aery  moment,  the  enemy  of  all  good  Avas  at  Avork  to  drive  us 
from  a  country  Avhich  he  seems  to  have  chosen  tor  the  seat  of  his  empire." 

This  enemy  Avas  the  Chinese  minister,  Avho  even  became  jealous  of 
the  |)o])nlarity  of  the  two  foreigners,  lie  endeavored  to  i)ersuadc  the 
regent  to  expel  them,  alleging  that  their  design  Avas  to  overthroAV  tho 

48 


II! 


• 


.      -I 


!  1  i'l 


iil 


I    i 


r  .Jt 


1''     , 

1.            :  i    i 

,  1 !  ■ 

, 


iji' 


il 


liii 


I  * 


ini 


754 


nUC'S    TRAVELS. 


power  of  tlio  Talu  Lama  ;  but  the  regent  remainecl  friondly,  and  refused 
to  believe  these  assertions.  "The  quarrel  grew  more  bitter  every  day, 
and  matters  came  to  stich  a  j)ass,  that  jn-udenco  compelled  us  to  resolve 
on  yielding  to  circumstances,  and  no  longer  maintaining  a  resistance 
Avhicii  might  compromise  the  regent  our  protector,  and  even  become, 
perhaps,  the  cause  of  serious  dissensions  between  Chhia  and  Thibet. 
^Ve  de(fided,  then,  that  it  Avould  be  better  to  bow  the  head,  and  ac- 
cept our  persecution  with  resignation.  Our  conduct  would  at  least 
l)ro\e  to  the  Thibetans  that  we  had  come  among  them  with  pacific  in- 
tentions, and  had  no  intention  of  estabhshhig  ourselves  in  the  country 
by  violence.  Having  adopted  this  resolution,  Ave  went  to  the  jjalace  of 
the  regent,  Avho,  hearing  tliat  we  had  decided  upon  (putting  Lha-Ssa, 
looked  sorry  and  embarrassed,  lie  told  us  that  it  was  his  Avarmest  wish 
to  assure  us  a  free  and  tranquil  abode  in  Thibet,  but  that  alone,  and  de- 
prived of  the  support  of  his  sovereign,  he  Avas  too  feeble  to  repress  the 
tyranny  of  the  Chinese,  aa'Iio,  profiting  by  the  infancy  of  the  Tale  Lama, 
arrogated  to  themselves  rights  before  unheard-of  in  the  country." 

On  communicating  their  decision  to  the  Chinese  cnnbassador,  he  at 
once  assumed  complete  authority  over  them.  It  had  been  their  inten- 
tion to  i)roceed  direct  from  Lha-Ssa  to  Calcutta,  a  journey  of  forty  days 
only ;  but  this  he  at  once  prevented,  announcing  his  design  of  forward- 
ing them  through  the  Avhole  breadth  of  the  Chinese  empire  to  Canton, 
and  giving  them  but  eight  days  to  make  the  necessary  preparations. 
Samdadchiemba,  as  a  Chinese  subject,  Avas  not  allowed  to  accompany 
them,  but  the  minister  promised  to  alloAv  him  to  return  to  his  parents. 
Two  mandarins  and  a  guard  of  fifteen  Chinese  soldiers  Avere  appointed 
to  attend  the  missionaries  on  their  journey.  Their  farewell  interviews 
Avith  the  regent  and  the  other  Thibetan  ofiicials,  Avere  of  the  most 
friendly  cliaracter,  and  they  left  the  holy  city  Avith  dee])  mortification 
and  regret.  "  Outside  of  the  toAA'n,"  says  Hue,  "  a  number  of  the  inhab- 
itants with  Avhom  Ave  had  been  on  terms  of  friendship,  and  many  of 
Avhom  appeared  sincerely  disposed  to  embrace  our  holy  religion,  had  as- 
sembled to  salute  us  once  more.  Among  them  Avas  a  young  physician, 
still  Avearing  on  his  breast  the  cross  that  Ave  had  given  him.  We 
alighted  fronx  our  horses  to  give  them  some  parting  Avords  of  consola- 
tion, to  exhort  them  to  abandon  com-ageously  the  superstitious  worship 
of  Ihiddha,  and  adore  the  God  of  the  Christians,  confiding  always  in  his 
infinite  goodness  and  mercy.  When  we  had  remounted  our  horses,  Ave 
cast  a  long  lust  look  on  the  city  of  Lha-Ssa,  still  visible  in  the  distance ; 
and  said  in  the  dejjths  of  our  hearts,  '  God's  will  be  done  !'  It  Avas  the 
15th  of  March,  184G." 

JOURNKT    FROM    LHA-SSA    TO    CANTON. 

On  their  return  journey,  the  missionaries  determined  to  cliange  en- 
tirely their  course  of  conduct.    As  two  mandarins  Avere  to  attend  them, 


;S.i1ia«iiil 


i 


J  ihcra. 


DIPLOMACY    OF    THE    MISSIONARIES. 


their  fear  of  these  personaojcs  ahated,  knowing  thnt  tliey  were  strong 
against  tlie  Aveiik,  hut  weak  against  tlie  strong.  Tiieir  position  gave 
them  some  advixntages,  and  the  only  security  for  their  lives  seemed  to 
be,  to  make  themselves  respected.  On  reaching  the  town  of  Ta-tsion-lou, 
on  the  frontier  of  the  Chinese  empire,  they  demanded  iialanquins  and 
bearers.  The  governor  at  iirst  refused,  but  after  a  violent  debate  yielded 
the  point.  They  then  determined  to  revolt  against  the  decrees  of  the 
"Tribunal  of  Rites,"  on  the  subject  of  costume.  "We  cast  aside,"  says 
Hue,  "  our  Tliibet  dress — the  frightful  Avolf-skin  caji,  the  checked  hose, 
and  the  long  fur  tunic,  that  exhaled  so  strong  an  odor  of  beef  and  mut- 
ton, and  Avc  got  a  skillful  tailor  to  make  us  some  beautiful  sky-blue 
robes  in  the  newest  firshion  of  Pekin.  We  provided  ouiselves  with  mag- 
nificent black  satin  boot>\  adorned  with  soles  of  dazzling  whiteness.  So 
far  the  aforesaid  tribunal  of  rites  had  no  objection ;  but  when  we  i)r<)- 
ceeded  to  gird  up  om*  loins  Avith  red  sashes,  and  cover  our  heads  with 
embroidered  yellow  caps,  Ave  caused  a  universal  shudder  among  all  be- 
holders, and  the  emotion  ran  through  the  town  like  an  electric  current, 
till  it  reached  the  civil  and  military  authorities.  They  cried  aloud  that 
the  red  sash  and  the  yelloAV  cap  Avere  the  attributes  of  imperial  majesty 
— ^allowable  only  to  the  family  of  the  emperor,  and  forbidden  to  the 
people  under  pain  of  perpetual  banishment.  On  this  point  the  tribunal 
of  rites  Avould  be  inflexible,  and  avc  must  i-eform  our  costume  accord- 
ingly. We,  on  our  side,  alleged,  that  being  stratigers  traveling  as 
such,  and  by  authority,  avo  Avere  bound  to  conform  to  the  ritual  of  the 
empire — but  had  the  right  of  folloAving  the  fashion  of  our  own  country, 
Avhicli  allowed  every  one  to  choose  the  form  and  color  of  his  garments, 
according  to  l\is  own  flmcy.  They  insisted — they  became  angry — they 
flew  into  a  furious  passion  ;  Ave  remained  calm  and  immovable,  but  a'Oav- 
ing  that  we  Avould  never  part  with  our  red  s.ashes  and  yellow  caps.  Our 
obstinacy  Avas  not  to  be  overcome,  and  the  mandarins  .submitted — as 
they  ought  to  do." 

After  passing  a  terrific  mountain-chain,  the  sunmiits  of  Avhich  Avero 
covered  with  snow,  they  descended  into  the  populous  r.  ;  Ccrtile  plains 
of  the  j>rovince  of  Sse-Tchouen.  It  Avas  noAV  the  month  f  June,  and 
they  were  deliglitcd  Av!^h  the  sight  of  rich  fields  and  ripening  harvests. 
In  this  thorough  and  patient  cultivation  they  recognized  China.  Hue 
also  noticed  a  peculiar  musky  odor  in  passing  through  the  villages,  ti 
/(ro^jo.s  of  which  subject  he  observes:  "Travelers  in  remote  countries 
have  often  remarked,  that  most  nations  have  an  odor  Avhich  is  peculiar 
to  them.  It  is  easy  to  distinguish  the  negro,  the  i^Ialay,  the  Tartar,  the 
Thibetan,  the  Hindoo,  the  Arab,  and  the  Chinese.  The  country  itself 
even,  the  soil  on  which  they  dwell,  diffuses  an  analogous  exhalation, 
Avliich  is  especially  observable  in  the  morning,  in  passing  either  through 
town  or  coimtry ;  but  a  new-comer  is  much  more  sensible  of  it  tlian  an 
old  resident,  as  the  sense  of  smell  becomes  gradually  so  accustomed  to 
it  as  no  longer  to  perceive  it.     The  Chinese  say  they  perceive  also  a 


ill 


|i 


m 


n\ 


1 

' 

it  lif] 

■  i; 

•:.i,f 

III 


t  : 


w 


1 11^ 


756 


nUC'S   TRAVELS. 


peculiar  odor  in  an  Emoiioan,  but  ono  k'ss  ])o\vorfu]  tlian  that  of  the 
other  nations  with  wlioui  llicy  come  in  contact.  It  is  reniarlvaldc,  liow- 
ever,  tliat  in  traversing  the  various  provinces  of  China,  we  were  never 
recognized  by  any  one  except  by  tlie  dogs,  which  l)arked  continually  at 
us,  and  appeared  to  know  that  we  Avere  Ibreigners.  We  had,  indeed, 
completely  the  appearance  of  true  Chinese,  and  only  an  extremely  del- 
icate scent  could  discover  that  we  did  not  really  belong  to  the  '  central 
nation.' " 

jVfter  a  inarch  of  twelve  days,  during  wliich  they  traveled  a  distance 
of  three  liundred  miles  from  the  frontier,  they  reached  the  large  town 
of  Tching-tou-fou,  the  capital  of  the  province  of  Sse-Tcliouen.  Here  an 
examination  was  held,  and  they  were  at  tirst  in  some  doubt  as  to  their 
future  fate.  They  were  taken  belbre  the  chief  provincial  commissioner 
and  the  insjDCctor  of  crimes,  both  of  whom  asked  them  many  (piestions, 
which  they  answered  with  so  much  dignity,  propriety,  and  good-humor, 
that  at  last  the  balance  turned  in  their  favor.  The  next  day  they  were 
taken  before  the  viceroy  of  the  province,  who,  after  another  examina- 
tion, the  })articulars  of  which  A\ere  taken  down,  to  be  ibrw arded  to 
Pekin,  decided  to  send  them  to  Canton,  there  to  be  delivered  over  to 
the  French  embassador.  Tliis  trial,  and  the  subscrpient  ])rcii!irations  for 
their  farther  journey,  detained  them  seventeen  days,  during  which  time 
they  had  amide  leisure  to  ins])ect  the  place.  Hue  gives  the  Ibllowing 
description  of  it : 

"  Tching-tou-fou,  the  capital  of  the  province  of  Sse-Tchouen,  is  one 
of  the  linest  towns  in  the  empire.  It  is  situated  in  the  middle  of  an  ad- 
mirably fertile  jdain,  watered  by  beautiful  streams,  and  bounded  to- 
ward the  horizon  by  hills  of  graceful  and  varied  forms.  The  principal 
streets  arc  of  a  good  width,  paved  entirely  with  large  flagstones,  and  so 
clean  that  you  can  scarcely,  as  you  pass  through  them,  believe  yourself 
to  be  in  a  Chinese  town.  The  shops  Avith  their  long  and  brilliant  signs, 
the  exquisite  order  with  which  the  merchandise  displayed  in  them  is 
arranged,  the  great  number  and  beauty  of  the  tribunals,  pagodas,  and 
of  what  Ave  must  call  literary  institutions,  all  contribute  to  make  of 
Tching-tou-fou  a  toAvn  in  some  measure  exceptional ;  or  at  least  this  is 
the  impression  Ave  retained  concerning  it,  Avhen  subsequently  Ave  had 
visited  the  most  renoAvned  cities  of  the  other  provinces." 

The  viceroy,  in  framing  the  regulations  to  be  observed  during  their 
journey,  ordered  that  the  same  honors  should  be  paid  to  them  on  the 
road  as  to  functionaries  of  the  very  highest  rank.  Those  Avho  failed  to 
show  them  the  proper  respect  Avere  sometimes  Iiarshly  treated  liy  the 
mandarins  Avho  had  them  in  charge,  and  the  character  they  had  assumed 
obliged  them  to  maintain  an  inditl'erence  to  this  tyranny  Avhicli  they  did 
not  feel.  After  tAvo  or  three  days  they  reached  the  great  Taiiff-tse- 
Juiiiu/  (Son  of  the  Sea),  or  Blue  River,  an<l  the  mandarins  ]iroposed  to 
travel  by  water.  The  fatigues  of  the  land-journey  made  this  a  desired 
change,  but  their  pleasure  Avas  less  than  they  had  imagined.     At  mid- 


m 


\.  ]    '     I 


TJ[EY    L   !DOK    IN-    A    TIIEATllE. 


757 


iiiglit  tlioy  liallocl  at  the  town  ol'K'K'u-tclioou,  fuid  lodged  nt  tlio  "Tlott'l 
of  Accomplished  Wishes."  In  this  place,  they  had  a  violent  dispute 
Avith  the  niandaritis,  ■\vho  wished  to  jirevent  theiii  from  visiting  the  ((^m- 
munal  palace,  Avhere  they  insisted  upon  taking  up  their  residence.  All 
sorts  tif  threats,  ohjections,  and  entreaties  were  made,  but  the  mission- 
aries were!  iiiHexihle  in  their  resolution,  and  tinally  achieved  their  design. 
Every  victory  of  this  kind  added  to  the  respect  with  M-liich  they  were 
treated.  Their  journey  for  some  weeks  uas  a  repetition  of  these  sceni  s, 
})ut  their  knowledge  of  Chinese  character  always  enahled  them  to  come 
oif  victorious.  Their  route  lollowed  the  course  of  tlus  Vang-tse-Iviang, 
sometimes  in  boats  on  the  river,  and  oceasionallv  leading  over  mountain- 
chains,  in  order  to  cut  otf  some  of  its  many  windings.  Tn  the  town  of 
Leang-Chan  they  carried  their  effrontery  so  far,  as  to  \[\Vv  the  place  of 
judges,  and  try  three  Chinese  Christians,  who  had  been  brought  before 
the  proper  tribimal.  This  was  not  only  allowi'(l  by  the  authorities,  to 
the  great  astonisluneiit  of  the  missionaries,  l)ut  the  decision  of  the 
latter,  liberating  the  accused  converts,  was  accepted,  and  carried  into 
effect ! 

At  the  to\m  of  Yao-Tchang,  they  had  rather  a  picturesque  expe- 
rience. They  took  lodgings  at  the  "  Hotel  of  the  beatitudes,"  which  was 
the  reverse  of  what  its  name  indicated.  They  then  sent  one  of  the  man- 
darins to  seek  a  better  2>l:ico,  and  in  a  short  time  lie  returne(l,  saying 
that  they  should  occupy  the  theater,  which  Avas  spacious  and  airy.  "  A 
porter  appeared,  avIio  took  up  our  baggage,"  says  Hue,  "  and  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye,  we  had  left  the  Hotel  of  Beatitudes  to  become  ten- 
ants of  the  theater  of  Yao-tchang.  This  theater  formed  part  of  a  great 
Bonze  convent,  and  was  situated  in  an  innnense  court-yard  opposite  to 
the  principal  pagoda.  Its  construction  Avas  rather  i-einfu'kable,  in  com- 
parison Avith  the  numerous  edifices  of  this  kind  to  bo  nu^t  with  in  China. 
Twelve  great  granite  colmnus  su])ported  a  vast  square  jjlatform  sur- 
mounted by  a  pavilion  riclily  ornamented,  and  Bupported  on  pillars  of 
varnished  Avood. 

"  A  broad  stone  staircase,  situated  at  the  back  of  the  building,  led 
to  the  platform,  first  into  an  apartment  intended  for  the  actors,  and 
thence  to  the  stage  by  two  side  doors,  Avhich  served  for  entrances  and 
exits.  Upon  the  stage  Avore  placed  some  chairs  and  a  table,  and  there 
Ave  supped  by  the  light  of  the  moon  and  stars,  as  Avell  as  of  a  number  of 
lanterns,  Avhich  the  directors  of  the  theater  had  had  kindled  in  oin-  honor. 
It  Avas  really  a  charming  spectacle,  and  one  altogether  unlooked  for.  If 
we  had  not  taken  the  jirecaution  to  have  the  great  gate  of  the  Bonze 
convent  shut,  we  should  soon  have  had  the  whole  ^lopulatiou  of  Yao- 
tchang  in  the  space  that  Avas  iiitenib-d  to  serve  for  a  pit.  It  is  certain 
that  the  inhabitants  of  this  place  had  never  seen  on  their  stage  anything 
they  Avould  think  as  curious  as  ourselves.  We  heard  a  tunndtuous  mob 
outside,  demanding  Avith  loud  cries  to  be  allowed  a  sight  of  the  two  men 
from  the  western  seas  at  supper.     They  seemed  to  think  we  must  have 


■:i 


Hi 


1 


I 


^fWf 

^ 

1i' 

HI, 


m't: 


§ 


I! 


I  ,  ;!  '  i 


I     i 


!  ;      .1 


if 


758 


IIUC'S    TRAVELS. 


some  quite  i)Ocnli:u'  and  oxtraordinaiy  inetliod  of  eating.  Some  suc- 
ceudt'd  in  getting  upon  tlie  roof  of  the  Bonze  convent,  and  some  had 
climbed  over  the  iiiclosure  and  up  into  some  high  trees,  whence  they 
could  connnau'l  a  view  of  us,  and  where  we  saw  them  jumping  about 
among  the  leaves  like  huge  monkeys.  Those  curious  and  intrejjid  per- 
sons must  have  been  much  disappointed  to  see  us  eating  our  rice  Avith 
chop-sticks,  quite  in  the  established  Chuiese  fashion. 

"  The  evening  Avas  delightfully  line,  and  the  air  delicious  on  this  plat- 
form, M'hero  wo  begged  our  servant  to  place  our  beds,  as  we  desired  to 
pass  tlie  night  there.  All  was  made  ready,  and  we  wished  to  go  to  bed; 
but  our  watchful  observers  manifested  no  inclination  to  quit  their  posts, 
and  at  last  we  had  to  i)ut  out  the  lanterns,  in  order  to  drive  them  home. 
As  they  departed,  we  heard  some  of  tlum  say,  '  Why  these  men  are  just 
like  us !'  '  Xot  (juite,'  said  another  ;  '  the  little  devil  has  very  large  eyes, 
and  the  tall  one  a  very  pointed  nose.     I  noticed  that  difference.'  " 

Continuing  their  voyage  down  the  Yang-tse-Kiang,  they  reached  tho 
town  of  Pa-toung,  in  the  provhicc  of  Ilou-peh,  the  capital  of  which  is  the 
great  city  of  Wou-chang-fou.  Hue  remarks  :  "  We  passed  without  acci- 
dent a  place  dangerous  from  its  nimierous  reefs  ;  some  of  tlie  last  met 
with  on  this  fnie  river,  which  beyond  this  place  goes  on  increasing  from 
day  to  day,  and  si^reading  richness  and  fertility  around  it.  There  is 
certainly  no  one  in  the  world  to  be  conqjared  with  it  for  the  multitude 
of  men  whom  it  feeds,  and  tho  prodigious  number  of  vessels  that  it  bears 
on  its  waters.  Xothing  can  be  more  grand  and  majestic  than  the  de- 
Aolopment  of  this  river  during  its  course  of  one  thousand  nhie  hundred 
and  eighty  miles.  At  Tclioung-king,  nine  lumdred  miles  from  the  sea, 
it  is  already  a  mile  and  a  half  broad ;  at  its  mouth  it  is  no  less  than 
twenty-one." 

Some  days  after  this,  however,  they  encountered  a  violent  gale.  Tho 
Avaves  rose  so  high  that  the  junk  became  almost  unnuinageable  :  they 
Avere  tAvice  driven  upon  sand-bars,  and  narrowly  escaped  shipAvreck. 
At  last,  after  a  day  of  great  terror  and  danger,  they  reached  the  tOAvn 
of  Kin-tcheou,  and  found  that  two  boats  Avhicli  had  preceded  them  had 
been  Avreckcd,  and  three  men  droAvned.  At  this  place  they  left  the 
river,  and  took  again  to  their  palanquins.  The  heat  Avas  so  great,  as  it 
Avas  noAv  tho  middle  of  summer,  that  they  traveled  mostly  by  night,  ac- 
companied by  horsemen  bearing  torches.  Their  strength,  hoAvever,  had 
been  so  exhausted  by  the  long  duration  of  their  fatigues,  that  on  reach- 
ing a  town  called  Kuen-kaiig-hien,  they  both  became  seriously  ill,  and 
Avere  compelled  to  suspend  their  journey.  "  Every  one  of  the  company," 
says  Hue,  "  delivered  his  opinion  of  our  condition  in  the  most  technical 
terms,  and  it  Avas  settled  by  the  obliging  members  of  this  impromntu 
consultation  that  our  '  noble  and  illustrious  malady  proceeded  from  a 
disturbance  in  the  equilibrium  of  the  vital  spirits.'  The  igneous  ])rinci- 
ple,  they  thought,  too  long  fed  by  the  excessive  heat,  had  ended  by  ex- 
ceeding beyond  all  measure  the  proper  bounds  assigned  to  it,  and  that. 


-L.. 


C1IIN?:SK    PHYSIOLOGY. 


759 


consequently,  a  firo,  so  to  speak,  had  been  kindled  in  tlie  sublime 
organization  of  our  body." 

For  the  purpose  of  subduing  this  igneous  principle,  thoy  prescrilted 
green  peas,  eueuinbers,  and  melons  ;  but  before  the  jtrescription  (!ould 
be  testi'd,  a  celebrated  ])hysieian  arrived,  Avho  made  a  long  and  careful 
examination  of  the  illustrious  patients,  "  ]iy  some  means  or  other," 
said  he,  shaking  his  head,  "  the  cold  air  has  penetrated  into  the  interior, 
and  has  put  itself  in  opposition,  in  many  of  tiio  organs,  Avith  the  igneous 
principle  ;  thence  arises  the  struggle,  -which  nnist  necessarily  manifest 
itself  by  vomitings  and  convulsions  ;  -we  nnist  therefore  combat  the  evil 
"with  warm  substances."  In  order  to  re-establish  the  said  c'luilibrinm 
there  needed  only  to  be  introduced  into  the  body  a  certain  (pi.antity  of 
cold,  and  to  lower  the  extravagant  temperature  of  this  igneous  principle ; 
therefore  it  Avas  necessary  to  favor  the  retiwn  of  moisture  into  all  the 
mcnd)ers.  After  haniriufj  between  life  and  death  for  two  or  three  davs, 
the  constitutions  of  the  missionaries  prevailed,  and  they  gradually  recov- 
ered their  health  and  strength. 

After  traveling  for  some  time  loTiger  doM'n  the  Yang-tse-Kiang,  they 
reached  the  large  town  of  On  (or  AVou)-Chang-fou,  the  capital  of  IIou- 
peh,  and  the  chief  center  of  the  internal  trade  of  China.  They  Avere  at 
first  very  disagreeably  lodged  in  a  little  pagoda,  and  the  manibirins 
seemed  disposed  to  treat  them  Avith  contempt  and  arrogance.  It  was 
necessary  for  them  to  make  a  strong  dijjlomatic  movement :  they  forced 
themselves  into  the  presence  of  the  governor  of  the  province,  and  boldly 
claimed  better  treatment.  Their  boldness  had  its  usual  eft'ect :  they 
were  installed  in  a  magnificent  Buddhist  convent,  called  the  "  (iarden 
of  the  Western  Gate."  Here  the  mandarins  and  escort  Avho  had  accom- 
panied them  from  Sse-tchouen  Avere  dismissed,  and  they  Avere  furnished 
Avith  others,  for  the  journey  to  Canton.  The  ])rincipal  mandarin  Avas 
called  Ueoti,  or  "Willow;"  but  as  he  had  A'cry  large  goggle  eyes, 
AA'hich  Avere  Aveak  and  easily  provoked  to  teai's,  the  missioiuxries  gen- 
erally called  him  "The  Weeping  AVilloAA'." 

"  After  four  days'  rest  iu  the  Garden  of  the  Western  Gave,"  says 
Hue,  "  we  began  to  think  of  resuming  our  seemingly  interminable  jour- 
ney. We  felt  our  strength  and  courage  nearly  exhausted,  and  avo  had 
still  nearly  nine  hundred  miles  to  travel,  and  that  during  the  hottest 
season  of  the  year,  and  constantly  hi  a  south(>r!y  direction.  liut  trust- 
ing in  the  })rotecti()n  of  I*rovidence,  Ave  did  not  doubt  of  arriving  some 
day  safe  .and  somid  at  ]Macao." 

They  traveled  for  some  time  eastAA'ard  through  the  province  of  ITou- 
peh,  and  finally  reached  the  imperial  road  from  Canton  to  Pekin.  Hero 
there  Avere  two  routes  to  Nan-Chang,  the  capital  of  Kiang-Si,  a  very 
rugged  path  over  mountains,  and  a  A'oyage  across  the  great  Pou-Yang 
Lake,  Avhich  is  <langerous  at  certain  seasons.  TIk^  lake  is  forty-five  miles 
long,  by  from  fifteen  to  eightc'cn  in  breadth.  Af\er  some  consultation 
they  chose  the  latter  route.    "  Our  navigation  on  the  Lake  Pou-yang," 


il 


:  ,  ■  ;  i 
■  -I  ( 


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11 


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760 


HUG'S    TRAVELS, 


says  Hue,  "  was  jH'rformod  without  accklent ;  but  it  Avas  mncli  siower 
tlian  M'c  had  auticijjatcd,  for  instead  of  one  day's  juunify  wo  liad  two. 
AVo  had  not  gone  more  thau  half  way  when  the  wind  clianged,  and  be- 
gan to  blow  right  a-head,  so  that  wc  wore  compelled  to  make  some  long 
taeks.  During  these  two  days  we  seldom  saw  laud,  and  we  eould  hardly 
jtersuade  ourselves  that  Ave  were  really  in  the  center  of  the  Chinese  em- 
pire. The  inuuense  extent  of  water — the  long  waves  raised  by  the  wind 
— the  large  A'essels  that  were  moving  about  in  all  directions,  made  it 
luiik  more  like  a  sea  than  ii  lake.  The  innumerable  junks  that  are  con- 
stantly plowing  the  surface  of  the  Pou-yang  make  really  a  very  jjretty 
sight. 

"  From  the  Lake  Pou-yang  to  Nan-tcliang-fou,  the  capital  of  the 
province  of  Kiaug-si,  the  country  that  Ave  traveled  through  for  two 
days,  Avas  a  mere  desert,  in  Avhich  wei-e  seen  here  aiul  there  a  few' 
Avretched  huts  built  of  reeds  and  sonu^  patches  of  ground  half  cultivated 
by  poor  peasants.  The  e.vtreme  lu'at  of  the  Aveather,  and  our  own  need 
of  repose,  decidi'd  us  to  cnntimu;  oin*  joui'uey  by  Avater.  Frrmi  Xan- 
tchang-fou  Ave  could  follow  the  course  of  a  large  river  as  far  as  the 
^Mountain  3[ei-ling,  Avhich  is  just  halfway,  and  can  be  crossed  in  a  single 
day;  after  this,  the  Iliver  Kiang  Avould  take  us  all  the  rest  of  the  way 
to  Canton.  "We  kni'W  lliat  this  route  Avas  infinitely  iireferable  to  the 
laiiil-journey,  particularl\  if  we  were  furnished  with  government  junks, 
and  Avell-i>rovisloned.  Our  clTorts  were  crowned  with  perfect  success; 
Ave  Avere  provided  Avith  a  well-ai'iui'd  vessel  of  war  for  escort,  and  tAVO 
superb  junks,  one  fur  the  mandarins  and  their  suite,  and  one  for  our- 
selves. 

"jVfter  a  delightful  voyage  of  fifteen  days  Ave  arriA'cd  at  the  foot  of 
tlie  ^Mountain  !Mel-ling,  Avlun  we  bade  adieu  to  our  mandarin  juid<s,  and 
returned  to  our  palau(piin.  "We  arrived  toward  noon  at  the  sunnnit  of 
the  mountain,  Avhere  there  is  a  sort  of  triumjihal  arch,  in  the  form  of  an 
immense  portal;  on  one  side  of  which  ends  the  jtrovince  of  Kiang-si, 
and  on  the  otber  be<dns  that  of  Canton.  We  could  iu)t  cross  this  fiont- 
ier  Avithout  emotion,  for  Ave  had  now  at  last  set  foot  in  the  province 
Avhich  is  ill  dirt'ct  communication  Avitli  Kurope.  It  seemed  as  if  we  Avere 
only  a  short  way  from  Canton,  and  Canton  represented  to  us  Kurope — 
France,  that  country  so  dear  to  our  recollci'tions.  "NVe  descended  the 
mountain  slowly  and  cautiously,  on  account  of  tlu'  masses  of  rock  with 
Avhicli  the  Avay  was  thickly  strewn,  and  avo  arrived  in  the  evening  at 
Kau-liioung. 

"Oil  the  sixth  day  after  our  departure  from  Xnn-hioung,  the  Tigris 
had  ceased  to  roll  its  blue  waters  through  mountains  ;  and  Ave  entered 
on  u  richly  cultivateil  plain,  where  from  time  to  time  Ave  inhaled  a 
jiowerfiil  ni.d  invigorating  breeze,  that  seemed  to  expand  our  chests. 
It  Avas  ;i  breeze  from  the  sea,  and  Canton  was  not  far  oft'!  Standing 
motionless  on  the  deck  of  the  junk,  straining  our  eyes  in  that  direction, 
Ave  felt  all   the   trenu)r  that  precedes  the  stn>iig  emotions  of  u  return 


EETUllN    TO    CIVILIZATION. 


7G1 


after  long  absence.  The  last  rays  of  llio  sun  ^  ore  just  failing  on  the 
horizon,  when  we  perceived  something  lilce  an  immense  forest,  slrijiped 
of  its  leaves  and  branches,  and  retaining  only  the  trunks  of  the  grt'at 
trees.  The  current,  the  breeze,  and  the  tide,  were  now  sweeping  us  on 
rapidly  to  the  roads  of  Canton;  and  soon,  among  the  innumerabU'  masts 
of  Chhiese  junks,  we  distinguished  some  more  elevated  than  the  rest, 
and  the  peculiar  structure  of  whose  yards  nuido  us  give  a  sudden  start, 
and  filled  our  eyes  with  tears.  Among  the  native  vessels  of  Cliina  arose 
the  grand  and  imposing  forms  of  a  steaiu-sliip  and  several  Kast  ludia- 
men ;  and  amid  tlie  Hags  of  all  colors  that  were  waving  in  the  air,  we 
perceived  those  of  the  United  States,  of  I'ortugal,  and  of  Kuglan<l. 
That  of  France  was  not  among  them;  but  when  one  has  been  lung  at 
the  other  side  of  the  world,  on  an  inhos{)itable  soil,  in  China,  in  slKut,  it 
seems  that  all  the  people  of  the  west  form  one  great  family.  The  mere 
sight  of  a  European  Hag  makes  the  heart  beat,  for  it  awakens  all  the 
recollections  of  our  country. 

"In  traversing  the  port  of  Canton  on  our  mandarin  junk,  our  eyes 
sought  with  eager  curiosity  for  all  that  was  not  Chinese.  We  i)assi'd 
alongside  of  an  English  brig,  and  we  could  not  gaze  enough  at  the 
sailors  in  their  glazed  hats,  who,  ranged  in  a  line  along  the  deek,  wi-re 
watching  us  passing;  assuredly  without  suspecting  that  they  had  imder 
tlieir  eyes  two  Freufhinen  just  returned  from  the  high  table-land  of 
Asia.  Probably  they  were  amusing  themselves  at  our  Chinese  costume, 
Avlnle  wc  were  going  into  ecstasies  at  their  astonishing  jthysiognoniies. 
Those  rubicund  visages,  those  blue  eyt'S,  tlujse  lt)ng  noses  and  fiir  hair, 
those  curious  narrow  clothes,  pasted,  as  it  seemed,  upon  their  limbs — 
how  droll  it  all  was!  A  pretty  trim  little  vessel,  painted  green  and 
covered  with  a  white  awning,  now  passed  us ;  and  in  it  were  seated  three 
Euroj)eaii  gentlemen,  smoking  cigars,  enjoying  apjiarently  a  pleasure- 
trip.  How  grotesque  in  the  eyes  of  an  Asiatic  would  their  costume 
have  aj)peaied!  Tiiey  wore  black  hats  and  white  trowsors,  waistcoats, 
and  jackets.  A  Thibet  man  would  have  burst  out  laughing  to  see  those 
faci's,  naked  of  beard  or  mustaehe,  but  ha\  ing  instead  a  bunch  of  red 
curly  hair  on  each  cheek.  We  understood  now  how  absurd  Europeans 
must  look  in  countries  whieh  have  no  knowledge  of  their  customs  and 
fashions.  At  length,  then,  we  had  reached  Canton  I  Tliis  was  in  the 
month  of  October,  iHtO,  six  months  aller  our  departuri;  Iroin  Lha-Ssa. 

"  In  one  of  the  vi'ry  first  newspapers  that  chance  threw  into  our 
hands,  wo  read  an  article  that  wo  thought  rather  curious.  It  was  as 
follows:  'We  have  lately  received  the  intelligence  of  the  lamentable 
death  of  the  two  fathers  of  the  3[ongol  Tartar  Mission.'  After  a  slight 
glance  at  the  Tartar  countries,  tiie  author  of  the  article  contimies :  'A 
French  Lazarist  of  the  name  of  Hue,  took  up  his  abode  about  three 
years  ago  among  some  Cliinese  families  established  in  the  valh'y  of 
IJlack  Waters,  about  si.v  hundred  miles  from  the  (Ireat  Wall.  Another 
Lazarist,  whose  name  is  not  known  to  us,  joined  him  with  the  puiposo 


m 


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I.iii 


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'I  > , . 


ii* 


iWi'i 


762 


HUG'S   TRAVELS. 


of  forming  a  mission  for  the  conversion  of  the  Mongol  Buddhists,  They 
studied  the  Tartar  languagx.  with  the  lamas  of  the  neighboring  monas- 
teries ;  and  it  apjjears  tliat,  having  been  regarded  as  foreign  lamas,  they 
■were  treated  in  a  friendly  manner,  especially  by  the  Buddhists,  who  are 
very  ignorant,  and  who  took  the  Latin  of  tlieir  breviaries  for  Sanscrit, 
which  they  do  not  understand,  but  for  which  they  have  much  venera- 
tion. AVhen  the  missionaries  believed  themselves  sufficiently  instructed 
in  the  language  they  proceeded  into  the  interior,  with  the  intention  of 
conunencing  the  ^\■ork  of  conversion.  After  that  period  very  little  was 
heard  of  them,  until  in  May  last  information  was  received  that  they  had 
been  fastened  to  the  tails  of  wild  horses  and  dragged  to  death.  The  im- 
mediate cause  of  this  event  is  not  yet  known.'  It  may  well  be  imagined 
that  this  article  astonished  us  a  little ;  and  we  thouglit  we  had  some 
reason  to  doubt  its  perfect  accuracy. 

"  Two  days  afterward  wo  had  clasped  in  our  arms  our  old  friends 
and  dear  brethren  at  Macao.  For  a  long  time  we  felt  in  the  midst  of 
them  like  men  awakened  from  a  deep  sleep.  We  were  astonished  to  see 
no  longer  around  us  the  Thibetan,  Tartar,  and  Chinese  physiognomies, 
and  to  hear  pounding  in  our  ears  only  that  beautiful  native  tongue 
whose  harmonious  accents  made  every  tiber  of  our  souls  thrill  with  joy, 
and  our  eyes  gush  full  of  delicious  tears,  France  was  still  far  from  us, 
and  yet  wo  seenied  to  have  found  it  again. 

"  A  month  afU'r  our  arrival  at  Macao,  ]\I.  Gabet,  forgetting  his  in- 
firmities and  sulferings,  and  listening  only  to  his  devotion  to  the  sacred 
cause  in  which  ho  was  engaged,  embarked  for  Plurope,  in  the  hope  of 
exciting  the  zeal  and  charity  of  the  Catholics  in  favor  of  the  interesting 
populations  of  Tartary  and  Thibet,  for  whoso  salvation  he  would  gladly 
have  laid  down  his  life.  "NVc  hoped  at  the  time  soon  to  meet  again  this 
companion  uf  all  our  wanderings,  the  friend  whose  existence  was  in  some 
measure  identified  with  our  own.  But  such  was  not  the  will  of  God. 
One  day  we  received  the  alllicting  news  that  this  indefatigable  and  cour- 
ageous missionary  had  yielded  his  last  breath  on  the  c(jast  of  Brazil. 
When  amid  the  snows  of  high  Asia,  wo  had  1)een  so  solicitous  to  recall 
the  vital  warmtli  into  tho  nearly  frozen  limbs  of  our  friend,  we  little 
thought  that  God  had  appointed  him  to  lind  a  grave  on  tho  burning 
shores  of  South  America, 

"Alter  a  tolerably  long  residence  at  IVFacao,  we  ourselves  set  otf 
once  more  on  the  road  to  Pekin,  thus  traversing  China  for  the  third 
time,  and  as  we  have  alreaily  stated  in  our  former  work,  the  shattered 
Htate  of  our  health  subsequently  obliged  us  to  return  to  France,  after 
liaving  visited  on  our  way  India,  Kgyj)!,  Palestine,  and  Syria,  We  em- 
barked first  for  China  in  the  year  18;J8,  aud  wo  were  not  permitted  to 
BUD  uur  nutivti  country  again  till  1852." 


!l  I 


F  0  R  T  U  N  E'S 


JOURNEYS  TO   THE   TEA   COUNTRIES   OF   CHINA. 


JOURNEY    TO    THE    GREEN    TEA    DISTRICTS. 

Mk.  Robert  Fortixe,  an  English  botanist  and  horticulturist,  was 
led  to  visit  China  with  the  object  of  procuring  new  varieties  of  orna- 
mental plants  and  trees.  His  success  was  even  beyond  his  expectations ; 
he  procured  and  forwarded  to  Jlngland  many  very  beautiful  and  valua- 
ble specimens,  and  after  his  return  published,  in  1S47,  a  narrative  of  his 
experiences,  under  the  title  of  "  Three  Years'  Wanderings  in  the  North- 
ern Provinces  of  China.'*  Shortly  after  the  publication  of  this  volume, 
he  was  appointed  by  the  rom-t  of  directors  of  the  East  India  Company 
to  proceed  again  to  China,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  the  finest  varieties 
of  the  tea-plant,  as  well  as  native  manufactures  and  implements,  for  the 
government  tea  plantations  in  the  Himalayas.  Leaving  England  in  June, 
1848,  he  reached  Hong-Kong,  by  the  overland  route,  in  August. 

Mr.  Fortune  continued  his  voyage  northward  to  Shanghai,  which  is 
nearer  the  tea-districts.  It  was  a  matter  of  great  importance  to  procure 
the  best  seeds  and  shrubs  from  those  parts  of  the  country  where  the  best 
teas  are  produced.  He  therefore  designed  to  visit  the  celebrated  liill  of 
Sung-lo,  in  the  Ilwuy-chow  district,  where  the  very  finest  green  teas  are 
grown.  l?ut  this  jjlace  is  two  hundred  miles  inland,  and  except  the 
Jesuit  missionaries,  no  European  liad  ever  entered  the  sacred  precincts 
of  Ilwuy-chow.  jMr.  Fortuiu.'  says :  "  I  had  two  Hwuy-chow  men  in  my 
service  at  this  time.  I  sent  for  them,  and  inquired  whether  it  was  possible 
to  j)enctrate  so  far  into  the  country.  They  r^'plicd  that  wo  could  easily 
do  so,  and  that  they  were  quite  willing  to  accompany  mo,  only  stipulating 
that  I  should  discard  my  English  costume  and  ado]it  the  dress  of  the 
country.  I  kiuMV  that  this  was  indispensable  if  I  wished  to  accomplish 
the  object  in  view,  and  readily  accede(l  to  the  terms.  ]My  servants  now 
procured  me  a  Chinese  dress,  and  liad  the  tail  wliieh  I  had  worn  in  for- 
mer  years  nicely  dressed  by  the  barber.  Every  thing  was  socm  in  readi- 
ness except  the  boat  which  hud  to  be  engaged  fur  the  first  stage  of  our 
journey." 


Illi 


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A'-' 

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' 

764 


FORTUNE'S    TRAVELS    IN    CHINA. 


Having  engaged  a  boat,  had  his  head  shaved  and  his  tail  fastened  on, 
and  adojjted  the  eoinplete  Chinese  costume,  Mr.  Fortune  left  Shanghai 
for  the  large  city  of  Ilang-chow-foo,  and  arrived  there  after  a  three  days' 
voyage  on  the  grand  canal.  "  On  the  evening  of  the  22d  of  October," 
says  he,  "  I  approached  the  suburbs  of  Ilang-cliow-foo,  one  of  the  largest 
and  most  flourislnng  cities  in  the  richest  district  of  the  Chinese  empire. 
The  Chuiese  authorities  have  always  been  most  jealous  of  foreigners 
ai)proaching  or  entering  this  town.  As  I  drew  nearer  the  city,  every 
thing  which  came  nnder  my  observation  marked  it  as  a  place  of  great 
importance.  The  grand  canal  was  deej)  and  wide,  and  bore  on  its  waters 
many  hundreds  of  boats  of  different  sizes,  all  engaged  in  an  active  bust- 
hng  trade.  Many  of  these  were  sailing  in  the  same  direction  as  our- 
selves, while  others  -were  leaving  the  city,  and  hurrying  onward  in  tho 
direction  of  Soo-chow,  Iloo-chow,  Kea-king,  and  other  towns.  Canals 
Avcrc  seen  branching  off  from  the  grand  canal  m  all  directions,  and  form- 
ing the  high  roads  of  the  country." 

Tho  boatmen  dissuaded  I\Ir.  Fortnne  from  entering  the  city,  but  as 
it  "was  necessary  for  him  to  reach  the  Ilang-chow,  or  Green  River,  about 
eight  miles  distant,  he  engaged  a  sedan  chair  and  some  bearers  to  con- 
vey liim  around  the  walls.  Tlie  latter,  however,  to  his  great  surprise, 
took  him  directly  through  tho  heart  of  the  city — a  Avalk  of  some  dis- 
tance. Fortunately  ho  "was  not  detected,  and  Avas  equally  successful, 
after  rcaclung  the  Green  Hiver,  in  engaging  a  boat  to  take  him  up  the 
river  to  Ilwuy-chow.  This  was  a  Cliinese  craft,  full  of  cargo  and  with 
twenty  passengers  on  board,  mostly  merchants  and  servants,  and  all 
quiet  and  inoffensive  ])eoj)]e.  There  Avere  berths  in  Avhich  the  passengers 
slept,  and  the  jirice  of  passage  also  included  meals,  which  consisted  prin- 
cipally of  tea,  sweet  potatoes,  and  boiled  rice. 

"  The  slow  i)rogress  which  we  necessarily  made  suited  my  purposes 
exactly,  and  enabled  me  to  explore  the  botanical  riches  of  the  country 
with  convenience  and  case.  I  used  to  rise  at  break  of  day,  and  spend 
the  morning  inspecting  tlie  hills  and  valleys  near  the  sides  of  the  river, 
and  then  return  to  tlie  boat  in  time  for  breakfast,  lireakfast  over,  I 
generally  went  on  shore  again,  accompiuTu'd  by  my  men,  who  carried  the 
seeds,  plants,  or  flowers  avo  might  discover  diu'ing  our  rambles.  Tho 
first  thmg  Ave  did  on  these  occasions  Avas  to  ascend  the  nean  st  hill  and 
take  a  survey  of  the  Avindings  of  the  river,  with  the  nund)er  of  rajnds, 
in  order  that  we  might  I'orm  some  idea  of  the  progress  our  boat  Avould 
make  during  our  absence." 

During  these  rambles,  Fortune  discovered  a  ncAV  variety  of  j)alm- 
trce,  the  only  species  to  be  foiuid  in  the  northern  or  central  provinces 
of  China.  It  grew  iipcm  the  hill-sides,  in  great  perfection.  It  is  jiar- 
llcularly  valuable  to  the  northern  Chinese,  Avho  use  its  large,  brown 
hair-like  bracts  for  many  jiurjioses.  IJop  "\  cables  for  their  junks 
are  made  out  of  this  substance,  and  seem  t(j  last,  even  under  water, 
for  a  very  long  time.     Agricultural  laborers  and   coolies   are  fond  of 


NEW   TREP]S    FOUND. 


765 


wearing  hats  and  cloaks  made  out  of  the  same  substance,  -whicli  in 
wet  weather  keeps  out  a  great  deal  of  rain ;  and  there  are  many  other 
purposes  to  Avhich  this  useful  tree 
is  applied. 

"  I  am  in  hopes,"  says  Fortune, 
"  that  one  d;iy  we  shall  see  this 
beautiful  palm-tree  ornamenting 
the  hill-sides  in  the  south  of  iCn- 
gland,  and  in  otluu-  mild  Eurojiean 
countries.  With  this  view  I  sent 
a  few  plants  home  to  Sir  AVilliam 
Hooker,  of  the  Royal  Gardens  at 
Kew,  with  a  request  that  he  would 
forward  one  of  them  to  the  gar- 
den of  his  Royal  Highness  Prince 
Albert,  at  Osborne  House,  Isle  of 
Wight."* 

"  But  the  most  beautiful  tree 
found  in  this  district  is  a  species 
of  weeping  cypress,  which  I  had 
never  met  with  in  any  other  part 
of  China,  and  which  was  quite  new 
to  me.  It  was  duiing  one  of  my  ,; 
daily  rambles  that  I  saw  the  first  - 
S])ecimen.  Ab(Mit  half  a  mile  dis- 
tant from  where  I  was  I  observed 
a     noble-looking     fir-tree,     about 


.,^- 


'>-ir"^"'. 


Mi^-§%,„^^;.., 


sixty    leet    in    lieight,   having   a  ^'^  "'^"^  p^^'^- 

stem  as  straight  as  the  Norfolk  Island  jiino,  and  Aveeping  branches 
like  the  willow  of  St.  Helena.  Its  branches  grew  at  first  at  right  angles 
to  the  main  stem,  then  descril)cd  a  graceful  curve  upward,  and  bent 
again  at  their  ])()ints.  From  these  main  branches  others  long  and  sh'u- 
der  hinig  down  perpcTidicul  uly,  .and  gave  the  Avholc  tree  a  weeping  and 
graceful  form.  It  reminded  me  of  some  of  those  large  and  gorgeous 
chandeliers  sometimes  seen  in  theaters  and  ])ub]ic  halls  in  Europe. 

"  On  the  evening  of  the  31st  of  October,"  he  continues,  "  we  reached 
Wac-ping.  It  is  a  city  of  considerable  .size,  walled  and  Ibrtified,  and 
probably  contains  one  humlred  and  fifty  thousand  inhabitants.  This 
place  is  just  on  the  borders  r4' the  district  of  Hwuy-chow.  Soon  after 
leaving  Wae-]iing  one  of  my  guides  informed  mi'  tliat  we  were  now  on 
the  border  of  another  jjrovince,  and  that  here  I  had  better  not  go  m\ich 
out  of  the  boat.     I  found  that  tliis  advice  was  good  and  worth  attending 

*  In  tlio  Botanical  Magazine  for  Marcli,  1850,  Sir  William  Ilnnknr  tlins  writes  of  it: 
"A  palm,  C/iauiarojifi  c.ro'.Va,  (?)  spiit  to  tlio  Uoval  (ianlciis  liy  Mr.  Forliino,  li^in  braved, 
unliarniod,  and  uiiiirolccti-'J  by  any  sort  of  povuriiig,  tho  suvero  wiiiter  now  pasHod" 
(1841)  00). 


liH, 


ii 


h 


'f. 


\ii» 


.!!■ 


i'i 


;| 


Iti 


B^l 


t'.n 


i 


li' 


, ;  ^n 


|iii^ 


*t 


HI 


766 


FORTUNE'S    TRAVELS    IN    CUINA. 


to.  Tlio  river  here  is  considered  the  liighway  or  passage  from  the  one 
district  to  tlie  other,  and  this  pass  is  well  guarded  by  soldiers.  Each 
province  has  its  own  guard-town.  On  the  Che-kiang  side  we  passed  a 
long,  straggling  town  on  the  river's  banks,  chiefly  inhabited  by  troops, 
who  were  the  guards  of  the  pass,  and  imder  the  orders  of  the  Ilang-chow 
mandarins.  As  soon  as  the  boundary-line  was  crossed  we  came  to  an- 
other place  of  like  size  and  appearance,  also  filled  Avith  soldiers,  who 
were  under  the  orders  of  the  authorities  of  Hwuy-chow-foo,  in  the  prov- 
ince of  Kiang-nan.  These  two  parties  formed  a  sort  of  border  guard, 
and  bore  each  other,  I  believe,  little  good-will.  They  reminded  me  of 
our  own  border  clans  in  ancient  feudal  times.  Boats  passing  up  and 
down  the  river  were  generallly  boarded,  and  had  their  papers  examined 
by  one  of  the  officers." 

Afler  a  voyage  of  several  days,  the  boat  arrived  at  the  town  of  Tun- 
chc,  distant  about  twenty  miles  from  the  city  of  Ilwuy-chow-foo.  The 
great  article  of  trade  here  is  green  tea.  For  the  principal  part  of  the 
joui  ney,  the  river  had  been  shut  in  by  high  hills,  but  at  this  place  they 
retired,  leaving  an  extensive  and  beautiful  valley,  which  was  almost 
cntirel}'  covered  with  tea  plantations.  The  soil  was  very  fertile,  and  the 
tea-shrubs  showed  a  most  luxuriant  growth.  Fortune  remained  btit  an 
hour  or  two  at  Tun-che ;  he  hired  a  chair,  took  the  road  for  Sung-lo, 
and  before  dark  saw  the  flir-famed  Sung-lo-shan,  the  hill  where  green 
tea  is  said  to  have  been  first  discovered.  Of  this  hill  he  says :  "  Sung- 
lo-shan  appears  to  be  between  two  and  three  thousand  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  plains.  It  is  very  barren,  and,  whatever  may  have  formerly 
been  the  case,  it  certainly  produces  but  little  tea  now  ;  indeed,  from  all 
I  could  learn,  the  tea  that  grows  upon  it  is  quite  neglected,  as  far  as 
cultivation  is  concerned,  and  is  only  gathered  to  supply  the  wants  of  the 
]iriests  of  Fo,  who  have  many  temples  among  these  rugged  wilds. 
Nevertheless,  it  is  a  place  of  great  interest  to  every  Chinaman,  and  has 
aftbrdod  a  subject  to  many  of  their  writers. 

"  When  we  reached  the  Sung-lo  country  I  took  up  my  quarters  in 
a  house  which  belonged  to  the  father  of  my  servant  Wang.  It  was 
nearly  dark  before  we  arrived  at  the  house,  which  was  situated  among 
the  hills  within  two  miles  of  the  foot  of  Sung-lo.  Had  I  fixed  upon  the 
sp(Tt*mysclf  I  could  not  have  found  one  better  suited  to  the  purposes  I 
had  in  view.  Old  Mr,  Wang  was  a  farmer  who  at  one  time  had  been 
well  off  in  tlie  world,  but,  like  many  others,  had  been  unfortunate,  and 
M  as  now  very  much  reduced  in  circumstances.  He  received  us  in  the 
kindest  manner,  and  seemed  to  have  great  affection  for  his  son.  His 
wife  also  came  to  welcome  us,  at  the  same  time  apologizing  for  the  poor 
reception  they  gave  us,  as  they  were  so  poor.  I  tried  not  to  be  out- 
done in  politeness,  and  we  were  soon  on  the  best  possible  terms, 

"  Sung-lo  ]\Iountain,  Avhich  in  ordinary  weather  I  could  have  seen 
from  the  windows,  was  now  enveloped  in  a  cloak  of  mist,  and  every  tree 
an<l  bush  was  bent  down  with  heavy  drops  of  rain.     At  last,  on  the 


THE    GREEN    TEA    DISTRICT. 


767 


fourth  day,  the  clouds  cleared  away,  ihc;  sun  shone  out  again  with  his 
usual  brilliancy,  and  the  Avhole  face  of  nature  wore  a  cheerful  and 
smiling  aspect.  I  was  now  out  every  day,  from  morning  until  evening, 
busily  employed  in  collecting  seeds,  in  examining  the  vegetation  of  the 
hills,  and  in  obtaining  information  regarding  the  cultivation  and  manu- 
facture of  green  tea.  By  this  means  I  obtained  a  good  collection  of 
those  tea-seeds  and  young  plants  from  which  the  finest  green  teas  of 
commerce  are  prepared,  and  much  information  of  a  useful  kind. 

"  I  spent  a  week  in  the  neighborhood  of  Simg-lo,  and  then  began  to 
think  of  returning  eastward  with  the  collections  I  had  m;ide.  All  our 
arrangements  being  complete,  the  seeds  i)ut  up,  and  the  plants  packed, 
I  hired  a  chair,  and  on  the  afternoon  of  the  20th  of  November,  bade 
adieu  to  Wang's  family,  and  to  the  country  of  the  far-famed  Sung-lo- 
shan.  In  three  days  we  arrived  at  the  city  of  Yen-chow-fou,  a  journey 
which  occupied  twelve  days  in  going  up  ;  and  in  three  daj's  more,  that 
is  on  the  sixth  day  after  leaving  Tun-che,  we  arrived  at  the  town  of 
Nechow. 

"  Nothing  worthy  of  note  occurred  until  I  reached  the  town  of  Ning- 
po.  It  was  as  welcome  a  sight  as  I  had  seen  f  jr  many  a  (hiy,  when  tho 
old  town,  with  its  pagoda,  temples,  and  ramparts,  came  in  view.  It 
was  well  known  to  me  in  former  years,  and  I  felt  myself  '(juite  at 
home,'  after  a  long  and  somewhat  perilous,  although  in  many  respects  a 
pleasant  journey." 


JOURNEY    TO   THE    BOHEA   MOUNTAINS. 

After  carefully  packing  his  tea-plants  in  Shanghai,  Mr.  Fortune  took 
them  to  IIong-Kong  and  there  shipped  them  to  India,  where  they  after- 
ward arrived  in  good  condition.  lie  then  proceeded  to  Fou-chow-foo — 
one  of  the  five  ports  opened  to  commercial  intercoin'se  with  foreigners — 
intending  to  travel  to  Ning-po,  if  possible,  by  way  of  the  celebrated 
Bohea  Mountains.  Having  engaged  a  boat,  he  sailed  up  the  River  ]\Iin 
as  far  as  the  town  of  Sing-kow,  a  distance  of  seventy  or  eighty  miles, 
but  on  arriving  there  found  that  his  funds  Avere  insufiicicnt  for  the  jour- 
ney ;  whereupon  he  dispatched  his  servants,  Avith  instructions  to  procure 
fine  specimens  of  the  tea-plant,  and  returned  to  Foo-chow.  lie  then 
sailed  to  Ning-po  in  a  Portuguese  vessel,  .and  awaited  the  return  of  his 
servants  at  the  temple  of  Tien-tung,  near  that  place,  devoting  himself 
in  the  mean  time,  to  his  favorite  botanical  researches. 

In  speaking  of  the  fine  bamboo  woods  near  Tien-tung,  Fortune  gives 
the  folloAving  description  of  that  most  useful  of  trees :  "  The  batnboo  is 
one  of  the  most  valuable  trees  in  C'hina,  and  is  us(m1  f  )r  almost  every 
conceivable  purpose.  It  is  employed  in  making  soldiers'  hats  and  shields, 
nmbrellas,  soles  of  shoes,  scalTolding-jtolcs,  nu'asures,  baskets,  ropes, 
paper,  pencil-holders,   brooms,  sedan-chairs,    pijjcs,   floAver-stakes,  and 


-  ( 
i 

•!  . 


I 


i\ 


m 


m 


m 


i: 


I 


I 


(;  ij; 


ii'ilifti 


!    ;ii 


'I 


:|      ^^1 


768 


FORTUNE'S    TRAVELS    IN    CHINA. 


trollis-work  in  gardens;  pillows  are  made  of  the  shavings;  a  kind  of  rush 
cloak  for  wet  weather  is  made  from  the  leaves,  and  is  called  a  So-e,  or 
"  garment  of  leaves."  On  the  water  it  is  used  in  making  sails  and  covers 
for  boats,  for  fishing-rods  and  fish-baskets,  tishing-stakcs  and  buoys ; 
catamarans  are  rude  boats,  or  rather  floats,  formed  of  a  few  logs  of  bam- 
boo lashed  firmly  together.  In  agriculture  the  bamboo  is  used  in  mak- 
ing aqueducts  for  conveying  Avater  to  the  land  ;  it  forms  part  of  the 
celebrated  water-wheel,  as  well  as  of  the  plow,  the  harrow,  and  other 
implements  of  husbandry.  Excellent  water-pipes  are  made  of  it  for  con- 
veying springs  from  the  lulls,  to  supply  houses  and  temples  in  the  val- 
leys with  pure  water.  Its  roots  are  often  cut  into  the  most  grotesque 
figures,  and  its  stems  finely  carved  into  ornaments  for  the  curious,  or 
into  incense-burners  for  the  temples.  The  Ning-po  furniture,  the  most 
beautiful  in  China,  is  often  inlaid  with  figures  of  people,  houses,  temples, 
and  pagodas  in  bamboo,  which  form  most  correct  and  stiiking  pictures 
of  China  and  the  Chinese.  The  young  shoots  are  boiled  and  eaten, 
and  sweetmeats  are  also  made  of  them.  A  substance  found  in  the  joints, 
called  tabashecr,  is  used  in  medicine.  In  the  manufacture  of  tea  it  helps 
to  fi)rm  the  rolling-tables,  drying-baskets,  and  sieves ;  and  last,  though 
not  least,  the  celebrated  chop-sticks — the  most  important  articles  in 
domestic  use — are  made  of  it. 

"However  incredulous  the  reader  may  be,  I  must  still  carry  him  a 
step  further,  and  tell  him  that  I  have  not  enumerated  one  half  of  the 
uses  to  which  the  bamboo  is  applied  in  China.  Indeed  it  would  be 
nearly  as  difficult  to  say  Avhat  it  is  /tot  used  for  as  what  it  is.  It  is  in 
miiversal  demand,  in  the  houses  and  in  the  fields,  on  water  and  on 
land,  in  peace  and  in  war.  Through  life  the  Chinaman  is  almost  de- 
pendent upon  it  for  his  support,  nor  does  it  leave  him  until  it  carries 
him  to  his  last  resting-place  on  the  hill-side,  and  even  then,  in  com- 
pany with  the  cypress,  juniper,  and  i)ine,  it  waves  over  and  marks  bis 
tomb. 

"  I  was  not  quite  satisfied,"  continues  Fortune,  "  with  the  result  of 
my  journey  up  the  river  Min.  Although  one  of  my  men  had  brought 
mc  a  fine  collection  of  tea-plants  and  seeds  from  the  celebrated  black-tea 
country,  and  although  the  expedition  was  planned  so  that  he  could 
scarcely  have  procured  them  elsewhere,  had  he  Avished  to  deceive  me, 
I  confess  I  felt  that  it  would  be  much  more  satisfactory  if  I  could  visit 
the  district  myself  I  did  not  like  the  idea  of  returnnig  to  Europe  with- 
out being  perfectly  certain  that  I  had  introduced  the  tea-])lai;t  from  the 
best  black-tea  districts  of  China  ii;to  the  government  j)lantalions  in  the 
north-western  i)rovinces  of  India.  There  may  also  have  been  a  lingering 
desire  to  cross  the  Bohea  jMountains,  and  to  viwit  the  far-famed  Woo-e- 
shan.  At  all  events  I  maile  u])  my  mind  to  make  another  attempt,  and 
determined  to  start  from  Ning-po,  where  the  ])eople  are  not  so  greatly 
prejudiced  against  foreigners  as  they  are  further  to  the  south,  about 
Foo-chow  and  Canton." 


■  ! 


VOYAGE    UP    THK    GRKKN    RIVER. 


769 


jleleft  Ning-po  on  the  15th  of  May,  1849,  so  completely  disguised 
as  a  Chinaman  that  ho  scarcely  knew  liimsclf,  and  set  sail  for  the  town 
ofNan-che,  on  the  southern  branch  of  the  Green  lliver.  His  servant 
was  the  possessor  of  a  inandarhi  Hag,  of  triangular  shape,  which  procured 
great  respect  whenever  it  was  displayed,  and  on  more  than  one  occasion 
was  of  much  service.  In  two  days  he  reached  the  Green  River,  which 
he  ascended  rajjidly,  favored  by  a  fair  wind.  "There  were  several  pas- 
sengers on  board  our  boat,  besides  ourselves,"  he  remarks.  "They  wore 
all  country  people  from  the  Avostward,  knew  little  of  foreigners,  and 
seemed  to  have  no  idea  that  I  was  one.  My  servant,  I  bolievo,  told 
them  that  I  came  from  some  far  distant  province  beyond  the  Great  Wall, 
and  with  this  information,  indellnito  as  it  was,  they  seemed  to  be  per- 
fectly satisHed.  Besides,  I  was  now  well  acquainted  with  their  habits 
and  manners,  I  could  eat  with  the  chop-sticks  as  well  as  any  of  them, 
and  my  dress  was,  I  believe,  scrupulously  correct,  even  to  the  glossy 
black  tail,  Avhich  had  been  grafted  on  my  own  hair,  and  which  hung 
gracefully  down  nearly  to  my  knees." 

After  a  pleasant  sail  of  several  days  up  the  beautiful  valley  of  the 
Green  River,  Fortune  arrived  at  Nan-che,  which  he  thus  describes: 
"  Nan-che,  or,  as  it  is  sometimes  called  in  the  maps,  Lanchee,  is  about 
thirty-iive  miles  westward  from  Yen-chow-foo.  It  is  one  of  the 
prettiest  Chinese  towns  which  I  have  seen,  and  reminded  me  of  an 
English  place  more  than  a  Chinese  one.  The  houses  are  generally 
two-storied,  and  have  a  clean  and  neat  appearance.  It  is  built  along 
the  banks  of  the  river,  and  has  a  picturesque  hill  behind  it :  an  old 
tower  or  pagoda  in  ruins  heightens  the  general  effect  of  the  scene. 
The  town  is  about  two  and  a  half  or  three  miles  round,  and  probably 
contains  about  two  hundred  thousand  inhabitants.  The  river  in  froi't 
of  it  is  covered  with  boats,  which  arc  constantly  plying  between  it 
and  Yen-chow,  Ilang-Chow,  and  many  other  towns  both  to  tho  cast 
and  west." 

After  leaving  Nan-che,  the  traveler  continued  his  voyage  to  Chang- 
shan,  near  the  head-waters  of  the  Green  River.  From  this  place  it  was 
necessary  to  take  a  sedan-chair  across  the  country  to  the  town  of  f  uk- 
shan,  on  the  head-waters  of  a  river  Avhich  flows  westward  into  the  jreat 
Pou-yang  lake.  On  crossing  the  boundary  between  the  provinces  of 
Che-Kiang  and  Kiang-Si,  Fortune  was  narrowly  watched  by  sonio 
Chinese  merchants,  who,  being  accustomed  to  seeing  foreigners,  sus- 
pected his  true  character.  His  dexterity  in  using  the  chop-sticks  at 
dinner,  and  his  familiarity  with  Chinese  customs,  however,  misled  them, 
and  he  proceeded  without  lunderance.  On  reaching  Yuk-shan,  he  en- 
gaged a  boat,  and  sailed  down  the  river  Kin-kiang  to  the  large  town  of 
Ilokow,  the  great  emporium  of  the  black-tea  trade.  Here  it  was  neces- 
sary to  leave  the  river,  and  hire  a  sedan-chair  with  coolies,  to  carry  him 
across  the  Bohea  Mountains. 

Leaving  Ilokow  on  tho  second  day  after  his  arrival,  he  set  out  in  a 

49 


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FOUTUNK'S    TRAVELS    IN    ClITNA. 


CHINESR  TEA-CAnRlEn. 


Kcilun-clKiir,  aiul  by  noon  rcachcil  Yuon-slian,  at  tlic  foot  of  tlic  mount- 
ains. CV)oIi('s,  cairyinfjtca-clu'sts, 
'  wcvo,   now    ini't   in    j^icat    nnin- 

bors.  Many  of  llicin  carried  only 
one'  ehi'ht,  Tlicsu  wiiru  tin-  liner 
teas  ;  the  eliest  was  never  allowed 
to  touch  the  ground  (Iurin<jj  the 
journc^y,  atid  hence  tliese  teas 
generally  arrive  at  their  destina- 
tion in inueh  belter  order  than  the 
coarser  kinds.  The  single  chests 
arc  carried  in  tlie  folhnving  man- 
ner :  Two  bamboos,  each  about 
seven  feet  long,  had  their  ends 
lashed  firmly  to  tiu;  chest,  one 
on  each  side.  The  other  ends 
■were  brought  together,  so  as  to 
form  a  triangle.  IJy  this  means  a 
man  could  carry  the  chest  upon 
his  shoulders,  with  his  head  be- 
tween the  bamboos  in  the  center 
of  the  triangle.  A  small  piece 
of  wood  was  lashed  under  the  chest,  to  give  it  an  easy  seat  upon  the 
shoulders,  "When  the  coolie  wanted  to  rest,  he  placed  the  end  of  the 
bamboos  upon  the  groimd,  and  raised  them  to  the  perpendicular.  The 
whole  weight  now  rested  upon  the  ground,  and  could  be  kept  in  this 
position  without  any  exertion. 

"  For  some  time  past  I  liad  been,  as  it  were,  among  a  soa  of  mount- 
ains," he  writes,  "but  now  the  Uir-famed  IJohea  ranges  lay  before  me  in 
all  their  grandeur,  with  their  tops  piercing  through  the  lower  clouds, 
ami  showing  themselves  far  above  them.  They  seemed  to  be  l)roken  up 
into  thousands  of  fragments,  some  of  which  had  most  remarkable  and 
striking  outlines.  It  is  ditJicult  to  form  an  estimate  of  their  lu-ight,  but, 
comparing  them  with  other  mountams  known  to  me,  the  highest  hero 
may  b.<\six  or  eight  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  There  arc 
some  spots  on  the  sides  of  the  lower  hills  under  cultivation,  but  all  above 
these  is  rugged  and  wild. 

'*  Wo  arrived  at  last  at  the  celebrated  gates  or  huge  doors  which 
divide  the  provinces  of  Fokien  and  Kiang-sce.  The  pillars  of  these 
gates  liave  been  formed  by  nature,  and  are  nothing  less  than  the  "  ever- 
lasting hills"  themselves.  Tiie  arched  door-ways  of  the  i)lace  bore  a 
great  resemblance  to  the  gates  of  a  Chinese  city.  As  we  passed  through 
the  archway  I  observed  a  guard  of  soldiers  lounging  about,  but  they 
did  not  take  any  notice  of  us,  or  attempt  to  examine  our  baggage.  Wo 
were  soon  tlirough  the  pass,  and  in  anotlier  province.  The  province  of 
Kiang-seo  had  been  shut  out  and  left  behind  us,  and  our  view  now 


i; 


tiff  l»BI  J 


THK    F[ILLS    OF    WOO-E-SPAN. 


771 


■  over- 


oponed  on  Fol\i(in.  Never  in  my  life  liiid  I  seen  kiioIi  a  view  as  tliis,  bo 
gniiid,  HO  Htibliiiic.  lli;^h  riviij^i'S  of  nuMuitaiiis  were  l(»\vcrin<;  on  my 
riglit  iuul  on  my  letl,  wliilo  befure  mo,  fis  far  as  tlit!  eye  cmild  rcafb,  tlie 
whole  country  secmeil  broken  up  inti)  mountains  and  Iiillw  of  all  Iieights, 
witli  p(saks  of  every  form." 

Tlie  next  day  lie  traversed  another  pass,  of  lesser  elevation,  and 
spent  tlie  evening  at  a  tea-house  among  the  liills.  "I  was  now,"  ho 
HayH,  "  on  the  outskirts  of  the  great  blaok-toa  coimtry  of  Fokien.  I  ob- 
served largo  (piantities  of  tea-jilants  under  cultivation.  They  were  gen- 
erally to  be  found  on  the  lower  sides  of  the  hills,  and  also  in  the;  ganhiiis 
of  the  villagers.  About  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon  w(>  arrived  at 
Tsong-gan-hien,  a  large  town  in  the  midst  of  the  black-tea  country, 
where  nearly  all  the  teas  of  this  dislri(!t  are  jtacked  and  prepared  for  ex- 
portation. As  soon  as  I  was  fairly  out  of  the  suburbs  of  tlu;  town,  1 
had  my  first  glim|)se  of  the  far-famed  Woo-e-shan.  It  stands  in  tho 
midst  of  the  plain,  and  is  a  collection  of  little  liills,  none  of  which  appear 
to  be  more  than  a  thousand  feet  high.  They  have  a  singular  api»ear- 
ance.  Their  faces  are  nearly  all  pcrpendi(rular  rock.  It  apjiears  as  if 
they  had  been  thrown  up  by  some  great  convulsion  of  nature;  to  a 
certain  height,  and  as  if  some  other  force  had  then  drawn  the  tops  of 
the  whole  mass  slightly  bairkward,  })reaking  it  n\>  into  a  thousand  hills. 
liy  some;  agency  of  this  kind  it  i. light  have  assumed  the  strange  forms 
which  were  now  before  me. 

"Woo-e-shan  is  considered  by  the  Chinese  to  bo  one  of  the  most 
wonderful,  as  well  as  one  of  the  most  sacred,  spots  in  the  empire.  One 
of  their  manuscripts,  quoted  by  Mr.  IJall,  thus  describes  it:  '  Of  all  the 
mountains  of  Fokien  those  of  Woo-e  are  the  finest,  and  its  wat(T  the 
best.  They  an;  awfully  high  and  rugged,  surrounded  by  water,  and 
seem  as  if  excavated  by  spirits ;  nothing  more  wonderful  can  be  scon. 
From  the  dynasty  of  Csin  and  Ilan,  down  to  tho  present  time,  a  succics- 
sion  of  hermits  and  priests,  of  the  sects  of  Tao-cz((  and  Fo,  have  here 
risen  up  like  tlu;  clouds  of  the  air  and  the  grass  of  tin;  field,  too  numer- 
ous to  enumerate.  Its  chief  renown,  however,  is  derived  from  its  pro- 
ductions, and  of  these  tea  is  the  most  celebrated.'  " 

We  have  no  space  to  copy  Mr.  Fortune^'s  jiicturcsquo  account  of  his 
visits  to  the  thousand  temples,  monasteries,  and  hermitages  of  Woo-e- 
ehan.  He  was  v(Ty  hosjiitably  received  and  entertained  by  the  Bud- 
dhist priests,  and  inspected  all  the  curiosities  of  this  remarkable  region. 
He  then  continues  :  "  We  now  proceeded  across  the  hills  in  the  direc- 
tion of  tho  small  town  of  Tsin-tsun,  another  great  mart  for  black  tea. 
Our  road  was  a  very  rough  one.  It  was  inerely  a  foot-path,  and  some- 
times merely  narrow  steps  cut  out  of  the  rock.  When  we  had  gone 
about  two  miles  we  came  to  a  solitary  temple  on  the  banks  of  a  small 
river,  which  here  winds  among  the  liills.  This  stream  is  called  by  tho 
Chinese  the  river  or  stream  of  nine  windings,  from  tho  circuitous  turns 
which  it  makes  among  the  hills  of  Woo-e-shan.     It  divides  the  range 


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772 


FORTUNE'S    TRAVELS    IN    CHINA. 


into  two  districts — the  noitli  ami  south  :  the  north  range  is  said  to  pro- 
duce the  bust  teas.  Here  the  finest  souchongs  and  pekoes  are  produced, 
but  I  believe  these  rarely  find  their  way  to  Europe,  or  only  in  very 
small  quantities." 

At  the  temple,  which  was  inhabited  by  an  old  Buddhist  priest  and 
his  wife,  he  took  up  his  residence,  and  at  once  entered  upon  the  object 
of  his  journey.  "  Having  given  the  old  man  some  money  to  purchase  a 
dinner  for  myself  and  my  men,"  says  lie,  "I  made  a  hasty  meal  and  went 
out  to  explore  the  hills.  I  visited  many  of  the  tea-farms,  and  was  suc- 
cessful in  i)rocuring  about  four  hundred  young  plants.  These  were  taken 
to  Shanghai  in  good  order,  and  many  of  them  are  now  growing  vigor- 
ously in  the  government  tea  plantation  in  the  Himalayas. 

"  I  remained  two  days  under  the  roof  of  the  hospitable  Taouist,  and 
saw  a  great  part  of  the  Woo-o  hills  and  their  productions.  On  the 
evening  of  the  second  day,  having  entered  into  a  fresh  agreement  with 
my  chair-bearers  and  coolies,  I  intimated  to  the  old  priest  that  I  intended 
to  proceed  on  my  journey  early  next  morning.  He  kindly  pressed  me 
to  stay  a  little  longer,  but,  when  he  saw  I  was  in  earnest,  he  went  out 
to  his  tea  plantations  and  brought  me  some  young  plants  which  ho 
begged  me  to  accejst.  I  felt  highly  pleased  with  his  gratitude  for  the 
small  present  I  had  given  him,  and  gladly  accepted  the  plants,  which 
increased  my  store  very  considerably ;  these  with  the  other  plants  were 
carefully  packed  with  their  roots  in  damp  moss,  and  the  whole  package 
was  then  covered  with  oil-paper.  The  latter  precaution  was  taken  to 
screen  them  from  the  sun,  and  also  from  ihe  prying  eyes  of  the  Chinese, 
who,  although  they  did  not  seem  to  show  any  great  jealousy  on  the 
point,  yet  might  have  annoyed  us  with  impertinent  questions.  Early  in 
the  morning,  our  arrangements  being  completed,  we  bade  adieu  to  our  kind 
host  and  hostess,  and  set  off  across  the  hills  in  the  direction  of  Tsin-tsun." 

At  the  latter  place  he  was  upon  the  head-Avaters  of  the  River  Min, 
by  descending  which  he  might  have  arrived  in  four  days  at  Fou-chow- 
fou ;  but  he  decided  to  return  to  Ning-po  by  another  route,  lying  to  the 
eastward  of  that  by  which  he  had  come,  and  passing  through  the  town 
of  Pouching-hien,  in  the  midst  of  a  district  which  produces  tea  some- 
what inferior  to  tltat  of  Woo-e-shan.  A  further  journey  of  nearly  a 
hundred  miles  in  a  sedan-chair  brought  him  to  Ching-hoo,  on  a  branch 
of  the  Green  River,  wliere  he  again  embarked.  His  return  journey, 
down  the  river  to  Hang-chow-fou,  and  thence  by  the  grand  canal  to 
Shanghai,  was  mostly  over  the  same  ground  which  he  had  traversed  on 
his  way  to  the  green-tea  hills  of  Sung-lo.  "  I  arrived  at  Shanghai  in 
due  time,"  says  he,  in  conclusion,  "having  been  absent  on  this  long 
journey  nearly  three  months.  Although  I  had  been  eating  with  chop- 
sticks all  this  time,  I  had  not  forgotten  the  use  of  knives  and  forks,  and 
I  need  scarcely  say  I  heartily  enjoyed  my  first  English  dinner.  The 
tea-plants  procured  in  Woo-e-shan  reached  Shanghai  in  good  order,  and 
most  of  them  are  now  flourishing  on  the  slopes  of  the  Himalayas." 


RECENT  EXPLORATIONS  IN    AUSTRALIAN 


EYRE'S    JOURNEY. 


In  the  spring  of  1840,  public  attention  in  the  town  of  Adelaide 
(Southern  Australia,)  being  much  engrossed  with  tlie  subject  of  an 
overland  communication  between  Southern  and  Western  Australia, 
Mr.  Edward  John  Eyre,  who  had  already  been  engaged  in  exploring 
the  southern  and  western  interior,  volunteered  to  takti  the  command  of 
any  party  that  might  be  sent,  and  bear  one  third  of  the  expenses.  An 
expedition  waa  accordingly  fitted  out,  .and  on  the  18th  of  June  left 
Adelaide  for  the  head  of  Spencer's  Gulf  The  j)arty  consisted  of  Mr, 
Eyre  ;  Mr.  Scott,  his  assistant ;  Baxter,  his  overseer ;  Corporal  Coles ; 
two  men  driving  each  a  three-horse  dray ;  and  two  aboriginal  boys  to 
drive  the  sheep,  etc.  They  had  thirteen  liorses  and  forty  sheep,  and 
stores  sufficient  for  three  months,  l)esides  an  additional  supply  sent  by 
sea  to  meet  them  at  the  head  of  Spencer's  Gulf 

They  encamped  near  Mount  Arden,  at  the  liead  of  the  gulf,  on  the 
3d  of  July,  and  on  the  6th  Mr.  Eyre  set  out  on  horseback,  with  one  of 
the  boys,  to  reconnoiter  Lake  Torrens,  the  great  inland  Australian  sea, 
which  he  had  previously  discovered,  and  to  examine  the  country  nortli 
of  the  depot,  as  to  the  practicability  of  a  route  in  that  dii-oction.  He 
found  the  basin  of  the  lake  to  be  from  fifteen  to  twenty  miles  wide, 
but  its  shallow  waters  left  an  uncovered  belt  of  three  or  four  miles  in 
width,  which  was  strongly  uicrusted  with  a  briny  deposit,  and  was  so 
soft  as  to  prevent  all  access  to  its  waters.  He  spent  several  days  north- 
ward of  the  depot,  and  followed  the  Flinders'  Range,  until  the  hills 
became  lower  and  more  detached,  with  interx'als  of  stony  valleys,  while 
barren  sandy  plains  still  formed  the  lower  level.  Water  became  very 
scarce,  but  at  length,  finding  a  place  which  promised  a  temporary  sup- 
ply, he  returned  to  the  camp,  after  an  absence  of  sixteen  days,  and  con- 
ducted it  over  the  region  he  liad  explored.  The  rugged  and  desolate 
country,  and  the  want  of  water,  rendered  their  progress  slow  and  pain- 

*  For  the  routes  of  Milclic'll  and  Leiclihardt,  See  the  map  of  Eastern  Australia  pre- 
fixed to  the  narraCivo  of  Start's  Expedition,  page  580. 


I 


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lii|l*f^ 


774 


RECENT  EXPLORATIONS  IX  AUSTRALIA. 


ful ;  and  on  exploring  the  dreary  region  beyond  the  limits  of  Flinders' 
Range,  INIr.  Eyre  found  it  to  be  completely  surrounded  by  Lake  Tor- 
rens,  which,  commencing  near  the  head  of  Spencer's  Gulf,  takes  a  cir- 
cuitous course  of  fully  four  hundred  miles,  with  an  apparent  breadth  of 
from  twenty  to  thirty,  and,  following  the  sweep  of  Flinders'  Range,  en- 
circles it  in  the  form  of  a  liorse-shoe.  From  a  high  summit,  which  he 
named  Mount  Serle,  Mr,  Eyre  perceived  that  he  was  hemmed  in  on 
every  side  by  an  impassable  barrier,  and  had  no  alternative  but  to  con- 
duct his  party  back  to  ^Mount  Arden. 

On  reaching  the  depot,  the  stores  were  dug  up  and  repacked  for 
traveling,  3Ir.  Eyre  having  resolved  to  ct)ntinuo  his  explorations  west- 
ward toward  the  Great  Bight  of  Australia,  still  in  the  hope  of  finding 
in  that  direction  an  opening  toward  the  interior.  On  the  1 3th  of  Sep- 
tember they  set  forward,  and  having  crossed  with  some  difficulty  tho 
nanow  channel  connecting  the  head  of  Spencer's  Gulf  with  Lake  Tor- 
rens,  the  main  body  was  sent  forward  under  the  charge  of  the  overseer, 
while  Messrs.  Eyre  and  Scott,  accompanied  by  a  man  and  boy,  with  a 
dray  and  several  horses,  went  down  for  supplies  to  Port  Lincoln,  on  the 
west  side  of  Spencer's  Bay,  intending  to  rejoin  the  party  at  Streaky 
Bay.  Not  iinding  the  requisite  stores  at  Port  Lincoln,  Mr.  Scott  re- 
paired to  Adelaide  in  a  small  cutter  on  the  9th  of  October,  and  returned 
on  the  '22d  with  an  abundant  supply.  The  cutter  Avas  retained  to 
co-operate  with  tho  expedition,  and  sent  round  to  comnnmicato  at  once 
with  the  party  at  Streaky  Bay,  while  Messrs.  S(  ott  and  Eyre  proceeded 
overland,  and  rejoined  their  companions  early  in  November.  On  the 
t'th  the  whole  party  moved  westward  near  the  coast,  and  encamped  at 
J'owler's  Bay  on  the  19th.  On  the  way  they  had  frequent  intercourse 
with  tl»c  natives,  who  were  very  polite  and  friendly  toward  them,  and 
by  guiding  them  to  places  where  water  could  be  procured,  enabled  them 
to  move  with  conlidence  and  celerity.  On  conducting  them  to  any  of 
the  watering-i)laces,  the  natives  gave  it  up  entirely  to  them ;  and, 
although  thirsty  themselves,  would  not  take  a  drink  without  asking  per- 
mission. 

Leaving  his  party  in  camp  at  Point  Fowler,  'Mr.  Eyre  made  several 
attempts  to  round  the  head  of  the  (ireat  Bight ;  but,  alter  a  month 
spent  in  fruitless  endeavors  to  [)enctrate  the  desolate,  parched-up  region, 
in  which  he  lost  three  horses,  and  encountered  great  i)rivation9,  lie  dis- 
patched the  cutter  to  Adelaide  for  assistance,  and  reduced  the  i)arty  by 
sending  two  of  the  men  with  her. 

MejMnvhilc  he  continued  his  explorations,  and  finally  succeeded  in 
reaching  the  head  of  the  Bight  on  tho  7th  of  January,  1H41.  On  tho 
same  day  he  was  guided  by  the  natives  to  some  stnall  holes  containing 
excellent  water.  The  natives  all  assiu'ed  him  that  there  was  no  Mater 
of  any  description  in  the  ulterior,  and  that  tlic  next  water  along  tho 
woast  was  ten  days  distant.  The  whole  j)arty  was  actively  engaged 
until  the  arrival  of  the  cutter,  and  had  succeeded  in  examining  th.;  coast 


Flinders' 
^ake  Tor- 
kes  a  cir- 
jix'adth  of 
lange,  en- 

Mliich  he 
led  in  on 
it  to  con- 

acked  for 
ons  wcst- 
of  finding 
li  of  Sep- 
iculty  the 
Lake  Tor- 
overseer, 
)y,  ■'vith  a 
In,  on  the 
t  Streaky 
Scott  re- 
ret  nrned 
tained  to 
te  at  once 
)roceedcd 
On  the 
aniped  at 
tercourse 
hem,  and 
jled  them 
to  any  of 
m ;  and, 
king  per- 

e  several 
a  month 
ip  region, 
3,  he  dis- 
party  by 

eeded  in 
On  the 

Dntaining 
no  water 
ilong  the 
engaged 
th.f  coast 


PRIVATIONS    OF    THE    PARTY, 


775 


beyond  the  head  of  the  (Jreat  Biglit,  which,  however,  j)rescnted  a 
dreary  prospect  for  further  explorations. 

The  cutter  arrived  on  the  2Gth  of  January,  bringing  an  ample  supj)ly 
of  provisions  and  ])resents  from  friends  m  Adelaide,  and  having  on  board 
a  native  of  King  (leorge's  Sound,  named  Wylie,  who  had  been  with 
]Mr.  Eyre  on  former  expeditious.  The  cutter  was  at  his  disposal  Avithin 
the  limits  of  South  Australia ;  but,  being  under  charter,  he  coidd  not 
take  her  to  Ca]je  Arid,  or  l)eyond  the  boundaries  of  the  province.  He 
thereforo  deternnned  to  reduce  the  party  still  further,  and  aUemi)t  to 
force  .1  ])assngo  almost  alone.  lie  accordingly  retained  AVylie  and  the 
two  native  boys,  and  also  the  overseer,  who  resolved  to  contiime  with 
him,  and  prevailed  on  3Ir.  Scott  and  one  of  the  men  to  return  with  the 
cutter,  which  sailed  back  on  the  JJlst  of  January.  Having  completed 
all  preparations  by  the  24th  of  February,  lie  was  about  nettnig  out  on 
his  fearful  undertaking,  when  a  shot  was  heard  in  Fowler's  Bay,  and 
presently  3Ir.  Sc(.tt  and  the  coinniauder  of  the  cutter  made  tlu'ir  nj)- 
])earance.  They  hail  l>een  sent  back  by  the  governor  to  bring  ^Ir. 
Eyre  to  Adelaiile ;  but  as  he  had  matured  his  plans,  and  resolved  to 
accom])lish  the  object  he  hail  in  view,  or  perish  in  the  attempt,  he  bade 
farewell  to  his  fiii'iuls,  and  set  forward  on  the  lioth. 

The  continuation  of  the  journey,  after  j)assing  the  Great  Bight,  was 
through  unheard-of  difficulties  and  privations.  The  horses  at  length 
began  to  give  out  under  excessive  heat  and  the  want  of  water.  One 
after  another  was  abiuidoned,  as  the  stock  of  Avater  Avhicli  they  carried 
with  them  began  to  fail.  Every  expedient  Avas  resorted  to  ;  they  col- 
lected dew,  dug  up  the  roots  of  trees,  until  finally  the  overseer  began  to 
despond.  On  the  uoth  of  ]\[arch  .a,  Avell  Avas  dug  in  a  ))lace  Avhich  in- 
dicateil  moisture,  and,  to  the  uuboumled  joy  of  all,  pure  Avater  Avas  ob- 
tamed.  The  party  remained  here  a  few  days  to  recruit,  during  which 
time  a  large  quantity  of  sujiplies,  Avhich  they  had  been  compelled  to 
leave  fifty  miles  behind,  Avas  brought  up,  after  making  one  unsuccesstul 
attempt.  They  remained  twenty-eight  days  among  the  sand-hills  at  this 
station,  during  Avhich  time  their  last  sheei)  Avas  killed,  and  one  of  the 
remaining  horses  slaughtered  for  food. 

On  the  27th  of  April  they  entered  upon  the  Last  desperate  stage  of 
the  journey,  in  Avhich  they  had  probably  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  to 
the  next  supply  of  Avater.  On  the '2Tth  Mr.  Eyre  took  the  first  waldi 
of  the  night,  and  at  half]»ast  ten  Avas  heading  the  scattered  horses  at 
BOine  distance  fiom  the  camj),  Avhen  a  sudden  flash  and  the  report  of  a 
gun  .startled  him,  and,  on  running  up,  he  found  the  overseer  Aveltering 
in  liis  blood.  The  two  vonnt;er  bovs  ha<l  deserted,  and  carried  off  a 
large  (pian*ity  of  ])rovisions,  two  double-barreled  guns,  and  other  small 
articles.  Next  day,  Avith  only  Wylie  for  a  com]>anion,  Avhom  ho  sus- 
ported  to  liaA'o  been  eogni/ant  of  the  phit  to  plunder  the  camp,  lie 
collected  the  liorses,  and  set  forward.  Tn  the  ath-rnoon  the  tAVo  natives 
wore  seen  advancing,  but  they  ki'pt  their  distance,  and  seemed  only 


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RECENT    EXPLOllATIONS    IN    AUSTRALIA. 


anxious  to  induce  Wylie  to  come  with  them.  After  a  forced  march 
of  KL'Vcral  days  they  came,  on  the  3d  of  May,  to  an  abundant  supply  of 
Mater,  and,  fearing  the  natives  no  longer,  Mr.  Eyre  halted  for  three 
days  to  recruit.  He  then  continued  his  cheerless  route  over  the  un- 
liospitable  region,  in  -which,  however,  the  game  was  more  abundant  as 
he  advanced  toward  the  west,  and  the  unwholesome  flesh  of  jaded 
horses  was  agreeably  relieved  by  that  of  kangaroos  and  opossums. 

On  the  2d  of  June  he  was  cheered  by  the  sight  of  two  boats,  and 
was  soon  afterward  welcomed  on  board  the  whaler  jMississippi  by  Cap- 
tam  Rossiter.  lie  remained  on  board  mitil  the  14th,  and  then,  much 
recruited,  and  supplied  with  provisions  and  clothing,  resumed  his  jour- 
ney. Ou  the  last  of  June  he  caught  the  first  glimpse  of  the  hills  behind 
King  George's  Sound,  and  on  the  Tth  of  July  crossed  King's  Iliver, 
and  entered  the  town  of  Albany,  himself  and  Wylie  being  the  sole 
wanderers  to  close  the  eventful  and  disastrous  journey,  which  was 
entered  upon  under  the  most  hopeful  auspices.  On  the  13th  of  July  he 
emltarked  for  Adelaide,  where  ho  arrived  on  the  2Gth,  afler  an  absence 
of  one  year  and  twenty-six  days. 


MITCHELL'S  JOURNEY  TO  TROPICAL  AUSTRALIA. 

As  the  colonists  of  Australia  gradually  jiushed  their  settlements 
into  the  interior,  and  began  to  pasture  their  sheep  on  the  Mactpiairie 
and  the  Darling,  they  became  interested  in  the  exploration  of  the 
northern  Ulterior  of  the  country,  in  the  hope  of  fuuling  an  ov(>rland 
route  to  the  lu'arest  pait  of  the  Indian  Ocean,  by  which  the  dangerous 
navigation  of  the  Torres  Straits  might  be  avoided.  A  trade  in  horses 
to  supply  the  Indian  cavalry  made  this  a  desirable  object,  ami  not  less 
important  to  them  was  the  opeiung  of  a  more  direct  communication 
with  England;  for  it  was  not  to  be  doubted,  that  on  the  discovery  of 
a  good  overland  route  bitween  Sydney  and  the  head  of  the  (Julf  of 
C'aijtenlaria,  a  line  of  steam  conununication  would  be  introduced  from 
that  [Joint  to  meet  the  English  line  at  Singa[)ore. 

In  this  view  of  the  subject,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Sir  T.  L.  Mitchell, 
the  Surveyor  (ieneral,  in  1S13  submitted  a  plan  of  exploration  to  Sir 
(Jeorgo  (iipi)s,  the  (Jovernor.  The  snbjtct  was  referred  to  Lord  Stan- 
k>y,  the  Secretary  for  the  Colonies,  wliosc  reply  was  favorable  to  tho 
i'xpedition  ;  but  the  governor  of  the  colony  still  declined  to  allow  tho 
journey  to  be  luidertaken.  The  Legislative  Council,  however,  renewed 
the  petitiiMi  for  this  undirtakiiig,  to  which  the  gnveriujr  at  lengtli  as- 
Bented  in  IHC),  and  the  sum  of  £2,000  was  unanuuously  voted  for  tho 
out  lit  (tf  the  party. 

I'leparations  were  accordingly  nuule,  and  tlu?  ix[k  dition  set  out  from 


THE  PASTURES    OP    THE   NARRAN. 


r77 


lit  from 


Buree  toward  the  interior  on  llie  Ijtii  of  DoocnilKM-,  1845,  TIu'  ex- 
ploring party  consisted  of  Sir  T.  L.  Mitchell,  chief  of  the  expedition; 
Edmund  Ij.  Kennedy,  second  in  command ;  W.  Stephenson,  siu'geon 
and  collector  of  objects  of  natural  history;  and  twenty-six  men,  Avho 
were  mostly  prisoners  of  the  crown  hi  different  stages  of  ])rol)ation. 
The  means  of  conveyance  were  strong  hullock-drajs  and  portable  Ijoats. 

After  an  imsiiccessful  attempt  to  disco\er  a  direct  northern  route, 
where  they  were  foiled  for  want  of  water,  the  party  turned  to  the  east- 
ward, and  followed  Sturt's  route  to  the  J,)arling,  which  they  forded  oii 
the  4th  of  March,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Maccpiarie.  They  had  great 
difficulty  with  some  of  their  heavy  vehicles  in  the  soft  and  muddy  beil 
of  the  river,  and  were  obliged  to  pave  it  with  logs  and  branches,  cov- 
ered with  earth,  before  the  rest  could  be  got  across. 

On  the  5th  tlu-y  proceeded  northward.  As  they  advanced  tlu'  coun- 
try opened  into  slight  nndulations,  well  clothed  with  grass,  and  good  for 
traveling  over,  the  soil  being  full  of  the  same  hard  rock  found  on  the 
rising  grounds  nearest  to  the  Darluig,  in  the  lowest  parts  of  that  river 
previously  exi)lorcd  by  Colonel  Mitchell.  Their  guides  at  length 
brought  them  to  some  water-holes,  among  verdant  grass  on  a  jilain, 
where  they  encamped  fifteen  miles  from  the  DarUng.  On  the  Tlii,  the 
country  still  improveil,  and  after  traveling  about  seven  miles  the  guides 
pointed  forward  to  a  line  of  trees  as  the  Narran  Itiver.  On  arriving 
there  they  found  ])ure  water  in  great  abundance,  into  which  the  natives 
who  were  with  the  expedition  ])lunged  and  rolled  about  like  porpoises. 
This,  however,  was  but  a  swampy  plain,  emanating  from  the  liver,  which 
lay  among  the  trees  beyond.  Here  they  were  obliged  to  wait  several 
days  for  the  arrival  of  the  drays,  during  which  time  they  built  a  liridge 
over  the  swampy  outlet  of  the  Xarran.  ^Meanwhile  Colonel  Mitchell 
took  the  native  guides  and  rode  forward  to  examine  the  country.  Jle 
says:  "We  proceeded  along  the  margin  of  the  Xarran,  which  led  us 
nearly  due  north,  until  we  f!)rded  it,  at  the  desire  of  our  guiiles,  on  a 
good  gravelly  bottom,  the  water  reaching  to  our  saddle-flaps.  We  then 
continued  along  its  bunks  for  about  thirty  miles,  nntil  near  sunset,  when 
we  tethered  om*  horses,  and  lay  down  for  the  night.  The  Narran  was 
full  of  water  everywhere,  and  with  this  abundance  of  water  there  was 
also  plenty  of  most  excelh'nt  grass.  The  J\mifi(iii.  lo  I'inode  of  J)r. 
Ijndley  seen\t'tl  to  jiredominate,  a  grass  whereof  the  seed  is  made  by 
the  natives  into  a  kind  of  paste  or  bread.  Dry  heaps  of  this  grass,  that 
had  been  pulled  expressly  f  >r  the  jmrpose  of  gathering  tlie  seed,  lay 
along  our  path  for  numy  miles.  1  counted  nine  miiv's  along  the  river,  in 
which  we  rode  through  this  grass  only,  reaching  to  our  siiddle-girths, 
and  the  same  grass  seemed  lo  gi-ow  back  from  the  nver,  at  least  as  far 
us  the  eye  could  roach  through  a  very  open  ibrest.  I  had  nevt'r  seen 
such  rich  natural  pasturagi'  in  any  otlmr  part  t»f  New  South  Wales." 

All  the  drays  cnnu'  in  on  the  1  Itii,  and  it  now  became  necessary  to 
wait  and  refresh  tin- jaded  bullocks.     On  the  l;!th,  the  party  once  mure 


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RECENT  EXPLORATION'S  IN  AUSTRALIA. 


moved  onwai'il,  haviiis^  bt-foro  iheiu  tlio  prospect  of  water  and  grass  in 
abundance,  to  an  indelinito  distance.  In  continuing  the  journey  they 
set  out  early  each  morning  and  traveled  only  a  few  miles,  in  order  that 
the  exhausted  animals  nn'o-ht  have  time  to  feed  and  refresh.  The  in- 
habitants  of  this  region  were  f^i^Y,  and  they  were  invisible,  like  the 
animals  of  the  forests,  l)ut  they  frecpiently  saw  impressions  of  the  bare 
feet  of  men,  women,  and  children,  as  well  as  the  prints  of  emus,  kanga- 
roos, and  other  animals  obliged  to  go  to  the  water.  "Hero  still,"  ob- 
serves Mitclu'll,  "  was  our  own  race  among  other  animals  all  new  and 
strange  to  Euroj)eans.  The  prints  of  the  foot  of  man  alone  were  familiar 
to  us.  l)ut  here  he  was  living  la  common  with  other  animals,  simply 
on  the  bounty  of  nature ;  artless,  and  apparently  as  much  afraid  of  us, 
and  as  shy,  as  other  animals  of  the  forest.  It  seemed  strange,  that  in  a 
climate  the  most  resembling  that  of  Milton's  paradise,  the  circumstances 
of  man's  existence  should  bo  the  most  degrading." 

iJy  the  last  of  M;n-ch  they  began  to  lose  the  Xarran  in  tlie  numer- 
ous Avater-courses  s])read  owv  the  comitry,  and  it  became  necessary  to 
find  the  Balomie,  a  large  riv(>r,  whose  Avaters  were  here  distributed  into 
diiferent  channels.  On  the  -ilst  they  met  with  some  natives  who 
undertook  to  guide  them  to  the  f)rd  "  Congo,"  where  Avhite  men  had 
crossed  the  Iialonne.  .Vs  they  proceeded,  they  saw  some  native  women 
running  olf  at  a  great  distance,  two  of  whom  carried  unseemly  loads  un- 
der their  large  cloaks.  The  eldest  of  the  guides  ran  and  overtook  them, 
to  assure  them  that  the  Avhite  men  would  do  no  harm,  Avhen  it  was 
found  that  the  burdens  they  carried  were  mummied  bodies.  Proceed- 
ing westward  they  camo  to  the  Balcmne  on  the  evening  of  April  1st, 
which  they  forded  next  morning,  and  continued  across  a  watered  coun- 
try until  the  ;!d,  when  they  encamped  on  the  Culgoa,  another  outlet  of 
the  IJaionne.  Xext  day  they  proceeded  along  the  Culgoa  to  its  outlet 
from  the  I'pper  Balonne,  whence  they  continued  to  ascend  the  latter 
river  toward  the  north,  with  the  intention  of  following  it  to  the  M'ater- 
fihed  betwein  the  northern  and  southern  streams. 

On  the  1st  of  ]May  they  left  the  main  river  and  ascended  a  tributary 
flowing  in  from  the  north-west.  There  Avas  a  marked  difference  be- 
tween this  stream,  as  Avell  as  the  country  along  its  banks,  and  the  largo 
river  by  Avhich  they  had  traveled  so  far.  Its  Avaters,  meandering  througli 
various  narrow  channels,  lay  between  finely  rounded  grassy  slopes,  with 
a  few  trees  about  the  water's  edge,  marking  their  course  at  a  distance. 
On  the  'Jd  a  large  grassy  tlat  brought  them  to  a  lake  of  crystal  water, 
fringed  with  Avliite  lotus  llowers.  An  innnense  number  of  ducks  t'oated 
on  its  surliico.  "  During  the  night,"  observes  Colonel  IVIitchell,  "natives 
were  heard  near  our  camp,  and  avo  perceived  the  smoko  of  their  fires,  in 
the  bushes  behiml,  in  the  morning,  Yuranigh,  the  guide,  Avent  up  to 
thom,  acc()mi)anie(l  by  one  of  the  party  bearing  a  green  l)ranch,  and  ho 
prevailed  on  three  of  their  tribe  to  come  to  our  tents.  One  stood 
among  the  carts  and  tents,  ajiparently  (piito  absorbed  in  observation. 


m^ 


ENTEKING   ON   NEW  GROUND. 


779 


Intense  curiosity  in  those  lucii  liad  evidently  overcome  all  their  fears  of 
such  strangers.  They  were  entirely  naked,  and  Avithout  any  kind  of 
ornament  or  Aveapon,  olfensive  or  defensive.  AVith  steady  lixed  looks, 
eyes  wide  open,  and  serious,  intelligent  countenances,  Avhat  jjassed  in 
their  minds  Avas  not  disguised,  as  is  usual  Avith  savages,"  From  these 
jK'ople  he  learned  that  the  river  Avas  named  Cogoon.  In  the  evening  he 
ascended  a  hill  at  a  short  distance  from  their  i)lace  of  encami>ment, 
"from  Avhieh,"  he  remarks,  "the  most  interesting  sight  to  me  Avas  that 
of  hhie  peaks  at  a  great  distance  to  the  north-Avest,  the  ohjeet  of  all  my 
dreams  of  discovery  lor  years.  Xo  white  man  had  before  seen  these. 
There  Ave  might  hope  to  fmd  the  dirim  m/xdntju,  ntWl  undiscovered; 
the  pass  to  C:iri)entaria,  still  unexplored:  I  called  this  hill  3Iount  First 
View,  and  descended,  delighted  with  Avhat  I  had  seen  fi'um  its  rocky  crest. 
"On  the  8th  of  3Iay  1  ascended  an  elevated  north-eastern  extremity 
of  Mount  Abundance,  and  from  it  beheld  the  linest  country  I  iiad  ever 
seen  in  a  prinueval  state.  .V  champaign  region,  spotted  Avith  Avood, 
stretdied  as  far  as  human  vision,  or  even  the  telescope,  coiild  reach.  It 
Avas  intersected  by  river  lines  from  the  north,  distinguishable  by  columns 
of  smoke.  A  noble  mountain  mass  arose  hi  the  midst  of  that  line  coun- 
try, extending  in  a  range  from  south-west  to  north-oust."  He  luuued 
this  country  Fitzroy  Downs. 


y-i?t\ 


DOTTLE-THKK   OF    AlSTItALIA. 

"Trees  of  a  very  droll  form  chieHy  drew  my  attention  here.     The 


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RECENT    EXPLORATIONS    IN    AUSTRALIA. 


trunk  Inilgccl  out  in  the  middle  like  a  barrel,  to  nearly  twice  the  diame- 
ter at  the  ground,  or  of  that  at  the  first  springing  of  the  branches  above. 
These  were  small  in  proportion  to  their  great  girth,  and  the  whole  tree 
looked  very  odd.  These  trees  were  all  so  alike  in  general  form  that  I 
Avas  convinced  this  was  their  character,  and  not  a  lusus  naturoe.''^  On 
Mount  Bindango,  which  he  ascended  on  the  11th,  these  remarkable 
trees  grew  in  several  sjiots  ;  some  of  them  much  resembling  bottles,  but 
tapering  near  the  root. 

On  descending  from  the  latter  hill,  he  found  eight  natives  Avho  had 
come  up  to  the  party  in  his  absence.  They  were  colored  Avith  iron-ocher, 
and  had  a  f^iw  feathers  of  the  Avhite  cock.atoo,  in  the  black  hair  of  their 
foreheads  and  beards.  A  party  Avho  had  visited  them,  some  days  before, 
Avere  thoughtful  and  reserved ;  these  Avere  merry  as  larks,  and  their 
Avhite  teeth,  constantly  visible,  shone  Avhiter  than  even  the  cockatoo's 
feathers  on  their  broAvs  and  chins.  Sun  never  shone  njion  a  merrier 
group  of  mortals  than  these  children  of  nature  appeared  to  be.  One 
among  them  Avas  aline  poAverful  felloAv,  Avhose  Aoice  sounded  so  strongly, 
that  it  seemed  as  if  his  Axny  Avhisper  might  be  heard  half  a  mile  off. 

On  the  14th  they  Avere  invited  by  some  natives  to  a  ceremonious  in- 
tervicAV  Avith  one  Avho  Avas  seated  in  advance.  They  found,  hoAvever, 
that  he  Avas  hi  great  terror  and  had  nothing  to  say,  but  as  he  was  dis- 
posed to  handle  every  thing  ho  could  lay  hold  of,  they  left  him  as  civilly 
as  they  could,  but  he  hung  on  their  rear  for  some  time,  Avith  his  Avhole 
tribe.  Early  next  morning  some  natiAX'S  were  observed  occasionally 
peeping  from  a  hill  overlooking  the  camp.  "  Some  time  after,"  says 
Mitchell,  "I  perceived  a  figure  resembling  a  large  black  quadruped,  Avith 
head  erect  like  a  lion,  proAvling  about,  among  the  long  grass  beside  my 
after  breakfast  tree.  Taking  my  glass,  I  recognized  the  identical  big 
savage  of  yesterday.  lie  liad  evidently  been  Avatching  us  all  night,  and 
his  party  Avere  concealed  behind  the  hill.  I  fired  a  carbine  so  that  the 
felloAV  should  hear  the  bullet  Avhistle  near  him  into  the  long  grass  ;  and 
at  the  same  time  shouted,  expresslA'c  of  my  disgust  at  his  conduct, 
making  the  men  join  in  a  \ov\t\  jeering  cheer  as  he  galloped  off  on  all- 
fours  toward  his  camp." 

After  pursuing  a  Avcsterly  course  for  some  days  they  came,  on  the 
18th  of  ]May,  to  a  large  river,  skirted  by  a  dense  lint;  of  trees,  and  floAV- 
iug  from  north  to  south.  Here  Mitchell  established  the  camp  for  a  few 
days,  and  made  excursions  to  the  neighboring  hills.  On  the  27th  he 
visited  a  conical  peak  at  some  distance  to  the  south-west,  Avhich  jn-om- 
ised  an  extensive  vicAV.  "  On  gaining  the  summit,"  he  remarks,  *  the 
land  around  me  Avas  fair  to  look  on  ;  nothing  could  be  finer  than  the 
forms  of  the  hills,  half  clear  of  Avood — the  disposition  of  open  grassy 
downs  and  vales— or  the  beauty  of  the  Avoods.  Water  Avas  not  Avantin^,, 
at  least  there  seemed  to  bo  enough  for  the  present  inhabitants,  anu  to 
an  admirer  of  natun;  there  Avas  all  that  could  be  desired.  Deeply  im- 
pressed Avith  it«  sublime  and  solitary  beauty,  I  sketched  the  scene,  and 


.^te 


MARCH    UP    THE    MARAXOA. 


781 


descentlecl  from  that  liill,  resolved  to  follow  the  river  upward,  as  more 
favorable,  in  that  direction,  to  the  chief  object  of  my  missioii.  I  named 
the  hill  overlooking  that  lonely  dale,  Mount  Lonsdale,  m  honor  of  my 
valuable  geological  friend."' 

One  morning  after  he  had  left  the  camp  two  natives  who  Avere  painted 
white  and  well  armed,  came  boldly  up,  followed  by  two  women  bearing 
loads  of  spears.  They  were  ordered  to  halt,  but,  pointing  after  3Iitehell, 
they  motioned  to  the  }»arty  to  follow  him.  Finding  the  men  iirni,  iIk^ 
speaker  edged  olF  toward  a  man  at  a  distance,  in  charge  of  the  hoises. 
Corporal  Graham  got  between,  when  the  savages  came  boldly  upon  him, 
quivering  their  poised  spears.  At  length  the  foremost  man  turned  round 
and  made  vulgar  gestures  of  defiance ;  at  this  the  old  soldier  discharged 
his  carbine  over  the  head  of  the  savage,  vho  first  sprang  some  feet  into 
the  air,  and  tlien  ran  oft'  with  all  the  others.  lie  was  afterward  seen 
creeping  up  under  the  cover  of  some  largo  tri;es,  the  rest  following,  and 
on  being  met  ho  began  to  recite  Avhat  seemed  to  be  a  description  of  the 
surrounding  country,  pointing  to  varioiis  localities.  He  then  stuck  a 
spear  into  the  ground  and  seemed  to  propose  that  on  one  side;  the 
ground  sliould  bo  occupied  by  the  strangers,  and  on  the  other,  l)y  them. 
Graham  assenting  to  this,  they  seemed  better  satisfied,  and  departed. 

Colonel  Mitchell  now  made  preparations  for  continuing  his  explora- 
tions up  the  river,  and  sot  out  on  the  4th  of  June,  leaving  Mr.  Kennedy 
behind  with  a  party,  to  cultivate  a  garden,  and  if  {possible  obtain  some 
information  resj)ecting  the  final  course  of  the  river,  the  native  name  of 
which  was  ascertained  to  be  the  ^MaramSa.  After  a  t'vw  days'  marching, 
the  branch  of  the  river  which  they  ascended  became  nearly  dry,  so  that 
thoy  continued  near  its  channel  until  the  ITth  of  June,  when  they  cii- 
camped  for  a  week  among  some  high  ridges  near  the  head  of  the  river. 
The  highest  ridge  they  crossed  before  encamiiing  was  eighteen  hiuidreil 
and  thu'ty-three  feet  above  the  sea.  Next  morning  Cohmel  3Iitchell 
sent  out  parties  in  search  of  water,  and  then  wint  to  ascend  a  mountain, 
seven  miles  oft'  to  the  north-west.  A  number  of  mountain  tops  were 
visible  from  this  summit.  That  eastward  of  the  dt'pot  canij),  Mas  seen 
in  the  distance,  and  named  !Moimt  Keimedy,  from  the  oilicer  m  charge 
of  the  party  there.  "  I  was  now,"  observes  Colonel  Mitchell,  "  at  a  loss 
for  names  to  the  principal  sunnnits  of  the  country,  Xo  more  could  be 
gathered  from  the  natives,  and  I  resolved  t<^  name  tlu'  feat  ares,  for 
which  names  were  now  requisite,  afler  such  individuals  of  our  own  race, 
as  had  bven  most  distinguished  or  zealous  in  the  ad\ancement  ofsciince, 
and  the  ])\u"snit  of  human  knowledge.  I  called  this  lull  ]\Iounf  Owen; 
a  bald-forest  hill  to  the  north-east  of  it.  Mount  Clitl  ;  a  lofty  truncated 
cono,  to  the  eastward  of  these,  the  center  of  a  group,  and  one  of  my  zero 
points.  Mount  Ogilby  ;  abroad-topped  hill  far  in  the  north-west,  wIkm'o 
I  wished  to  continue  my  route,  ]\Iount  Faraday,  a  high  table-land  inter- 
vening, Hope's  Table-l.and  ;  the  loftiest  i)art  vt'  the  coast  ranges,  visible 
on  all  sides,  Auckland's  Table-Land." 


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782 


RECENT    EXPLORATIONS    IN    AUSTRALIA. 


The  party  moved  fonvard  on  the  26th  of  Juno,  certain,  from  exam- 
ination ah'caily  made,  of  finding  water  for  ut  least  three  days'  journey, 
and  liopeful  of  a  Avator-courso  being  before  them.  In  passing  the  foot 
of  Blount  Owen  tliey  fuund  the  elevation  to  be  two  thousand  and  eighty- 
three  feet ;  the  summit  was  about  seven  hundred  feet  higher.  On  the 
2Kth  they  came  to  a  river  which  they  followed  hopefully,  but  in  a  few 
days  it  turned  gradually  to  the  south-west,  and  they  abandoned  it.  They 
now  proceeded  north-west,  in  the  hope  of  finding  the  basin  of  northern 
waters,  l)eyond  a  range  of  sinnmits  which  appeared  in  that  direction. 
On  the  2d  of  July,  as  Colonel  Mitchell  and  some  of  the  party  were  in 
advance,  near  3[ount  Faraday,  they  found  a  running  stream,  among 
some  reeds  in  the  hollow  of  the  valley.  "The  water,"  says  IMitchell, 
"  was  clear  and  sparkling,  tasting  strongly  of  sulphur,  and  Yuranigh,  the 
guide,  said  this  was  the  head  of  a  river  that  never  dried  np.  In  this 
land  of  picturesque  beauty  and  pastoral  abundance,  within  eighty  miles 
of  the  tropics,  we  had  discovered  the  first  running  stream  seen  on  this 
journey." 

They  now  moved  on  along  the  banks  of  this  stream  which  descended 
through  an  open  valley  toward  the  north  and  promised  them  an  abimd- 
ant  supply  of  water  on  their  proposed  route.  At  length,  however,  the 
bed  of  the  river  became  muddy,  the  banks  became  lined  with  reeds,  and 
on  the  Tth  it  expanded  into  a  lake  covered  with  them.  "When  they 
approached  the  northern  limits  of  this  reedy  lake,  which  they  named 
Salvator,  no  liver  ilowing  out  of  it  was  visible,  although  they  found  a 
dry  channel  which  bore  marks  of  a  considerable  stream  at  some  seasons. 
Following  this  dry  channel  they  found  its  course  bore  northward,  and 
finally  turned  to  the  north-east.  "Thus,"  says  Mitchell,  "in  one  day 
vanished  the  pleasing  prospect  we  had  enjoyed  in  the  morning,  of  a 
stream  flowing  in  the  direction  of  our  intended  route.  This  might  be, 
I  then  thouglit,  the  tributary  to  a  larger  river,  which  T  still  hoped  would 
be  found  to  flow  westward  from  the  coast  ranges,  and,  finally,  take  the 
desired  nortli-west  direction." 

In  a  few  days  they  left  the  banks  of  this  river,  and  proceeded  to  the 
north-west,  through  an  almost  impassable  thicket.  "  After  working  out 
our  way  thus,  for  about  ten  miles,"  ho  continues,  "  our  t(^ils  were  re- 
warded with  a  scene  of  surpassing  beauty,  thiit  gradually  opened  to  ns. 
That  long-lost  tree,  the  graceful  acacia  pendula,  received  U8  in  the 
foreground,  and  open  plains,  blended  with  waving  lines  of  wood,  ox- 
teiu'ed  far  into  bluey  distance,  beyond  Avhich  an  azure  coronet  of  mount- 
ains of  romantic  forms  terminated  the  charming  landscfipe." 

Traversing  a  broken  country,  in  which  they  crossed  several  Avater- 
courses  bearing  AvcstAvard,  they  reached,  on  the  14th,  the  borders  of 
extensive  ]ilains  and  open  doAvns,  extending  f!ir  to  the  oastAvard.  "All 
this  rich  land,"  continiies  jMitchell,  "  Avas  thickly  stroAved  Avith  small 
fragments  of  fossil  AA'ood,  in  silex,  ,%gate,  and  chalcedony.  Many  of  the 
stones,  as  already  observed,  most  strikingly  resembled  decayed  Avood, 


Ji 


MEETING    WITH    NATIVE    TRIBES. 


783 


and  in  one  place  the  remains  of  an  entire  trunk  lay  together  like  a  heap 
of  ruins,  the  dilapidated  remains  of  a  tree !  I  obtained  even  a  por- 
tion of  petritied  bark ;  but  specimens  of  this  were  rare." 

On  the  21st  they  came  to  the  bed  of  a  river,  with  Avat-  "u  the 
channel,  bearing  northward.  Along  this  they  now  advanced,  bL.ieving 
they  had  at  length  discovered  the  head  of  a  north-western  river. 
On  the  25th  of  July  they  passed  the  Tropic  of  Capricorn  ;  much  thun- 
der had  been  heard  through  the  night  toward  the  north,  which,  at  this 
season  of  the  year,  indicated  their  approach  to  that  line.  "  There  was 
no  hill  or  other  geographical  feature  near  our  route,"  observes  Mit- 
chell, "  whereby  it  might  have  been  possible  to  mark  the  limit  of 
tropical  Australia.  We  were  the  first  to  enter  the  interior  beyond  that 
line." 


NATIVES     OP     AUSTRALIA. 

At  length  it  became  evident  that  this  river  also  bore  too  far  cast- 
ward  for  the  Gulf  of  Carpentaria,  and  the  western  tributaries,  which 
they  examined,  still  led  tliem  too  flvr  to  the  south-west.  On  the  Tth 
of  August  they  came  to  a  river  bearing  westward,  Avhich  was  as  largo 
and  important  as  the  one  they  had  been  following,  and  contained  ponds 
of  water ;  but  its  course  was/rom  the  west,  and  left  them  no  hope  that 
the  channel  they  had  been  ])ursning  would  tui'ii  westward.  They  en- 
camped for  several  days  in  this  region,  exploring  the  water-courses  of 
the  neighborhood,  and  determining  the  route  to  bo  pursued,  ^fean- 
while  they  were  occasionally  visited  by  natives.  On  the  10th,  during 
the  absence  of  Colonel  Jlitchell,  a  part}'  armed  with  clubs  came  up 
with  evidently  hostile  intentions.  They  were  suddenly  checked,  1k)W- 
ever,  when  they  saw  five  men  drawn  up  in  a  line,  with  incomprehensible 
weapons  in  their  hands.  Just  then  three  dogs  from  the  camp  ran  at 
them,  and  they  all  took  to  their  heels,  greatly  laughed  at,  even  by  the 
rest  of  their  tribe.  The  only  casualty  befell  the  shepherd's  dog,  which, 
biting  at  the  legs  of  a  native  running  away,  he  turned  round,  and  hit 


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784 


RECENT  EXPLORATIONS  IN  AUSTRALIA. 


tlie  i\o<r  so  cleverly,  that  it  was  tlaiigeroiLsly  ill  for  montlis  afterward. 
Tlio  whole  of  lliem  then  disujipeared,  shouting  through  the  woods  to 
their  women.  It  was  remarkable,  that  on  seeing  the  horses,  they  ex- 
claimed, "•  Yerraman,"  the  colonial  natives'  name  for  a  horse,  and  that 
of  these  animals  they  were  not  at  all  afraid,  A\hereas  they  seemed  in 
much  dread  of  the  bullocks. 

On  tracing  the  river  below  the  junction,  ]\Iitche]l  found  its  height 
to  be  little  more  than  six  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  "  I 
could  no  longer  doid)t,"  he  continues,  "•  that  the  division  between 
eastern  and  western  waters  was  still  to  the  Avestward.  I  accordingly 
determined  to  retrace  our  wheel-tracks  back  to  the  head  of  the  Salvator, 
and  to  explore  from  thence  the  conntry  to  the  north-west,  as  far  as  our 
stock  of  j)rovisions  and  the  season  would  permit.*' 

On  the  24tli  they  re-crosscd  the  line  of  Capricorn,  having  been 
exactly  one  month  in  the  interior  of  tropical  Australia.  On  the  5th  of 
September  they  encamped  on  the  Salvator  a  few  miles  above  the  lake, 
whore  they  formed  a  depot,  and  remained  a  few  days  to  refresh  the 
horses,  before  setting  out  with  the  best  of  them  toward  the  west. 
Meanwhile  Colonel  Mitchell  prepared  dispatches  to  the  governor,  gu- 
ing  an  account  of  his  proceedings  and  discoveries,  and  left  them  at  the 
dejiut,  to  be  forthcoming  in  the  CA'cnt  of  any  misfortune  befalling  hi-n 
or  his  party.  They  set  forward  on  the  10th,  and  proceeded  westward 
from  the  valley  of  the  Salvator,  hoping  to  hnd  lieyond  the  distant  hills 
what  had  so  long  been  the  object  of  those  researches — a  river  flowing 
to  the  Gulf  of  Carpentaria.  On  the  14t:i  day  they  discovered  a  rocky 
gap  leading  to  the  north-west,  and  hastily  descended  toward  it.  With 
eager  steps  they  followed  a  slight  channel  downward  '-^  a  little  valley, 
verdant  with  young  grass,  where  the  red  sky  of  sunset  shone  reflected 
from  several  broad  ponds  of  Avater. 

"  As  soon  as  daylight  appeared,"  says  JMitchell,  "  I  hastened  toward 
the  gap,  and  ascended  a  naked  rock  on  the  Avest  side  of  it.  I  there  be- 
held doAvns  and  plains  extending  AvestAvard  beyond  the  reach  of  vision. 
Ulloa's  delight  at  the  fnst  vicAV  of  the  Pacific  could  not  have  surpassed 
mine  on  this  occasion,  nor  could  the  fervor  Avith  Avhich  he  Avas  impressed 
at  the  moment  have  exceeded  my  sense  of  gratitude,  for  being  alloAved 
to  make  such  a  discovery.  From  that  rock,  the  scene  Avas  so  extensive 
as  to  leave  no  room  for  doubt  as  to  the  course  of  the  river,  Avhich,  thus 
and  there  revealed  to  me  alone,  seemed  like  a  rewar<l  direct  from 
heaven  for  perseverance,  and  as  a  compensation  for  the  many  sacrifices 
I  had  made,  in  order  to  solve  the  question  as  to  the  interior  rivers  of 
troj)i('al  Australia." 

They  traced  the  course  of  this  river  in  a  north-Avestcrly  direction 
until  the  2;3d,  Avhen  it  fell  off"  to  the  south-Avest.  On  the  2'2d  they  passed 
a  large  river  coming  in  from  the  north-east,  below  which  the  united 
channel  formed  a  broad,  deep  river,  as  large  as  the  ^Murray.  This  deep 
reach  contuiucd  but  a  few  miles,  beloAV  Avhich  the  channel   contained 


^ 


THE    VICTORIA    RIVER. 


gu- 


ponds  only,  anrl  next  day  they  followed  a  dry  river.  The  t(  .  a  of  one 
month,  to  which  tliis  western  excursion  was  limited,  was  now  half 
elapsed,  but  Mitchell  resolved  to  follow  the  course  of  this  interesting 
river  a  few  days  longer.  Their  horses,  however,  began  to  droop,  and  it 
became  necessary  to  return  while  the  stock  of  provisions  lasted;  the  na- 
tives, too,  Avliose  language  was  unintelligible,  manifested  a  hostile  dispo- 
sition ;  they  therefore  turned  eastward  on  the  2.5th.  They  returned  by 
the  left  bank,  intending  to  cut  off  the  great  sweep  which  the  river  de- 
scribed toward  the  north,  and  to  meet  with  any  tributaries  it  might  re- 
ceive from  the  south.  IJefore  leaving  the  river  Liitchell  bestowed  upon 
it  a  name,  in  which  connection  he  remarks:  "It  seemed  to  me,  to  de- 
serve a  great  name,  being  of  nnich  importance,  as  leading  from  temper- 
ate into  tropical  regions,  Avhere  Avater  was  the  essential  requisit(>.  This 
river  seemed  to  me  typical  of  God's  providence,  in  conveying  living 
waters  into  a  dry  parched  land,  and  thus  affording  access  to  open  and 
extensive  pastoral  regions,  likely  to  be  soon  peopled  by  civilized  inhab- 
itants. It  was  Avith  sentiments  of  devotion,  zeal,  and  loyalty,  that  I 
therefore  gave  to  this  river  the  name  of  my  gracious  sovereign,  Queen 
Victoria." 

On  the  Gth  of  October  he  climbed  Mount  Pluto,  to  make  some  ol)- 
servations.  From  this  point  the  camp  on  the  Salvator  was  visible.  "We 
reached  it  before  sunset,"  he  continues,  "  and  Avere  received  Avith  loud 
cheers.  All  Avero  Avell,  the  natives  had  not  come  near,  the  cattle  Avero 
in  a  high  condition.  The  grass  looked  green  and  luxuriant  about  the 
camp,  and  the  s])ot  proved  a  most  refreshing  home  both  to  us  and  to  our 
jaded  horses,  on  Avhose  backs  Ave  had  almost  constantly  been  for  nearly 
a  month." 

They  set  out  on  the  10th  of  October  to  return,  and  on  the  1 8th,  en- 
camped Avithin  a  day's  ride  of  the  depot  on  the  Maranc'ia.  They  Avero 
anxious  to  knov  how  Mr.  Kennedy  and  the  natives  had  agreed,  and 
looked  forward  Avith  impatience  to  the  morrow.  Tlie  main  body  of  the 
party  had  been  stationary  four  months  and  a  half,  a  long  time  to  remain 
undisturbed  in  a  country  still  claimed  and  possessed  by  sav.ages. 

"On  the  lOtli,"  continues  Colonel  Mitchell,  "the  party  Avas  early  in 
motion — old  tracks  of  cattle,  Avhcn  the  earth  had  been  sofl,  and  the  piint 
of  a  shoe,  Avere  the  first  traces  of  the  Avhite  man's  existence  Ave  met  Avith ; 
nor  did  Ave  sec  anv  thin":  mor  3  conclusive,  until  the  tents  on  the  cliffs 
overhanging  the  river  were  visible  through  the  trees.  "Wo  saw  men, 
also,  and  even  recognized  some  of  them,  before  our  party  Avas  observed ; 
nor  did  they  see  us  advancing,  Avith  a  flag  on  the  cart,  until  Brown 
sounded  the  bugle.  Immediately  all  Avere  in  motion,  ]\Ir.  Kennedy 
coming  forwaid  to  the  cliffs,  Avhile  the  Avhole  party  received  us  Avith 
cheers,  to  Avhicli  my  men  heartily  responded.  Mr.  Kennedy  ran  down 
the  cliffs  to  meet  me,  and  Avas  the  first  to  give  me  the  gratifying  intelli- 
gence that  the  Avhole  party  Avere  well ;  that  the  cattle  and  sheep  Avere 
safe  and  fat ;  and,  that  the  aborigines  had  never  molested  them.     A 

50 


f 


'I 


IP* 

III  iii.i 

1;  i';iiii 


II 


786 


EECENT    EXPLORATIONS   IN    AUSTRALIA. 


good  Rtock-yarcl  liad  been  set  up;  a  storehouse  had  also  been  built;  a 
garden  had  been  tbneed  in,  and  contained  lettuce,  ladishcs,  melons,  cu- 
cumbers, etc.  Indeed,  the  whole  cstablishinent  evinced  the  good  etlects 
of  order  and  discipline." 

Proceeding  by  the  most  direct  route  homeward,  the  expedition 
crossed  the  Darling  on  the  0th  of  December,  and  on  the  14th  reached 
Snodgrass  Lagoon,  Avhere  Colonel  Mitchell  left  the  party  and  in'oceeded 
by  the  settlements  on  the  Namnioy.  Of  the  conclusion  of  the  expedi- 
tion he  says:  "The  party  which  I  had  left  in  charge  of  Mr.  Kennedy 
near  Snodgrass  Lagoon  arrived  in  the  ncighborliood  of  Sydney  on  the 
2Qth  of  January,  and  the  new  governor,  Sir  Charles  Fitzroy,  kindly 
granted  such  gratuities  to  the  nu)st  deserving  of  my  men  as  I  had  rec- 
onunended,  and  also  sent  the  names  to  England  of  such  prisoners  as 
his  excellency  thought  deservuig  of  her  majesty's  gracious  pardon." 


M- ICHIIARDT'S    OVEHLAND    JOUllNEY 
TO    PORT   ESSINGTON 

Dr.  Leichhardt,  a  German  who  liad  settled  in  Australia,  spent  the 
two  years  after  his  arrival,  in  various  exploring  trips  through  the  coun- 
try northward  of  Morcton  Bay.  On  returning  to  the  latter  place,  at 
the  end  of  this  time,  lie  found  the  attention  of  the  public,  as  well  as  the 
legislative  council,  occupied  by  the  subject  of  an  overland  expedition  to 
I'ort  Essington  on  the  north  coast  of  Australia.  He  at  once  desired  to 
midertake  the  journey,  and  confident  of  success,  he  i)revailcd  against  the 
solicitations  of  his  friends,  and  began  to  make  arrangements  for  the 
undertaking.  Aided  by  the  contributions  of  a  few  friends,  the  prepara- 
tions were  rather  hurriedly  completed  by  the  13th  of  August,  1844, 
when  he  set  sail  from  Sydney  for  Moreton  Bay.  His  companions  were 
^Messrs.  Calvert  and  Roper ;  a  lad  named  Murphy ;  \Vm.  Phillips,  a 
prisoner  of  the  crown  ;  and  "  Harry  Brown,"  a  native  of  the  Newcastle 
tribe;  making  with  himself  six  persons.  At  Brisbane  he  received  fresh 
C(.)ntributions  from  his  friends,  and  Avas  reluctantly  prevailed  upon  to 
increase  his  i)arty.  Mr.  Hodgson,  a  resident  of  the  district ;  Mr.  Gil- 
bert, a  zealous  naturalist ;  Caleb,  an  American  negro ;  and  "  Charley,"  an 
aboriginal  of  the  Bathurst  tribe,  were  added  to  the  expedition. 

In  the  latter  part  of  September  the  party  crossed  the  coast  range, 
and  proceeded  over  the  Darling  Downs  to  Jimba,  the  last  settlement 
on  their  route.  On  the  1st  of  October  they  left  this  place,  and  set  out, 
full  of  hope,  into  the  wilderness  of  Australia.  In  a  few  days  they  came 
to  the  Condamine,  a  large  sluggish  stream,  flowing  in  a  north-westerly 
course,  parallel  to  the  coast  range,  from  whose  western  slope  it  receives 
its  tributaries.    They  followed  thi.s  river  until  it  bore  off  toward  the 


^Ai 


m\ 


PROnRESS    OP    LETCiniAIlDT'?5    PARTT. 


787 


intorior  on  tho  Icfl,  flion  contlnnod  tlioir  rourso  to  llio  iiortli-AVcst  over 
n  Id'okcn  country,  interrupt cd  liy  I;iij:;inu'S  and  wutcr-coiu'siN  Itcuriiig  otl' 
to  tho  Hoiilli-wist.  Tht'ii"  progross  was  nuicli  obstriicti'd  by  nunuTous 
thickets  ofiiciicia  mid  biigaloe  scrub,  and  in  the  latter  part  of  October 
tlio  heat  "was  oppressive  by  day,  although  the  nights  Avero  often  very 
col('.  It  was  f^uuid,  also,  that  the  game  was  insufficient  to  supply  the 
party  with  animal  food,  and  that  the  Avant  of  it  was  impairing  their 
strength.  Tiny  Avcre,  at  tho  same  time,  consuming  more  flour  than  was 
consistent  Avith  Dr.  Leichhardt's  plans,  and  lie  became  convinced  that 
tho  party,  which  ho  had  reluctantly  increased  at  ]\Ioreton  T»ay,  was  too 
large  for  the  sup]ily  of  provisions.  lie  therefore,  on  the  lid  of  Xovem- 
ber,  made  known  to  his  companions  the  necessity  of  reducing  their  mini- 
ber,  and  although  all  Averc  anxious  to  continue  the  journey,  ^Ir.  Hodg- 
son, Avho  suffered  most  from  fatigue,  and  Caleb,  the  negro,  prepared  to 
return.  Previous,  lioAvever,  to  their  departure,  they  assisted  in  killing 
one  of  the  steers,  the  meat  of  Avhich  Avas  cut  into  thin  slices  and  dried 
in  the  sun, 

On  the  ."d  they  AVero  visited  by  a  party  of  natives,  Avho  appeared 
A'cry  fiiendly.  They  ])ointed  out  honey  in  one  of  the  trees,  helped  to 
cut  it  out  and  cat  it,  and  asked  for  tobacco.  They  particularly  admired 
the  red  blankets ;  Avero  terror-struck  at  the  sight  of  a  large  sword, 
Avhicli  they  tremblingly  begged  might  be  returned  into  the  sheath; 
and  Avondered  at  the  ticking  of  a  watch,  and  at  the  movement  of  its 
Avheels. 

On  the  Dtli  they  came  to  a  creek  floAving  AA'CstAA'ard,  AvhIch  at  length 
took  a  north-westerly  course,  and  became  a  considerable  river.  In  a 
foAV  days  the  A'alley  of  the  river  became  obstructed  Avith  thickets,  and 
the  river  itself  divided  into  numerous  branches,  Avhieh,  Avith  the  shallow 
Avater-conrses  of  occasional  floods  from  the  hills,  made  the  Aviiole  valley 
amaze  of  channels,  from  Avhicli  they  could  only  Avith  diflieulty  extricate 
themselves.  The  open  forest  Avas  sometimes  one  large  Held  of  flowers 
Avith  bright  yellow  blossoms,  Avhile  tho  scrub  plains  A\-ere  thickly  covered 
Avith  gi'ass.  They  folloAved  tho  river,  Avhieh  they  named  the  DaAvson, 
until  the  14th,  Avhen  it  bore  olf  to  the  east  and  they  continui.'d  in  their 
former  direction.  On  emerging  from  a  dense  thicket  they  AA'ore  de- 
lighted by  tho  A'icAV  of  a  lake  surrounded  by  dark  Acrdure,  Avith  swarms 
of  ducks  playing  on  its  surface.  Beyond  lay  an  open  forest  in  Avhlch 
the  palm-tree  Avas  conspicuous,  and  .'ilong  the  creek  they  passed  several 
rocky  gullies  filled  with  jjalms.  ]>eyond  the  head  of  "Palm-tree  Creek" 
they  reached  the  channel  of  .1  large  stream  AvhIch  came  down  from  tho 
north-Avest,  and  here  turned  off  to  the  south.  There  Avere  numerous 
lakes  and  lagnnes  in  this  region,  and  at  length  they  had  a  constant  sup- 
ply of  Avater  in  tho  creek  itself  In  a  few  days  they  entered  a  mount- 
ainous country,  the  banks  of  the  creek  became  sometimes  steep  and 
broken,  rend<'ring  their  progress  slow  and  difficult,  and  by  the  latter 
part  of  November  they  Avere  among  high  mountain  ranges  at  the  liead 


1    ■■ 


*>v-. 


f'v'.-a 


fi 


>ii 


>;i 


iM 


i!i 


'I  .  !    ; 


li' 


m 


788 


RECENT    EXPLORATIONS    IN    AUSTRALIA. 


of  this  creek.  Here  lliey  eucaiuped  n  few  days  to  reconnoitcr  the 
country. 

At  first  the  party  had  siitfered  from  diaiigo  of  diet  and  h-bits,  but 
latterly  constant  exposure  and  exertion  liad  sharjjened  tlieir  ajjpetites. 
Iguauos,  opossums,  and  birds  of  all  kinds,  were  cooked,  neither  good, 
bad,  nor  indilferent  being  rejected.  Dried  kangaroo's  meat,  one  of 
their  luxuries,  resembled  diied  beef  in  flavor,  and  afforded  an  excellent 
broth.  They  realized  how  soon  nuui  becomes  indifferent  to  the  nice- 
ties of  food.  One  day  a  bullock  had  torn  one  of  the  flour  batrs,  and 
about  fifteen  pounds  of  flour  were  scattered  over  the  ground.  They 
all  set  to  work  to  scrai)e  it  up,  and  when  it  became  too  dirty  to  nnx 
Avith  the  flour,  rather  than  lose  so  much,  they  collected  about  six  pounds 
of  it,  well  mixed  with  dried  leaves  and  dust,  and  of  this  made  a  por- 
ridge, which  every  one  enjoyed  highly. 

On  the  4th  of  ])eceml)er  they  crossed  the  range ;  thence  passing 
over  a  country  traversed  by  several  creeks  and  wnter-courses,  that  were 
mostly  dry,  they  came  to  the  foot  of  Expedition  Kange  on  the  9th. 
The  <'hamu'ls  of  this  intervening  basin  led  to  the  north-east,  converuina 
toward  a  plain  that  appeared  milimited  in  that  direction.  Beyond  Ex- 
pedition Range  Leichhardt  spent  several  days  reconnoitering  the  sur- 
rounding country,  while  the  men  increased  the  stock  of  jirovisions  by 
slaughtering  a  liit  bullock.  After  Christmas  they  proceeded  northward 
along  the  channel  of  a  creek,  to  which  they  gave  the  name  of  Comet 
River,  and  which  led  them,  on  the  12tli  of  January,  1845,  to  a  large 
river  coming  in  from  the  west,  and  flowing  east  and  north  On  the 
i;Jth  they  encamped  near  the  line  of  Capricorn,  on  the  new  river,  to 
which  Leichhtu'dt  gave  the  name  of  Mackenzie.  Having  ascertained, 
by  following  its  course  a  few  days,  that  it  flowed  to  the  north-oast,  he 
left  it,  ami  resinned  his  course  to  the  north-west,  across  beautiful  plains 
aiul  a  highly-tnnbi'rc<l  country.  ^Vt  length  they  aj'proached  a  high 
range  of  mountahis,  which  rose  up  from  the  level  plain  before  them  in 
isolated,  gigantic,  conical  peaks,  and  on  the  2d  of  February  passed 
through  a  defile  east  of  two  of  these  sununits  which  he  called  Scott's 
and  Roper's  Peaks.  From  these  the  chain  extended  north-west  in  a 
high  broken  range,  which  received  the  name  of  Peak  Range.  Leaving 
Peak  Range  on  the  lellt,  they  directed  their  course  northward  through 
a  hilly  coinitry,  in  wliich  the  streams  bore  eastward,  and  on  the  ]()th 
of  February  came  to  a  creek  well  supplied  with  water,  which  they  fol- 
lowed a  k'W  days  in  an  easterly  direction.  As  they  descended  it  the 
water  soon  disappcarcil  in  a  sandy  bed ;  it  led  them  to  the  broad,  deep 
channel  of  a  river,  now  iierfectly  dry.  They  named  this  river  the 
Isaacs,  and  now  turning  their  course,  they  ascended  it  to  the  north-west 
nnd  north,  until  they  reached  its  sources  in  a  high  mountain  gorge. 
They  had  foil., >ved  the  rivi-r  about  seventy  miles,  through  a  coimtry 
well  ada|)ted  to  pastoral  pursuits;  water  was,  however,  vt-ry  scarce, 
although  it  was  found,  by  digging,  at  a  short  distance  below  the  surface. 


.MMlii 


loitor    the 

r'bits,  but 
api)i'titos. 
thor  good, 
t,  one  of 
i  oxLiillent 
tho  nice- 
bags,  and 
id.  Thcy 
ty  to  mix 
4x  jtounds 
,de  a  por- 

co  passing 
that  were 
I  liie  mil. 
onverging 
eyond  Ex- 
ig  the  sur- 
visions  by 
northward 
uf  Comet 

0  iv  hirge 
On  the 

V  river,  to 
certained, 
h-east,  lie 
ifnl  plains 
ed  a  high 
re  them  in 
iry  1  Kissed 
LMi  Seott\s 
west  in  a 
Leaving 

1  through 
the   10th 

(hey  fol- 
ed  It  the 
oatl,  deep 
rivi'r  tho 
u  nth-west 
lin  gorge. 
11  eonntiy 
•y  scarce, 
0  surface. 


DISCOVEKY    OF    NKW    lUVERS. 


789 


Oti  the  Tth  of  ^Tarcli  the  party  moved  tliro'igh  (ho  gorge,  and  in  a 
few  miles  came  to  another  system  of  Avater,  which  collect i'(l  in  a  crock 
flowing  westward.  This  stream  led  tliem  to  a  large  river,  to  which 
they  gave  the  name  of  Suttor,  and  which  they  followed  by  a  ciicuitons 
course,  at  fu-st  toward  the  south-west,  :uid  afterward  to  tlie  nortli,  until 
it  joined  another  called  the  IJurdekin,  and  tho  united  channel  bore  otf 
to  the  east.  They  found  tho  usual  scarcity  of  Mater  in  the  Suttor,  its 
bed  being  only  occasionally  sui)i>lied  with  Avater-holes  ;  several  miles 
before  its  imion  Avith  tlio  Durdekin,  the  Suttor  is  joined  by  a  river  as 
hirge  as  itself,  coming  from  the  f;outli-west,  to  Avhich  Leichhardt  gave 
the  name  of  Cajio  River.  "Within  (ho  be(l  of  tho  Biirdekin,  wliich  was 
a  mile  wide  at  the  junction,  tliere  Avere  narrow  ami  uninterrupted  belts 
of  small  trees,  separating  broad  masses  of  sand,  through  which  a  stream 
ten  yards  Avido,  and  two  or  three  feet  deep,  Avas  moandciing,  but  Avhich 
at  times  spread  into  large  sheets  of  Avator,  occasionally  occupying  (he 
whole  Avidth  of  the  river. 

On  the  ;^d  of  Api'il  they  sot  out  along  tlu^  banks  of  the  r)urdokin, 
and  ascended  the  river  in  a  north-Avesterlv  direction,  until  (hov  roaclie<l 
its  head  waters  in  a  high  basaUic  table-land,  about  the  middle  of  May. 
On  this  route,  as  on  the  Suttor  Kiver,  (hey  sometimes  saw  (races  of  the 
natives,  aa'Iio,  liuwever,  Averi;  mostly  invisible  ;  and  if  they  chanced  to 
come  U])on  any  by  surprise,  they  Avere  shy  and  reserve<l,  ;ui<l  (piickly 
made  (heir  escape,  or  shoAved  signs  of  liosdiity.  Tlu'  ap[iroa(lics  to  the 
basaUic  j)laiiis  Avere  mos(  difllcuU,  ami  for  a  few  days  they  made  little 
j)rogress.  ]\Ir.  I'oper's  horse  lost  its  fooliug  on  the  s(ee])  banks  of  (he 
river,  and  broke  its  (high.  As  (ho  animal  Avas  young  and  healthy,  (hey 
saved  tlic  meat,  ami  although  (here  Avas  some  prejudice  against  hoise- 
flesli,  (hey  found  it  a  good  substi(n(e  Cm'  beef. 

Beyond  the  sources  of  (ho  l)urilokin  (hoA'  iiassoil  a  series  of  hi'U'h 
moun(ain  ranges,  in  (he  eigli(eo!i(h  degree  of  soudi  lati(ude,  and  came  on 
tho  2.ld  of  May  to  a  river  (lowing  north-Avest,  down  which  (hoy  condmied 
their  course.  For  sover.-il  davs(he\"  iiassecl  (hrou!j;li  (he  most  nionutaiu- 
ons  and  rocky  couudy  (hey  had  seen.  The  ranges  formeil  (he  banks  of 
the  river  itself,  Avhicli  gradually  enlarged,  and  Avas  formed  by  sover.al 
channels  fringed  Avith  tlroopiug  (ea-troes.  As  soon  as  it  had  lefY  the 
basaUic  formadon,  hue  large  ibits  of  sandy  soil  succeeded  on  both  sides, 
and  further  down  tho  country  w;is  broken  by  low  r.-mgos  of  various 
extent,  formoil  by  rocky  hills  ;md  peaks,  Avhich  liDed  their  rugged  crests 
above  tho  open  fores(s  that  covered  tlu'ir  slopes.  As  (hey  proceedi-d, 
(lie  \va(er-holes  in  the  river  became  large  and  numerous,  and  some  of  tho 
tribiHarii's  contained  running  water. 

On  (he  ind)  of  June  they  came  (o  a  large  liver  flowing  in  from  the 
cast,  to  Avhich  the  one  thoy  had  been  following,  which  they  named  (he 
TiVnd,  became  a  (ril)Utarv.  The  now  river  was  calloil  the  IMitchell.  The 
bed  was  broail,  sandy,  and  quite  ban- of  vogetalioii,  showing  (he  more 
frcfpient  recurrence  of  floods.     A  small  stream  meandered  (hrough  tho 


,    I 


V' 


f  f 


m 


*i 


: .  I 


I  * 

I 

I 
!i  1 


I.  !l   ! 


I' 


lii: 


1   'i 


790 


KKCKXT    EXPLOllATIONS    IN"    AUSTRALIA. 


sliect  of  siiiul,  iuiil  from  lime  to  tiiivj  cxpaudod  into  largo  watcr-lioUiS. 
Thu  united  river  coiitiiiut'd  in  a  north-westerly  course,  along  which  they 
advanced  over  a  comparatively  level  country  until  the  25th  of  June, 
Avhen  they  had  i)assed  the  sixteenth  degn-e  of  south  latitude,  and  were 
considerably  beyond  the  head  of  the  (»ulf  of  Carjjentaria.  Dr.  Leich- 
hardt  therefore  determined  to  leave  the  Mitchell  at  this  point,  to  ap- 
proach the  sea-coast,  and  pass  around  the  bottom  of  the  Gulf. 

Accordingly,  on  the  2Gth  they  set  forward  to  the  south-west.  Oa 
the  27th,  as  Ciiarley  and  Brown  were  in  search  of  game,  they  saw  a  na- 
tive sneaking  up  to  the  bullocks,  while  a  party  of  his  black  companion3 
were  waiting  \\  ith  poised  spears  to  receive  them.  The  men  hurried  up 
to  prevent  them,  when  the  native  gave  the  alarm,  and  all  took  to  their 
heels,  except  a  lame  fellow,  who  tried  to  persuade  his  friends  to  stand 
fight.  Charley,  however,  lired  his  gun,  which  had  the  intended  effect  of 
frightening  them,  for  they  deserted  their  camp  in  a  great  hurry,  leaving 
several  articles  behind.  The  women  had  previously  retired,  a  proof  that 
mischief  was  intentled. 

Next  day  they  saw  by  the  smoke  rising  in  every  direction  that  tho 
country  was  thickly  inhabited,  and  )iear  the  lagunes  freipiently  dis- 
cerned marks  of  the  camp-fn-es  of  the  natives.  In  the  aflernoon  they  en- 
canijied  in  the  belt  of  trees  bordering  on  a  lagune,  and  Dr.  Leichharht 
had  just  retired  in  the  evening,  sleeping  on  the  ground,  as  usual,  at  a 
little  distan<;e  from  the  iire,  when  ho  was  suddenly  roused  by  a  loud 
jioise  and  a  call  for  hi'lp  from  Calvert  and  Koper.  Natives  had  attacked 
the  canij).  They  had  doul)tless  marked  the  position  of  the  different 
tents,  anti  as  soon  as  it  was  dark  they  sneaked  up  and  threw  a  shower 
of  spears  at  the  tents  of  Calvert,  Koper,  and  (lilbert,  a  i'liw  at  that  of 
riiiilips,  and  one  or  two  toward  the  fire.  Charley  and  Brown  called  for 
caps  and  discharged  their  guns  into  the  crowd  of  natives,  who  instantly 
lied,  leaving  lloper  and  Cahert  jiierced  with  se\ eral  spears,  and  severely 
beaten  by  their  clubs.  Several  of  tho  spears  were  barbed,  and  could  not 
be  extracted  without  dilliculty.  Murphy  liad  succeeded  in  getting  be- 
lihid  a  tree,  whence  he  fired  at  the  natives,  and  severely  woinided  ono 
of  them  before  Brown  had  discharged  liis  gun.  Hearing  that  Mr.  (lil- 
bert had  fallen,  Dr.  Leichhanlt  hastened  to  the  spot  and  foimd  liim  lying 
on  the  ground  at  a  little  distance  from  the  fire,  but  every  sign  of  life  had 
departed. 

As  soon  ns  they  recovered  from  tho  panio  into  wliich  they  wero 
tlnown  by  this  fjital  event  they  extinguislie<l  the  fires  and  watched 
through  tlu!  night  to  i)revent  another  surprise.  The  night  was  unpleaa- 
antly  cold,  and  they  passi'd  it  in  a  state  of  most  painlid  suspense  as  to 
the  ilito  of  their  surviving  companions.  The  dawn  of  next  morning  was 
j(ladly  welcomed,  and  Dr.  Leiehliardt  proceeded  to  examine  anil  dress 
tlie  wounds  of  his  companions.  .Mr.  Koper  had  received  two  or  llireo 
spear-woinids  on  his  luad,  one  spear  had  passed  through  his  lell  ariu, 
another  into  Ids  cheek  and  injured  tho  optic  iiurve,  and  another  V',,  hl,i 


mi4 


TUB    GULF    Oi'    CARPENTARIA. 


791 


ater-hokis. 
tvliicli  they 
li  of  Juno, 
,  and  were 
Dr.  Loich- 
jiut,  to  ap- 

west.  Oil 
'  saw  n,  na- 
omi)iinion3 
Imirieil  \\^^ 
jk  to  their 
s  to  .staucl 
!cl  effect  of 
ry,  leaving 
l>roof  that 

I  that  tlio 
lently  ilis- 
n  tliey  en- 
jeiehharht 
usual,  at  a 
by  a  loud 

II  attacked 
!  diflerent 
.'  a  shower 
at  that  of 

called  for 
>  uihlantly 
d  severely 

could  not 
jetting  be- 
unded  ono 
It  Mr.  (Jil- 
liiui  lying 
of  lile  had 

they  wero 
I  wati'hod 
IS  UMpleaa- 
ense  as  to 
rniiig  ^\'^^ 
and  dress 
i>  or  ihreo 
lefl  aiiii, 
ler  'v\  \m 


loins,  besides  a  heavy  blou-  o;  tlic  shoulder,  ^fr.  (\ilvort  had  received 
several  heavy  blows,  one  on  ti,e  nose  which  had  crushed  the  nasal-bones, 
and  others  on  his  arm  and  hands  ;  besides  which  a  barbed  spear  had  en- 
tered his  groin,  and  another  his  knee.  Both  suffered  great  pain,  and 
■were  scarcely  able  to  move.  The  spear  that  terminated  Gilbert's  exist- 
ence had  entered  the  chest ;  from  the  direction  of  the  -wound  he  had  re- 
ceived it  when  stooping  to  leave  liis  tent.  In  the  aflernoon  they  buried 
the  l)()dy  of  their  ill-fated  companion,  and  aflerward  made  a  large  fire 
over  the  grave,  to  jirevent  the  natives  from  detecting  it. 

Calvert  and  Ivoper  recovered  rapidly,  considering  the  severe  injuries 
they  had  received,  and  as  it  was  thought  hazardous  to  remain  long  at 
the  jilace,  the  party  set  out  on  the  fstof  July.  On  the  5th  they  ob- 
tained the  first  sight  of  the  gulf,  which  was  hailed  by  all  with  feelings 
of  indescribable  pleasure,  although  Dr.  Leichhardt's  joy  was  mingled 
with  regret  at  not  having  succeeded  in  bringing  his  whole  party  to  the 
end  of  what  he  considered  the  most  diflicult  part  of  the  jouniey.  IFc 
had  now  discovered  a  lino  of  communication  by  land  between  the 
eastern  coa>t  of  Australia  and  the  (lulf  of  Carpentaria,  and  had  traveled 
along  never-failing,  and  for  the  most  part,  miming  waters,  and  (ncr  an 
excellent  country,  available,  almost  in  its  whole  extent,  for  pastoral  2)ur- 
poses. 

At  dusk,  on  the  Ttli,  a  native  glided  into  the  camii,  ami  walked  up  to 
the  fire.  Tiistantly  the  cry  of  "blackfellow!"  was  raised,  and  every  gun 
was  ready.  15ut  the  stranger  was  tmarme(l,  and  evidently  unconscious 
of  his  jtosition;  and  when  he  saw  himself  siiddi'iily  surrounded  by  the 
horses  and  the  men  lie  nimbly  climbed  a  tree  ami  stood  immovable  in 
the  summit,  Mithf)ut  lieeding  the  calls  and  signs  for  him  to  descend,  or 
the  discharge  of  a  gun.  At  h'ugth  Charley  was  sent  up  a  neighboring 
tree,  whereui»ou  the  black  l)egau  calling  ami  shouting  most  lustily,  until 
he  m.ade  the  forests  re-echo  with  the  wiM  sounds  of  his  alarm.  The 
horses  wer(>  frighti'ne(l,  and  those  that  were  loose  ran  away,  and  tlie 
men  Avere  much  afraid  that  his  cries  would  bring  the  whole  tribe  to  his 
assistance.  Dr.  lA'ichliardt  tlien  went  to  a  fire  at  a  short  distance, 
Avhere  the  man  could  see  him  <listinctlv,  and  made  sIljiis  for  him  to  do- 
Hcend  and  go  away.  He  began  to  bu  more  (piiet  and  to  talk  ;  but  soon 
hallooecl  Mgaiii,  and  threw  sticks  at  Leichhardt,  at  his  com]);inion^,  ami 
at  the  horses.  The  whole  parly  now  retired  a  fiw  yards  to  allow  him 
to  eseapi' ;  and  af^er  conliiming  his  lamentations  for  Bome  time,  ho 
ceased  ;  in  a  few  mim;te^  a  slight  rustlim;  was  heard,  and  \w.  M*as  gone ; 
doubtless  dcliLrhled  at  having  escaped  the  pale-laceil  cMimibals.  Next 
morning  tlu>  whole  tribe,  well  armed,  watche(l  them  from  a  distance, 
but  allowed  them  ([iiietly  to  load  their  bullocks  and  depart,  without 
off-ring  them  the  least  riimoyance. 

Whil(>  the  party  wen>  butchering  a  steer  oi\  th(>  1  1th,  some  natives 
made  their  a]>pearance.  l^eichhaidt  held  out  a  branch  as  a  sign  of  peace, 
when  they  vi'iituri'd  up  to  holil  a  parley,  though  evidently  with  great 


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RECENT    EXPLORATIONS    IN    AUSTRALIA. 


Kiispicioii.  Thoy  examined  Brown's  liat,  antl  expressed  a  great  desire  to 
keep  it.  While  Dr.  Leichhardt  went  to  the  tents  for  some  pieces  of 
iron  as  a  present  to  them,  Brown,  wishing  to  surprise  them,  mounted 
Jiis  horse  and  began  trotthig,  wliich  frightened  them  so  much  that  tliey 
ran  away  and  did  not  come  again.  In  i)assing  around  the  southern  ex- 
tremity of  the  gulf  tlicy  had  occasional  interviews  with  the  natives, 
who  appeared  quite  amicably  disi)osed,  esi^ecially  on  receiving  some 
trifling  presents. 

After  a  most  tedious  and  fatiguing  march  around  the  head  of  the 
gulf,  during  which  their  progress  was  greatly  obstructed  by  the  numer- 
ous laguiies  and  creeks  along  the  coast,  they  approached  the  head  of 
Linunen  Biglit,  the  western  extremity  of  the  Gulf  of  Carpentaria,  on  the 
Gth  of  October.  The  whole  country  around  the  gulf,  particularly  ni 
the  southern  jtart,  and  on  the  plains  and  approaches  to  the  rivers  and 
creeks,  was  well  covered  with  grass.  The  large  water-holes  were  fre- 
quently surrounded  with  a  thick  turf  of  small  sedge,  upon  which  the 
horses  greedily  fed.  StiiF  grasses  made  their  appearance  near  the  sea- 
coast,  on  the  plains  as  well  as  in  the  forest.  From  the  coast  of  Linunen 
Biglit  they  ascended  a  large  ri\  er  of  brackish  water,  which  they  named 
Liunuen  Bight  Biver.  Aftcu*  following  its  banks  to  the  south-west  for 
about  a  week,  they  took  a  north-westerly  course,  and  on  the  1 0th  of 
October,  eanio  to  the  banks  of  a  iVesh-wator  river,  five  to  eight  hundred 
yards  wide,  and  flowing  westwardly  to  the  Bight,  They  continued  their 
route  to  the  north-west  along  the  banks  of  this  river,  which  was  called 
the  Boper.  On  the  21st  they  liad  the  misfortune  to  lose  three  of  their 
most  vigorous  horses,  Avliich  were  drowned  in  the  river.  In  conse(|uence 
of  this  diminution  of  their  number,  the  remaining  animals  had  to  bear 
their  burdens  continually,  and  became  so  nmch  reduced  that  it  was  ollen 
necessary  to  rest  a  day  to  recruit  them. 

By  the  Otli  of  Xoveinber  they  bad  lefl;  all  tlie  eastern  Avaters,  and 
eame  upon  the  margin  of  a  sandy  table-land,  from  which  they  overlooked 
a  large  valley  bounded  l»y  high  ranges  to  the  westward.  As  they  ad- 
vanced the  country  became  mountainous,  and  on  the  1  7th  they  were 
jiroceeding  along  the  high  banks  of  a  western  creek,  when  su<ldenly  the 
extensive  view  of  a  magnili<'ent  valley  opened  (»ut  before  them.  They 
stood  on  the  brink  of  a  deep  precipice,  of  about  eighteen  hundred  feet 
in  descent,  which  extended  tar  to  the  eastward.  A  large  river,  joined 
by  many  tributaries  from  diifei-ent  (piarters,  meamh'ri'd  through  the 
valley,  which  was  lioundcMl  l)y  high  ranges.  They  had  great  difKcully 
in  finding  a  i)assage  down  the  precipices,  but  finally  succeeded,  ami  on 
the  "idth  arrived  safely  in  the  valley.  Their  horses  and  cattle  were, 
however,  in  a  distressing  condition.  The  passage  along  rocky  creeks 
had  rendered  them  very  foot-sore,  and  their  feed  hail  latterly  consisted 
of  coarse  gra^ises  or  u  small  sedge  which  they  did  not  like.  But  in  the 
valliy  all  tlietendi'r  grasses  reajipeared  in  the  utmost  itrofusion,  on  which 
the  horses  ami  bullocks  fed  most  greedily. 


i 

1 

I 

1 

APPROACH    TO    PORT 

ESSINGTON. 

793 

;           By 

South 

observations  on 
Alligator  River, 

the  24th,  Dr. 
about  sixty 

Lc'id 
iniles 

ihardt  found  they  were  at  the 
from  its  mouth,  and  one  liun- 

dred  and  forty  from  Fort  Es^iington.  As  they  advaneed  the  river  giad- 
nally  increased  in  size,  and  its  banks  were  fringed  with  luxui'iant 
vegetation.  In  a  few  days  their  progress  along  the  river  was  checked 
by  extensive  swamps  which  lilled  the  intervals  between  densely  wooded 
ridges,  and  leaving  its  course  they  proceeded  toward  the  north.  On 
the  1st  of  Uecember  they  encamped  near  the  head  of  Van  Diemcn's 
Gulf.  While  they  were  waiting  for  their  bullocks  next  morning  a  line 
native  stepped  out  of  the  forest  with  the  confidence  of  a  man  to  whom 
the  white  race  was  familiar.  lie  was  unarmed,  but  a  great  number  of 
his  companions  were  watching  the  reception  he  should  meet  with.  They 
received  him  cordially,  and  on  being  johied  by  one  of  his  i)arty,  he 
littered  distinctly  the  words,  "  Commandant !"  "  Come  here  !"  "  \'ery 
good  !"  "  What's  your  name  ?"  The  travelers  from  the  wilderness  were 
electrified  ;  their  joy  knew  no  bounds,  and  they  were  ready  to  embrace 
the  follows,  who,  seeing  the  happiness  they  ^aspired,  joined  with  a  merry 
grin  in  the  loud  expression  of  their  feelings.  These  natives  knew  the 
white  ])eoi)le  of  Victoria,  and  called  them  Balanda,  a  name  which  they 
derived  from  the  Malays,  signifying  "  Hollanders."  They  were  very 
kind  and  attentive  to  Dr.  Leichhardt's  party,  brought  them  roots  and 
shell-fish,  and  united  them  to  accompany  them  to  their  camping-place, 
where  a  plentiful  dinner  Avas  ready. 

After  crossing  a  plain  next  morning  they  were  st02)ped  by  a  large 
sheet  of  salt  water,  at  the  oj)posite  side  of  which  a  lowraiige  was  visil)ie, 
and  the  natives  iid'ormed  them  they  would  have  to  go  far  to  the  south- 
east and  south  before  they  *  <Hild  cross  the  river.  This  was  the  East 
Alligator  lliver,  which  obliged  them  to  make  a  detour  of  several  days, 
after  which  they  continued  their  journey  northward.  E\  ery  day  they 
were  visited  by  the  natives  in  great  numbers,  some  of  whom  spoke  a  few 
English  Avords  they  had  picked  up  in  their  intercourse  Avith  the  peoj)le 
at  Victoria.  They  imitated  with  surprising  accuracy  the  noises  of  the 
various  domesticated  animals  they  had  seen  at  the  settlement;  audit 
was  amusing  to  hear  the  crowing  of  the  cock,  the  cackling  of  the  hen, 
the  (juacking  of(bicks,  grunting  of  pigs,  mewing  of  the  cut,  etc.,  evident 
proofs  that  these  natives  had  been  at  Victoria. 

The  j)arty  Avere  now  seized  Avith  impatience  to  come  to  the  end  of 
their  journey,  but  AA'cre  obliged  to  content  themselves  Avith  the  slow  l»rog- 
ress  of  their  animals,  and  at  length,  on  the  14th  of  December,  they 
came  to  the  sea-shore.  A  large  Itay  lay  before  them,  Avith  islands  and 
headlands  stretching  far  out  into  the  ocean,  Avhidi  Avas  open  and  bound- 
less to  the  north.  It  Avas  ]\rount  Morris  TJay,  and  they  Averc  noAV  enter- 
ing the  neck  of  Cobm-g  IViiinsula.  (Juided  by  the  natives,  they  made 
their  Avay  slowly  up  the  peninsula,  ami  cm  the  IVth  came  to  a  cart-road 
Avhich  Avoimd  around  the  foot  of  a  high  hill ;  and  having  passed  a  fine 
grove  of  cocoa-nut  palms,  the  Avhite  houses  und  a  row  of  snug  thatched 


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RECENT  EXPLORATIONS  IN  AUSTRALIA. 


cottagofi  burst  suddenly  upon  them.  They  were  kindly  received  by 
Cai)t;iiu  ^Maoarthur,  commandant  of  Port  Essington,  and  by  the  other 
officers,  who  supplied  them  with  every  thing  they  needed. 

After  a  month's  stay  at  Port  J^ssington  they  embarked  in  the 
schooner  Heroine,  and  sailing  by  way  of  Torres  Strait  and  the  Inner 
Barrier,  a  route  only  once  before  attempted  with  success,  they  arrived 
safely  in  Sydney  on  the  29th  of  March,  1846.  A  year  afterward,  Dr. 
Leichhardt  set  out  with  another  party,  to  cross  the  heart  of  the  Austra- 
lian continent,  from  Moreton  Bay  to  Swan  liiver,  on  the  western  coast 
— a  journey  which,  he  estimated,  would  require  two  years  and  a  half. 
Since  then,  however,  nothing  has  been  heard  of  him  or  any  of  his  party, 
and  the  intrepid  explorers  have  no  doubt  either  perished  by  hunger  and 
thirbt,  or  beeu  murdered  by  the  natives. 


L  V  N  c  ir  s 


EXPLORATION    OF    TlIK    DEAD     SEA. 


Ai'TKii  tlu'  siiTTcndtT  of  Vera  Cruz,  Lieutenant  W.  1'.  Lyneli,  f)f  the 
American  navy,  applied  to  the  govoniment  for  ])erinission  to  explore  the 
Dead  Sea.  An  act  appropriating  $10,000  for  this  puri)t)se  having  been 
passed  by  Congress,  3Ir.  Lyncli  received  ordei'S  from  tlie  Secretary  of 
the  Xavy  to  make  preparations  for  the  expedition.  On  the  2d  of  Octo- 
ber, 18-17,  he  was  aj'pointed  to  the  connnarid  of  tlie  store-ship  Siq^plij. 
While  the  ship  Avas  iitted  up  for  service  he  had  two  metallic  boats  con- 
structed, and  shij)ped  ten  seamen  for  their  crews.  lie  selected  young, 
muscular,  native-born  ^Vmericans  of  sober  luibits,  from  each  of  Avhom  he 
exacted  a  pledge  to  abstain  from  intoxicating  drinks.  To  this  absthiencc 
he  ascribes  their  final  recovery  from  the  extreme  ])rostratioa  to  which 
thev  were  reduced  bv  fatigue  and  exijosure.  Lieutenant  Dale  and 
Passed-^Iidshipman  Aiilick,  both  excellent  draughtsmen,  were  chosen  to 
assist  lam  in  the  projected  enterprise. 

Li  Xovember  ho  received  orders  to  proceed  to  Smyrna,  and,  through 
the  American  iMinister  at  C%)nstantinople,  apply  to  the  Turkish  govern- 
ment for  i)ermission  to  pass  through  its  dominions  in  Syria,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  exploring  the  Dead  Sea,  and  tracmg  the  river  Jordan  to  its 
source.  For  the  transportation  of  the  boats  two  low  trucks  were  made, 
and  stowed  away  in  the  hold. 

The  expedition  sailed  from  Xew  York  on  the  20th  of  Xovendjcr, 
and  on  the  15th  of  February,  1848,  entered  the  port  of  Smyrna.  Captain 
Lynch  proceeded  to  Constantinople  and  ai)plicd  for  the  necessary  iirmau 
from  the  Dorte.  Ailer  some  delay  this  was  ri'ceived  on  the  0th  of 
March :  it  was  addressed  to  the  j)aslia3  of  Saida  and  Jerusalem,  the 
highest  dignitaries  in  Syria,  calling  on  them  to  give  Ca])tain  Lynch  and 
las  companions,  seventeen  in  number,  all  duo  assistance  in  their  explora- 
tions, ami  to  protect  and  treat  them  with  a  regard  due  to  tlie  friendship 
existing  between  the  American  government  and  the  Sublime  T'orte. 

From  Smyrna  Captain  Lyndi  embarked  for  Syria,  ami  aiu'hored  off 
Bcyrout  on  the  25th  of  March,  where  the  Ilev.  Eli  Smith,  of  tho  Amer- 


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796 


LYNCirS    EXPLORATION    OF    THE    DEAD    SEA. 


icaii  Presbyterian  mission,  kindly  exerted  himself  in  behalf  of  the  ex- 
pedition. An  intelligent  yonng  Syrian,  named  Ameuny,  was  ])rocured 
for  dragoman  of  the  J'arty,  and  an  Arab,  named  JNIustafa,  engaged  as 
cook.  The  other  members  of  the  mission  rendered  all  the  assistance  in 
their  power.  Sailing  thence  toward  Acre,  the  expedition  landed  at 
Ilaifia,  under  ]Mount  Carmel,  and  made  preparations  at  Acre  for  march- 
ing into  the  interior.  The  miserable  horses,  Avhich  they  obtained  with 
difficulty,  were  found  to  be  wholly  unused  to  draught,  and  after  much 
perplexity  the  experiment  of  substituting  camels  for  draught-horses  was 
tried,  and  happily  proved  successful.  The  huge  animals,  three  to  each 
truck,  with  the  boats,  marched  off  with  perfect  ease.  This  novel  experi- 
ment was  witnessed  by  an  eager  crowd  of  people,  and  the  successful 
re  J. lit  taught  them  a  now  accomplishment  of  that  patient  and  powerful 
animal. 

The  trucks  moved  on  in  advance,  and  on  the  4th  of  Ajn-il  the  party 
took  up  the  line  of  march  after  the  boats,  having  sixteen  liorses,  eleven 
loaded  camels,  and  a  mule.  From  the  plains  of  Acre  the  road  lay  over 
a  rugged  country,  sometimes  attaining  an  elevation  of  fifteen  Inmdred 
feet.  On  the  Gth  Captain  Lynch  gahied  the  heights  overlooking  the 
Sea  of  Galilee,  and  soon  afterward  reached  the  city  of  Til)erias,  on  its 
margin.  The  boats  had  been  dragged  with  difficulty  along  a  series  of 
valleys  and  ridges,  and  with  the  utmost  exertions  they  were  only 
brought  to  the  precii)itous  range  overlooking  the  lake,  by  sunset  on  the 
Tth,  Xext  morning  all  hands  went  up  to  bring  them  down.  Some- 
times it  was  feared  that,  like  the  herd  of  swine,  they  would  rush  precip- 
itately into  the  sea,  but  at  length  they  reached  the  bottom  in  safety,  and, 
Avith  their  flags  flying,  were  borne  triumphantly  beyond  the  walls  and 
amid  a  crowd  of  spectators  launched  \ipon  the  waters  of  Galilee — the 
Arabs  meanwhile  singing,  clapping  their  liands,  and  crying  for  bak- 
sheesh. Buoyantly  floated  the  two  J^annies,  bearing  the  stars  and 
stripes.  Since  the  time  of  Josephus  and  the  Romans  no  vessel  of  any 
size  had  sailed  upon  this  sea,  and  for  many  ages  but  a  solitary  keel  had 
furrowed  its  surface. 

Tliey  had  not  time  to  survey  this  lake,  on  account  of  the  advancing 
season  and  the  lessening  flood  in  the  Jordan,  and  therefore  left  the  ne- 
cessary observations  until  their  return.  The  bottom  is  a  concave  basin ; 
the  greatest  depth  previously  ascertained  was  twenty-seven  and  a  lialf 
fathoms,  but  from  copious  rains  and  rapid  evaporation,  the  depth  is 
constantly  varying. 

Captain  Lynch  now  assigned  to  each  man  his  special  duty.  In  the 
land  i)arty  ]\[r.  Dale  was  to  take  the  tojiograpliical  department.  Dr. 
Anderson  the  geological,  Mr.  Francis  Lynch  the  botanical,  while  ]^^r 
Bedlow  (an  American  gentleman  Avho  joined  the  jiarty)  was  to  note  the 
aspect  of  the  country  and  the  incidents  of  the  route.  In  the  Avater 
party  Lynch  assigned  to  himself,  in  the  FiOiny  Mason,  the  physical 
aspect  of  the  river  and  its  banks,  the  proibictions,  animal  and  vegetable, 


I  ..II 


In  the 
out,  Dr. 


DESCENT    OF   THE    JORDAN". 


797 


with  a  journal  of  events.  To  3Ir.  Aiiliok,  vlio  liad  eliargo  of  the 
Fanny  iS/ci/Dio',  Avas  assigned  the  topographical  sketcli  of  tlie  river 
and  its  shores. 

It  was  found  necessary,  from  the  Lest  information  they  could  obtain 
respecting  the  river,  to  employ  camels.  As  tlie  Jordan  was  represented 
to  run  between  liigh  banks,  ov^  the  navigation  to  be  dangerous,  the 
safety  of  the  party,  and  tL^  success  of  the  expedition,  might  depend 
materially  upon  the  vigilance  and  alacrity  of  the  land  i)arty.  Captain 
Lynch,  therefore,  placed  it  imder  connnand  of  Mr.  Dale,  witli  directions 
to  keep  as  near  the  river  as  possible,  and  hasten  to  the  assistiMU'c  of  the 
water  party,  should  a  given  signal  be  lieard.  To  aid  in  transportation 
down  the  Jordan,  and  upon  tlie  Dead  Sea,  an  old  frame  boat  was  2)ur- 
chased  and  fitted  up,  with  the  name  of  Uncle  /Sam. 

Proceeding  down  the  river,  the  party  in  the  boats  soon  came  to  a 
rapid,  at  the  ruins  of  the  bridge  of  Semaldi.  From  the  disheartening 
accoimt  he  had  received  of  the  river.  Captain  Lynch  liad  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  it  might  be  necessary  to  sacrifice  one  of  the  boats  to  save 
the  rest.  lie  therefore  decided  to  take  the  lead  in  the  J-an/i;/  Jlason, 
which,  being  of  copper,  could  be  more  easily  repaired.  The  boats 
passed  down  the  rapids  without  seiious  injury.  Xext  day  they  reached 
a  series  of  rapids,  where  the  channel  was  so  completely  obstructed,  that 
it  became  necessary  to  transport  the  boats  around  the  most  dillicult. 
Here  they  labored,  up  to  tlieir  waists  in  water,  for  several  liours. 
Starting  again,  tliey  dosceiuled  a  cascade  at  the  rate  of  twelve  knots, 
and  immediately  alterwar<l  passed  down  a  shoal  rapid,  where  the  fore- 
most boat  struck,  and  hung  for  a  few  moments  on  a  rock.  In  passing  the 
eleventh  rapid,  the  velocity  of  the  current  was  so  great  that  one  of  the 
seamen,  wlio  lost  his  liold,  was  nearly  swept  over  the  fall,  and  with 
great  difficulty  gahied  the  shore.  In  the  evening  they  anchored  at  the 
bead  of  the  falls  ami  whirlpool  of  Dcik'ah. 

Next  morning  the  Uncle  Sam  was  shattered  upon  the  rocks  aiul 
foundered,  consequently  the  hope  of  transporting  the  tents  from  place 
to  i)lace  along  the  Dead  Sea  was  al  andoned.  The  metallic  boats  passed 
doM'n  the  fn-st  raifid  in  safety ;  down  the  second,  a  desperate-looking 
cascade,  Avith  a  bluff  rock  obstructing  the  channel  at  its  foot,  tlicy  were 
lowered  by  rojjos,  and  by  the  assistance  of  some  Arabs  who  accom])anied 
the  land  party,  the  dangerous  passage  was  made  witliout  accident.  In 
this  manner  they  proceeded  down  the  rocky  bed  of  the  Jordan,  whoso 
winding  course  enabled  the  land  party  to  keep  equal  pace  Avith  the 
boats  in  their  descent. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  ITth  they  arrived  at  Kl  Meshra,  the  bathing- 
place  of  Christian  pilgrims.  This  ford  is  consecrated  as  tin?  place  Avhero 
the  Israelites  passed  over  witli  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant,  and  Avhero  the 
Saviour  Avas  baptized  by  Jolni.  "•Feeling  that  it  Avould  be  a  desecra- 
tion to  nmor  the  boats  at  a  ))lace  so  sacred,"  says  Captain  Lynch,  "Ave 
passed  it,  and  Avith  some  difficulty  found  a  landing  beloAV.''     They  en- 


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TOP 


LYNCIT'R    EXPLORATION    OP    THE    DEAD    SEA. 


c:iiiii>('<l  \\\{\\  till)  Iniid  party,  -wlio  liud  pitched  tlioii-  touts  on  tlie  bank, 
l>nt  M'cro  aroused  at  three  o''eh)ck  in  tlie  morning  with  the  iiitelligcnoo 
tliat  tlie  jiilgriuis  were  coming.  Ifisiug  lastily  they  beheUl  tliousands 
of  toreli-lights  moving  rapidly  over  the  hills,  and  had  scarcely  time  to 
remove  their  tents  and  efTects  a,  short  distance,  when  the  procession 
was  upon  them — men,  women  and  children,  mounted  on  camels,  horses, 
mules  and  donkeys,  rushed  impetuously  on  toward  the  river.  The 
motley  ])rocession  continued  mitil  daybreak,  and,  dismounting  as  they 
arrived,  they  disrobed  Avitli  precipitation,  rushed  down  the  bank,  and 
threw  themselves  into  the  stream.  Absorbed  by  an  impulsive  feeling, 
they  seemed  jjerfectly  regardless  of  observation.  Each  one  plunged,  or 
was  dii)ped,  three  times  Ix'low  the  surface,  and  then  filled  a  bottle  from 
the  river.  The  bathing-dress  of  many  of  the  ]ii]grims  was  a  white  gown 
with  a  black  cross  upon  it.  As  soon  as  they  had  dressed,  they  cut 
branches  from  the  ognus  casfus,  or  Avillow,  and,  di|)i)ing  them  in  the 
consecrated  stream,  bore  them  away  as  memorials  of  their  visit.  In  an 
hour  they  began  to  depart,  .and  in  less  than  three  lionrs  the  -whole  crowd 
Avas  gone.  The  pageant  disapi)eared  nM  rapidly  as  it  had  ajiproached, 
.and  left  the  travelers  once  more  in  the  silence  and  solitude  of  the  Avil- 
derness.  Eight  thousand  liinniin  beings  had  passed  and  repassed  before 
their  tents,  and  lell  no  vestige  behind  them. 

The  expedition  moved  on  in  the  afternoon,  and  in  a  few  hours  the 
boats  entered  the  Dead  Sea.  On  rounding  the  point,  they  endeavored 
to  make  a  Avest  course  toward  the  oiicam[)ment  of  their  friends  ;  but  a 
fresh  north-west  Avind  was  blowing,  and  increased  so  rapidly,  tliat  it  Avas 
impossible  to  head  it.  The  sea  rose  Avith  the  increasing  Avind,  and  pre- 
sented an  agitated  siu-face  of  foaming  brine  ;  the  spray  left  incrustations 
of  salt  njion  their  clothes,  hands  and  ftces;  it  conveyed  a  prickly  sensa- 
tion Avhenever  it  touched  the  skin,  and  Avas  exceedingly  painful  to  the 
eyes.  The  boats,  heavily  laden,  struggled  sluggishly  at  first ;  but  Avhon 
the  Avind  freslicned  in  its  fierceness,  it  seemed  as  if  then*  bows  "  Avere 
encountering  the  sledge-hanuners  of  the  Titans,  instead  of  the  opposing 
Avaves  of  an  angry  sea."  In  the  evening  the  Avind  suddenly  abated, 
the  Avaves  fell,  and  the  boats  now  glided  rajjidly  over  an  imrippled  sur- 
face. On  reaching  the  camp  tlio  men  made  a  frugal  supper,  and  then, 
Avet  and  Aveary,  threw  themselves  upon  the  ground  beside  a  fetid 
marsli; — the  dark,  fretted  mountains  liehind;  the  sea,  like  a  huge 
caldron,  before  them,  Avith  its  surface  shrouded  in  lead-colored  mist. 
"  Toward  midnight,  Avhilo  the  moon  Avas  rising  above  the  eastern 
mountains,  and  the  shadows  of  the  clouds  Avcre  reflected,  Avild  and  fan- 
tastic, on  the  surface  of  the  somber  sea ;  Avhen  CA-ery  thing,  the  mount- 
ains, the  sea,  the  clouds,  seemed  specter-like  and  unreal,  the  sound  of 
the  convent-bell  of  ]Mar  Saba  struck  gratefully  upon  the  car ;  for  it  Avas 
the  Christian  call  to  prayer,  and  told  of  human  Avants  and  human  sym- 
pathies to  the  Avayflirers  on  the  borders  of  the  Sea  of  Death." 

Akil,  an  Arab  shckh  of  the  border,  Avho  had  accompanied  them  from 


C  A  M  1'    A  T    K  X  U  A  D  D  r . 


799 


Acre,  and  to  whom  tlioy  liad  all  become  miicli  iittaolicil,  came  to  soo 
them  next  morniiit;,  ju'evioiis  to  liis  (U'jiarture.  Learning  that  he  w.iH 
well  atMjuainted  with  the  triht's  on  the  eastern  slun-e,  and  on  friendly 
terms  with  them,  Captain  Lynch  prevailed  on  liim  to  proceed  there  by 
land,  to  a])i)ri;5e  the  tribes  of  the  ai)]»roaching  jiarty,  and  make  arrange- 
ments to  supply  it  with  provisions. 

On  the  20th  the  boats  were  sent  to  sound  diagonally  and  directly 
across  to  the  eastern  shore.  At  a  late  hour  they  returned,  Jiaving  been 
retarded  by  a  fresh  wind  and  the  corresponding  lieavy  swell  of  the  sea. 
The  distance  in  a  straight  lino  to  the  Arabian  slmre  was  iiearlv  eiuht 
statute  miles,  the  greatest  depth  one  hundred  and  sixteen  fathoms.  In 
a  line  running  diagonally  to  the  south-east  the  deptli  was  one  hundred 
and  seventy  fathoms,  almost  from  shore  to  .shore. 

Next  day  they  broke  np  the  camp  and  moved  southward,  taking 
every  thing  in  the  boats  except  a  load  for  the  only  remaining  camel. 
Soon  after  noon  on  the  22d  they  hauled  np  the  l)oats  belo\v  Wady 
Sudeir  and  pitched  their  tents  at  a  little  distance  from  the  fountain- 
Rtream  of  Engaddi.  They  ft)und  a  broad,  sloping  delta,  wjwtse  dusty 
surface  was  covered  with  coarse  jjebbles  and  flinty  stones,  with  here  and 
there  a  lotus-tree  or  an  osher.  The  course  of  the  stream  across  the 
l)lain  was  marked  by  a  narrow  strip  of  luxuriant  green.  In  the  evening 
some  of  the  tribe  of  Ta'amii'ah  eamc  in,  and  being  hungry,  had  Ix'gun 
to  devour  a  jjot  of  rice  which  was  given  them,  when  one  of  them  sug- 
gested that  perhaps  pork  had  been  cooked  in  the  same  A'cssel.  Their 
countc  nmces  fell  when  they  learned  that  this  had  been  the  case,  and 
although  nearly  famished  they  would  not  touch  the  rice,  and  there  was 
nothhig  else  to  give  them.  Fearing  that  his  provisions  wonld  fall  short, 
Captain  Lynch  advised  them  to  return  to  their  tents.  The  princi})al  food 
of  the  Arab,  as  of  all  southern  nations  of  this  continent,  is  rice.  Tlieso 
Arabs  were  such  pilferers  thai  strict  watch  had  to  be  kei)t  over  e^•ery 
thing  except  the  pork,  which,  l)eing  'in  abomination  to  the  Moslem, 
was  left  about  the  canii),  in  full  confidence  that  it  would  be  nntouched. 

Provisions  were  becoming  scarce  when  Dr.  Anderson  retnrned  on  the 
23d  with  a  supply  from  Jerusalem.  They  were  seen  shortly  after  noon 
creeping  like  mites  along  the  lofty  crags,  but  did  not  reach  the  camp 
for  three  hours  afterward.  With  them  came  four  Tiu-kish  soldiers,  to 
guard  the  camp  in  the  absence  of  the  Jiarty.  Tlie  scene  at  sunset  Avas 
magnificent ;  on  one  hand  the  wild,  towering  cliffs,  on  the  other  the  dull. 
Dead  Sea,  and  the  sliadows  climbing  up  the  eastern  mountain.  And 
Kerak  stood  castled  on  the  loftiest  summit  of  the  range. 

Next  morning  Captain  Lynch  started  with  Dr.  Anderson  for  the 
peninsula,  which  was  visible  in  the  south-east,  while  INIr.  Aulick  pulled 
directly  across  to  Wady  IMojeb  (the  river  Arnon  of  the  Old  Testament), 
to  sound  in  that  direction,  and  ]\Ir.  Dale  remained  with  the  rest  of  the 
jiarty  to  make  observations  at  the  camp.  Mr.  Aulick  found  the  width 
of  the  sea  to  be  about  nine  statute  miles,  and  the  greatest  depth  one  hun- 


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800 


LYNCirS  KXrLORATIOX  OF  THE  DEAD  SEA. 


(Ircd  and  ciglity-oight  fiithorns.  Captain  Lynch  returned  directly  across 
to  tljo  western  shore,  and  thus  tliey  cuntiuiied  their  measurements  into 
the  southern  sea.  On  the  25th  they  pa.ssed  Wady  Seyul  Sebbeh  (Ravine 
of  Acacias),  aliovc  ■\vliich  the  cUtl'  of  Sebheli,  or  Masada,  rose  perpen- 
dicularly to  the  heiu;ht  of  twelve  or  litleen  hundred  feet.  It  is  isolated 
by  a  deep  ravine  on  each  side ;  on  the  levi'l  summit  stands  a  line  of 
broken  walls,  the  remains  of  a  fortress  built  by  Ilerod.  "The  peculiar 
purple  hue  of  its  weather-worn  rock  is  so  like  that  of  coagulated  blood 
that  it  fi)rcesthe  mind  back  npon  its  early  historj',  and  summons  images 
of  the  fearful  immolation  of  Eleazar  and  the  nine  hundred  Sicarii,  the 
blood  of  whoso  self-slaughter  seems  to  liavo  tinged  the  indestructible 
cliff  forever." 

On  the  2Gth  they  started  early  and  steered  in  a  direct  line  for  Ras 
Ilish  (Capo  Thicket),  the  northern  point  of  the  salt  mountains  of  Us- 
dum,  sounding  every  few  minutes  for  the  ford.  Soon  after  passing  the 
point,  to  their  astonishment  they  saw,  on  the  eastern  side  of  Usdum,  a 
lofty,  round  jjillar,  standing  apparently  detached  from  the  general  mass, 
at  the  head  of  a  deep,  narrow,  and  abrupt  chasm.  On  examination  they 
found  the  pillar  to  be  solid  salt,  oaj)iied  with  carbonate  of  lime,  cylin- 
drical in  front  and  pyramidal  behind.  The  upper  or  rounder  part  is 
about  forty  feet  high,  resting  on  a  kind  of  oval  pedestal,  from  forty  to 
sixty  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  It  slightly  decreases  in  size  up- 
ward, crumbles  at  the  top,  and  is  ono  entire  mass  of  crystallization. 

At  length  they  approached  the  southern  extremity  of  the  se.a,  but 
from  the  shallowness  of  the  water  the  boats  grounded  three  hundred 
yards  from  the  shore.  ]Mr.  Dale  landed  to  observe  the  latitude.  His 
feet  sank  lirst  through  a  layer  of  slimy  mud  a  foot  deep,  then  through  a 
crust  of  salt,  and  then  another  foot  of  mud,  before  reaching  the  firm 
bottom.  The  beach  was  so  hot  a,s  to  blister  the  feet.  From  the  water's 
edge  he  made  his  Avay  with  difficulty  for  more  than  a  hundred  yards 
over  black  nmd,  coated  Avith  salt  and  bitumen.  In  returning  to  the 
boat  one  of  the  men  attempted  to  carry  Mr.  Dale  to  the  water,  but  sank 
down,  and  they  were  obliged  separately  to  flounder  through.  They 
ran  when  they  could,  and  described  it  as  like  running  over  burning 
ashes. 

"It  was  indeed,"  says  Captain  Lyncli,  "a  scene  of  unmitigated  deso- 
lation. On  one  side,  rugged  and  worn,  was  the  salt-mountain  of  Usdum, 
Avith  its  conspicuous  pillar,  which  i-eminded  us  at  least  of  the  catastrophe 
of  the  plain  ;  on  the  other  were  the  lofty  and  barren  clif!s  of  Moab,  in 
one  of  the  caves  of  which  the  fugiti\e  Lot  found  shelter.  To  the  south 
was  an  extensive  fhit  intersected  by  sluggish  drains,  with  the  high  hills 
of  Edom  somi-girding  the  salt  plain  Avhere  the  Israelites  repeatedly  over- 
threw their  enemies  ;  and  to  the  north  Avas  the  calm  and  motionless  soa, 
curtained  Avith  a  purple  mist,  AA'hile  many  fathoms  deep  in  the  slimy 
mud  beneath  it  lay  imbedded  the  ruins  of  the  ill-fated  cities  of  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah.    The  glare  of  light  was  blinding  to  the  eye,  and  the 


ill    >! 


SUFFERINGS    FROM    TUK   HEAT. 


801 


1,     Thoy 
burning 


{itraosplicrc  diflieult  of  rcsjiiration.  Xo  bird  f  miiod  with  its  wiiijLC  ^^'^ 
attenuated  air,  througli  wliicli  tlie  sun  jiourcd  his  scorcihiug  rays  upon 
the  mysterious  cletuent  on  Avhioli  we  floated,  and  which  alone  of  all  the 
works  of  its  Maker,  contahis  no  livhiLij  thing  within  it. 

"While  in  full  view  of  the  penuisula,  [  jianied  itsnortlu'rn  extremity 
'Point  Costigan,' and  its  southern  one  '  I'oint  JMolyneu.v,'  as  a  tribute 
to  two  gallant  Euglishniuu  who  lost  their  lives  in  attem])ting  to  explore 
this  sea." 

Toward  evening  a  hot,  blistering  hurricane  arose  from  the  south-east, 
the  thermometer  being  at  102  .  The  nu-n,  dosing  their  <yes  to  the 
blast,  were  obliged  lo  pull  Avith  all  their  might  to  stem  the  rising  waves, 
and  after  an  hour  they  gained  the  shore,  much  exhausted.  Captain 
Lynch  had  his  eyelids  blistered,  being  luuxble  to  ])rotect  them  while 
steering  the  boat.  Some  went  u])  a  raviiu;  to  escape  the  stifling  wind; 
others,  driven  back  by  the  glare,  returned  to  tiie  boats  and  crouched 
imder  the  aAvning.  One  mounted  spectacles  to  j)r<jtect  his  eyes,  but  the 
metal  became  so  heated  that  he  was  obliged  to  remove  them.  At  five 
o'clock,  finding  the  heat  intolerable,  they  went  uj)  a  dry  r:ivine  in  search 
of  water,  and  discovering  some  i)ools,  they  washed  and  bathed  in  them, 
Init  the  relief  was  only  momentary.  The  wind  rose  to  a  tempest,  and 
the  heat  rather  hicreased  than  lessened  after  sunset.  At  eight  o'clock 
the  thermometer  was  10(5°. 

The  Arabs  who  accompanied  the  expedition  were  indispensable ;  they 
brought  f(jod  whe!i  the  men  were  nearly  famished,  and  water  when 
parched  with  thirst.  They  acted  as  guides  and  messengers,  and  faith- 
fully guarded  the  cam]).  A  decided  course  temj^ered  with  courtesy 
wins  at  once  their  respect  and  good.  will.  Although  an  impetuous  race, 
not  an  angry  word  ])assed  between  them  and  Captain  Lynch's  i»arty. 

The  exj)edition  now  returned  northw.ard  to  comj^lete  the  survey. 
Notwithstanding  the  high  Avind,  the  tendency  to  drowshiess  became 
irresistible.  Tiie  nwn  ])ulled  mechanically,  Avith  hall-closed  lids,  and 
except  the  oarsmen  and  Captain  Lynch,  every  one  in  the  copper  boat 
was  fast  asleej).  The  necessity  of  steering  and  observing  every  thing, 
alone  kej^t  him  awake.  The  drowsy  sensation,  amounthig  almost  to 
stupor,  Avas  greatest  in  the  heat  of  the  day,  but  did  not  disappear  at 
night.  Ever}-  day  this  stujiefying  inftuence  became  more  painfully  ap- 
parent, but  Captain  Lynch  resolved  to  persevere  and  leave  no  part  of 
the  Avork  undone,  endeavoring  to  be  as  expeditious  as  possible  Avithout 
Avorking  the  jiarty  too  hard. 

They  reached  I^oint  Costigan  in  the  afternoon  of  the  30th,  and 
steered  across  the  south-eastern  bay,  to  search  for  water  and  for  signals 
from  'Akil.  The  heat  Avas  still  intense,  and  rendered  less  endurable  by 
the  AA'hite  spicuhe  of  the  peninsula  and  the  dazzling  reflection  from  the 
surface  of  tiu'  sea.  Tlu're  Avere  Arabs  among  the  Ioav  bushes  on  the 
shore;  and  ]pr;'|iaring  for  hostilities  they  ))ulleil  directly  in  and  hailed 
them.     One  of  them  proved  to  be  Jum'ah,  a  messenger  of  'Akil,  who 

51 


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lil  ^  ) 


802 


LYNCirS  EXPLORATION  OP  THE  DEAD  SEA. 


had  arrived  at  Korak.  In  thu  cveiiitig  llio  son  of  Abd'  Allah,  Christian 
shekh  of  Korak,  came  with  an  invitation  to  visit  his  father  at  his  mount- 
ain fortress,  seventeen  miles  distant.  An  invitation  was  also  received 
from  tlie  Moslem  shekh.  Captain  Lynch  accepted  it  Avith  a  full  sense 
of  the  risk  incurred,  but  tlic  whole  party  Avas  so  uuich  debilitated  by 
the  sirocco  and  the  subsequent  heat,  that  it  bec-ame  absolutely  necessary 
to  invigorate  it  at  all  hazards. 

The  deputation  from  Kerak  expressed  ^reat  delighl  at  seeing  fellow- 
Christians  on  tlie  shores  of  this  sea,  saying  that  if  they  had  known  of 
their  iirst  arrival  they  would  have  gone  round  and  invited  thenx  over. 
It  Avas  a  strange  sight  to  see  these  wild  Arab  Christians  uniting  them- 
selves so  cordially  to  the  Americans.  Tiicse  ]ieople  had  never  seen  a 
boat,  and  could  hartll)  believe  that  any  thing  so  large  could  be  made  to 
float.  One  of  the  fellahs  from  Mezra'a,  when  he  first  beheld  them,  stood 
for  some  time  lost  in  thought  and  then  burst  forth  in  joyful  sliouts  of 
recognition.  He  was  an  Egyptian  liy  birth,  and  l)eing  stolen  away 
when  young,  had  forgotten  every  thing  coimected  with  his  native  coun- 
try until  the  sight  of  the  boats  reminded  him  of  having  seen  things 
resembling  them;  and  the  Nile,  and  the  boats  upon  it,  and  the  familiar 
scenes  of  his  childhood,  rushed  Ujion  liis  memory. 

On  the  1st  of  May  the  horses  and  nuiles  for  Avhich  they  liad  sent, 
arrived,  and  Avith  them  came  Mohammed,  the  son  of  Abd'  el  Kadir,  the 
JMoslem  shekli,  and  Abd' Allah,  (he  Christian  shekh.  Afohanmied  Avas 
overbearing  in  his  manners,  and  his  almost  insulting  comluct  awakened 
distrust.  He  had  come  down  Avith  about  eight  men,  his  brother  Avith 
fourteen  mor(%  and  by  two  and  three  at  a  time  they  continued  to  drop 
in,  until  by  nine  o'clock  there  Avere  upward  of  forty  around  the  camp. 
Early  next  morning  the  party  set  out ;  the  sailors  mounted  on  miserable 
cradles,  extcJiding  along  the  l)acks  of  their  nuiles,  Avhile  the  iiorses  A\ero 
little  better  cai)arisoned.  One  of  the  seamen,  who  had  been  least  af- 
fected by  the  heat,  remained  at  his  own  request.  To  him  and  the  Be- 
douin .lum'ah,  who  had  several  Arabs  Avith  him,  Captain  Lynch  gave 
charge  of  the  boats. 

Arriving  at  the  broAV  of  a  hill,  three  thousand  feet  above  the  Dead 
Son,  they  had  before  them  a  high  rolling  jilain,  Avhcre  the  grass  Avas 
Avithered  and  the  grain  blighted  by  the  sirocco  and  the  locust.  Turn- 
ing to  the  north,  they  passed  along  the  Avails  and  towers  of  the  toAvn, 
into  Avliich  ihey  entered  by  an  arch  cut  through  the  rock.  Tlie  ))assago 
was  thirty  feet  high  and  twelvi-  wide,  and  about  eighty  feet  long  in  an 
irregular  line. 

The  people  assembled  on  dirt-hea])S  and  mud  roofs  to  see  the 
81  rangers  J  )ass,  and  the  room  they  occupied  AAas  crowded  the  Avhole  day; 
the  doorway  sometimes  blocked  up.  It  seemed  to  be  regarded  .as  a 
sort  of  nienagrrie.  When  at  length  the  men  Avere  letl  to  tiiemselves, 
they  lay  down  under  a  roof  for  the  lirst  time  in  tAA'cnty-three  days,  hav- 
ing first  enjoyed  the  unwontt^d  lu.vury  of  u  draught  of  sweet  milk. 


■\W 


VISIT    TO    KKIIAK. 


803 


SCO  tho 
lok'diiy; 
ilcil  .'1)1  a 

IIISI'IVCS, 

s,  liav- 
lut   milk. 


Placing  aboard  against  tlic  door,  tluil  its  llill  niiglit  rouse  thfin  at  an 
attempted  I'utranee,  tliey  lay  down  with  tlieir  arms  in  their  hands. 
JMohammt'd,  who  luul  been  in  an  ill-humor  at  receiving  no  ])resents, 
came  in  early  next  morning,  Acry  surly.  ('.-qjlain  Lynch  refused  to 
converse  with  him,  but  referred  liim  to  'Akil,  whom  he  had  eonnnis- 
Biont'd  to  procure  liorses,  and  make  the  neci'ssary  i)urchases.  The 
party  wonlil  gladly  have  remained  anothei-  day  1<>r  tlui  benefit  of  the 
mountain  air,  and  to  examine  the  neighborhood,  l>ut  from  ai)pearances 
it  was  deemed  unsafe.  AVliile  tliey  inaile  preparations  l<)r  dejiarling, 
tho  Arabs  weri'  in  eonsultalion  below,  3b)hannue(l  gesticulating 
violently,  iiut  'Akil  and  his  I'riends  tiny  knew  would  stand  by  them, 
and  their  horses  were  ])ro(;ure(l.  "When  they  were  starting,  JMohanmucl 
again  tlemandid  baksheesh,  ami,  bt'ing  refused,  he  .said  he  would  not 
go  down  Mith  them,  and  sneeringly  aski'd  what  they  would  do  if  they 
found  a  hundred  nun  in  thiir  j/atli.  They  replied  that  they  wouhl  take 
care  of  tluniselvi  s,  and  set  out.  They  had  not  gone  over  a  mile  when 
3Iohanunrd,  black  and  surly,  overtook  them  with  some  horsenun. 
Cajitain  Lynch  now  had  the  game  in  his  own  hands,  and  di'taching  an 
ofliet'r  and  oiu'  of  his  mo.st  trusty  mm,  he  directed  them  to  kecpby  him, 
and  slioot  him  at  the  llrst  sign  (A'  ticachery.  At  length  3loh;unnu'd 
reali/A'd  that  he  was  a  prisoiR'r,  and  I'nin  being  insolent  and  overbear- 
ing, ho  became  lir.>t  respectful,  and  then  submissive. 

With  a  light  breeze  they  steered  u)»  the  bay  and  along  the  coast 
toward  till'  ri\er  Anion,  of  the  Old  Testanu'ut,  npon  Avhicli  Aroer,  oni' 
(>['  the  principal  cities  of  the  3Foabites,  was  situatid.  Light  miles  north 
of  it  is  tlie  suppuseil  iMiuuit  iS'ebo,  from  the  sunnnil  of  which  JNLises 
viewed  the  |)romised  land.  As  they  proec-jiU-d,  the  scenery  was  grand 
and  wild.  ^Vlurever  ther''  was  a  ri\  ulet,  its  I'ourse  was  marked  by 
lines  ofgri'i'U  cane  and  tamarisk,  and  ;ui  occ'i^ional  ilate-paliu.  On  the 
4th  of  May  they  stopped  lor  the  night  in  a  co\r  fornieil  by  the /I'rka 
Main,  the  outlet  vi'  the  hot  springs  ol"C'allirrhoe.  The  striaiu,  twehe 
feet  wide  and  ten  inches  deep,  rushed  out  with  great  velocity  into  the 
sea.  The  water  is  slightly  Kuljihurous  to  the  taste;  its  temperature 
niiiety-nve  degrees.  They  bathed  in  the  st  a,  ami  jil'lerward  in  the 
stream.  It  was  a  delightful  transition  Irom  the  dense,  acriil  water  of 
the  sea,  which  made  their  inniunerabK'  soics  smart  severely,  to  ilu' 
S(il't,  lepiil  an<l  refreshing  wati'rs  of  Callirrhoe.  The  water  of  the  sea 
Mils  vory  buoyant  ;  it  was  dillicult  to  keep  llieir  feet  lieneath  the  sur- 
face. A  Itw  (lavs  bellu«',  thev  ha<l  tried  whether  a  liorse  and  doidiev 
could  swim  in  the  sea  without  turning  over;  the  .'inimals  turneij  a  little 
to  one  side,  but  ilid  not  lose  their  bal.ance.  A  inu.sculur  man  lloated 
nearly  breast-high  without  the  hast  exertion. 

Next  day  they  sotmdeil  across  to  Ain  Turabeh,  making  a  straight 
line  to  intersect  the  diagonal  one  of  the  preceiliuLr  day.  'l"wo  fm'lonus 
from  land  the  M>tmdings  were  t  w«'n(y-lhrec  liilhotns;  th<!  ni^xt  cast,  five 
ininuti'S  alUr,  gave  one  hmulred  and  Hcventy-lunr,  grathially  deepening 


<mH 


ti  *■. 


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Ill 


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mI 


<i  t 


III 


■    i 
■  i 

i 
i  1^ 

804 


LYNCjrS    KXI'LOIIATION    OF    TUK    DKAJ)    SKA. 


to  two  liuiulrcd  and  i'i_<rli(cou  iiulioms  ;  iho  bottom  K)ft  lirowii  imul, 
Avith  rc'ctuiiyiilar  rrystals  oi'  salt.  At  Aiii  Turaboh  tlicy  ibiiiul  tlioir 
tents  in  tl\c  cliargo  of  Slu'rif.  'J' wo  Arabs  were  sent  to  meet  Mr. 
Aulii-k,  at  tliu  mouth  of  tin;  .Ionian  ;  iic  returned.  lu'xt  day,  having 
«'oni}»l«'ted  the  topography  of  llio  sliorc.  and  taken  observations  at  the 
inoutli  t)f  the  river.  Dr.  Anch'rson  had  e(jlh'eteil  many  specimens  hi  tlie 
geological  department,  and  the  expK)rali(jn  <  f  the  sea  Mas  now  com- 
jilete. 

On  the  nili  Mr.  Dale  went -with  the  interi)reter  to  reconnoiter  the 
route  over  tlu;  desert  toward  Jerusalem.  Two  siek  seamen  were  sent 
to  liie  convent  at  Mar  Saba.  lu  the  cvenhig  the  i>arty  bathed  in  the 
Dead  Sea  prej)aratory  to  their  spending  their  twenty-second  and  last 
uiij;ht  niton  it.  Thev  had  now  c:irerullv  sounded  this  sea,  determined 
its  geogra]ihical  jtositioii,  taken  the  exact  topography  of  its  shore,  as- 
certained the  temperature,  width,  <lepth,  and  velocity  of  its  tributaries, 
collected  spechiieiis  of  every  kind,  ;uid  noted  the  Avinds,  currents, 
changes  of  weathi'r,  and  all  almospheric  phenomena. 

On  the  ](Hh  the  tents  were  struck,  and  the  ])arty  ascended  the  pass 
of  Ain  Turabeh.  Tliey  proceeded  to  the  convent  of  Mar  Saba,  and 
thence  colli inued  their  route  toward  Jerusale!u,  where  they  arrived  on 
the  17th.  Then;  were  many  .It'wi^h  women  and  children,  clothed  iii 
white,  undi'r  the  olive-trees  in  the  valley  as  thoy  ]»assed.  They  were 
(luuilies  from  the  city,  who  thus  came  1o  spend  the  day  bcueatli  the 
shade,  away  from  the  stitliug  air  of  the  .lews'  (piarter  Next  day  the 
boats  Avere  sent  to  .fatfa,  under  the  care  of  Slierit^  and  the  party  re- 
mained in  canij)  until  the  2L'd,  during  Avhich  time  the  officers  and  men 
had  time  to  n'cruit,  .'ind  to  visit  .Krusalem  and  its  vicinity.  On  break- 
ing up  the  camp,  they  starle<l  to  run  a  line  of  level  acro>s  to  the  Med- 
iterranean, thirty-threi'  miles  distant,  in  a  direct  line.  The  desert  being 
passed,  they  substituted  mules  for  camels,  to  transjiort  the  b.'iggage. 
Tiiey  Ibuii'l  the  depression  of  tlie  surliico  of  the  Dead  Sea  bcloAV  that 
of  the  Mediterranean  to  bi-  a  little  over  thirteen  liundred  feet. 

After  remaining  a  i'vw  <lays  at  Jatlii,  the  land  i>arty,  uiuler  the  com- 
mand of  ^Ir.  Dale,  started  on  the  mormng  of  June  <ttli,  for  Acre.  In 
the  evening  Caittain  Lynch  embarked  Avitli  the  remiiindir  in  an  Arab 
brig,  and  arrived  at  Acre  on  the  next  evening,  t'harles  Homer,  a  sea- 
man, Avitli  the  land  party,  was  severely  Avounded  on  the  Avay  by  the 
accidental  discliargc;  of  a  gun.  lie  Avas  sent  immediately  to  Heyrout, 
in  charge  of  Mr.  JledloAV  and  a  lew  men,  and  jdaced  under  medical  at- 
tendance. 

On  the  lotli,  C'ajitain  Lynch  started  for  Nazareth,  Avlience  he  jtro- 
eeoded.  to  the  sources  of  the  Jordan,  still  taking  observations  lo  con- 
iiCMt  Avitli  the  jirecediiig  ones.  Keceiving  intelligeiic*',  on  the  liUh,  that 
Homer  Avas  out  of  danger,  :md  that  Messrs.  Aulick  ;uid  Medlow  were 
oil  till'  Avay  to  rejoin  him,  hi'  started  to  lead  the  party  over  the  Anti- 
Lebanon  into  the  plain  of  Damascus.     Afler  s])eiidiiig  u  few  days  in 


!  1 


DEATH 

OF 

LIEUTENANT 

DALE 

805 

Damascus,  tlicy  procctMlcd  by 

a  mountainous  road  toward  the 

sea. 

On 

the 

30th 

they 

wcro  tour 

thousand  t'ect  al)ovo  tli 

0  level 

of  the 

sea 

the 

road  was  difficult,  and  some  of  the  men  were  sick.  Mr.  Dale,  who  was 
the  worst,  was  sent  ahead  with  Mr.  Hedlow,  that  lie  might  obtain  the 
best  medical  advice  as  soon  as  jiossil)Ie.  On  arriving  at  IJeyrout  next 
day,  7iearly  the  whole  ])arty  were  exhauste<l,  and  some  reijuired  ini- 
mcdiate  medical  attendance,  but  in  a  few  days  they  were  mostly  con- 
valescent. On  the  10th  3Ir.  Dale  rode  to  IJhamdiin,  twelve  miles 
distant,  hi  the  hojie  of  being  more  speedily  iuvigoratiMl  by  the  moiuitaiu 
air.  It  was  on  the  dreadful  Damascus  road,  which  they  had  traveU'd 
eleven  days  before,  ami  he  arrived  thoroughly  exhausted,  but  was  much 
recruited  next  day.  On  the  ^e(•ond  <lay,  however,  a  sirocco  set  in, 
which  lasted  for  three  days,  .'ind  completely  {)rostrated  him.  lie 
lingered  mitil  the  2  tth,  when  he  died.  Determined  to  tak(^  the  remains 
home,  if  possible,  C'ajitaiii  Lynch  started  immediately  with  them  for 
Beyrout,  and  proceeded  by  a  slow,  dreary  ride  d()\vn  the  rugged 
mountain  by  tinchlight. 

On  the  ;U)th  the  physicians  ailviscd  tlu'ni  to  leave  at  once,  as  there 
was  no  hope  of  recovery  of  the  sick  at  Ueyrout.  Captain  Lynch  there- 
fore chartered  a  small  French  brig  for  Malta.  An  accident  in  transport- 
ing the  remains  to  the  vessel,  and  the  superstitious  fears  of  the  captain 


:)"(1  crew 


,  omjiiiled  liim   t  )  laiiil  them,  ami  al  siuiset,  as  the  Turkish 
were  saluting  the  lirst  night  of  the  Kamadan,  they  escorted  the 

111  a  Pride  of  Tndia-tree. 


be',  u  he  Frank  cemeterv,  and  laid  it  beiua 
A  '  ijipropriate  chapters  of  the  IVible  were  read,  ;uid  some  atlecting 
remarks  nuide  by  the  Kev.  .Mr.  Tiiompson  :  a.ft<'r  which  the  sailors  ad- 
vanced and  lired  three  volleys  over  the  grave. 

At  9  r.  M.  they  embarkeil  on  board  the  /'</•/  r/' ^V///^^  lunl  after  a 
tedious  passiige  of  thirty-. 'ight  d.ays,  during  Avliieli  they  sulVered  much 
from  nickni'sv,  debility,  and  scarcity  of  Hiod  ;uid  water,  they  ri'ached 
Malta,  where  tlu'y  received  every  possible  attenlinii  fiom  the  American 
Consul,  jNfr.  AVinlhrop.  <)u  the  IJth  of  September,  the  t^upph/  having 
an'ived,  (he  ex)te(lition  re-embarked,  with  only  three  of  its  members  on 
the  sick-list.  They  toiuhed  at  Naples,  .Marseilles,  and  Oibraltar,  in  the 
hope  of  procuring  supplies,  but  in  the  two  fmnu'r  they  were  refused 
j)rati(pu\  and  trom  the  latter  they  were  peremptorily  ordered  aw.ay. 
Depending  therelbre  on  the  rains  to  replenish  their  supply  of  water,  they 
pursued  their  homuwui'd  vujatje,  and  early  in  December  reached  the 
Fnitud  States, 


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ASSYRIAANO 
aiESOPOTAlVnA. 

I  L  Ll/STRATINC 

EXPLORATIONS* 


I    r.cnoimfP&    &.  GO.   AOPCGWAi'iiy     rj_c 


i!      ! 


1  I 


'  { 


L  A  Y  A  R  1) '  S 


EXPLORATIONS  AT   NINEVEH   AND  BABYLON. 


FIRST    EXCAYATIONS    AT    N'TXEVRII. 


Tnn  MorKD  of  NiMROrn  (NHN'EVEn). 


Mr,  ArsTKX  ITkvky  I.vvaim)  lir<t  visitcil  the  East  in  18^0,  and 
during  that  and  Iho  tblhnving  yoar  traversed  almost  every  part  ot"  Syria 
and  Asia  Minor,  in  eomiiany  witli  Mr.  Ainswortli,  tlie  author  of  "Travels 
ui  the  Track  of  tlie  Ten  Thousand."  Evtendinij  their  journey  to  the 
eastward,  tliey  reached  ^losul,  flouted  down  the  TIj.a'is  to  IJaiilidad, 
crossed  to  Persia,  visited  the  ruins  of  Siis;i  and  Perse] mlis,  and  aHer 
being  plundered  hy  a  band  of  robbers  in  the  mountains,  returned  through 
Armenia  to  Europe.  While  descending  the  Tigris,  from  ^Mosul  tf» 
Baghdad,  Layard  stopped  to  examine  the  loAy  mounds  of  Nimroud, 
sixteen  miles  below  the  former  city.  lie  was  impressed  by  the  con- 
viction that  extensive  remains,  jierhaps  those  of  a  part  of  ancient  Nine- 
veh, were  concealed  umler  those  shapeless  ]iiles  of  earth,  broken  pottery 
and  bricks,  and  then  fornu'd  the  determination  of  returning  to  explore 
them,  at  some  iiit\u'e  time. 

On  passing  tlirough  Mosul  in  the  summer  of  1 842,  on  his  return  to 
Constantinople,  he  fotmd  that  M.  Botta,  the  French  Consul,  had  com- 


?IH 


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1 

Mi 

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0 


810 


L  A  Y  A  li  I ) '  S    ]■:  X  P  L  0  R  A  T I  O  N  S . 


monoc'd  excavations  in  iho  larsjc  mound  of  Koiu'inijik,  on  the  opposite 
side  of  tlio  Tigris.  Only  sonu;  frai^nK'nts  of  brick  and  alabaster,  upon 
Avhich  Avcro  engraved  a  few  letters  in  the  ciniciforni,  or  arrow-headed 
character,  IkuI  then  been  discovered.  After  reaching  Constantinople, 
Layard  wrote  to  ]M.  J>otta,  ad\  i.sing  him  to  excavate  in  the  niounds  of 
Xiunviiid;  but  the  latter  gentleman,  following  the  advice  of  some  of 
the  natives,  turne<l  his  attention  to  a  large  mound,  upon  which  the  vil- 
lag(>  of  Khorsabad  was  built.  After  sinking  a  well  for  some  distance 
tlirough  the  rubbish,  the  workmen  came  to  a  wall  built  of  scul[itured 
slabs  of  gypsum.  y\.  ]5otta  at  once  directed  a  Avider  trench  to  bo 
formed,  and  to  be  carried  in  the  direction  of  the  Avail,  lie  soon  found 
that  he  had  opened  a  chamber,  Avhich  was  connected  with  others,  and 
constructed  of  slabs  of  gypsum  covered  with  scu!}>tnr(>d  re])resentations 
()f  battles,  siicrc^,  and  similar  events.  His  wonder  mav  easilv  be  imasj- 
iued.  A  new  history  had  been  suddenly  opened  to  him — the  records 
of  an  imknown  people  Averc  before  him.  He  Avas  ecpially  at  a  loss  to 
account  for  the  ago  and  the  nature  of  the  monument.  The  art  shoAvn  in 
the  sculptures ;  the  dresses  of  tin;  figures;  their  arms  and  the  objects 
Aviiich  accompanied  them,  Avere  all  noAV  to  him,  and  ailonh'd  no  clew  to 
the  I'jioch  of  the  eredion  of  the  edifice,  and  to  the  people  Avho  Avere  its 
fuimders.  IFoAvever,  it  Avas  evident  that  the  monument  appertained  to 
a  very  ancient  ami  very  civilized  i)eople ;  and  it  Avas  natural  from  its 
positi<m  to  refer  it  to  tlu^  inhabitants  of  Nineveh,  a  city,  AA'hich,  although 
it  could  not  have  occupied  a  site  so  distant  from  the  Tigris,  must  liaA'e 
been  in  the  vicinity  of  the  place.  At.  Botta  had  discoA'crcd  an  Assyrian 
edilici',  the  first,  probably,  Avhich  liad  boon  exposed  to  the  vicAV  of  man 
shicc  the  tall  of  the  Assyrian  emjiire. 

The  excavation  Avas  contuuied,  and  by  the  beginning  of  184.J,  the 
monumcMit  liad  been  comi)letely  uncovered.  The  researches  of  AI.  IJotta 
A\-ere  not  extended  beyond  Khorsabad,  and,  liaving  secured  many  fine 
specimens  of  Assyrian  sculi)ture,  he  returned  to  Km-opo  Avith  a  rich  col- 
lection of  inscriptions,  the  most  im[)ortant  result  of  his  discovery.  This 
succes><  increased  Lay.ard's  desire  to  explore  the  ruins  of  Assyria.  Ho 
Avas  more  than  ever  convinced  that  Khorsabad  Avas  not  the  only  relic  of 
Assyrian  art,  and  that,  as  it  could  not  represent  Nineveh,  the  remains 
of  that  rity  Avcre  to  be  found  at  Nimroud.  He  received  little  encourage- 
nuMit  iu  his  desires,  until,  in  the  autumn  of  1845,  Sir  Stratford  Canning, 
Britisli  Minister  at  Constantinople,  expressed  liis  readiness  to  iiunn*,  for 
a  limited  period,  the  cxiienscs  of  an  exploration.  L;iyaiil  accepted  the 
proposal,  set  out  from  Const!intinoj)h'  at  once,  and,  traveling  Avith  all 
speed,  reached  ]Mosid  by  tlie  last  of  Octolier. 

"■  There  were  many  reasons,"  says  T^ayard,  "  AA'hich  r(>nderccl  it  neces- 
R.iry  th;\t  my  j)lans  should  be  cf)nccale<1,  until  T  was  rendy  to  put  them 
iuto  execution.  Although  I  had  always  experienced  fr<im  M.  Hotta  the 
most  friendly  assistance,  there  Avere  otliers  avIio  did  not  share  his  senti- 
ments;  from  tlu!  aucliorities  and  the  people  of  the  toAvn  I  cotdd  only 


FIRST    DISCOVERIES    AT    NIMROUD. 


811 


cxpcot  thp  most  (lecidod  opposition.  On  the  Rth  of  November,  having 
Reeretly  procured  a  few  tools,  and  engaged  a  mason  at  the  moment  of 
my  departure,  and  carrying  witli  me  a  variety  of  guns,  spears,  and  other 
formidable  weapons,  I  declared  that  T  was  going  to  hunt  wild  boars  in  a 
lu'ighboring  village,  and  iloated  down  tlie  Tigris  on  a  small  raft  con- 
structed tin'  my  journey.  I  was  accompanied  l»y  Mr.  Ross,  a  IJritish 
mei'chant  of  3Iosal,  my  cawass,  and  a  sev\ant." 

On  reaching  Nimrouil,  Tiayard  succeeded  in  engaging  six  Arabs  to 
M'ork  under  liis  direction.  The  next  morning  he  commenced  operations, 
and  was  not  long  left  in  suspeiise.  Seeing  a  piece  of  alabaster  i)rojecting 
above  the  soil,  ho  ordered  his  men  to  dig  around  it,  and  found  tiiat  it 
was  the  upper  jiart  of  a  large  slab.  Its  cxhmnation  revealed  a  second, 
then  a  third,  and  in  tlie  course  of  the  morning  ten  were  discovered,  the 
whole  fm-niing  a  square,  which  '\\as  apparently  the  top  of  a  chamber. 
Digging  down  the  i'ace  of  tin-  stones,  an  inscription  hi  the  cuneiform 
chai'acler  was  soon  exi)Osed  to  view.  The  next  day  he  hired  more  work- 
men, and  completed  the  excavation  of  the  cluunber,  which  was  built  of 
slabs  eight  feet  liigh.  "  In  the  I'ubbish  near  the  l)ottom  of  the  chandjer," 
says  ho,  "  I  found  several  ivoiy  ornaments,  upon  which  were  traces  of 
gilding;  among  them  was  tlie  figure  of  a  man  in  l'>iig  robes,  carrying 
hi  one  liand  the  Egyptian  crux  ansata,  part  of  a  crouching  sphinx,  and 
flowers  designed  with  great  taste  and  elegance.  Awad,  who  had  his 
own  suspicions  of  the  object  of  my  search,  which  he  couhl  scnrcely  per- 
suade liimself  was  limited  to  mere  stones,  carefully  collected  all  the  scat- 
tered fragments  of  gold  leaf  ho  could  find  in  the  rubbisli ;  and,  calling 
me  aside  in  a  mysterious  and  confidential  fashion,  pi-oduced  them  wrajiped 
up  in  a  piece  of  dingy  paper.  '  O  Bey,'  said  he,  '  Wallah  !  your  books 
are  right,  and  the  Franks  know  that  which  is  liid  from  the  true  believer. 
Here  is  the  gold,  sure  enough,  and,  please  God,  we  shall  iind  it  all  in  a 
few  days.  Only  don't  say  any  thing  about  it  to  those  Arabs,  for  they 
are  asses  and  can  not  hold  their  tongues.  The  matter  will  come  to  the 
ears  of  the  ])a';ha.'  The  shekli  was  much  surjirised,  and  equally  disap- 
pointed, when  I  generously  presented  liiin  Mith  tlie  treasures  he  had  col- 
lected, and  all  such  as  he  miglit  hereafter  discover." 

The  news  of  this  discovery  soon  reache<l  INIosul,  and  created  quite  a 
sensation.  It  was  rumored  that  immense  treasures  had  been  found,  and 
the  pa'^lia,  who  was  very  oppressive  and  unpopular,  determin'Ml  lo  inter- 
fere, and  stop  further  excavations.  Layard,  to  avoid  dilHcully,  pretended 
to  acquiesce,  but  asked  for  a  guard  to  protect  the  sculptures,  while  he 
made  <lrawiugs  of  tliein.  Din-ing  the  few  days  which  intervened  while 
the  subject  was  under  discussion,  the  work  had  been  vigorously  ])rose- 
ruted,  and  several  bas-reliefs  representing  battles  an<l  sieges,  and  winged 
bulls,  fourteen  feet  in  length,  were  discovered,  'i'lie  exi)eriment  had 
been  fairly  tried;  there  was  no  longer  any  doubt  of  the  existence  not 
only  of  seulptiu-es  and  inscriptions,  but  e-  >  of  vast  edifices  in  the  inte- 
rior of  the  mound  of  Nimroud,  as  all  parts  of  it  that  liad  yet  been  exam- 


■     .  1  : 

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m 

■  j    :    '  •      "-T 

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812 


LAYA  RD'.S    KXPLORATIONS. 


iiied,  furnished  romaiiH  of  Imildinjrs  and  carved  slabs.  He  lost  no  time, 
therefore,  in  aciiuainting  Sir  Strattbrd  CanniiiLT  with  his  discovery,  and 
urging  the  necessity  of  a  firman,  or  order  I'rom  the  Porte,  which  would 
prevent  any  future  interlerence  on  the  jiart  of  the  authorities,  or  the  in- 
habitants of  the  country. 

About  this  time  word  reached  Mosul  that  the  pjisha  was  to  be  re- 
moved, and  another  appointed  in  liis  place.  The  country  was  very 
unsettled,  and  as  it  was  impossible  to  continue  the  excavations  at  Nim- 
roud,  l^ayard  proceeded  to  Jiagiidad,  to  consult  M.TJor  IJawIinson,  and 
to  make  arrangements  for  the  removal  of  the  sculi»tures  to  England. 
IJcturning  to  ."Mosul  in  January,  1  840,  he  found  the  new  governor,  Ismail 
Pasha,  who  received  him  with  courtesy,  and  gave  him  full  permission  to 
continue  his  researches  at  Ximroud.  He  took  np  his  residence  at  Nim- 
roud,  and  engaged  a  party  of  Xestorian  Christians  to  assist  liini  in  the 
■work.  About  the  middle  (>f  February,  tlie  excavations  were  recom- 
menced, in  the  north-western  side  of  the  mound.  One  chamber  rtpened 
into  another,  and  these  into  halls  and  courts,  the  Avails  of  which  were  of 
alabaster,  covered  with  bas-reliefs  and  inscri])tions.  The  sculptures  as- 
sumed a  more  interesting  character,  the  further  they  advanced;  the 
monarch,  with  his  attendant  ministers  and  servants,  tributary  kings, 
battles,  sieges,  and  finally  the  gods  of  a  lost  religion,  colossal  figures 
carved  with  the  most  astonishing  minuteness  of  detail,  were  one  alter 
another  exjioscd  to  view, 

"On  all  these  figures,"  says  Layard,  "paint  could  be  faintly  distin- 
guished, particularly  on  the  hair,  beard,  ryes,  and  sandals.  The  slabs  on 
which  they  Avere  sculptured  had  sustained  no  injury,  and  could  be  with- 
out difficulty  packed  and  moved  to  any  distaiu'C,  There  could  no  longer 
bo  any  doubt  that  they  formed  jiart  of  a  chamber,  and  that,  to  explore 
it  completely,  I  had  only  to  continue  along  the  wall,  now  partly  un- 
covered, 

"On  the  morning  followmg  these  discoveries,  I  rode  to  the  encamp- 
ment of  Sheikh  Abd-ur-rahman,  and  was  returning  to  the  mound,  when 
I  saw  two  Arabs  of  his  tribe  uiging  their  mares  to  the  top  of  their 
speed.  On  approaching  me  they  stopped,  '  Hasten,  O  Bey,' exclaimed 
one  of  them — 'hasten  to  the  diggers,  for  they  have  found  Nimrod  him- 
self. \\'allah,  it  is  wonderful,  but  it  is  true !  we  have  seen  him  with  our 
eyes.  There  is  no  (Jod  but  God;' and  both  joining  in  this  pious  ex- 
clamation, they  galloped  oil"  without  further  Avords,  in  the  direction  of 
their  tents. 

"  On  reaching  the  ruins  I  descended  into  the  new  trench,  and  found 
the  workmen,  Avho  had  already  seen  me,  as  I  approached,  standing  near 
a  lieap  of  baski'ts  and  cloaks.  While  A  wad  advanced,  and  asked  for  a 
present  to  celebrate  the  occasion,  the  Arnhs  withdrew  the  screen  tliey 
had  hastily  constructed,  and  disclosed  an  enormous  human  liead  sculp- 
tured  in  full  out  of  the  alabaster  of  the  country.  They  had  uncovered 
the  upper  part  of  the  figure,  the  remainder  of  Avhicli  was  still  buried  in 


mSCOVKUY    OF    COLOSSAL    STATUES. 


813 


le  in- 


ly distill-     I 
slabs  on 
be  Avitli- 

10  loiiLfor     j 
explore 

lartly  ini-     ; 


the  e.'irtli.  I  saw  sit  onw,  liuit  the  bead  must  belong  to  a  winged  lion  or 
bull,  similar  to  tliose  of  Kiiorsabad  ami  I'ersepolis.  It  was  in  admirable 
preservation.  Tlie  expression  Avas  ealni,  yrt  majestic,  and  the  outline 
of  tlie  features  showed  a  tVeednm  and  knctwlcdge  of  art,  scarcely  to  be 
hjoked  for  in  the  works  of  so  remote  a  period.  The  cap  had  three  horns, 
and,  unlike  that  of  the  lunnan-headed  Imlls  liilherto  found  in  Assyria, 
"was  rounded  and  witliout  ornament  at  the  top. 

"  I  was  not  surprised  that  the  Arabs  had  been  amazed  and  terrified 
at  this  apparition.  It  re(piired  no  stretch  of  imagination  to  conjure  up 
the  most  strange  fancies.  This  gigantic  head,  blanched  with  age,  thus 
rising  from  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  might  well  have  belonged  to  one  of 
those  ft'arful  beings  which  are  pictured  in  the  traditions  of  the  country, 
as  appearing  to  mortals,  slowly  ascending  from  the  regions  below.  One 
of  the  Avorkmeu,  on  catcliing  the  lirst  gUmpseof  the  monster,  had  thrown 
down  liis  basket  and  run  oil' toward  Mosul  as  fast  as  his  legs  could  carry 
him.     I  learned  this  with  regret,  as  I  anticipated  the  conscfiuences. 

"While  I  w;is  suiteriuteinliiig  the  removal  of  the  earth,  wliich  still 
clung  to  the  sculpture,  and  giving  directicms  lor  the  continuation  of  the 
work,  a  noise  of  horsemen  was  heard,  and  presently  Abd-ur-rahman,  fol- 
lowed by  half  his  tribe,  aiin(>ared  on  the  Ci.\;^c  of  the  trench.  As  soon 
as  the  two  .\rabs  had  reached  the  tents,  and  published  the  Avonders 
they  had  seen,  every  one  niounted  his  mare  and  rode  to  the  mound,  to 
satisfy  himself  of  the  truth  of  these  inconceivable  reports.  When  they 
beheld  the  head  they  all  cried  out  togetiier,  'Tlicre  is  no  (iod  but  (lod, 
and  Mohammed  is  his  I'rophetl'  It  was  some  time  before  the  shekh 
could  be  prevailed  upon  to  descend  into  the  ])it,  and  convince  himself 
that  the  hnage  he  saw  was  of  stone.  'This  is  not  the  work  of  men's 
hands,'  exclaimed  he,  "but  of  those  infidel  giants  of  whom  the  Prophet, 
l)eace  be  with  him!  has  said,  that  they  were  higher  than  the  tallest  date- 
tree  ;  this  is  one  of  the  idols  which  Noah,  peace  be  with  him !  cursed 
before  the  Hood.'  In  this  opuiion,  the  result  of  a  careful  examination, 
all  the  bystanders  eoncurred.  I  now  ordereil  a  trench  to  be  dug  due 
south  from  the  head,  in  the  expectation  of  finding  a  corresponding  figure, 
and  before  night -fall  reached  the  object  of  my  search  about  twelve  feet 
distant.'' 

The  sensation  caused  by  this  discovery,  and  the  prejudices  of  the 
Moslem  Cadi  of  ilosul,  obliged  him  to  susjiend  ojierations  lor  a  time. 
IJy  the  end  of  March,  however,  he  uncovered  a  pair  of  winged  human- 
headed  lions,  the  liumaii  shape  being  continued  to  the  waist  and  fur- 
nished with  arms.  "In  one  hand  each  figure  carried  a  goat  or  stag, 
and  in  the  other,  which  hung  down  by  the  side,  a  branch  with  three 
flowers.  They  formed  a  northern  entrance  into  the  chamber  of  wliich 
the  lions  j.reviously  descrilu'd  were  the  southern  ])ortal.  I  completely 
uncovered  the  latter,  and  found  them  to  be  entire.  They  were  aliout 
twelve  feet  in  height,  and  the  s.ame  number  in  length.  The  body  and 
limbs   were   admirably  portrayed;   the   muscles   and  bones,  although 


\ 


iil 


I  ii 


I 


ll 


11^ 


Hill 


r  '  .1  ■  !i  • 


i 


i  ■! 


ilU 


814 


L  A  Y  A  III)' S    !•;  X  1*  1. 0  U  A T IONS. 


strongly  developccl  to  disjiliiy  tlii;  sli-fiiglh  of  tliu  auim;i!,  showcul  at  the 
same  tiino  a  correct  knowledgi'  of  its  anatomy  and  form.  Expanded 
■\vings  sprung  from  tlie  Khouldir  and  spread  over  the  back ;  a  knotted 
girdle,  ending  in  tassels,  encircled  the  loins.  Thest!  magnificent  speci- 
mens of  Assyrian  art  were  ia  ])erfe'ct  preservation;  the  most  minute 
lines  in  the  details  of  the  Avings  and  in  the  ornaments  had  been  retained 
with  their  original  freshness.  Not  a  character  was  wanting  in  the  in- 
scriptions." 

The  operations  having  been  suspended  until  further  means  should  ar- 
rive from  Constantinople,  Layard  determined  to  jmy  a  \  isit  \o  Soliik, 
the  shekh  of  the  great  Arab  tribe  ol'  Shamniar,  whlrh  occU))ied  nearly 
th(;  whole  of  Meso|iotamia.  On  this  excursion  he  was  ai-companied  by 
Mr.  llassam,  the  English  vice-consul,  and  his  wile,  ami  Mr.  1  toss.  On 
liis  return,  he  received  the  lirman  I'rom  Constantinojile.  and  a  further 
KUpply  of  money,  which  enabled  him  to  resume  the  Avork  of  excavation. 
About  thirty  men,  chielly  Arabs,  were  employed,  and  their  labors  Avc'e 
rewardetl  by  the  discovery  of  many  more  chambers,  jillcd  with  bas- 
reliefs  of  the  most  interesting  character,  iu  ))erlect  ])rcsi'rvatio!i.  J.ayard 
now  determined  to  remove  the  most  valuable  specimens,  lor  transporta- 
tion to  England.  The  slabs  were  sawed  into  several  ])ieces,  and  all  the 
SI  ■erHuous  stone  cut  awav  :  after  which  thev  were  packed  in  icits  and 
jnatting,  and  dei)Osited  in  rough  Avooden  eases.  They  Avere  then  lloateil 
down  the  Tigris  to  Baghdad,  on  a  raft  made  of  poplar  Avood  and  inllated 
skins. 

l)y  this  time  the  summer  liad  arrived,  ami  the  heat  became  so  great 
lliat  the  explorer's  health  began  to  suffer  from  his  continned  labors  on  a 
spot  where  the  thermometer  fre(piently  reached  11.")'  in  the  shade,  lie 
therefore  returned  to  Mosul,  and  exctavated  for  a  time  in  the  mound  of 
Kouyunjik,  Avhere  he  discovered  .an  entrance  formed  by  two  Avinged 
figures,  leading  into  a  chamber,  ])aved  a\  ilh  limestone  slabs.  As  the 
figures  Avere  mutilated  and  the  Av.allsof  the  chamber  Avithout  inscriptions, 
he  gave  up  any  further  exploration,  and  rc^turned  to  Ximroud  in  the 
middle  of  August.  His  health,  Jiowever,  again  gave  Avay,  and  lie  then 
determined  to  make  an  excursion  to  the  Tiyari  Mountains,  inhabited  by 
the  Chaldean  Christians,  and  to  the  Alpine  country  of  Koordistan.  His 
description  of  this  journey,  Avhich  occupied  some  weeks,  and  of  the  an- 
nual relii:ious  festival  of  the  Yezidis,  or  Devil- Worshipers,  in  the  v.alley 
of  Shekh  Adi,  are  of  great  interest  and  value.  Afler  his  return  to  3Io- 
sul,  he  accompanied  the  j)asha  on  a  military  expedition  into  tlnj  Sinjar 
Motmtains. 

"On  my  return  to  Mosul,"  he  Avrites,  "I  receivetl  letters  from  En- 
gland, int!)rming  mo  that  Sir  Stratford  Canning  had  presented  the 
sculptures  discovered  in  Assyiia,  and  had  made  over  all  advantages 
that  might  be  derived  from  the  order  gi\en  to  him  by  the  sultan,  to  the 
British  nation;  and  that  the  British  i\Iuseum  had  received  a  grant  of 
funds  for  the  continuation  of  the  researches  commenced  at  Nimroud, 


DLSCOVKRY    OV    AN    INSCRIBED    OBELISK. 


815 


and  clsowhcrt'.  Tlie  j^rant  was  snial],  ami  soarcoly  fidi-qiiato  to  tin? 
objects  ill  view."  Ni'vcrlliclcss,  III'  ik'li'iiiiiiuMl  to  porscviTo,  ami  aci'om- 
pliKli  as  iiiiicli  as  jwssildc,  with  tlio  limiitd  means.  Mr.  llorniuztl  Uus- 
wanx  took  tlio  part  of  overseer  and  iiay-nuist,er,  and  soon  actjuirod  an 
extraordinary  inllueiice  amoiiLC  tiie  Arabs.  After  l)nildin<^  a  winter- 
rosidenri'  for  himself  and  servants,  Layard  reeomnieneed  the  excavations, 
on  a  lari^e  scale,  (.n  tlie  1st  of  Xovi'ndjtT. 

Tlu;  yix  weelis  lijllowinif  the  comnionconient  of  excavations  upon  a 
largo  scale,  were  aniony  the  moat  prosperous,  and  friiitliil  in  events, 
during,'  liis  researches  in  Assyria.  One  of  tlie  most  remarkable  discov- 
eries was  made  in  llie  center  of  the  mound,  near  wiicro  the  coldssal 
winu'cd  bulls  had  been  found.  After  quari-ying  out  a  shall  of  about  fifty 
feet  ill  length,  and  fiudim^-  notlihii,^  but  frauments  of  sculptures  in  yellow 
limestone,  J.ayard  v.as  about  to  abamhjii  tiie  work,  when  a  corner  of 
black  marble  was  uncovered,  whii'h  ])ioved  to  be  i)art  of  an  obiiisk, 
about  seveu  feet  lii^h,  containiiiLf  twenty  small  '  as-relieis,  and  an  in- 
iscription  of  two  hundred  and  ten  lines.  The  wiiole  was  in  the  licst 
preservation;  scarcely  a  character  of  the  inscription  was  wantmijf ;  and 
the  liLi,iires  were  as  sharp  and  well  deliued  as  ii'  they  luid  bei  ii  carved 
but  a  t'ijw  days  before.  The  king  is  twice  repicseiiu'd,  foll(  .  ed  by  I' 
attendants;  a  prisoner  is  at  his  feet,  and  liis  vizir  and  eunuchs  are  i  ■ 
irodiicing  men  leaduig  various  animals,  and  carrying  vases  and  i  Uit 
objects  of  tribute  on  tlieir  shoulders,  or  in  their  hands.  'Phe  animals 
are  tlie  elephant,  the  vhiuocei-os,  the  liactrian,  or  two-humj  'd  ^'luie!,  the 
wild  bull,  lh(!  lioii,  a  stag,  and  various  kinds  of  monkeys. 

"I  lost  no  tim;^  in  copying  the  inscriptions,"  says  Layard,  "and  draw- 
ing the  baTreliels,  upon  this  precious  relic.  It  was  then  carefully  packed, 
to  be  transported  at  once  to  IJaghdad.  A  jiarty  of  trustworthy  Aralw 
were  ciioscn  to  slee^)  near  it  at  night ;  and  I  took  every  precaution  *iiat 
the  superstitions  and  prejudices  of  tho  natives  of  the  country,  and  the 
jcalou>y  of  rival  antiquaries,  could  suggest." 

Early  in  December,  a  sullicient  numbi'r  of  bas-reliofs  had  been  col- 
lecteil  to  load  another  raft,  and  preparations  were  accordingly  made  for 
sending  a  second  cargo  to  liaghdad.  "  On  Christmas  day,"  says  Layard, 
"  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  a  raft,  bearing  twenty-three  cases,  in 
one  of  which  was  the  obelisk,  ilo;iting  down  !■.  '"ver.  I  watched  them 
until  they  were  out  of  siglit,  and  then  gallopeu  into  Mosul  to  celebrate 
tlic  festivities  of  the  season,  with  the  few  Europeans  whom  duty  or 
business  iiad  collected  in  this  remote  cor?"  r  of  the  globe. 

"The  nortli-west  ])alace,"  lie  continues,  "was  naturally  tlie  most 
interesting  ])ortion  of  the  ruins,  and  to  it  were  principally  directed  my 
researches.  I  lm<l  satisfied  myself  beyond  a  doubt  that  it  was  the  most 
ancient  building  yet  explored  in  Assyria.  Not  liaving  been  exposed  to 
a  conflagration  like  other  edifices,  the  scul|>tures,  bas-reliefs,  and  in- 
scriptions, which  it  contained,  were  still  admirably  preserved.  When 
the  excavations  were  resumed  after  Christmas,  eight  cliambers  had  been 


■)J\ 


!   ••! 


ifll 


Il    '  i 


H:\ 


-  'i;   i  ' 

.'        Mi 

•    ! 

i 

'■           1 

!|iS    ■ 


816 


LAYARD'S    EXPLOE  ATIONS. 


discovered.  Tliere  were  now  so  mniiy  outlets  and  entrances,  that  I  liad 
no  trouble  in  finding  new  rooms  and  halls — one  chamber  leadhig  into 
another.  By  the  end  of  th(>  month  of  April  I  had  explored  almost  the 
whole  biiiklinfr ;  and  had  opened  tM'enty-eight  chambers  cased  Avith 
alabaster  slabs." 

Before  his  means  should  be  completely  exhausted,  Layard  deter- 
mined to  make  some  excavations  in  the  mounds  of  Kalah  }?hergat,  fur- 
ther down  tlie  Tigris — mounds  which  ecjual  in  extent  those  of  Nimroud 
and  Kouyunjik.  The  only  im})ortant  object  he  discovered  at  this  place 
was  a  headless  sitting  figure  of  black  basalt,  of  the  size  of  life.  On  liis 
return  1o  Ninu'oud,  he  set  about  the  task  of  removing  two  of  the  winged 
bulls  and  lions,  for  transportation  to  England.  With  the  scanty  mechan- 
ical contrivances  of  the  country,  this  "was  a  work  of  immense  labor  and 
diriiculty,  and  weeks  wt-re  emjdoyed  in  taking  the  colossal  figures  from 
their  stations  at  the  doorway  t>f  the  palace,  bringing  thcni  to  the  bank 
of  the  Tigris,  and  shipphig  them  on  large  rafts,  ready  to  proceed  to 
Bassora.  Every  thing  was  at  last  safely  accomi)lished,  and  some  sheep 
havnig  been  slaughtered  to  insure  a  pi'ojtitious  voyage,  the  raits  disaj)- 
j)eared  on  their  doubtful  way  down  Ih.e  Tigiis. 

"  JJy  the  middlu  of  3Ir.y,"  says  J.ayard,  "•  1  had  finished  my  work  at 
Nimroud.  My  house  was  dismantled.  The  windoMs  and  doors,  which 
had  been  temporarily  fiited  >i]),  were  takrn  out;  and,  with  the  little 
furniture  that  had  been  collected  togcllicr,  were  jilaced  on  the  backs  of 
donkeys  and  camels  to  ln'  carried  to  the  town.  The  .Vrabs  struck  their 
tents  and  commenced  their  march,  T  remained  behind  until  every  ono 
had  left,  and  then  turned  my  back  upon  the  deserted  village.  We  were 
the  last  1o  (|uit  the  plains  ot'Xin)roud;  and,  indeed,  nearly  the  whole 
country  to  the  south  of  31osul,  as  liir  .as  the  Zab,  became,  after  our  de- 
parture, a  wilderness."  After  m;xking  further  excavations  at  Kouyimjik, 
Bulfieient  to  convince  him  that  the  mound  covered  the  ruins  of  a  palace 
of  great  extent  and  magnilicence,  Layard  determined  to  return  to 
Europe,  .as  the  funds  placed  .at  his  tlisposal  were  exhausted,  and  ho 
learned  that  the  British  Museum  Mas  not  in<lined  to  encourage  further 
exploration-.  Leaving  JMosuI  on  the  'Jlth  of  June,  1847,  he  took  tho 
road  to  Constantinople,  on  his  way  to  Engl.md. 


SECOXI)    VTSTT    TO    N1NP:VKH. 

Layard  reinained  sonu-  months  in  Engl.and  to  recruit  his  health,  and 
jjublish  the  I'esults  of  his  travels  and  researches.  In  isfs,  lu' returned 
to  Constantinnpic  ami  resinned  his  jiost  as  attache  to  the  British  em- 
bassy. Tile  interest  which  his  work  exciteil,  however,  ami  the  acknowl- 
edge<l  importance  of  hi-i  discoveries,  induced  the  tru-;te<'s  of  tlii^  Ibilish 
Museum  to  propose  to  him  a  second  expedition  into  Assyria.  He  at 
onco  accei)ted  tills  <  d'er,  ami  drew  up  an  e.vteiided  plan  which  .should 


R?:TURN    to    NINEVEH, 


817 


em])raco  tlio  tliorouyh  cxjiloratioii  not  only  of  tlio  Assyrian  remains,  but 
also  tliost'  of  Jjabylonia,  but  this  "was  not  accojttcd.  He  was  merely 
(lirt'c'tetl  to  rcsumo  tiie  excavations  at  Niniroud.  Mr.  Coojier,  an  artist, 
AVas  selci'ti'd  by  the  trustees  of  the  Museum  to  aceompany  him— in  aiMi- 
tion  to  whom  he  was  joined  at  CoMst:mtino|ile  by  Mr.  Ilormur/.d  Kas- 
sam,  and  Dr.  vSandwith,  an  Kii<;lisli  jihysician.  C'awal  Yusuf,  the  head 
of  the  preachers  of  the  Yezidis,  with  four  chiefs  from  the  neighborhood 
of  Diarbekir,  Avho  had  bi'cii  for  some  months  at  Constantinojije,  com- 
jtletecl  jiis  party. 

On  the  l.'Sth  of  Antjiist,  isti),  the  expedition  \r{\  the  r>osphorn'<!  in  a 
steamer  for  Trebizon<l,  where  they  landed  on  the  ;ilst,aiul  continued 
their  journey  by  way  of  Krzeroum,  the  lake  of  ^Van,  and  (he  mountain 
country  of  tlu'  Koords,  to  ]\Iosul.  Tlie  journey  was  accom|ili>lied  with- 
out accident,  and  on  arriviuL?  at  their  destination  Layard  was  received 
with  the  i^rt'atest  enthusiasm  by  his  old  friends  and  workmen.  He  im- 
mediiiti'ly  liireil  his  former  assistants,  secured  the  services  of  a  Imndred 
null,  and  connnenced  a  thorouiiii  excavation  oi'the  nu)und  of  Ivouvunjik. 
Tlie  accumulation  of  earth  was  so  jjjreat  that  it  was  necessary  to  ad«»pt  a 
system  of  tuimelliii;,  removini;  only  as  much  earth  as  was  necessary  to 
show  the  S(Milptin'ed  walls.  While  the  ))repaiati<)ns  were  iroini^  forward, 
he  accepted  an  invitation  from  the  Veziilis,  ami  aL,fain  witnessed  their 
pe<'uliar  religious  festival  in  the  valley  of  Shekh  Adi. 

On  the  isth  of  October,  Layard  rode  to  Nimroml  for  the  first  time. 
IK' says:  '"The  mound  liad  imderyone  no  <'han<^e.  There  it  rose  from 
the  jilain,  the  same  sun-burnt  yellow  hea}»  that  it  liail  stood  for  twenty 
centuries.  The  earth  and  rubbish,  which  had  In  en  lu-aped  over  tliu  ex- 
cavati'il  chambers  an<l  sculptured  slalis,  had  settled,  and  had  lell  \mcov- 
ereil  in  sinkinij;  the  upper  part  of  several  bas-reliefs.  A  i\  w  colossal 
hi'ails  ol'winijecl  ti^iires  rosi-  ciilmly  above  the  level  of  the  soil,  and  with 
two  jiairs  of  winifcd  bulls,  which  had  not  I»cen  reburied  on  account  of 
their  mutil.ited  condition,  was  all  that  remained  above  i^round  of  the 
north-west  palace,  that  great  storehouse  of  Assyrian  hisltny  and  .art. 
Since  my  departure  tiie  Burliu'o  of  the  mound  had  aLjain  been  furroweil 
by  the  |>low,  ;ind  amph;  crops  Iiail  this  year  rcwardeil  the  laliors  of  tlio 
husbandman.  The  ruins  of  the  south-west,  palace  were  si  ill  uncovered. 
The  .Arabs  had  respected  the  fi'W  bas-reliefs  which  stood  aLCainst  the 
crumbling  walls,  and  Sahh  Shaliir  pointeil  to  them  as  a  proof  of  the 
watchfulness  of  his  people  durini;  my  l(»ns^  absence." 

C'ollectiiijj  topfher  a  iiumlx  r  of  his  former  workmen,  he  oidcrt><l 
them  to  coiiliniie  the  excavations  at  the  points  where  they  had  formerly 
been  abandoned.  For  two  months  his  titne  w;is  divided  between  Koir- 
yiinjik  anii  Nimroud,  e.\eavations  beiiijj  carried  on  at  botii  places  will - 


out    interruption. 


5v   the    ei 


.1    of    N 


ovembei 


h 


write 


8ev»  r; 


entire  chaniliers  had  been  exc;.vated  at  Kfuyunjik,  and  many  bas-reli  -fs 
of  great  interest  had  been  discovered.  The  liuir  sides  of  a  hall  had  now 
boon  ixplon'd.    In  the  center  (»f  i  acii  side  was  ;i  [rnmd  entrance,  guarded 

62 


'■tl 


^1' 


11  'ifi 


I'  '  j 


818 


L  A  y  A  U  D '  S    E  X  i '  L  0  li  A  T  [  O  N  S . 


liy  colossiil  luiman-hoiided  Imlis.  This  iniignilicriit  luill  was  no  loss  tliiui 
(lilt!  liiintlrcil  iiinl  Iwoiity-lljur  luct  in  li'iin'tli  1)y  niiicty  I'ct't  in  breadlli, 
tho  loiiiiL'.st  sitL'S  IjL'iiiif  tlioso  to  llie  north  and  south.  It  appears  to 
havu  tonnt'il  a  centiir,  around  Avlilch  tlu;  jiriucipal  chaniltcrs  in  this  jiart 
of  tho  palace  woro  yroiipcd.  Its  ualls  had  hccn  (Minplotciy  oovori'd 
■\vitli  the  most  elaborate  and  hi;^hly-ilnished  senlptun's.  l'nti»rtMnately 
all  tho  has-reiiefs,  as  well  as  the  i;i,<;antie.  monsters  at  tlui  entraiici's,  had 
sullered  more  or  less  iVum  the  tiro  \vhi(;h  had  tlestn)ye(l  tho  odiliee;  Imt 
cnnugh  ot'  them  slill  remained  to  show  the  siihjeet,  and  ovou  to  onablo 
niu  iu  many  places  to  restore  it  entirely. 

'•Tliei'o  can  bo  no  doulit  that  the  kiiiif  represented  as  su]K'rintetidin<? 
tho  buihlint^  of  tho  momi<!s  and  tlie  placinn,'  of  the  colossal  bulls,  is 
Sennaciu'rib  himself,  and  that  tlie  sculptures  celebrate  the  building  al 
Ninovoh  of  tho  great  palace  and  its  adjacent  tenipiis  di-^cribed  in  tlu! 
inscriptions  as  tho  work  of  this  monarch.  The  bas-reiiels  were  accom- 
jianied  in  most  instances  ]»y  short  epigra|)hs  in  tho  c'iuu'il()rm  ch.aracter, 
tMUtaining  a  description  of  tho  s\ibject  with  tho  name  of  tho  city  to 
Avhich  tho  sculj)tures  were  l»rought.  Tho  great  inscriptions  on  tho  l)ull.s 
at  tho  ontrancos  of  Kouyunjik  record,  it  would  set'Ui,  not  only  historical 
events,  but,  with  great  luinutt'ness,  the  maimer  in  which  tho  edilico  itself 
was  orooted,  its  gi'iioral  plan,  and  tho  various  materials  employed  iu 
tlecoratiiig  tho  lialls,  chambers,  and  roots.  When  completely  deciphered 
they  will  perhaps  enable  us  to  restore,  with  somo  contidonoe,  both  the 
geiu'ral  plan  an<l  elevation  of  the  building." 

During  tho  month  of  l)eceml»er,  several  discoveries  ot'  the  greatest 
interest  and  importance  were  made,  both  at  Kouyunjik  and  Niinroud. 
At  tho  former  place,  the  grand  entrance  to  tho  palact'  of  Seiniachei  ib, 
was  discoveri'd,  guanled  liy  two  human-headed,  winged  bulls,  twenty 
fi'ot  loiig,  and  when  entire,  nioio  than  twenty  feet  iiigh.  This  eutranco 
li'd  to  tho  uncovering  of  the  whole  south-ea>t(  ru  I'lvade  of  the  jLilace. 
Ten  colossal  bulls,  with  siv  human  liguies  ol"  gigantic  proj.ortiou'^,  were 
lierc  groupeil  together,  and  the  lengtii  of  tho  whole,  without  including 
tho  sculptur»'il  walls  t-oiilinued  l)eyond  the  smaller  t>ntrauce>,  was  oiu^ 
hundred  ami  eighty  feel.  On  tin-  great  bulls  Ibrming  the  center  |iorl;il 
of  the  grand  entrance  were  iu>ci'i|itions  coulaining  tlu-  annals  of  six  years 
of  tho  nigii  of  Sennacheiil»,  besides  numerous  particulars  connected  w  ith 
tho  religion  of  the  A-^sx  rians.  In  oiu'  of  those  inscriptions,  whii-li  has  been 
deciphercil  l>y  Dr.  II iiu-ks,  there  occurs  a  most  inlcresting  contirmation 
of  the  liislctric.  reconl  of  the  I'liide.  "Hezekiah,  kiiitr  of  .ludah,"'  savs 
till' Assyrian  king,  "who  id  not  submitted  to  my  authority,  llirty-siv 
of  his  principal  cities,  and  H)rtresse>i,  and  villages  depending  njion  them, 
of  whicli  I  took  no  account,  I  captinnl,  an<l  carried  away  tin  ir  spoil.  I 
Kliitt  ujt  ('')  liimself  within  Jerusalem,  his  capital  city.  Tlie  linlilied 
towns,  and  the  rest  of  liis  towns,  which  I  spoiled,  I  severed  tmin  his 
Oiuintry,  and  gave  to  tho  kings  of  Ascalon,  Kkron,  and  (Ja/.a,  so  as  to 
inaku  hiii  country  small.    In  addition  to  tiio  fornu^r  tribute  iinpose-l  u[miii 


DISCOVERY    OF    ASSYRIAN'    RELICS. 


819 


their  ooiiiitrics,  I  aiMcd  fi  tribute,  the  niitiire  ofwhidi  I  fixed."  The 
next  i>ass;ige  is  somewliat  defiiced,  l)iit  the  siihstauee  of  it  aii|iears  to  lu; 
tliat  ho  took  from  llezekiah  the  treasiiri'  he  li.id  eolleeted  in  Jerusah'iii, 
thirty  talents  of  gold  and  eiglit  hundred  talents  of  silver,  the  treasure  ot' 
his  ]ialaee,  hi'sides  liis  sons  and  his  daughters,  and  his  male  and  female 
servants  or  slaves,  and  bi'oughl  th(  in  all  to  Niuevdi. 

At  Nlmroud,  Layard  made  discoverii's  w  1  ie  i  proved  to  him  that  the 
high  eonieal  mound  at  the  north-westt'i  n  eoimr  of  the  ruins,  was  the 
remains  of  a  squan!  tower,  which  he  coujeetured  to  have  l)een  tlie  toini> 
f)t'Sardana])alus.  From  the  amount  of  rul)1ii.--h,  he  sujiposed  the  tower 
to  have  been  at  li.a-t  two  hundrrd  feet  high.  In  anotlier  }iart  of  the 
ruins  a  vaulted  drain  was  tliseovert-d,  near  whieh  was  a  perfeet  arch  of 
briek-wf)rk.  One  of  the  bronze  soekets  of  the  jialaee-gate,  weiLrhiivj: 
several  pounds,  was  also  f )und  in  oiui  of  the  iliaird)ers.  I>ut  the  ino-^t 
important  iliscovery  of  all  was  made  at  the  eonnneneement  of  .lainiarv, 
ISoO.  A  innv  chamber  w.'is  opened  in  the  north-west  palace,  adjoinin; 
tlie  great  central-hall.  The  walls  wer<'  of  plain,  snn-<lried  bricks,  ajul 
there  were  no  sculptured  slabs,  but  in  the  earth  ami  rublii-h  which  tijletl 
it,  were  some  of  tlu!  mo-t  interesting  Assyrian  relics  vit  found.  The 
first  objects  discovered  wer(>  two  plain  copper  vessels  or  caldrons,  two 
feet  and  a  half  in  diamet(!r,  ami  thre<'  feet  deep,  with  their  mouths  closed 
bv  lar<_te  tiles.  Tliev  were  comnletelv  tilled  with  small  ;irticles,  amonir 
Avliicli  were  bronze  bells  with  iron  tongues,  hundreds  of  buttons  and 
ptuds,made  of  mot  Ucr-of  pearl  and  ivory,  hooks,  rosettes,  and  the  ti'ct  of 


tri] 


)01 


Is.     N. 


car  tlies((  caldrons  weri;  two  circular 


Hat 


vi'ssels,  iicarlv  '^ix 


feet  in  diameter,  ami  two  feet  deep. 

ISchind  the  caldrons  ^as  a  heap  of  cnrinus  and   iiit 
In  one  jilace  were  piled  without  order,  one  altovi'  the  other,  bron/e  cwji 


erestiti''  obiccts, 


bowl.^ 


am 


I  disi 


les  of  \arious  si/.i  s  and  sliapt 


Tl 


le  Ulilier  vc 


li;i\  nig 


been  most  exposed  to  damp,  the  metal  ha<l  been  eaten  away  by  rust, 
and  was  rnnnbliug  into  fragments,  or  into  a  green  powdi  r.  .\s  they 
were  cleared  a\\;iy,  mr)re  perfect,  specimens  were  taken  out,  until,  near 
the  pavement  of  th(>  chamber,  some  wi'ri>  tinmd  almost  entire.  .Many 
of  th(<  bowls  .and  plates  fitted  so  closely,  one  within  the  oflier.  lliat  they 
liav(^  onlv  been  dctachcil  in  Enirland.     It  reouired  the  "icatcsl  care  .and 


I 


atieiice  to  separ.ate  them  from  fh(>  tenacious  soil   in  which   ihrv  wire 


embedded.  Around  the  vessels  were  hiapeil  arms,  remains  of  armor, 
iron  instruments,  glass  bowls,  nnd  various  objects  in  ivory  and  bronze. 
The  arms  consisted  of  swords,  dagjxers,  shields,  and  the  heads  of  spears 


n\ul  .arrow 


liich  bt'iriL;-  chielly  of  iron  fill  to  pieces  almost  ;is  s( 


•on  ;iH 


exposed  to  tli<'  air. 

Tho  most  interesting'  of  the  ivory  relics  were,  a  earvcil  staff,  perliaps 
■1  royal  scepter,  p.irt  o|'  uhich  has  been  preserved,  idtliotigh  in  the  last 
stu'jro  of  ilecay  ;  and  scver.al  entire  elephants' tusks,  the  I.ir!,'e>-t  beitig 
about  two  f'eet  live  inches  loTi^r.  In  tht  further  «'(M'ner  of  tlie  eli;imber, 
to  the  lell  hand,  stood  the  royal  tliron«\     "  \UliouL,di  it  was  iittorly  im- 


fs 


^m 


hi 


b  I 


il'liiji 


!     ' 


820 


LAY  AliD'S    KXI'LORATIONS. 


])(>ssil)lt',  from  lilt'  {'oiii|)li't('  ^t;lt('  oC  dcc'iy  of  tlii'  inatorials,  to  preserve 
any  |iait  of  it  entire,"  says  Layaril,  "  I  was  able,  l)y  carefully  n^inoviiig 
the  eartli,  to  ascertain  tliat  it  rcseinlilrd  in  shape  the  chair  of  state  of 
the  kiiii;-,  as  seen  in  the  scMi))tnr(s  of  Konyinijik  and  Khorsabad,  and 
l)artic,ularly  that  re|)r"s<'nte(|  in  the  bas-reliels  already  di'scribed,  of  Sen- 
nacherib reccivinij  the  captives  and  spoil,  after  llie  coiujuest  of  the  city 
of  Lachish,  With  the  exception  of  the  li'ujs,  whicii  aj)pear  to  have  been 
jtartly  of  ivory,  it  was  of  wood,  case(l  or  overlaid  with  bronze,  as  the 
throne  of  Solomon  was  of  ivory,  overlaid  with  gold. 

"  Hy  the  '28th  of  Jamiary,"  lie  writes,  "the  colossal  lions  fonninif  the 
jiortal  to  the  jfreat  hall  in  the  norlh-wesl  palace  of  Niiuroiid  weie  ready 
to  i)e  dra<;-i:;ed  to  tlu!  river  bank.  The  walls  and  their  senlptiired  paiiel- 
in<x  had  been  removeil  from  Itoth  sides  of  them,  and  they  stood  isolated 
in  the  midst  of  the  ruins.  V/e  rode  one  calm  cloudless  niu;ht  to  the 
mound,  to  look  on  tliem  Ibr  the  la<l  time  betbre  they  were  taken  from 
their  old  restini^-places.  The  moon  was  at  her  full,  and  as  we  drew 
!)iu;h  to  the  I'dge  ol'  the  deep  wall  of  eai'th  risinjj;  around  them,  her  soil 
lie;ht  was  creepintj;  over  the  stern  features  of  the  human  heads,  and 
driviiiix  before  it  the  d.ark  shadows  which  still  clothed  the  lion  Ibrnis. 
One  by  one  the  limbs  of  the  niufantic  sphinxes  emer<Ted  from  the  ujloorn, 
until  the  monst(M-s  were  nnvaileil  before  us.  I  shall  never  l<)ru;et  that 
nifXht,  or  tiie  emotions  which  those  venerabl(>  iitrures  caused  within  me. 
A  few  hours  more  and  they  were  to  stand  no  ioniser  where  thev  had 
stood  unscathed  amidst  tluMvreck  of  man  an<l  his  works  for  ai^e^.  It 
seemed  .almost  .Nacrile^e  to  tear  them  from  their  old  liaunts  to  make 
them  a  mere  wonder-stock  to  the  busy  crowd  of  a  new  world.  They 
were  better  suitecl  to  the  desolation  around  them;  for  they  had  guarded 
the  palace  in  its  tjlory,  and  it  was  Ibr  them  to  watch  over  it  in  its  ruin. 
Shekh  Abd-m-rahman,  who  had  ridden  with  us  to  the  mound,  w.is 
troubled  with  no  such  rethctions.  He  gazeil  listlessly  -at  the  grim 
images,  wondi'red  at  the  folly  of  the  Franks,  thought  the  niirht  cold, 
and  tinned  liis  mare  toward  his  t(  ..ts.  We  scarcely  heeded  his  going, 
but  stood  speechless  in  the  deserted  portal,  until  the  shadows  again  be- 
gan to  creep  oyer  its  hoary  guardians." 

Layard  had  long  wislud  to  examine  the  river  Khaboiir  (the  Cliebar 
of  the  Old  Testament),  a  branch  of  the  Kuphrates,  the  greater  portion 
of  which  had  never  been  explored  by  Knropcans.  Having  pr»)cured  the 
escort  of  Suttum,  a  Hliekh  of  one  of  the  branches  of  the  Shammar  trilie, 
he  lelt  Mosul  about  the  end  of  March,  accompanied  Ity  Mr.  Hassani  and 
till"  rest  of  his  party.  They  were  absent  on  this  excursion  until  tli"  toth 
of  May,  ii;ivii\g  been  treate<l  with  the  greatest  hospitality  by  all  the  l>e- 
douin  tribes  wliom  tlu'V  visited.  They  discovereii  some  interesting  re- 
mains at  Arban,  on  the  Kliai)our— colossal  winged  bulls  iiikI  lions, 
Egyptian  scarabei  ami  ornanu'dts,  and  a  curious  glass  bottle,  ujion  which 
wore  old  Chinese  cliaracters. 

Daring  this  time  the  exi-av aliens  at  Kouyunjik  liad  been  actively 


ASSYRIAN    IILSTOIUCAL    TABLETS. 


821 


carried  (>n.     A   I'rcat  iiiiitilxT  of  iritcicslinir  liisturii-fil  lias-rHicfs  ]iinl 


bt'fii  cxIiuiihmI,  loLfcllicr  Avitli  a  co 


lal  li^iirc  oI'Dat^on,  the  fish-f^od  ot" 


tlie  Assyrians.  Aliicii  the  most  iuijiortaiil  discovery,  liowcvor,  was  lliat 
of  two  small  cliamlicrs  which  ajtjicar  to  liavo  boon  a  depositary  for  the 
historical  archives  of  tlie  kin<,'(h)!M.  To  the  liei^dit  of  u  foot  or  moro 
they  were  covered   witii  tal)let8  of  ])ake(l  clay,  somo  entire,  but  th(3 


d. 


greater  part  hroki'ii  into  fragments.     "These  <locuments,"  Pays  Layar< 
"  ajipear  to  lie  of  various  kinds.     ]\rany  are  historical  records  of  wars, 
."ind  distant    expeditions  umlertaken  hy  the  .\ssyriaiis  ;  somi^  seem  to  he 


roval   dec 


rees,    niMl    ai'e 


V 


<(ampe 


d  \\ith  the  name   of  a    kin''   the  s( 


)ri  ot 


ssarliatlilon 


]<]• 


)tliers  again,  divided  into  i)arallel  columns  l»v  horizontal 


lines,  contain  lists  of  the  gods,  and  probably  a  rerrister  of  offerings  niadc^ 
in  their  tenijile 


()■)  one  Dr.  Tlincks  h.'is  detecteil  a  t;iMe  ol"  the  valuo 


of  certain  cuneiform  letters,  expressed  by  certain  al] 


abet 


ic.'ll  sii^ns,  ;u'. 


cording  to  \.Mrious  modes  of  using  them  ;  a  most  impni-tijut  disci ,\cry  : 
on  another,  appari-ntly  a  list  of  the  s.acied  days  iu  each  month  ;  .and  on 
a  third,  what  seems  to  Ite  a  c.'iiend.ar.  The  adioiuing  chambers  contained 
similar  relics,  but  in  liir  sm.aller  nmiibers.  ^^any  cases  were  filled  with 
lhes(>  tablets  before  T  lell  Assyria,  and  a  v.ast 


numiier  < 


it"thein  ha\('  been 


found,  T  understand,  sitic{>  my  departure.     A  large  collectinu  of  tliem  is 
already  deposited  in  the    Ibitish  .MuseuiTi.     W 


can  Tuu,  o\err.'i 


tet! 


i(  ir 


v.alue.     They  furnish  us  with   m.aterials  for  the  comphte  (h'ciphernient  ' 
of  the   cuneitbrm    ehar.acter,  for  ri'storiiig  the  language  and  history  of 

Assyria,  and  tbr  iiupiiring  into  the  customs,  sciences,  and,  we  may  per-  ' 

haj)s  even  add,  literature  of  its  jicople.     The  documents  that  have  thus  ' 

l»een  t.iscovered  at  Nineveli   prob.'il)ly  (-.xeeed  all  th.at  have  yet  l)een  af-  ^ 
rorde(l  by  tlie  monuments  of  Egyjit." 


Astii 


e   summer  came  on  the  party  was  in 


•reased  bv  the 


arru.'il  oi 


w 


veral  Kuro]iean  travelers,  among  whom  was  the  Honorable  Mr.  Wal- 
polo.  The  increasing  heat  prostrated  one  member  of  the  p.arty  after 
another;  they  were  attacked  with  fever,  and  were  driven  to  tlie  cooler 
region  of  the  Koordish  .Mountains  to  recruit.  Lay.ird  still  remain"d 
behiuil,  to  .ship  other  cargoes  of  relics  on  rafts  to  li.ighd.'id  and  I'm-soia, 
but  on  th(>  1  Ith  of  .Inly  was  oliliged  to  leave,  like  the  otliers.  In  a  Uw 
day;!  the  scattered  invalids  wei'e  collected,  and  <et  o(V  on  .a  sumnu  r  ex- 
cursion throu'di  l\ooi'dist:m 
\V 


Tl 


"'.V  1 


iroceei 


led  as  tar  as  the    l.:ike  of 


!U1,  whence   some    o 


remaino(T  again  < 


f  the  jiarty  relin-tu'd  to  Kiirope;   l.ayard  and  the 
lirected  their  course  toward  Mosul,  where  thev  arrived 


on  the  ;ioth  of  August,  al\er  ;ui  abseiu-''  of  seven  weeks.  Durim/  thi^4 
timi-  the  worknieti  had  all  been  <  niiiloyed  at  Kouyunjik,  and  had  suc- 
eeedcd  in  opening  m.any  n''W  ch.andiers,  together  with  a  hall,  one  hun- 
dred and  forty  by  om'  hmidred  and  twenty-six  feet,  the  Hides  of  which 
were  covered  with  grand  historical  sculptures. 


i ; 


N  'if 


yjiiNi 


<  i 


J  i 


I   !■■,!' 


1.1 


>  i 

■1 

.< 

822 


L  A  YARD'S    E  X  P  L  O  II A  T  IONS. 


]'.  X  P  I,  0  R  A  T  I  0  X  S    A  T    B  A  P,  Y  I,  0  X  . 


As  tlio  wiiittT  ^\v^^\\■  near,  niid  tlio  sl'.is(mi  liecatiie  more  fiivor.able  for 
a  visit  t'.  t'lc  marsliy  country  vt'  tlie  Eupiirates,  Layar.l  (lotcrniiiit'd  to 
devote  soiM'  time  to  an  ex})lorati()n  of  the  ruin.s  of  Babylon.  Takin<' 
Avitli  liiiii  a  small  }iarty  of  experieneed  Avorlvincn,  lie  letl,  Mosul  on  the 
istli  orOctMb.i-,  ami  set  out  on  a  raft  for  Baghdad,  aeconipaiiied  by  Mr. 
Has-am  and  Mi'.  Ifdniaine.  an  Kiiudisli  traveler.  After  a  voya.Ljo  of  oiLjlit 
days  tile  party  reaebed  J>aL,didad,  biitfoimd  the  country  so  overrun  with 
liedouins  and  othrr  triltc'^  in  o[)en  revolt  aijrainst  the  government,  tliat 
it  was  some  time  before  tliey  could  venture  to  leave  the  city  for  the 
ruuis  of  IJabvlon. 


n  r  1  \  s   OF  n  \  n  v  r-  n  x . 


Finally,  on  the  .Mb  of  December,  Im'  Irli  liagli dad,  provided  M'ith  loi- 
ters from  the  |)aslia  and  I'rom  inllueiitial  Arab  sheklis,  to  the  j)rincipal 
chii'fs  of  llie  soutliern  tribes,  and  proeeetled  to  lliilali,  on  the  Kuphrates. 
"  Arter  ridiiiir  about  four  hours,"  he  says,  ''we  perceived  a  iniLji'  hill  to 
the  so';th,  As  \\(>  dr.'w  neai'ei',  itslhit  table-like  top  ami  perpendicular 
f*iiles,  riMULT  abruptly  from  an  alluvial  p.lain,  showed  that  it  was  the  work 
of  man,  and  not  a  natuial  elevation.  .\t  lemrth  we  could  plainly  distin- 
jfuish  arouml  it  i;'ri'at  embanknients,  the  remains  of  walls  and  canals. 
Gradually,  as  the  caravan  slowly  lelvaiu'cd,  the  runi  assumed  a  deHnito 


THE    "BIRS    XIMROLTD." 


823 


shape.  It  M'as  tlie  inoiin<l  oi"  Uabcl,  lictfcr  known  to  travelers  as  the 
Mujclibt',  a  name  not  now  given  to  it  liy  the  Arab  inhabitants  of  tho 
surroiimling  country. 

"  'riiis  is  the  lirst  groat  ruin  seen  on  approaeliiiiLj  aneient  Babylon 
from  the  north.  Beyond  it  lonu^  lim.!  of  jialms  hem  in  the  Kuphrates, 
whicli  now  wiiiils  through  the  niii  st  of  tlie  ancient  city.  To  the  .st 
mound  of  Baljel  succeed  long  luidu  itiiig  heajis  of  earth,  bricks,  and  pot- 
tery. A  .solitary  mass  of  brickwork,  risins;  from  the  summit  of  the  lar<;- 
cst  mound,  miuks  tho  reniaius  ku'ju  i  to  the  Arabs  as  the  ' JMujelibe,' 
or  the  '  overturned.' 

"  Other  sha[)i'less  heaps  of  rubbish  cover  for  many  an  acre  the  face 
of  the  land.  Tiie  lofty  banks  of  ancient  canals  fret  the  country  like  nat- 
ural rid^i'S  of  hills.  Some  have  long  been  choked  with  sand  ;  others 
stiil  carry  tlu;  waters  of  the  river  to  distant  villages  and  palm-groves. 
On  all  sides,  iragmcnts  of  glass,  marble,  ])ottery,  and  inscribed  brick  are 
mingled  with  that  peculiar  nitrous  and  blanched  soil,  which,  bred  from 
the  remains  of  ancient  habitations,  checks  nr  destroys  vegetation,  ;md 
renders  the  site  of  Babylon  a  naked  and  hideous  waste.  Owls  start  from 
the  scanty  thickets,  and  the  ibul  jackall  skulks  through  the  furrowH. 
Trulv  '  the  •z'lory  of  kiu<j;donis  .and  the  beaut  v  of  the  C'haldees'  excellency 
is  as  when  God  overthrew  Sodom  and  (iomorrah.  Wild  beasts  of  the 
desert  lie  there  ;  ami  their  houses  are  full  of  doleful  creatures ;  and  owls 
dwell  there,  and  satyrs  dance  there.  And  the  wild  beasts  of  the  island 
cry  in  tlicir  desolate  houses,  and  dr.agons  in  their  jilcasant  palaces,'  for 
her  day  has  come. 

'Southward  of  Babtl,  for  thi>  <li-fance  of  nearly  three  miles,  ihere  is 
almost  ail  uninterrupted  line  of  mounds,  the  '•uiris  of  vast  edifices,  col- 
lected t(  aether  as  in  the  heart  of  a  gri'at  city.  They  are  iru-losed  by 
eartho".  ramparts,  the  remains  of  a  line  of  walN  which,  leaving  the  foot 
of  Babel,  stretclu'd  inland  about  two  niiies  auil  a  half  from  the  )»resent 
bed  of  the  Kuplr.-;ites,  and  then  turning  neai'ly  at  right  angles  com|ilete(l 
the  defeii'-i's  on  the  soiitheiu  side  of  the  principal  buildings  that  nuirk 
the  site  of  Babylim,  on  the  ea^tei'u  bank  of  the  river. 

"Th(^  l>irs  Nimroud,  the  '  p.alace  of  Nimrod'  of  the  Arabs,  and  'the 
prison  of  Nebuchadnezzar'  of  the  Jews;  liy  old  travelers  believed  to  be 
the  very  ruins  of  the  tower  of  Babel  ;  by  s:)me,  ag.ain.  supposed  to 
rci>resent  the  temple  of  Belus,  the  wonder  of  the  ancient  world;  and, 
by  others,  to  mark  the  site  of  Borsippa,  a  city  ci-lebrated  as  tlie  high- 
place  of  the  Chaldean  worship,  is  a  vast  heap  of  ])ricks,  slag,  and  broken 
pottery.  The  dry  nitrous  earth  of  the  parclied  plain,  driven  before  the 
furious  south  wind,  has  thrown  over  the  liuge  mass  a  thin  covering  of 
hich  no  heib  or  trreeu  thing  can  find  nourishment  or  take  root, 
like  the  urass-clnthed  mounds  of  the  more  fertile  dis'ricts  of 
the  r)irs  Niun-(.ud  is  e\(r  a  bare  and  yellow  lieap.  It  rises  to 
the  bight  of  oiu'  hundred  and  niiu'ty-eight  feet,  an<l  has  on  its  summit  a 
compact  muss   o 


Koil  ni  w 


Tl 


HIS,  nn 
issvria, 


f  brickwork,  thirty-seven  feet    high    by  twenty-eight 


1 


'  r 
i 


i    * 


i; 


U;  i 


ll   'i: 


■■'  ":. 


'1:      : 

■  ii ,. 


! 

i-: 
jl 

- 

i 

i 

1 
i 

824 


LAYARD'S    EXPLORATIONS. 


Lroad,  llie  wliolo  b(.'in<j;  tlius  two  liiiiidreil  and  thirty-five  in  poriu'iulic- 
uliir  lioight.  NcitluT  the  oiij^iiial  tl)rm  or  oljJL'ct  t)t'tlu^  cditicf,  ofwliich 
it  is  tliu  ruin,  have  liitlierto  iit'Lii  (k'turinincil.  It  is  too  sorkl  lor  the 
Avails  of  a  buildiiius  and  its  shape  is  not  that  of  the  remains  of  a  tower. 
It  is  pierced  by  square  holes,  apparently  made  to  admit  air  through  tho 
compaet  strueture.  On  one  side  of  it,  beneath  the  crowning  masonry, 
lie  huge  fragments  torn  from  tho  pile  itself.  The  ealcined  and  vitreous 
surfice  of  the  bricks  fuseil  into  roek-likt;  masses,  show  that  their  fall  may 
liuve  been  etuised  by  lightning  ;  and,  as  the  ruin  is  rent  almost  from  top 
to  bottom,  early  Christian  travelers,  as  uell  as  some  of  more  recent 
date,  have  not  hesitated  to  recognise  in  them  i^-oofs  of  that  Divine 
vengeance,  which,  according  to  Iraditioii,  arresteil  by  fn-e  from  heaven 
the  impious  attempt  of  the  Hrst  descendants  of  IS'oah." 

The  excavations  at  IJabyloii  jirodueeil  no  important  result.  Tho 
vast  .accmnulation  of  rubbish,  much  t)f  which  had  been  already  explored, 
rendered  it  very  ditlicult  and  dangerous  to  carry  shafts  or  tumu'Is  to 
any  distance,  as  the  loose  mass  contimially  fell  in  upon  the  workmen. 
The  principal  articles  found  were  coffins,  the  contents  of  which  fell  to 
dust  when  exposed  to  the  air,  arrow-heads,  glass  bottles,  and  vases  of 
earthenware.  Kelin(piishing,  finally,  any  further  oxpk)rations  at  this 
place,  Layard  set  out  on  tho  loth  of  January,  1S51,  for  the  nu)nnds  of 
Niffer  and  Wurka,  hi  tho  country  of  the  Ataij  Arabs,  about  lifty  miles 
south  of  Ilillah,  in  tho  midst  of  the  marshes  which  lie  betueen  the 
Eui)hrates  and  the  Tigris.  This  was  a  perilous  journey,  as  the  road 
was  infested  with  tribes  of  marauding  Arabs,  but  tliey  wen;  fcMtunato 
enough  to  escape  attack.  Excavations  weie  carried  on  for  some  days 
in  the  imnmds  of  Nitl'er,  and  great  numbers  of  coffins  of  glazed  earthen- 
ware, containuig  bones  and  dust,  discovered.  The  mound  of  Wurka  is 
coinposeil  almost  entirely  of  thi'se  coffins,  which  nmst  amount  to  many 
hundred  thousands. 

Ill  a  few  days  Layard  was  stricken  down  by  fever,  and  the  situation 
of  his  parly  became  perilous,  on  account  of  the  warfare  among  the  Arab 
tribes,  lie  therefore  judged  it  i)rudent  to  return,  and  succeeded  in 
reaching  IJaghdad  in  safety,  though  completely  exhausted,  wiiilo  his 
Aral)  workmen  were  attacked  and  plundered  on  the  road,  lie  letl 
Baghdad  for  Mosid  on  the  27th  of  February,  traveling  by  land  under 
the  ]irotection  of  S;diiman,  one  of  the  shekhs  of  the  Slianimar  Arabs. 
After  his  return  to  Mos(d  the  excavations  .at  Koaynnjik  and  Xinu-oud 
were  cairied  on  for  some  time,  nntil  it  became  evident  that  the  richest 
treasures  of  the  moutids  had  been  discovered  and  secured.  The  I'unds 
ap])ropriated  for  the  purpose  were  also  nearly  exhausted  by  this  time, 
and  Layard  determined  to  return  to  Europe  with  his  collections,  leaving 
^Ir.  Iloilder,  an  artist  wlio  had  been  sent  out  by  thi'  trustees  of  the 
British  Museum,  to  take  charge  of  the  exhumed  ]>alaces.  On  the  'JHth 
of  April  he  bade  adieu  to  his  laitliful  Arab  frieiiils  :md  left  Mosul.  His 
flecoiul  work  was  published  in  1853,  and  in  tho  following  year  he  was 


J 


VALUK    OF    HIS    NARRATIVK. 


825 


elected  a  member  nt'  Piirliiimeut.  Few  works  jiublished  in  moilorn 
times  are  more  interest imx  and  valuable  than  the  narratives  of  liis  cv- 
plorations,  and  his  visits  to  the  tribes  of  the  Assyrian  Desert,  and  the 
mountains  of  Koordistan.  This  outline  of  his  discoveries  seai'cely  gives 
more  than  a  glimpse  of  the  wealth  of  information  contained  in  liis 
volumes. 


COLOSSAL  WI.VQED  LION,   FBOil  NINEVEH. 


R  i 


III 


111 


1  ■ 

?!     :,    Jill 


!  i 


I     i 


TRAVELS  OF   IDA   I'Fl-IFl'Ell. 


J  0  IT  R  N  K  Y    TO    1 '  A  T,  1'^  S  T  I  X  V.    A  N'  D    K  ( J  T  P  T . 


}      ! 


I  s 


r^f 


This  ci'lf.'brati  ■!  tr;i\  clcr  is  a  iialiv*'  of  Vienna,  avIuto  blu^  Avas  l)om 
toward  tlif  ilosc  of  i!r'  last  ccntuiy.  I'mni  Iut  eailicst  cliiMliooil,  slio 
clK'risiiiMl  an  intense  dusire  to  see  tlie  diil'i  ri'nt  countries  of  the  a\  cirld. 
Siie  could  not  even  meet  .i  travelinij:  carriage  Avitliout  stopiiinic  to  watch 


It  a.- 


it  ]pa^-e(l    (y!it   (if  si^ht,    I'^ai'iiii!^  tlie  postil 


ion,  A\lio 


had 


iccoru 


pa- 


iiied  it,  as  slu'  thoiiulit,  duriui;  the  h'n;j;' Journey,  as  the  hapjiie.-t  of  iiieii. 
AVhen  !i  little  girl  often  or  twelve  yi'ai's  ohl,  she  eagerly  devoured  every 
l)ook  of  travels  tliat  came  within  her  rei'.eli,  and  secretly  envied  llie  navi- 
gator or  di^cover'er,  wlio  was  |ierinitted  to  explore  the  seei'cts  of  the 
natural  \vorI<1.  The  si^ht  of  a  di>tanL  hill  tliat  she  could  not.  climb 
would  alU'ct  her  to  ten-,  iler  laMe  lor  traveling  was  gratilied  by  fre- 
(jueut  Jouriu^ys  witli  her  |.. nut 


am 


lal 


NO  a 


fter  1 


ler  marnauje 


witl 


1  tier 


liusband,  until    tlu'  cares  of  a  family,  whiih  occupied  all  her  time,  t'om- 


]n'Iled  Iicr  to  forego  the  t  njt)ynuiit. 

.iVfter  tlie  education  of  her  t\\o  sons  w 


inilulge<l  in  the  (h'eams  ami 


as  completi'd,  she 


once  more 


anc 


ies  of  her  voutli,  and  so  insatial)le 


was 


li''r  longing  to  visit  the  scenes  of  saci'cd  history,  that  in  spite  of  every 
obstacle,  she  resolved  t')  undeitaki^  the  enterprise.  Leaving  Vienna  on 
the  'J'2il  of  March,  1S4'_',  she  conuuenci'd  her  adventurous  Journey  to  the 
Holy  Land.     'Fh(>  voyage  down  tlio  l)arud)e  was  marked  by  no  incident 


of  spt'cial  nuinu'ut,   and  <ri  tlie   mor 


harbor  of  Constauliiiople. 
,-liicl 


ni  ig  of  April  (ith,   she  entered  tl 

th 


le 


le  sm;  Avas  just  nsmg  o'.er  the  iniperi 


city,  winch   presented  a  sicctaclo  Ot  gorgeous  magmlKAuee 


to  tl 


le 


oftl 


le  iistonis; 


bed  t 


eyes 


raveler. 


She  remaiiii'd  about  si\  weeks  in  Constantinople,  feasting  her  curios- 
itv  with  the  wondt'rs  of  the  citv,  but  adding  no  new  iiifbrmatioii  to  the 
descriptions  given  by  previous  travelers.  l)uring  lier  stay  in  Constanti- 
ited  to  make  one  of  a  party  (•onsisting  of  3Ir.  SattliT, 


nople,  she  was  mv 


tl 


ic  painter  ot  the  ( 


•biat'd  .  osmoiamas,  and   two   (ierinan  noblemen. 


on  an  I'xeiir-ion  to  Iboussa,  a  iteaiitlful  little  town  at  the  foot  of  Blount 
Olympus.     The  route  was  across  the  Sea  of  ^Lii mora  to  Geinlik,  the  port 


f  n 


!  i 


!><. 


!  all 


1  I 

'I'  i 


828 


TRAVKL.S    OF    IDA    I'FEIFFKR. 


ot'  Dylhiiii.i,  iiihI  llinict' liy  laml,  ;v  di-tiiiu'i' of  n)iir  (Icrmau  Tii!' '•.  to 
J>rt)\issa.  Tliis  ]>;irt  ol'llu' Juiiriiry  was  1i>  lio  at't'omiili.slit'd  on  li>>!  d'nck, 
aiiil  as  Ma  Iwiil  lU'ViT  atli  iiiptid  t!iat  iiiniU' (if  liavcliiig,  slic  fou  oivo 
natural  uiisgh  in;_js  as  to  the  rcsiik.  Ikr  I'-xporit'iu'C!  shall  be  told  in  lior 
own  Won  Is.  "•.\l  Jialf-pasl  two  o'clock  tiic  liorsi's  arrived.  I  swuiii^ 
jnyscif  boldly  uiioii  my  Ro^iuantc,  called  on  my  good  angd  to  defend 
me,  and  away  we  star'.ed,  slowly  at  fn'sf,  over  stock  and  stone,  ^fy  joy- 
was  honiidless  when  I  (uund  that  I  conld  sit  steadily  n[)on  my  horse; 
lint  hh<irtly  afterward  wlii'U  we  broke  into  a  tnit,T  beyan  to  feel  particn- 
larly  uncomfortabK',  as  I  conUl  not  j;et  on  at  all  witli  tlu>  ntirrn|i,  which 
was  contimially  sliii]iin;f  to  my  heil,  while  sometime.^  my  loot  slid  out 
of  it  altoi^'ether,  and  I  ran  the  risk  of  lo^inL;  my  balance.  Oh,  what 
AVMuld  I  not  have  given  to  have  aski'il  advice  of  any  oni' !  I»ut  unfortu- 
nately I  could  Dot  do  so  Avithout  ut  onco  betraying  my  ignorance  of 
liorsenianshiii.  I  therefore  tonk  care  to  bring  up  the  rear,  under  the 
preti'iise  that  my  horse  Avas  shy,  and  would  not  go  well  unless  it  saw  tho 
others  before.  My  real  reason  was  that  I  wishcil  tu  hide  my  )iiaiicuvers 
from  the  gentlemen,  for  every  moment  I  expected  to  fall.  Fi'cipiently  I 
clutched  the  saddli'  with  both  hands,  as  I  swayed  from  siili'  to  sid(.'.  T 
looked  foiw'ard  in  teridr  to  the  gallop,  but  to  my  surprise  found  that  I 
could  nuniage  this  pace  better  than  the  trot,  ^fy  courage  brought  its 
reward,  for  I  reached  the  goal  of  our  journey  th<  .ouglily  skakcn,  but 
without  mishap."' 

rpou  ixi'plying  Ibr  lier  jir.sspovts  to  the  Austi'ian  consul,  slu!  -wan 
strongly  advised  not  to  venture  on  a  journey  to  the  Holy  J>and.  Tho 
disturbances  on  ^Nlonnt  Lebanon  wore  then  at  their  height  :  tho  i)laguo 
was  j)revailing  to  a  fearful  o.xtent ;  and  no  traveler,  she  was  told,  should 
encounter  such  forniidablo  daTigors  without  the  most  urgent  necessity. 
IJut  she  was  Av.ii'  to  these  fricndiv  warniuixs.  Findlnir  that  iu)thin<' 
could  shake  her  from  her  ])in'pose,  her  adviseis  li'ied  to  jiersuade  lior  to 
j)erforni  the  journey  in  male  attire.  She  refused  to  do  this,  shrewdly 
foreseeing  the  aimoyances  to  which  it  w<iuld  I'Vpose  her.  Her  short, 
Sparc  tiguve  would  have  seemed  to  belong  to  a  youth,  while  lier  fu-o  was 
like  that  of  an  old  man.  This  incongruity,  together  with  the  absence  of 
a  beard,  could  not  fail,  as  she  thought,  to  expose  lior  disguise,  and  henco 
she  determined  to  retain  the  simple  costunu?  Avhich  she  then  wore,  con- 
hisling  of  a  kind  of  blouse,  and  wide  Turkish  trowsors. 

Embarking  on  board  an  Austrian  steamboat,  she  left  Conslantinoplo 
on  the  17th  of3Iay,  not  without  a  certain  desolate  feeling  at  tluding  her- 
self alone  among  a  crowd  of  jioople  with  nothing  to  sustain  her  but  her 
trust  in  heaven.  Every  thing  around  lu'r  was  strange.  There  was  not 
a  person  on  board  to  whom  she  could  speak.  Hut,  as  slie  glanced  ufi- 
ward  at  the  unchanging  stai's,  her  dosjionib'ncy  })assed  away,  and  s1h> 
soon  began  to  contemplate  the  ncnv  sceiu'S  in  which  slu'  was  ])lnccd  with 
her  usual  interest.  Her  satisfaction  was  increased,  after  the -vessel  liad 
of  tho  harbor,  by  finding  among  tho  swarthy  Oriental  passen- 


got 


I  I 


•T  O  V  U  N  K  Y    T  0    J  l',  iX  U  S  A  J.  K  M . 


829 


pors,  .'111  intcIIiLrc'it  Kiiniiicaii  i^i  iiflcitiaii,  iiil(>n(11ti'4,  like  liorsclf,  lo  visit 
tlif  Holy  L;iinl.  Alter  ('(mvi  r>iiiu;  witli  liim  1<>i"  sonu'  liiiic  in  llic  I'^rriirli 
l.'iiiLftiiigc,  slu'  (lisc()\  iMcil  tliat  III'  Avas  an  Ktii,Hisliiiian,  ami  tlit-  wcli-kiiowii 
artist  ami  author,  Mr.  W.  II.  ISartlHt.  Tlii'y  agreed  to  make  tiie  jour- 
ney iVoiii  Ueyioiit  to  ,Ieriis{ileiii  in  eoini>any. 

A  jilcasaiit,  \oyaixe  of  eiolit  days  amom^  tlie  isjamls  of  tlie  (Irecian 
Archipelago  hrouglit  tlnni  to  I'm  yroul,  wlK.-re,  without  reniaining  over 
night,  tliey  at  once  took  passage  in  ;i  sailing  vessel  for  Joppa.  In  tlie 
afternoon  of  the  s«;coml  ijay,  iliey  canm  under  the  walls  of  that  ancient 
city,  and  ■  iitei'cd  the  harlior,  which  is  jiartially  closed  n[>\vitli  saml, 
with  less  ililli'Milly  than  had  1m  iii  autici|)ated.  She  soon  hail  an  o|i|ior- 
tunily  of  liecoming  initiated  into  the  customs  of  oriiMilal  hospitality,  hut 
the  fii<t  inipression  on  ]\vv  mind  was  far  from  agreeahle.  I'his  was  at 
an  entertaimui  nt  at  the  lituise  of  tlu>  Austrian  consul.  "  .Mats,  carpets, 
and  pillows  were  spread  out  on  tlie  terraci-  of  tlu'  house,  and  a  \i'i"y 
low  tahle  placed  in  the  c(  nter.  Uound  this  the  tamily  s:it,  or  rather  re- 
clineil,  cross-legged.  I  was  ac;'n!nmodate<l  with  a  ihair  somewhat  higlier 
than  the  t.ihle.  Ucsidc  my  plate  and  that  of  the  consul  were  laid  a  knife 
au'l  l<>rk,  that  appeared  to  haxc  been  hunted  out  from  soum  lumlicr- 
closet  ;  the  rest  ateAvitli   a  stiecies  of  natural  knil'e  and   fork,  ie;,m.lv — 


i" 


iingers.  The  dishes  were  not  at  all  to  my  taste.  I  had  still  too  imu'li 
of  the  Kurnpean  a1)out  me,  and  too  little  .'ipjietite,  to  he  ahk;  to  iiwlure 
what  these  good  ])eople  s.ciued  to  consider  immense  delicacies. 


Karlv  the  next 


iiwuni!^  she  It 


ft  ,I( 


opiia,  ant 


I  afh 


er  a  rutt(  on  horse 


.■hack 


of  some    t'le\t'n    htiurs,  t)\t'r  had    roath 


am 


1    in   extrenu'  he.at,  she  wafl 


seized  Mitli  such  a  \  ioicnt  gidiliiu'ss,  that  she  conltl  scarcely  kee|)  frtmi 
falling  iVoiii  hi  r  li«u-e.  ."^'i"  was  ashaTued  to  inform  her  e<-»mpaiiion  of 
lier  sullerings,  h-t  he  should  regard  her  as  a  |'uny  traveler,  ami  perhaps 
separate  iVtim  lier  in  tl.c  I'turn  from  .lerusalem  to  Joppa.  She  there- 
lore  >li-mounled.  and  tin 
heside  lit  r  l.orse.  i  :i;',!  >!i 


•    s  i\'ed    herself  iVom  a  (ii!l,  staggering  alt)n<5 
li  :|  -troii'f  enou'di  to  mt)unt  and  move.     .Mr. 


iartletl  had  \.i  hid  t' 


1 

OIK'  strelcl 
fttii: 


a  sixteen  litmrs  ru 


lie, 


1, 


>  eo.'nj'leti'  till'  journe 
I,  .'lU'i,  u-ii.M  I  is  ;;-';it "j;   Itii'  if  s 

!m  ti'ut  -!  "  toiild    hdld  out    for  i\\r   or 


h — at 


<1 


couUl   enilure   so    mucli 


lu>urs 


long,  r  wiihoiil  m!:i  ii  I'illicr.'t  >  ,  I '■utui.alely  I'or  hei'  reputation,  liow- 
cvei',  he  \v  as  s.ioii  a;'ter\\ard  Ml  le;  (  il  v.itli  tin  same  symptoms  whii'h 
hail  tidulili  d  her,  a'td  liegun  to  t'iiik  that  it  might  he  advisable  to  rest 
i'or  a  i'i'W  hour-  i'l  'he  iiext  \  iiiau'e,  especially  as  they  could  not  ho]»t'  in 


anv  case  to  reai 


h  .1 


ci'iisa 


1(  ni  1 


K  lore 


sunset.     Ida  felt   an    ii 


till 


ijipoit 


une    orcurniic 


am 


W' 


11 


l-now 


iward  joy  at 
iW'j:   the    couire    he   ■\vonltl 


choose,  h'fi  the  (ii'i-iviin  i  n1  iri  !".•  1  >  lur   fellow -tra\-eler, 


Tl 


ins. 


;ay3 


I 


ii"-omplisUt 


III- 


tl.oM    h 


lemi^   ttlMl'jeil     to    CI 


>ni 


ess  in 


vve;ikne 


site    ti 


wiv  test ing 
f  tl 


ic(>  \v;is  i> 


Ki   aiMii 


■nt  Kii 


ant 


1  wl 


leiv  t; 


unaus,  y 
a  I  nil'  < 


•  1   I'  lioormg  \i.lage,  x\  lucli  was  t)n 


tho 


li-en  Sa\ii>ur  met  tht;  ilisciph.'S, 
'■..u   eiiuuh  in  a  tolerablt^  state 


1        I 


h ! 


!  . 

4 

i'  • 

i" 

ii' 

830 


T  R  V  V  !•:  [,  S    OF    I  P  A     VV  K  I  V  V  K  II . 


ol"  |ii\'S('rv.'iti<)ii.  Sli"  tiMiU  ).<Hv(s<i(iii  dI' t'lr  ciil  i;mcc-li;ill  of  m  iii(is(|11(', 
lU'jir  wliii'Ii  :i  (li'lirioiis  s|iriiin'  si'MikKd  tiiitli  Ikmii  ;i  Liiolto.  'I'lic  water 
w:is  siiitj,ii!:ii-Iy  urali'l'iil  and  ri't'i  I'sliiiis,',  aii<l  slu'  m)  (((inidilcly  rci'ovc  red 
Iroiii  lici'  iiiilis|nisili<iii,  a-^  to  lie  alili-  to  t'iy\v  tlir  hraiililul  cN fuiiiij;'.  As 
Kdoii  as  tin- ?-lii'kli  oTtlic  \  illaLTc  li(ai<l  tliat  a  party  o|'  Franks  liail  ar- 
livi'il,  lit'  (lispalclird  lour  or  Ww  tlislics  ol"  jirovisioiis  to  tlicin,  Imt  tlicv 
Were  alik' to  cat  only  tlic  buttermilk.  Soon  after,  t lie  slukli  eanie  in 
jHixir,  to  pay  iiis  respects,  and  tlirouuli  tlic  niediinii  of  tlie  drat-'onian, 
ki  pt  up  a  eon\crsation  w  itii  .Mr.  IJarlic  it  l(>r  some  time,  mueli  to  llu' 
tli-c'iUifiturc  of  Ida,  who,  wearied  with  the  journey,  wished  \o  seek  re- 
pi»e.  ile  at  Icnijtli  took  his  l(a\(>,  iml  the  tired  ti-avelers  wvvv  doonu'd 
to  (  njoy  no  sh-ep  that  niulit.  .Mr.  I '.art  let  t  was  Mi/i'd  with  the  fancy 
of  p.u-suiuLf  tlu' Journey  at  inidiii::ht.  .and  to  his  soiuev,  lial  .stran^-e  |iro- 
|in>al,  Id.i  unlu'sitatiiiLtiy  con>enteil.  Sin- aekiuiwlcdued  that  she  ll'it  a 
lilllc  alVaiil  to  venture  upon  the  wild  .and  danii'crous  road  at  that  hoiii-; 
h'.l  she  kept  her  fears  to  lier.self,  her  pi  ide  not  allow  iiiLj  hi  i  to  eontiss 
the  truth. 

In  the  irray  mornin;^  twiliulit  they  approached  the  holy  city; 
silent Iv  and  tIioii<ditl"ullv  w.atchiiiL''  Hir  the  tlist  ulimiises  of  it  in  the  i  is- 
tance;  hopinij  with  tlu-  a-^ceiil  of  evtry  hill  to  hehold  their  s.iered  iroal, 
t.ll  at  len^lh  the  ."Mount  of  (Hives  lay  s|pre;id  hellire  them,  and  }u-\  as 
the  rill  streaks  of  dawn  had  Iieixiui  to  tinue  tln'  eastern  skv,  tliev  stood 
liciiu-c  the  walls  of  .lerusalem.  '"I  wassoj.iNt  in  reth'ction,  ami  in  thank- 
ful emotidu,"  says  Id:j,  "th.it  1  saw  and  heard  ncthini;'  of  what  was 
passin<j;  ariMind  Jiie.  .\tid  yet  F  sluuild  fuid  it  iiupos^ihle  to  di  s<iilie 
wliat  I  tlioiiLrht,  what  I  lilt.  .My  eniotinn  w.isdeep  and  powerful;  my 
r.\pii'N-ion  of  it  would  Ix'  poor  and  eoM.'' 

.\ltir  deviilini_r  a  week  t'>  vi-iliii!.r  the  con^ccriled  Incalities  of  .ferii- 
paleui  ami  its  \icinity,  she  Joined  a  pinly  of  (Ii  niian  travelers  on  . 'in 
cveuisioii  to  the  ri\ cr  .IiU'dan  and  the  l>cadSe,i.  The  cavalcade,  con- 
si^'.iii'j:  oi'  Mr.  r.artlett,  ll\e  Cierman  n'lhles,  two  doitors  ami  herself, 
to<jfether  with  half  a  <lo7.cn  serv.ants,  and  a  Imily  '^uanl  of  tvvche  .Vr.alis, 
iiiidi  r  two  {(ciloiiin  chiel's,  st.artcd  on  the  .ifitrn'Miii  <>f  Juni'  Ttli.  .\'l 
Wire  strom^Iy  .armed  with  ltiuis,  pistols,  sw<ud'-,  and  lances,  prc-entitiM-  n 
(|uite  f.irmiilalile  appt  ar.uic  to  .any  jn'iv-on  with  hnsiilc  inti  ntions.  The 
rnad  lay  iliroUi;h  the  \'i;v  Dolorosa,  thiou.di  St.  Slephen's  ( Jale,  p:;-t  the 
Mount  of  ( Hives,  over  hill  and  dale.  Kvcryxvlurc  the  scene  was  h.ar- 
ren.  Thoutih  many  fruit  trees  were  in  Mooin,  there  was  tidt  ;i  fr.aee  ol' 
^'la-^s  or  llowi>rs.  '!"he  U'-al  of  the  llr>l  day's  jouiney  wa^  llifdreek 
conxeiit  of  St.  Sal la.  in  the  W.asle  al'out  t  iu'lit  miles  from  .fi  rr-aleiu. 
Aliont  half  nil  hour  In  Itu'i'  rciehinL;  the  (on\i  iit,  they  ciilcred  upon  the 
wilderness  wliert'  Christ  lasted  forfv  <lavs,  aii<l  w.is  .afferw.ud  "ti  miited 
of  the  de\i!."  A'cirelaliiin  hi  ri-  (iilinly  c 'Hsi's;  not  a  >«hii;li  iM.r  a  root, 
ap|>eavs;  and  the  In  d  of  t!ie  lirnnk  Kedion  is  «'oinplrtel_\  '\y\ .  A 
deathly  sihaiee  hrooded  over  the  while  landscape,  hiokeii  i  nly  hy  iho 
liiot  falls  of  the  lii>rsi'S  cehoing  sulhady  from  the  rocks.     At  I  nj.;th,  ou 


1 ; ;  * 


I 


A  I)  \'  K  N  T  U  11  K    A  T    A    OR  K  K  K    COS  V  K  S  T . 


831 


I11(>S(|M0, 

lie  \\;itrr 

xi(>V(  red 

'iu\X.     As 

li.'iil   nr- 

hut    tllCV        i 

(■.•line  in     ' 
r.'iu'"<ini:ni, 
h  to  tlu' 

seek  re-  ' 
'  ti(i()ni('«l 
lie  iinicy  j 
ii:<^c  |ii'()- 
lir  iMt  ;i 
;i1  lunir; 
I)   I'oiit'iss     ! 

I'ly  city  ; 
n  the  (  is-     ' 

TCI  I   irn.'ll,       ^ 

I  just    :is     ; 
i('\  stood 
Ml  I  li;niK- 

^llllt     W.H 
d(  SriiliO      I 

1  lul ;  my 

nl"  ,Frni- 
I'ts  on  .'in 
idc.  <'oii- 

AhiIk. 

th.      A!I 

iiitinu'  14 

lis.     Till' 

|i;i-t  tile 

\v;is    Ii;ir. 

t  race  ol' 

le  ( tl'eek 

ii'^alein. 

il|iMll  tlie 

ti  III  I  lied 

•  r  :i  lout, 

Hiv.      A 

i.y  iiu,   ; 

iiirili,  oil 


turniii,'^  sliiirply  round  an  ani^Ie  of  tlie  mail,  tlie  caravan  came  in  si^lit 
of  ;i  lart;e  handsome  Imildinjjf,  snrrouiiiled  l»y  a  stronn'  forlilied  wall,  and 
risiiiL^  in  the  form  of  terraei'S  toward  the  lnow  of  ;i  hill.  Several  other 
<'dilices,  and  in  front,  of  ail  a  einirch,  Avilh  a  small  ciiiiol.i,  jilainly  showed 
liiat  St.  Saha  stretched  helow. 

'I'lie  priests  had  observed  the  jyroees'^ion  Aviiiilini^  down  the  hill,  .nnd 
at  the  liist  knockiiiL,'  the  SJj.ites  were  opeiieil.  Masters,  servants,  Ar.ahs, 
liedouins,  .all  pa-^sed  throiiL'h  ;  hiit  a  woman  was  ;in  unexpected  specta- 
cle; and  on  the  .appioach  of  Ida,  the  cry  w.is  '"Shut  the  tj;';ile;"'  .and  she 
was  thus  |irevt'iilid  from  eiiteriiiLC,  with  tlu;  prospect  of  p.issiiii^  the 
nii^ht  III  tiie  open  air  -a  late  hy  no  means  aLrree.ahle  eoiisiderim^  the 
daiii^ers  of  the  nei^hhoihood.  At  length,  a  lay-hrother  m;ele  his  ap- 
pear.mci,  , and  poiiiliii:^  to  a  square  solit.iry  tower,  some  se\ m  or  eij^ht 
hundred  pa«a's  from  the  convent,  intim.ated  to  her  th.it  she  woiihl  find  ;i 
iiiu;ht's  loijulii'^  in  that  place.  He  procured  a  ladder  from  the  convent, 
:i!id  iroiiiLf  with  her  to  the  tower,  tlu'V  iiionnled  liy  its  aid  to  a  little  low 
doorway  ot'  iron.  Tiie  coiiduclor  pashed  this  open,  and  they  crept  in. 
A  wooden  stair-case  lecl  still  further  to  two  tiny  rooiiH,  situated  near 
tlio  center  of  the  tower.  One  of  these  miniature  aiiartnieiits,  dimly 
liifhted  hy  tiie  r.iys  of  .1  lain|i,  contained  a  small  altar,  and  serveil  as  a 
chapel,  while  the  second  was  n-^ed  as  a  sleepiiiL^-room  lor  I'em.ali"  pili^^rinu. 
A  wooden  di\aii  was  the  only  piece  of  furniture  in  the  inoin.  The  eon- 
duct<M'  then  took  his  Iea\-e,  promisiii'^  to  return  shortly,  with  some  pro- 
visions, aholsl(  r,  and  :v  coNcrlel.  Ida  found  herself  in  a  straiiu'e  condition. 
She  w;is  guarded,  like  .a  captive  princess,  liy  holt  .and  bar.  She  coiiM  iml 
liavi-  lied  had  slii'  u  i-hed  to  do  so,  for  the  conductor  had  locke<l  the 
ereakiie.;  doiu'  1m  hind  him  and  taken  away  the  ladder.  .\rtt  r  ex.iminiii',' 
the  capahilities  of  her  prison-hoiise,  she  mounted  tlie  stair-case  and 
L'aim  d  the  summit  of  tin'  towef.  ||,.|-  clexalid  posiiimi  enahled  liia*  to 
^'.aiii  a  wide  \ii'w  of  tlie  surroimdin;;  country.  She  cuuld  distinctly 
ti.ita'  the  de.eit,  with  its  several  rows  of  hills  and  mountains  skirtin:,'  the 
liori/.ou.  Kvia'v  thiie--  was  hare  and  desolate.  Net  a.  tree,  inu"  a  shriih, 
lior  a  human  liahitatioii  was  to  he  sei  n.  Silence  hromled  heavily  o\er 
the  l.'indsi.ape,  and  as  the  sun  sunk  hetiealh  the  nioiinlains,  tin-  place 
.''I '  ned  ordained  as  a  nienKuial  of  our  .'saviour's  fi^liie.',  and  in  an 
ecstasy  of  (h'votion,  t!ie  pious  traveler  IMI  on  ler  kiiiMs,  to  nll'er  up  her 
prayers  and  pnise  to  tiie  .Mniii/htly  amid  Jie  ruL'Lred  i,'ranileur  tif  the 
(h  sei t. 

The  iiicrea^-ini;  chirkness  at  leni.,'th  drove  her  haik  into  ilie  little 
chamher.  Shortly  afierwanl,  u  priest  and  a  lay-liiother  appeared,  :u\>l 
with  the  11  .Mr.  Ilaitlelt.  The  priest  had  iiroiexht  her  supper  and  lu'd- 
<\u\<f,  while  her  Kn';li>h  lillowtr.aveler  propov,  d  to  send  .i  few  seiv.ants 
iis  a  LTuard  to  relieve  ihe  drearine-s  of  the  iii'^ht  in  ttie  lonely  tower. 
Suiiimoniii'.;  all  her  coura'ie,  wlie  disclaiiiied  everv  «iiiotioii  of  fe.ir,  and 
di  elincd  the  considerate  oiler. 

After  a  (piiel  nitrhl's  rest,  she  rose  with  the  sun,  and  at  live  o'clock 


i 


w 


Hi 


t;^i 


li   !i 

I 


:i. 

, 

■' 

' 

Vi  ^ ! 

1 

832 


TRAVELS    OF    IDA    I'FKIFFKR. 


in  tlio  inoriiiiirr  tlic  cixviilcjuli!  took  up  tlirir  line  of  m;inli  towanl  tlio 
Dead  Hoa.  Tlicy  rcaclictl  tlu;  oliiort  of  tlicir  journey  in  safety,  and  on 
tlio  8('('oii(l  (lay  aL^aiii  tunioil  tlioir  faces  in  tlio  liiroction  of  .K'rusakin. 
A  fow  (lays  aflor  li(.'r  return  from  tliis  <,  xtMiision,  slic  left  the  lioly  eily, 
with  a  teeling  of  u;iateful  haitpiiiess  that  she  had  been  |K'rmitted  to 
liehold  those  re<;ions,  to  visit  whieh  had  no  Ions.''  boon  a  fiivorite  dav- 
dream  of  her  life.  On  the  J  1th  of  June,  with  the  same  party  whieh  she 
had  ae(;ompanied  to  the  Dead  Sea,  she  started  for  IJeyront  by  lan<l,  in- 
tending to  <ro  by  the  way  of  Xa/areth,  (JaHlee,  Canaan,  and  other  phiees 
of  peculiar  interest  to  the  Christian  traveler.  They  leaehed  Xazareth 
on  the  third  day.  In  the  Jnorninir,  sIk;  had  been  seize(l  on  the  road  with 
violent  heailaehe,  nausea,  and  other  feverish  symptoms,  but  she  was 
obliged  to  eoneeal  her  illness,  as  she  had  dont!  on  the  journey  to  .Torusa- 
leni,  throuu;!!  fear  of  beiiiij  left  behind.  She  was  al-o  un\viiiin<x  to  <j,iv(! 
uj)  visitint^  tlu'  holy  places  in  N'a/areth,  and  hence  makinLC  a  ureal  elfoi't, 
she  accompanied  tin;  party  tlirouirh  the  whole  day,  tlnuiLrli  she  wa.s 
(blitjed  every  moment  to  retire  into  the  back-<,'round  that  her  condition 
should  not  be  observed.  Thanks  to  Uvr  sunburnt  skin,  throuuh  which 
no  paleness  cnuld  penetrate,  her  secret  was  nut  detccteil,  and  toward 
eveiiiuLC  •'^l''-  be^an  to  i;row  better.  On  the  retm'ii  of  her  .appetite,  no 
more  savory  refections  could  be  obtained  than  some  bail  muttnii-broth, 
and  ;m  nnu'lette  madt;  with  rancid  oil.  A  lilile  bread  and  wine,  how- 
ever, was  at  last  jirocured,  and  served  as  a  substitute  for  mure  substan- 
tial viands. 

After  a  iournev  of  ten  consecutive  tlavs,  the  part v  nrrived  at  IJev- 
rnul  on  thei'Ist  of  June,  The  distance  from  Jerusalem  is  about  two 
hundred  miles,  allnwiu;^  for  the  circuitous  route  by  way  of  Tibeiias. 
The  jt)urney  through  Syria  was  one  of  u;reat  toil  .ainl  hanlship.  The 
liorses  sufVered  dreadl'nily,  as  they  were  constantly  olili^ed  to  clind>over 
rocks,  sfunes,  and  mountains,  or  to  wade  thronu'h  h-it  sand,  in  which 
they  sank  above  the  U'tlocksat  every  step.  The  temperalun'  was  sub- 
ject to  sinMeii  chaMuces.  Uy  day  the  iieat  lluctuated  biiween  IS  and 
;tit  Ueaumur,  and  the  niirlits,  too,  were  no  less  capriciitu-^.  beinj^  some- 
times oppressively  sultry,  and  sometimes  bitterly  cold. 

At^er  passinic  two  very  unsati«»fictory  days  at  liiyront,  she  a^'ain  fell 
in  with  liu'  artist  battler,  who  proposed  that  she  shoiiM  jom  a  parly 
with  which  he  was  traveliiii;  to  Damascus.  She  jjladly  accepted  the 
pi(ip.)sal,  and  soon  completiiiLC  her  arratiijements,  was  on  the  way  to 
.M')unt  Lebaiiiin.  A  Kni'opean  wnman  i-;  seldom  seen  m  lleisc  nj^i.ns. 
Ida  was  an  obirct  <if  <,rreat  curiosity  to  all  the  iidiabitants.  Wherever 
they  halted,  many  wonu'u  and  children  would  j;alher  round  in  r,  busily 
pullint;  her  dress,  putt in-r  nn  her  straw  hat,  and  lookimr  at  her  fmm  all 
sides,  while  they  Mtl<inp|iil  in  converse  with  her  by  -itrn^- 

They  arrived  at  Damascus  on  the  :til  of  .luly.  and  al\er  remai.Mii'j 
two  days  in  that  city  s 't  oH'oii  a  lour  to  Halbeck.  IIaviii<.'  visifid  tho-^e 
celebrated  ruins  they  proeeeded  on  their  Journey  toward  1-ebiuion.     In 


mmm 


ORiENTAL    "COMMUNISM." 


833 


ward  tho 
y,  ami  <m 

iTUSJlkllU 

holy  fity, 
nit  t  I'd  lo 
iriie  day- 
ivliicli  slic 
'  Iiind,  ill- 
icr  |)hu't"4 
Na/ari'tli 
road  with 
L  sh(.'  was 
:o  .Tonisa- 

cat  clVoi'l, 
slic!  wa.i 
coiiditioM 
iijh  wiiifh 
d  toward 
ipctito,  no 
toii-l»rolh, 
liiic,  Iiow- 
:  siiltstaii- 

1  at    r.cy- 

liollt    l\V«) 

Tiltc  ria'<. 
i|i.  Tlii^ 
iinli  over 
ill  which 
was  siili- 
Irt    and 

IILJ    Sollli'- 

nv'i'ii'  f''il 
I  a  party 
ptcd  the 
w  ay  to 
n'i;iiitis. 
VhriTvt  r 
(  r,  liii>i!y 

iVoIll    111) 

iiiiai.ii?!'; 

t     1  Iho-;.. 
iiion,      I;i 


a  narroAV  passage  of  the  road,  so  shut  in  by  chasms  ami  ahyssos  on  one 
Bido,  and  walls  of  rock  on  the  otlior,  as  scarcely  to  admit  a  foothold  for 
a  horse,  they  suddenly  lieard  the  call  to  "halt."  It  came  from  a  soldier 
■who  was  escortinic  a  wonuui  afllioted  Avith  the  jd.aLjue.  SIh;  had  heen 
sent  from  the  village  when!  she  had  Iteiii  the  lirst  victim  of  the  terrible 
disease  to  another  where  it  was  raging.  It  was  impossible  to  turn  aside. 
The  soldier  could  only  drag  the  sick  wonian  a  i\>\v  {laces  u)>  the  steep 
rocky  wall,  and  then  they  came  close  to  her  as  they  jia-sed.  lie  told 
the  party  to  cover  their  mouths  and  noses,  lie  liad  anointed  the  lower 
part  of  his  own  face  with  tar,  as  a  preventive  against  contagion.  The 
poor  victim  was  bound  on  an  ass — she  appeared  resigned  to  her  tiite — 
and  turned  lier  suiiki'U  eyes  up<in  tlie  company  with  an  expression  of 
entire  inditference.  The  onlv  visi])le  trace  of  tlu'  plaLCiie  was  tlu;  vel- 
low  appearance  of  the  face.  The  yoldier  seemed  as  cool  as  if  he  were 
walking  bcVule  a  person  in  jicrfect  health.  As  the  ))lague  prevailed 
throughout  the  valleys  of  Lebanon,  the  caravan  avoided  the  villages 
uUlicted  by  the  scourge,  encamping  for  the  night  in  the  open  iields. 

On  the  loth  of.luly  they  arrived  safely  at  IJoyrout,  liaving  accom- 
plished the  journey  to  1  >ainas('us  and  back,  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and 
eighty  miles,  in  ten  days.  No  vessel  was  ready  to  sail  liu*  Alexan<lria 
initil  the  '-'8th,  when  our  traveler  embarked  on  Ixjard  a  («reek  brig.  and. 
atler  a  vovaccu  of  leu  tlavs,  reached  the  harbor  ofthat  eitv.  'flie  iriii 
was  tedious  in  the  extreme.  The  vessel  was  crowded  with  passengers 
and  merchandise.  There  wns  no  room  eitlur  })y  night  or  day  but  on 
deck.  During  the  (hiy-timc,  she  had  nothing  but  an  umbrella  to  screen 
her  from  the  sun,  and  at  night  Ik  r  I'luak  was  soon  wet  through  by  the 
dew.  There  was  not  even  an  awning  of  sail-cloth.  The  company  was 
no  better  than  the  accoinmodalious.  Their  manners  were  vulgar  and 
olfensive,  and  the  Arabs  and  (Jreeks  seemed  disposed  to  carry  the  theory 
of  common  property  into  practical  clVicl.  A  knife,  a  ])air  of  scissors,  a 
drinking-glas>J,  or  any  other  small  article  wdiild  be  «akeii  from  tlie  owner 
without  permi'>sion  and  giv(  n  back,  alter  Iieing  u>ed,  in  a  soiled  condition. 
A  negro  and  lii-*  master  would  not  hesitati'  to  lie  1  wii  on  ih"  mat  or 
carpet  which  yi'U  h;id  brought  on  board  ii'r  yoiii  own '-eddiiig.  <  )iie 
day  Ida  was  using  her  tooth  brush,  when  laying  it  >lo.\u  ibr  a  niomi'iit, 
it  was  snati'hed  up  by  a  (Jreek  sailor,  who  alK'r  coolly  clea  ling  his  ti'tth 
with  it,  returiie(l  it  to  tin- owner  with  an  e\p'  .-^ion  of  entire  saiisHiciioii. 
The  diet  wa**  shocking.  As  the  coiunioii  fire  liiey  li;!<l  fo,' dinner  pilau, 
Ftale  cheese,  and  onions,  and  in  the  «'veiiii'ganeho\  ies,  olives,  stale  cheest! 
again,  and  ship  bi-ciiit  instead  of  breail.  Tlu-  jirovident  Ida,  however, 
took  no  share  in  tin  ^e  dainties,  as  she  liad  Ironght  with  )ier  a  few  live 
fow!:<,  sonu'  rice,  butter,  dried  bread,  and  coHee  witli  which  .she  prepared 
a  comfortable'  meal  for  herself. 

I'poii  arriving  at  Alexandria,  the  j>asseng(rs  wer(>  juit  in  <|iiaranline 
for  ten  days.  At  Icngtij  they  wi-re  permitti'd  to  disembark  at  the 
cpmrantiue  hospital,  and  treading  on  the  soil  of  Afiita  for  the  fir;,!,  time, 

53 


'I 


m 


^i. 


J    I 


r    ^ 

1  '■ 

- 1 

1 

'  i 

r^^: 

i ' 

83i 


T  It  A  V  K  I,  S    O  V    I  D  \    r  F  K  1  F  P^  R  It . 


T(l;i  oouM  not  l>iit  wonder  at  t\u)  oourago  and  porscvoranoc  wliioli  liad 
enabled  lier  thus  liir  lo  fuliill  what  liad  peomod  her  almost  chnnerioal 
])r<(ie('t.  'ler  stay  in  Alexandiia  Mas  nhort.  On  (lie  1  7tli  of  Anujust, 
the  same  day  that  she  lell  the  (jnarantine-house,  she  procet'ded  to  the 
Kile  eaiial,  and  took  ])assa<j:e  lor  Atte,  on  the  route  to  C\'xiro.  In  ibur 
days  sill'  arrived  at  Cairo,  after  an  interestinuf  and  a<;reoahle  ])assa^e. 
On  the  'J5th,  she  made  an  excursion  to  the  ])yraniids  of  (iizeli,  and 
ascended  tlu'  loftiest  of  them.,  the  jjyramid  of  Cheops.  Keturnint?  to 
Cairo,  she  was  temptini  lo  tiy  an  excursion  on  a  camel,  and  selected  a 
trip  to  Suez,  for  that  jim-pose.  The  Journey  ))roved  i  notonous  and 
wearisome,  and  she  had  no  wish  to  attempt  another  of  a  similar  kind. 
Lea\in!^  Cairo  on  \]\<'.  '_'d  of  Septemher,  she  returned  to  AKxandria,  ami 
on  the  7th  eml)arked  tui  h(iar<l  a  {''reiu-li  sfeiun-paeket  for  ^falta.  She 
reached  this  \Hni  in  Just  one  week,  and  afti-r  an  interesting  visit,  took 
passatji'  in  a  sti'amer,  Oetoher  1th,  for  Palermo. 

After  a  sojomn  of  live  days  in  that  eily,  she  emliarkcd  for  Naples, 
where  sh((  spent  about  three  weeks,  diliu;ently  exploring;  the  wonders  of 
art  and  nature  presented  by  that  capital,  and  on  the  stli  of  November 
arrived  at  Uome.  Here  she  remaiuecl  a  fortnight,  walking  about  the 
streets  from  morning  1:11  night,  visiting  St.  relets  almost  every  <lay, 
and  the  ^'alican  siverai  times.  Jler  Journey  to  Jerusalem  obtained  her 
an  audience  of  the  pope.  His  holiness  received  her  in  a  great  hall  ad- 
ioininir  the  Sistiue  -iLapel.  lie  was  at  that  lime  si'venlv-eiicht  vears  of 
age,  but  with  a  nobli  presence,  and  most  winning  manners,  lie  asked 
some  (piestions  of  lln-  enterprising  pilgrim,  gave  her  his  blessing,  and 
permit  led  her  at  parting  to  kiss  the  embroidered  slip])er.  She  now 
liastened  to  complete  the  lour  of  Italy,  and  in  the  first  week  of  Decein- 
l)er  returned  to  \'ienna  in  safety  and  perfect  health,  having  endured 
hardships  "f  no  slight  magnitude  in  her  various  Avanderings,  but  with 
her  thirst  for  seeing  foreign  lands  by  no  means  abated. 


JOUIJN'KV     TO    irEL.\ND. 

Iceland  was  one  of  the  counlri(>s  which,  from  her  earliest  rooolloction, 
had  cast  a  spell  over  vho  imagination  of  Ida  IM'eilVer,  and  within  three 
vt  iirs  from  her  ret  mil  from  the  Kast,  she  resolve*!  to  brave  the  pi'rils 
•  if  an  expedition  to  that  inhos|iitable  clime.  She  left  Vienna  on  the  Kith 
of  April,  I  si"),  and  p-.-ising  thiongh  Prague,  Dresden,  Leipsic,  and  llan> 
liurg,  arrived  at  '  openhagen  on  tlu;  'J'Jlh,  at  whi<'h  jjort  she  took 
passago  in  a  sairng  vessel  for  Iceland,  on  the  Uh  of  May.  On  the 
seventh  da\  ihey  "an»e  within  sight  of  Ti'eland,  but  as  they  a|iproached 
(he  coast,  a  contrary  wind  sprang  up,  and  they  were  kept  b-  '  uig  about 
for  neveral  days  and  nights,  until  at  the  close  of  the  ekn  ..  n  .^ay,  they 
reached  ihc  iiarbiu-  of  llav(>nfiord.  two  ti.iles  from  IJeikJavick,  the 
eapilal  of  Iceland.     In  spite  uf  the  remains  of  sea-sickness,  which  made 


mvrmmiixKairm 


wliicli  had 
cliimorical 

of  Aiimist, 

'(.loil  to  the 
r».  In  lour 
lie  ])a.ssa^o. 
(ii/.ch,  and 
■tuniiiiijf  to 

Hoh'ctod  a 
:onoiis  aJid 
iiiilar  kind, 
uidria,  and 
[alta.     She 

visit,  look 

"or  Naples, 
ivondei's  of 
November 

ahout  the 
every  day, 
l)tained  hcfr 
•at  liall  ad- 
lit  years  of 

lie  a.'^ked 

essinu:,  and 

Slje  now 

of  l)(!eem- 
lii;  endured 
s,  but  with 


poolleetion, 
itliin  three 
tlie  jHM'ils 
.11  the  10th 
,  and  1  Iain- 
she  took 
On  the 
i|i|iro;irhed 
liuLI  alioiit 
I  ,'ay,  they 
javiek,  the 
thi<'h  niado 


km;  I  A  \  1)   n  \v  i;l  M  X(";s, 


835 


every  tliii'.tJf  danco  ;irinnid  hc!-.  l.!:i  a1,  miee  sallied  fortli  to  examine  the 
](!a('e,  which  >-!ie  Inuml  to  eipiisi.st  oflliree  duellings  buih,  of  Wooil,  ;i  I'rw 
wareiioiises  of  t!i"  s;nne  m:ileri:il,  and  several  Imts  inlialiiteil  hy  the 
jieasMMtiy. 

"'I'lie  wooden  houses,'  sIk!  says,  ''oecujiiiMl  by  the  nierehaiits  or 
tlieir  factors,  are  i  X  a  sin^rle  story,  with  live  or  six  windows  in  front  ;  a 
low  tli'j:lit  of  st(>|is  leads  lo  an  entrance,  in  the  centei"  of  (he  buiidint^, 
whi<'h  o]u>ns  into  a  vestibule,  with  t  wo  doors  coiinniniiciHiiiLr  with  tlw 
rooin'<  to  the  ri^dit  and  lell.  In  (he  rear  is  the  kitehevi,  and  the  court- 
yard is  beyond.  Such  a  house  couialns  liiur  or  lt\e  roou's  on  (he  ground 
lloor,  aixl  a  few  small  cliandiers  under  the  roof 

"'I'he  arraiiLrements  .-ue  entirely  Iju-oiK-.'in  ;  the  turnitnre,  a  Lrreat 
(b'al  of  w  liicli  is  malioi.r;iiiy,  i ;  all  brought,  from  ( 'o|i«idifejen,  as  well  as 
the  niiii'oix,  and  \]\r  east-iron  sto\('s.  ll.aiidsouie  ru'_;s  are  spread  in 
fi-ont  of  (h(^  soliis,  iii'at  einl.ains  iiant;  before  the  windows;  the  white- 
washed walls  are  ornainenled  with  MnLrlish  en<rras  iuLTs,  and  china,  silver, 
eut-L;l;iss,  etc.,  are  di-^|il;iyed  upon  the  diesis  or  corner-tables.  'I"he 
rooms  are  scented  with  roses,  ini-j^noui  tte,  and  pinks,  and  !  e\  eu  saw 
one  piaiio-llirle  here.  \\\y  person  who  shouhl  sudd<'nly  be  set  down  in 
a  house  lik(!  this,  without  ha.vin<j^  made  the  Jtiuriiey.  would  be  sure  to 
iuiauone  himself  in  some  town  on  the  continent,  of  I"".urope,  and  not  in 
tliat  di-lant.  iv^moii  of  po\crly  and  barremiiss.  the  island  of  belaud.  T 
next  entered  soini?  of  till'  huts,  which  I  Hmnd  to  lie  decidedly  more  Ice- 
landic. 'I'hey  are  small  and  low,  built  ofhna  blocks,  filled  in  with  (  arth, 
the  whole  sodded  over  with  jLTiasv!,  and  they  iniijht  easily  be  iiiisl.'ikeii 
tor  nalur.al  ele\alions  in  t!ie  ground,  if  the  wooden  chimneys,  the  low- 
doors,  and  almost  impereejiliblt'  wimhiws,  did  not  l)etr;iy  that  thi'V  were 
tenanted  by  human  Iteint^s.  A  dark  and  narrow  ]passau:(',  not  more  than 
four  ti'et  liii;h.  leads  on  one  hand  to  the  d  .v  ellini^-room,  and  on  the  other 
to  the  slore-rooMi,  where  the  provisions  arc  kept,  which  is  ;ilso  used  in 
winter  to  stable  the  cows  ami  sheep.  The  hreplace  is  jjfener.a'ly  at  llio 
end  of  this  passaije,  which  is  purpiwely  built  so  low  in  order  to  exclude 
the  cold.  'I'he  walls  and  11o(M's  of  these  huts  are  not  bo;irded  ;  (ho 
dwellin'_r  rooms  .are  barely  laree  enoimh  to  sleep  in,  and  perhaps  to  turn 
round;  the  whole  furniture  consists  of  the  bedsteads,  with  .a  very  scanty 
supply  <d'  bedilitiL',  a  small  laide,  and  a  few  chests;  the  latter  .are  uscil 
for  seats  .as  well  as  the  beds.  Poles  are  fastened  in  the  walls  to  wliidi 
(dothes,  sIkh'S  and  stockings,  and  other  thiiiL's  of  that  kind  are  sus- 
]»en<led  ;  .ami  a  little  shelf,  with  a  W'W  books  on  it,  is  generally  Ibimd  in 
each  hut.  No  stoves  arc  needed  in  these  erowdeil  rooms,  whi<h  art; 
sudiciently  heated  by  the  warmtli  of  their  nunierous  inmates." 

On  arrivini;  at  Weikjavick,  she  was  reeeiveil  into  a  privati-  fmiih', 
which  tri'ated  her  with  ii  rare  il(><jrre(>  of  cordiality  and  adection  durinij 
her  lonir  resideiiee  with  them.  lit  r  host  was  a  worthy  baker,  to  whom 
she  wa«  introil-u-ed  by  tlie  owner  of  (he  vessel  in  which  slu-  had  been  ,i 
pasMonixer.     Ma  soon  formed  a  warm  atiaelnneiit  to  all  tlie  inemberH  of 


•«» 


IH^!::- 


1 

1 

Wn 

i 

I 


.i  I'l' 


[I : 


^mi  ' 


fl 

1 

(.1, 

1 

1 

836 


TUAVKLS    OF    IDA    PFEIFFRU. 


liis  t'xc'olloni,  lionst'hold,  l)ut  was  loss  charmed  with  the  manuors  of  the 
hightM'  cliisst'S  in  llio  society  oftlio  capitiil. 

"  Nuthiiii;,"  s.iys  slie,  "struck  uic;  so  mucli  as  the  great  dlLniity  of 
carriage  at  which  the  ladies  hrre  all  aim,  ami  which  is  so  ;i[it  to  <lcg  'ii- 
erate  into  stilliiess  where  it  is  not  ]ierfectly  natural,  or  has  uot  liecouu?  a 
sec()iul  nature  by  habit.  Thev  incline  their  head  verv  coolly  Avhen  von 
iuci>t  thi'in,  with  less  civility  than  we  should  use  toward  an  inferior  or 
a  stranger.  The  lady  of  the  house  never  acconiiianics  her  guests  beyond 
tlm  door  of  the  room,  alter  a  call  ;  if  tiie  husband  is  |)ri'sent  Ik;  goes  u 
little  further,  l)ut  when  this  is  not  the  case  von  are  often  at  a  loss  which 
wav  t«»  turn,  as  there  is  no  servant  on  the  spot  to  open  the  street-door 
for  you,  unless  it  may  haj'])en  to  be  in  the  house  of  the  Stiftsamt- 
mann,  the  lirst  dignitary  of  the  i.~land.  I  had  already  observed  traces 
of  this  formality  in  Hamburg,  and  the  fmther  I  advanced  toward 
the  north,  the  more  it  increased,  till  in  Iceland  it  rtachcd  its  greatest 
heiLdil.  ' 

'I'iie  facilities  for  traveling  in  Iceland  are  not  so  extraordinary  as  to 
tempt  the  plea.-ure-seeking  tourist.  The  best  Kcasoa  for  a  joiu'ney  is 
i'om  the  middle  of  .June  to  the  end  of  August,  iu'lbre  that  time  tho 
-:  reams  are  still  so  much  swollen  l»y  tho  melted  snows  that  it  is  dangiT- 
s  IS  to  f  >i-d  them,  and  many  j)atches  of  suow  cover  deep  pits  .and  heaps 
of  lava,  obslrucliiig  the  way  of  the  tiaveler.  On  the  otiuT  hiuul,  heavy 
..i.  rms  of  rain  and  ilurri(  s  of  snow  occur  as  early  as  Sepu  mber. 

"Up(jn  the  whole,"  says  Ida,  "1  u>und  the  dilliculties  .and  di^com- 
iorts  of  traveling  in  this  country  much  greater  tiiau  any  I  had  encount- 
ered in  the  East.  I  snlfen  d  more  li'om  the  Aiohiit  tempe^^ts.  the  sharp 
air,  the  dniudiing  rain,  and  the  cold,  than  1  had  ev(  r  doiu'  from  the 
heats  of  I'ahstine.  The  latter  did  not  cause  my  liice  and  lips  to  cliap; 
but  on  the  filth  d.iv  of  mv  iournev  liere,  mv  lips  wci-e  bleedin'T,  :iiid  mv 
face  w;is  all  in  scales,  as  if  I  had  had  the  measles.  3Iy  long  ilressi>s 
were  another  great  drawback  to  my  comfort;  it  was  lui  t'ssary  to  bo 
warmly  clad,  and  the  weiidit  of  my  clothes,  ofteti  increased  by  the 
wel,  made  me  at  times  <juite  helpless  when  I  was  to  get  on  or  otV  my 
horsi'.  Jhit  the  greatest  aiuioyaiice  of  all,  was  to  stop  to  rest  in  a 
meadt)W  during  :i  \iolent  shower,  when  n)y  long  skirts  Mould  soak  up 
all  the  water  ironi  the  wet  grass;  and  at  such  times  I  often  liad  not  a 
dry  thread  about  nu'.'' 

Toward  the  end  of  .Time,  Ida  set  ofl'  Cnr  the  fJeiscr  and  Ilccla,  liding 
the  first  dav  !is  IJir  as  the  l.ke  c:  Thiic'valla.  C'l'iniuLr  within  sight  of 
llie  object  of  her  eager  t  uiosily,  she  foui.d  llu'  basin  and  principal 
caldron  iilled  with  Avater  :,  ''lear  as  (crystal  ;>  ,il  slightly  boiling.  In  this 
.statt;  the  mighbdrhotnl  is  dangerou'^,  as  they  might  overflow  at  any 
moment.  "For  fear  of  mis-ing  an  explosion,"  says  the  traveler,  ''it  is 
customary  to  watch  during  the  whole  night.  An  occasional  vigil  wouhi 
present  no  great  dill'''ulty  to  many  travelers,  but  for  nie  it  was  a  serious 
undertaking.     However,  there  was  no  remedy,  ii>r  an  Iceland  pca.sant 


WimiriiBnirir—i 


CIS  of  tho 

li,Lniity  of 
to  <lc:4'  '11- 
bi'ooiiu'  a 
■wliL'ii  y(/n 
iiifi'i'ior  or 
ts  Ix'ytiiid 
he  goes  a 
loss  Avliitli 
(i'i'i>1-<l()or 
Stiftsatnt- 
it'cl  traci's 
<1  louard 
s  gioiitest 

nary  as  to 
Journey  is 
t  time  the 
is  il;ui.x<'i'- 
aiid  heaps 
ml,  heavy 

'1  <li<eom- 

ClUdllllt- 

the  sharp 
fnin  tho 
;  to  eliap; 
f,  ami  my 
L^  dresses 
iry  to  ho 
d  liy  the 
)r  oil"  Tiiy 
rest  ill  a 
soak  up 
Kid  licit  a 

la,  lidini^ 

si^^dil  of 

priiiei|ial 

Tu  tlTw 

V  at    any 

'r,  "  it  is 

,nl  would 

a  serious     j 

jteasaiit     I 


U 


THE  GEISKU  AND  MOUNT  UECLA. 


837 


is  not  to  be  deiK!iidcd  u[)oii,  and  i\'\v  of  them  would  ho  roused  hy  an 
outbreak  of  Ilocla  itself. 

"At  last,  after  waitiiiij;  till  llie  seeoml  «lay  of  my  sojourn  at  the(  Jeiser, 
the  long-desired  explosion  to(dv  plaee  on  the  L'Tth  of  .lime,  at  halt-past 
nine  o'eloek  in  the  morning.  Tiie  ]ieasant,  who  eaiue  twice  a  day  to  in- 
(piire  if  T  had  yet  seen  an  eru|itioii,  was  with  me  when  the  lirst  dull 
sounds  which  amiounced  the  event  were  heard.  We  hurried  to  the  spot, 
and  as  the  waters  ht)iled  over  as  usual,  and  the  noise  died  away,  I 
thought  I  was  doomed  to  disappoininunt  agaiii  ;  hut  the  last  toni'S  were, 
just  expiring  wh(>n  tlu!  explosion  suddenly  took  place.  I  have  n-ally  no 
■words  to  do  justice  to  this  inagiiili(;eiit  specta<le,  which  once  to  behold 
ill  a  lifetime  is  enoiigli. 

'•It  inlinitely  surpa'^se.l  ;ill  my  expeclations.  The  waters  were 
spouted  with  great  ^lower  and  volume;  column  ri-iiig  above  column,  as 
if  each  were  bent  on  outstripping  the  oijiers.  After  I  had  recovered  in 
KOiiKi  degree;  from  my  lirst  astuiiishmeiit,  I  looked  round  at  the  tent — 
how  small,  how  diminutive  it  seemed,  eom]>aieil  to  tho<e  jiillars  of 
water!  And  yei  it  was  iu;iriy  t  weiity  feet  IuliIi  ;  it  was  lying  rathi-r 
lower,  it  is  true,  than  the  bain  of  the  (ieiser;  but  tent  might  have  l)eeii 
piled  on  tent— yet,  by  my  reckoning,  which  may  not  have  been  perfectly 
accurate,  however — live  or  si\,  one  above  tlie  other,  wouM  imt  hav(; 
reaclu'd  the  elevation  of  the>e  jets,  the  largest  ol'which  I  think  I  can 
allirm,  without  any  e.xagtxeratioii,  to  have  risen  at  last  to  the  heiglit  of  a 
hundri'd  let  t,  and  to  have  bi'cii  three  or  tl>ur  feet  in  diameter.'" 

Iler  account  of  3Iouiit  Ilechi  jiresents  a  ditferent  view  of  that  cele- 
brated v(jlcano  from  the  description  given  by  most  previous  travelerH : 
"At  last  the  summit  was  attained,  after  two  more  lioiirs  of  laborious 
eliinl)ing,  and  I  stood  upon  tiie  highest  peak  of  Jfecia;  but  I  looked  in 
vain  for  a  crater — there  was  no  trace  of  any  to  lie  fliund;  at  which  I 
was  all  the  more  astonished,  as  I  Irid  read  minute  accounts  of  it  in  sev- 

•  ■ral  books  oftravels.  I  walked  around  the  whole  summit  of  the  mount- 
ain, and  claudiered  to  the  jokul  which  li:  s  next  to  it,  but   still  I  -aw  no 

•  tpeniiig  or  cre\  ice,  no  sunken  wall,  (.r  any  simi  whatevi'r,  in  IJict,  of  a 
i'later.  Much  lowi'r  down  on  the  side:'  of  the  mountain  i  fouiul  some 
■wide  rents  and  chinks,  from  whence  ti.e  streams  of  lava  must  have 
ilowed.  'I'he  height  of  this  mountain  is  said  to  be  four  thousand  three 
hundred  teet. 

"The  sun  liad  been  obseuii'd  dining  the  last  Imur  of  our  ascent,  .niid 
tlick  clouds  now  rushed  liowii  upoa  us  iVoin  the  neighboring  glaciers, 
v,liich  coiicialed  the  whole  prospect  lr.>in  our  sight.  ;'.nd  prevented  our 
distinguishing  any  thing  (or  more  th.iii  ten  pacts  before  us.  AWor 
awhile  they  diss«»lved,  Ibrtimately  not  in  raie,  but  in  snow,  which  soon 
e(»vered  the  dark  cri-))  lava  with  large  and  innumerable  llakes;  they  dul 
Hot  melt,  and  the  thermometer  sliowed  one  degree  of  cold  (Keaumur). 

*'(tradually  the  dear  and  inimitable  blue  of  th.'  i'eaveits  reappeared, 
and  the  sun  once  more  rejoiced  us  with  his  presence.     1  remained  on 


L 


it 


it 


Il  ' 


I   . 


j 
i 

n 

. 

• 

11 

1 

^  t 


,;il!!  i : 


1  ' 


838 


TllAVELS    OP    IDA    PFKIFFER. 


tlie  top  of  tlic  mounliiin  till  the  clouds  li.ul  opened  in  the  distance  and 
aHbrded  a  Avelconie  and  extensive  view,  which  i  fear  my  pen  is  nnich 
too  feeble  to  describe.  I  despair  of  conveying  to  my  readers  a  distinct 
idea  of  the  immense  waste  which  lay  di.-splayed  before  me,  with  its  ac- 
cumulated masses  of  lava,  and  its  peculiar  appearance  of  lifeUss  desola- 
tion. 1  seemed  to  stand  in  the  midst  of  an  exhausted  fire.  'I'he  blocks 
were  piled  in  heaps  above  each  other,  till  they  formed  hiyh  hills;  the 
A  alleys  were  choked  by  vast  streams  of  rock,  whose  length  aiul  breadth 
1  was  not  able  to  distinguish,  although  the  course  of  the  last  eruption 
could  be  plainly  traced  among  them.  I  was  surrounded  by  the  most 
dreadful  ravines,  caves,  streams,  hills,  .and  valleys  ;  I  could  hardly  un- 
deistand  how  I  had  ri'ached  this  jioiiit,  and  was  si'IzimI  with  a  ieeling  of 
horror  at  the  thought  whie'i  forced  itself  upon  me,  that  perhai>s  1  might 
iievi-r  be  able  to  tlnd  my  way  out  of  this  terrrible  labyrinth  of  ruin." 

Having  visited  every  part  of  Iceland  which  possessed  any  <'laims 
upon  her  attention,  Ida  embarked  for  ('opcidiagt'U  on  the'  '20th  of  July, 
and  traveling  through  part  t.if  Norway  and  Sweden,  returned  once  moro 
to  Vienna  atler  an  absence  of  about  six  months. 


FinST    JOUUNKY   KOUxVD    THE    WORLD. 

In  a  little  moro  than  six  months  we  find  Lhi  I'feilVer  again  on  her 
tr.avels,  engaging  in  a  far  greater  and  more  jierilous  enterprise  than  that 
from  which  she  received  her  initiation  into  the  marvi'ls  of  distant  climes. 
On  the  1st  of  May,  1840,  she  left  Vienna  with  the  intention  of  embarking 
at  Ilaniburg  for  Rio  Janeiro.  It  was  not  until  the  middle  of  June  that 
she  sailed  from  that  port,  having  waited  several  weeks  for  the  arrival 
of  Count  Herchlhold,  one  of  her  traveliiig  companions  in  the  East,  who 
had  engaged  to  accompany  her  on  the  voyage  to  Brazil.  On  the  lOtli 
of  September,  they  entered  the  bay  and  port  of  Uio  Janeiro,  where  Ida 
remained  above  two  months,  exclusive  of  the  time  devoted  to  dill'erent 
excursions  into  the  interior  of  the  c(juntry. 

On  one  (d"  these  rural  excursions,  she  met  with  .an  .adventure  in  which 
she  had  a  narrow  escape  of  her  life.  She  was  going  to  Petropolis,  a 
colony  founded  ])V  (iermans  in  tin?  neitibbiMhood  of  Wio  Janeiro, 
situated  in  a  region  of  remarkabh'  beauty,  and  approached  by  a  romantic 
road  through  the  virgin  tbrests  of  the  country.  They  found  the  journey 
delightful.  (Jatlicring  a  rich  harvest  of  llowers,  plants,  and  insects,  they 
loitered  idly  amid  the  enchantments  of  the  scene  without  observing  that 
they  were  tbllowed  \>y  a  negro,  who  suddenly  sprang  upon  thein  in  a 
lonely  spot,  with  a  knife  in  one  hand  and  a  l.asso  in  the  other,  indicat- 
ing more  by  gestures  than  words  that  he  intended  to  murder  and  then 
drag  tlieni  into  the  forest.  Ilcr  description  gives  a  vivi<l  idea  of  the 
rencontre. 

"  We  had  no  arms,  as  wc  had  been  told  that  the  road  was  perlectly 


ADVENTUUK    IN    BRAZIL. 


839 


safe,  and  tlio  only  wcajxiJis  of  dcrcnsc  wo  ))OSS('SS(m1  wcro  our  parasols, 
if  I  cxcopt  a  (■lasi)C(l  kiiitl",  wliirh  1  in><tantly  drew  out  of  my  pocket,  and 
opened,  fully  dt'tfrniincd  to  suU  my  life  as  dearly  as  possible.  We  par- 
ried our  ailvcrsary's  blows  as  lontj  as  we  eould  with  our  parasols,  but 
tliese  lasted  but  a  short  time  ;  besides,  lie  eauyht  hold  of  mine,  which, 
as  we  were  stru!^i;lin,t^  for  it,  broke  short  oil",  U'aviui.,^  <"ily  a  piece  of  the 
handle  in  my  hand.  In  tin-  struLt^le,  however,  he  dro])ped  his  kniti', 
which  rolled  a  few  steps  from  him;  I  instantly  made  a  dash,  and  thought 
I  had  ii<)l  it,  when  he,  more  tpiick  than  I,  tiirust  me  away  with  liis  feet 
and  hands,  and  once  more  (jbtained  ]ll)^^essioll  of  it.  He  waved  it 
furicjusiy  over  my  heail,  and  dealt  me  two  wounds,  a  thrust  and  a  de(^p 
gash,  both  in  the  up[.er  jiart  of  the  left  ai'm  ;  1  thouirht  1  was  lost,  and 
despair  alone  gave  mo  tlu;  courage  to  use  my  own  knife.  T  made  a 
thrust  at  his  breast  ;  this  he  warded  olV,  and  I  only  succi-efled  in  wound- 
ing him  severely  in  the  hand.  The  Count  sprang  forwanl,  and  seized 
tlie  fellow  from  behin<l,  and  thus  allbrd(Hl  me  an  opporlimity  of  raising 
myself  from  the  gi(iun<l.  The  whole  alfair  had  not  taken  mon;  than  a 
few  seconds.  'I'he  negro's  fury  was  now  roused  to  its  liighest  pitch  by 
the  wounds  he  liad  received:  lie  giiashc'l  his  teeth  at  us  like  a  wild 
be.'ist,  and  llourisjicd  liis  knife  with  frightful  rapidity.  The  Counl,  in 
liis  turn,  had  receive<l  a  cut  light  acrt)ss  the  hand,  and  we  had  been 
irrevocably  lost,  liad  not  I'rovidence  sent  us  assistance.  We  heard  the 
tramp  of  horses'  hoofs  upon  the  roail,  upon  which  the  negro  instantly 
left  us,  and  sprang  into  the  wood.  Immediately  afterward  two  horse- 
men turned  a  corner  of  tiie  road,  and  av(!  hurried  toward  them;  our 
wounds,  whicli  were  bleeding  freely,  and  the  way  in  which  our  jiarasols 
were  hacki'(l,  soon  made  them  understand  the  state  f)f  affairs.  They 
asked  us  which  direetion  the  fugitive  had  taken,  and,  springing  from 
the  horses,  hurried  after  him  ;  their  etlbrts,  however,  would  have  been 
fruitless,  if  two  negroi'S,  who  were  coming  from  the  oiijiosite  side,  liad 
not  lielped  them.  As  it  was,  the  fellow^  was  soon  captured.  IIo  Ava-S 
jiinioned,  and,  as  he  would  not  walk,  severely  beaten,  most  of  the  blows 
being  dealt  upon  the  head,  so  that  I  feared  the  i)Oor  wretch's  skull 
would  be  broken.  In  spite  of  this  he  never  moved  a  muscle,  and  lay,  as 
if  insensible  to  feeling,  upon  the  ground.  The  two  otiuv  negroes  wore 
obliged  to  seize  hold  of  him,  when  he  eiide;.vored  to  l)ite  evi'ry  one 
within  his  reach,  like  a  v.ild  beast,  and  carry  him  to  the  nearest  house. 
Our  prisir\ers,  as  well  as  the  Count  and  myself,  accompanied  them.' 
We  then  hail  our  wounds  dressed,  and  atlerward  continued  our  journey  ; 
not,  it  is  true,  entirely  devoid  of  fear,  es])eciahy  when  we  met  one  or 
more  lu'groes,  but  w  ithout  any  further  mishap,  and  with  a  continually 
uicreasiiig  admiration  of  the  beautiful  si'i'iiery.'' 

On  relating  their  story,  after  their  return  to  Tlio  Janeiro,  they  would 
scarcely  have  been  believed,  had  they  not  l)een  able  to  show  the  wounds 
which  they  had  received  in  the  conflict.  Tin;  negro  was  at  first  thought 
to  have  been  drimk  or  insane,  but  it  was  afterward  discovered  that  ho 


1    ; 


'    •-    I 


'I 


I  I 


f 

I,; 

r' 
1 

■    ■:  1    ; 

' 

1                ' 

'!*i!  1 


kiiJi  I  ii 


1 

i 
1 

! 

i 

.  ^ 

840 


TRAVELS    OF    IDA    PFEIPFKR. 


luitl  been  pmii-liod  l»y  lils  niaslor  for  :ni  oftenso,  mikI  took  that  method 
to  wreak  his  vengeance  npon  llie  whites. 

Tlio  Lilians  in  the  interior  of  ]5razil  naturally  excited  the  curiosity 
of  the  traveler.  With  a  view  to  observing  their  manners,  she  jiroroeded 
into  the  heart  of  the  forest,  and  in  tlie  wretched  huts  '"f  the  I'lira  found 
a  degri'e  of  want  and  misery,  which  sur])assed  all  her  previous  cxjicricnce 
of  human  degr-'dation. 

"On  a  small  space,  mider  lofty  trees,  five  liuts,  or  ratlu  r  sheds, 
firmed  of  leaves,  were  erc<ted,  eighteen  feet  long,  by  twelve  feet  broad. 
The  frames  M-ere  formed  of  four  j)oles  stuck  in  the  ground,  M'ith  another 
reaching  iirross,  and  the  roof  of  palmdeaves,  through  which  the  rain 
could  ])onetrate  with  the  utmost  fieility.  On  three  .sides,  these  bowers 
were  (  ilirely  opi  n.  In  the  interior  hung  a  hamiiock  or  two;  and  on 
the  gi'  iiul  glinnnercd  a  111  tie  fire,  under  a  hen;  of  ashes,  in  wliich  a 
few  nxits,  Indian  corn,  aiul  bananas,  Avero  roasting.  In  one  corner,  un- 
der the  root^  a  small  supply  of  provisions  Avas  lioarded  up,  and  a  few 
gourds  were  scattered  around  :  these  ai''  used  by  tin-  savages  instead 
'  f  plates,  pots,  waler-jugs,  etc.  'i'lic  long  Itous  and  arrows,  wliieh  con- 
stitute tlieir  only  weajions,  were  le:ming  in  the  background  agahist 
liu'  wall. 

"  I  found  the  Indians  still  more  ugly  than  the  negroes.  Their  com- 
])lexion  is  a  light  brtnize,  stunted  in  stature,  well-knit,  and  about  the 
middle  size.  They  have  broad  and  somewhat  compressed  features,  and 
thick,  coal-black  hair,  hanging  straight  down,  which  the  women  some- 
times Avear  in  plaits  liistened  to  the  back  of  the  head,  and  sometimes 
falling  down  loose  a])out  tiieni.  Their  forehead  is  broad  and  low,  the 
nose  somewhat  flattened,  the  eyes  long  and  narrow,  almost  like  those 
of  the  Chinese,  an'.<  tdf  mouth  large,  with  rather  thick  lips.  To  give  a 
still  git  :..t.'r  eifv'et  to  all  theses  various  charms,  a  jicculiar  look  of  stupid- 
ity is  s})iead  ovir  the  ai  hole  face,  and  is  more  especially  to  be  attributed 
to  the  Avay  in  Avhi.  h  tl.i'ir  mouths  are  always  kept  open.  !Most  of  them, 
both  men  and  avo  nen,  Avere  tattooi'd  Avith  a  reddish  or  blue  color,  though 
only  round  the  iiiouth,  in  the  form  of  a  moustache.  IJoth  sexes  are 
passionately  fond  of  smoking,  and  prefer  brandy  to  every  thing.  Tiieir 
dress  Avas  compos-. d  of  a  few  rags,  A\hich  they  had  liistened  round 
their  loins. 

"The  good  creatures  offered  me  the  best  hut  they  possessed,  and 
invited  me  to  pass  the  nigh*  there.  Being  rather  fatigued  by  the  toib 
some  nature  of  my  journey  on  foot,  the  heat,  and  the  hunting  ex- 
cursion, I  very  joy''ully  accepted  tli"ir  proposition  :  the  day,  too,  Avas 
drawing  to  a  close,  and  I  should  not  have  been  able  to  reach  the  settle- 
ment of  the  Avhites  before  night.  I  therefore  spread  out  my  i-Icak  upon 
the  ground,  arrangeil  a  log  of  Avood  so  as  to  serve  instead  of  a  pil- 
low, and  for  the  present  seated  myself  upon  my  splendid  couch.  In 
the  meanwhile,  my  hosts  Avere  preparing  the  monkey  and  the  jiarrots, 
by  sticking  them  on  Avooden  S2)its,  and  roasting  them  before  the  fire. 


VOYAGE   TO   CHINA. 


841 


It  method 

)  curiosity 
prorccded 
ira  Ibuiid 
experience 

!!  r  slit'ds, 
L'ot  bro.'id. 
li  niiotlicr 
1  the  rain 
^e  bowers 
• ;  and  on 

I  wliich  a 
onicr,  inl- 
and a  lew 
PS  instead 

liicli  oon- 

II  against 

heir  eom- 
ihout  the 
ures,  and 
len  somc- 
onictimes 
low,  (he 
like  those 
^o  give  a 
af  Htupid- 
ittrihuted 
.  of  them, 
r,  though 
sexes  are 
?.  Their 
L>d  round 

ssod,  and 
'  the  toil- 
lit  ing  ex- 

too,  waa 
iio  settle- 
oak  upon 

ol'  a  pil- 
'ucli.     In 

j)arrots, 

tlio  fire. 


In  order  to  render  the  meal  a  peculiarly  dainty  one,  they  also  buried 
some  Indian  corn  and  roots  in  the  cinders.  They  then  gathered  a  few 
large  fresh  leaves  off  the  trees,  tore  the  roasted  ape  into  several  pieces 
with  their  hands,  and  jjlaciug  a  largt^  portion  of  it,  as  wi'U  as  a  parrot, 
Indian  corn,  and  some  roots  upon  tlie  leaves,  put  it  before  inc.  My 
appetite  Avas  tremendous,  seeing  that  I  had  tasted  nothing  since  the 
morning.  I  therefore  iniiniidiately  fell  to  on  the  roasted  inunkey,  which 
I  found  superlatively  delicious :  the  flesh  of  the  jiarrot  was  lar  from 
being  so  tender  and  palata1)le." 

Leaving  Kio  Janeiro  on  the  9t1i  of  Docendter,  Ida  embarked  hi  an 
English  vessel  for  Valparaiso,  which  port  she  reached  on  the  2d  of 
March.  The  ])assage  round  the  Cape  enabled  them  to  see  the  shore  of 
Terra  del  Fuego  so  distinctly,  that  they  could  make  out  every  bush 
with  the  naked  eye.  The  coast  ap| 'eared  p,  l)ut  not  high.  The  fore- 
ground was  composed  of  meager  pasini.  iliernating  with  tracts  of  sand, 
and  in  the  background  were  ranges  (n  w  "ody  hills,  beyond  which  rose 
snow-covered  momitains.    The  country  k  Ida  as  being  more  inhab- 

itable than  Iceland. 

The  society  of  Valparaiso  did  not  accord  with  her  ideas  of  ]iropriety 
or  good  taste.  She  was  shocked  by  the  immodest  character  of  the  niv- 
tional  dances,  which  were  unscrupulously  performed  in  public,  and  before 
spectators  of  the  most  tender  age.  Nor  irul  another  singulur  feature  of 
Valparaiso  habits  lind  more  favor  in  her  sight.  "I  was  equally  dis- 
pleased," says  she,  "  with  ;i  remarkable  custom  prevalent  here,  in  accord- 
ance Avith  which  the  death  of  a  little  child  is  celebrated  by  its  parents  as 
a  grand  festival.  They  n.aine  the  deceased  child  an  (tiKjt'Uto  (little  angel), 
and  adorn  it  in  every  ))0ssible  Avay.  Its  eyes  are  not  closcvl,  but,  on  the 
contrary  opened  as  wide  as  ])Ossible,  and  its  cheeks  are  painted  red ;  it 
is  then  dressed  out  in  the  ihiest  clothes,  crowned  with  flowei's,  and 
placed  in  a  little  chair  in  a  kind  of  niche,  which  also  is  ornamented  with 
flowers.  The  relations  and  neighbors  then  come  and  wish  the  ])arents 
joy  at  possessing  such  an  angel ;  and  during  the  first  night,  the  parents, 
relations,  and  fi  lends  execute  the  wildest  dances,  and  feast  in  the  most 
joyous  fashion  before  the  angelito.  I  heard  that  in  the  country  it  was 
not  unusual  for  the  parents  to  carry  the  little  cofVin  to  the  clmrchyard 
themselves,  followed  by  the  relations  with  the  brandy  bottle  in  their 
hands,  and  giving  vent  to  their  joy  in  the  most  outrageous  manner." 

On  the  17th  of  March,  she  took  ])assage  for  Canton,  and  on  the  9th 
of  Julv  arrived  in  ^lacao  Koads,  haviuLr  devoted  some  three  weeks  to  a 
thorough  e.vjdoration  of  Tahiti,  av lierc  the  vessel  stopped  to  discharge  a 
cargo  of  jirovisions  for  the  French  garrison  on  that  island.  Her  arrival 
at  Canton  broiight  her  into  a  new  scene  of  perils,  through  her  ignorance 
of  the  customs  of  the  country.  "It  is  only  during  the  last  few  years 
that  we  Kuro])ean  women  have  been  allowed  to  visit  or  remain  in  the 
factories  at  Canton.  I  left,  the  vessel  Avithout  atty  apprehension  ;  but 
first  I  had  to  consider  hoAV  I  should  find  my  Avay  to  the  house  of  a  gen- 


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33  WIST  MAIN  STRUT 

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TRAVELS    OP    IDA    PFEIFFER. 


tleraan  named  Agassiz,  for  whom  I  had  brought  letters  of  recommenda- 
tion. I  explained  to  the  captain,  by  signs,  that  I  had  no  money  with 
me,  and  that  he  must  act  as  my  guide  to  the  factory,  where  I  would 
pay  him.  lie  soon  understood  me,  and  conducted  me  to  the  place,  and 
the  Europeans  there  showed  me  the  particular  house  I  wanted.  On 
seeing  me  arrive,  and  hearing  the  manner  in  which  I  had  traveled,  and 
the  way  that  I  had  walked  from  the  vessel  to  his  house,  Mr.  Agassiz  was 
extremely  surprised,  and  would  hardly  credit  that  I  had  met  with  no 
difiicultics  or  injury.  From  him  I  learned  what  risks  I,  as  a  woman,  had 
run  in  traversuig  the  streets  of  Canton,  with  no  escort  but  a  Chinese 
guide.  Such  a  thing  had  never  occurred  before,  and  Mr.  Agassiz  assured 
me  that  I  might  esteem  myself  as  exceedingly  fortunate  in  not  having 
been  insulted  by  the  people  in  the  grossest  manner,  or  even  stoned. 
Had  this  been  the  case,  he  told  me  my  guide  would  have  immediately 
taken  to  llight,  and  abandoned  me  to  my  fate." 

She  sailed  from  Canton  on  the  25th  of  August,  and  after  a  voyage  of 
nine  days  arrived  at  the  port  of  Singapore.  The  climate  of  this  island, 
compared  to  that  of  other  countries,  seemed  to  her  delightful ;  the  tem- 
perature was  uniform  ;  the  days  and  nights  were  of  equal  length,  as  tho 
place  was  near  the  ecpiator  ;  ami  scarcely  an  interval  of  twilight  attended 
the  rising  or  ,5ctting  sun.  Her  next  stage  was  Ceylon,  which  she  reached 
on  the  7th  of  October.  After  remaining  on  that  island  about  three 
weeks,  she  sailed  for  Calcutta,  and  arrived  in  that  city  on  the  4tli  of  No- 
vember. Here  she  soon  found  herself  more  at  home  than  she  had  been 
for  many  months  of  miscellaneous  wanderings.  She  received  numerous 
friendly  attentions  from  Sir  Lawrence  Peel,  the  chief  judge  of  Calcutta, 
and  Mr.  Cameron,  a  member  of  the  supreme  council  of  India.  In  the 
first  circles  of  society  she  was  warmly  welcomed  as  an  intelligent  trav- 
eler, while  she  accepted  their  hospitality  with  her  usual  unaflected  sim- 
plicity. "During  my  stay  in  Calcutta,"  she  tells  us,  "I  Avas  invited  to 
a  large  party  in  honor  of  Mr.  J'eel's  birthday  ;  but  I  refused  the  invita- 
tion, as  I  liad  no  suitable  dress.  My  excuse,  however,  Avas  not  allowed, 
and  I  accompanied  Lady  Cameron,  in  a  simple  colored  muslin  dress,  to 
a  party  where  all  the  other  ladies  were  dressed  in  silk  and  satin,  and 
covered  with  lace  and  jewelry;  yet  no  one  was  ashamed  of  me,  but  cou- 
verised  freely  with  me,  and  showed  me  every  possible  attention." 

After  a  stay  of  more  than  live  weeks,  Ida  left  Calcutta  for  Henares, 
arriving  at  the  holy  city  of  India  on  the  28th  of  December.  Her  recol- 
lections of  the  (langes  were  far  from  agreeable.  During  her  M'holo 
voyage  of  about  a  thousand  miles,  she  did  not  meet  with  a  single  spot 
remarkable  for  its  especial  beauty,  or  one  pictures(iue  view.  Leaving 
IJenarcs  on  the  7th  of  January,  1N18,  she  proceeded  to  Allahabad, 
Cawiij)ore,  and  Agra,  the  former  residence  of  the  Great  INfogul  of  India. 
Tlience  she  went  to  Delhi,  where  she  remained  for  ten  days,  leaving 
that  renowned  imperial  city  for  Bombay.  Her  mode  of  traveling  was 
by  a  wagou  druwu  by  oxou,  until  her  arrival  at  Kottah,  the  cliicf  city  of 


m 


ENCOUNTER    WITH    A    TIGER. 


843 


the  kingdom  of  Rajpootan,  wlion  tlie  king  llam-Shcgh,  who  was  pro- 
fuse in  his  attentions  to  so  great  a  novelty  as  a  female  European  trav- 
eler, otTered  her  the  use  of  as  many  camels  as  she  required  for  the 
remainder  of  the  journey,  and  two  sepoys  on  liorseback  as  attendants. 
In  the  course  of  the  tour,  while  making  an  excursion  to  the  rock  tem- 
I)les  of  Ellora,  ten  miles  from  Koja,  she  had  an  adventure  with  a  tiger, 
which  slie  relates  as  follows  : 

"  I  had  scarcely  letl  the  gates  of  the  town  behind,  when  I  perceived 
a  number  of  Europeans  seated  upon  elephants,  coming  from  the  bunga- 
low. On  meeting  each  other  we  pulled  up  and  commenced  a  conversa- 
tion. The  gi'ntlemen  were  on  the  road  to  search  fur  a  tiger-lair,  of 
which  they  had  received  intimation,  and  invited  me,  if  such  a  sport 
would  not  frigliten  me  too  much,  to  take  part  in  it.  I  was  greatly  de- 
lighted to  receive  the  invitation,  and  Avas  soon  seated  on  one  of  the  ele- 
phants, in  a  howdah  about  two  feel  high,  in  which  there  were  already 
two  gentlemen  and  a  native — the  latter  had  been  brought  to  load 
the  guns.  They  gave  me  a  large  knife  to  defend  myself  with,  in  case 
the  animal  should  spring  too  high  and  reach  the  side  of  the  howdali. 
Thus  })repared,  we  approached  the  chain  of  hills,  and,  after  a  few 
hours,  we  were  ali'eady  ])retty  near  the  lair  of  the  tigers,  when  our  serv- 
ants cried  out  softly,  *•  liitc/i,  Jldc/i  !'  and  jiointed  with  their  iingers  to 
some  brusliwodd.  I  lui<l  scarcely  peroeiveil  the  llaming  eyes  which 
glared  out  of  one  of  the  bushes  bi'fore  shots  were  iired.  Several  balls 
took  eifect  on  the  animal,  who  rushed,  maddened,  upon  us.  lie  made 
such  tremendous  springs,  that  I  thought  every  monu'iit  he  must  reach 
the  howdah,  and  select  a  victim  fronv  among  us.  The  sight  was  terrible 
to  see,  and  my  a}»prehensii>ns  were  increased  by  the  appearance  of  an- 
other tiger;  however,  I  kept  myself  so  calm,  that  none  of  the  gentlemen 
liad  any  suspicion  of  what  was  going  on  in  my  mind.  Shot  followed 
shot :  the  elephant.s  defendcil  their  trunks  with  great  dexterity  by  throw- 
ing them  up  or  drawing  them  in.  After  a  sharp  cont(.>;t  of  half  an  hour, 
we  wore  the  victors,  and  the  dead  animals  were  triumphantly  strij)ped 
of  their  lieautiful  skins.  The  gentlemen  politely  oflered  me  one  of  them 
as  a  present  ;  but  I  declined  accepting  it,  as  I  could  not  postpone  my 
journey  sulVicieiitly  long  for  it  to  bi'  dried." 

After  a  tedious  journey  of  seven  weeks,  slie  r*  ached  Bombay,  where 
she  was  invited  to  stav  at  the  countrv-house  of  llu;  Ilamburt'  consul, 
Mr.  VVattenil)ach.  Leaving  J>()nd)ay,  April  i.'.'!d,  slu'  bent  her  course 
for  Uaglidad,  by  way  of  liassora,  an<l  reached  the  latter  city  in  duo 
month  from  the  time  of  her  departure.  From  liaghdad  she  made  lWo 
long  excursions,  one  to  tlii^  ruins  of  Ctesiphon,  and  the  other  to  those  of 
JJalnlon.  She  then  joined  a  caravan  going  through  the  ilesert  to  Mosul, 
a  distance  of  three  hinidred  miles,  visited  the  ruins  of  Nineveh,  and  on 
the  Hth  of  July,  started  on  a  joiiriu'y  to  Persia.  Extending  her  travels 
to  Asiatic  Hussia,  .\rnieiiia,  (ieorgia,  and  Mingrelia,  she  arrived  at 
Odessa  on   the  lioth  of  Sc])tember.     Tlie  previous  day  she  stopjx'd  at 


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844 


TRAVELS    OP    IDA    rFEIPFER, 


what  slie  calls  "  the  stroma  and  Ijoautilhl  fortress  of  Sobastopol."  Her 
description  presents  a  clear  idea  of  the  condition  at  that  time  of  the 
place  which  has  since  become  so  famous  in  the  annals  of  modern  warfare. 
"The  works  are  partly  situated  at  the  entrance  of  the  harbor,  and 
partly  in  the  harbor  itself;  they  are  executed  in  massive  stone,  and  pos- 
sess a  number  of  towers  and  outworks  which  defend  the  entrance  to  the 
haibor.  The  harbor  itself  is  almost  entirely  surrounded  by  lulls,  and  is 
one  of  the  safest  and  most  excellent  in  the  world.  It  can  liold  the 
largest  fleets,  and  is  so  deep  that  the  most  gigantic  men-of-war  can  lie 
at  anchor  close  to  the  quays.  Sluices,  docks,  and  quays  have  been 
constructed  in  unlimited  splendor  and  magnilicence.  The  Avhole  of 
the  works  were  not  quite  linished,  and  there  Avas  an  unparalleled  activity 
aj)parcnt.  Thousands  of  men  were  busy  on  all  sides.  Among  the  work- 
men I  was  shown  many  of  the  captured  Polisli  nobles  who  had  been 
sent  here  as  a  i)unishment  for  their  attempt,  in  1831,  to  shake  oft"  the 
Ilussian  yoke.  Tiie  Avorks  of  the  fortress  and  the  barracks  arc  so  largo 
that  they  Avill  hold  about  thirty  thousand  men." 

From  Odessa  she  took  her  departure  for  Constantino] )le,  and  after 
visiting  the  ]»rincipal  object  of  interest  in  (Jreece,  completed  her  "  First 
Journey  round  the  World,"  by  returning  to  Vienna  on  the  1st  of 
November,  the  day  after  it  Avas  stormed  by  the  revolutionists  of  1848. 


SECOND    JOURNEY    ROUND    THE    WORLD. 

On  the  18th  of  March  1851,  Ida  PfeilTcr  onco  more  resumed  her 
journeyiiigs,  leaving  her  native  city  for  Loudon,  with  the  intention  of 
embarking  lor  Australia.  The  discoAcry  of  the  gold  fields  in  that  coun- 
try, hoAvever,  prevented  the  accomplishment  of  her  purpose,  as  the  rush 
of  emigrants  thither  Avas  so  great  as  to  enhance  the  cost  of  living  beyond 
her  restricted  means.  For  some  time  she  Avas  at  a  loss  as  to  what  part 
of  the  world  she  should  direct  her  steps,  but  at  length  deciding  in  tlivor 
of  the  Dutch  settlements  in  the  East  Indies,  she  set  sail  for  that  (juarter 
on  the  24th  of  May,  in  a  vessel  bound  for  the  Cape  of  CJood  Hope. 
After  a  voyage  of  seventy-five  days,  she  arrived  at  Cape  Town,  where 
she  remained  about  four  AA'ceks,  and  on  the  'J5th  of  August  sailed  for 
the  Straits  of  Sunda.  The  voyage  Avas  cf"  dieted  in  forty  days,  and 
sailing  through  the  Sea  of  JaA-a,  along  the  i  of  Sumatra,  she  reached 
Singapore  on  the  10th  of  November.  Froi..  ingn))ore,  she  proceeded 
t(»  the  Avest  coast  of  Borneo,  lor  the  piivpnse  of  visiting  Sarawak,  the 
ind"p('ndcnt  territory  of  the  English  Kajah  Brooke. 

After  exploring  this  region,  she  sla'led  on  the  Sth  of  January,  1852, 
for  a  circuitous  journey  by  land  and  Avater  for  Pontiannh,  a  Dutch 
colony  on  the  Avest  coast  of  Borneo.  The  routi'  lay  through  the  coun- 
try of  the  Dyaks,  a  nation  of  wild  and  savage  tribes,  among  whom  her 
life  Avas  supposed  to  be  not  free  from  danger.  She  performed  iIk;  journey, 


CANNIBAL    BATTAK.ERS    IN    SUxMATRA. 


8i5 


however,  •without  Tinusual  incojiveiiiencp,  ami  ou  the  (Uh  of  February, 
found  herself  safe  ami  i^ouml  at  I'oiitianali.  After  numerous  excursions 
into  the  interior,  she  enil)arke(l  fur  Batavia,  and  liavini^  visited  the 
most  important  objects  of  interest  on  the  ishmd  of  Java,  ]>roceoded  to 
Sumatra.  She  reached  Padantij,  the  cliief  town  of  tlu;  Dutch  settlo- 
ments  in  Sumatra,  on  the  lOtli  of  July,  and  shortly  after  commeiiced  a 
journey  to  the  interior  among  the  cannibal  IJattakers.  Her  acquahit- 
anee  strongly  advised  lier  against  this  project.  They  told  lier  that  iii 
1835,  two  American  missionaries,  Messrs.  Lyman  and  ]\[unson,  had  bci'u 
killed  and  eaten  by  the  Lattakers,  and  that  no  European  could  vcntiu'c 
among  them  Avithout  a  military  oscoit.  She,  however,  turned  a  deaf 
ear  to  their  protests.  On  the  inth  of  July  she  started  on  liorseback, 
and  in  ten  davs  reached  the  borders  of  the  Battaker  territory.  Here 
she  Avas  kiiully  entertained  by  the  comptroller  of  the  settlement,  who 
sent  for  the  regents  of  the  dilferent  villages,  in  order  to  speak  with  thern 
concernhig  her  intended  iournev. 

" In  the  eAcning,"  says  she,  " we  sat  in  solemn  conclave  surrounded 
by  regents,  and  by  a  great  crowd  of  the  jieople,  for  it  had  been  noised 
abroad  far  and  wide  that  here  was  a  while  woman  who  was  about  to 
venture  into  the  dreaded  countrv  of  the  Mild  Battakers.  lie^ents  and 
]ico])le  all  concurred  in  advising  me  to  renounce  so  perilous  a  project ; 
but  I  had  tolerably  well  made  up  my  mind  on  this  jKjint,  and  I  only 
wanted  to  be  satislied  as  to  one  thing,  namely,  whether  it  was  true,  as 
many  travelers  asserted,  that  the  Battakers  did  not  i)ut  their  victims 
out  of  their  pain  at  once,  but  tied  them  living  to  stakes,  and,  cutting 
pieces  oflfthem,  consumed  them  by  degrees  with  t')liacc()  and  salt.  The 
idea  of  this  slow  torture  did  a  little  frighten  me;  but  my  hearers  a'v^ured 
me,  with  one  ac  ord,  that  this  was  only  done  to  those  who  were  re- 
garded as  criminals  of  a  deep  dye,  and  who  had  been  on  that  ai  count 
condemned  to  death.  Prisoners  of  war  are  tied  to  a  tree  .-md  beheaded 
at  once ;  but  the  blood  is  carefully  jireserved  for  drinking,  and  some- 
times made  into  a  kind  of  pmlding  with  boiled  rice.  The  body  is  then 
distributed;  the  ears,  the  nose,  and  tlie  soles  of  the  leet  are  the  exclusive 
property  of  the  rajah,  who  has  besides  a  claim  on  other  portions.  Tiie 
palms  of  the  hands,  the  soles  y}f  the  feet,  the  ilesh  of  tlu!  head,  and  the 
heart  and  liver,  are  reckoned  ]»ecnliar  delicacies,  and  the  flesh  in  general 
is  roasted  and  eatc>n  with  salt.  The  regents  assured  me,  with  a  certain 
air  of  relish,  that  it  was  very  g'ood  tbod,  and  that  they  had  not  the  least 
objection  to  eat  it.  The  women  ai'c  not  allowt'd  to  take  }iart  in  these 
grand  public  dinners,  A  kind  of  medicinal  virtue  is  ascribed  to  the 
trees  to  which  prisoners  liavo  been  tied  when  they  have  been  put  to 
death,  and  the  stem  is  usually  cut  into  sticks  live  or  six  fe(>t  long,  carved 
into  iigures  or  arabes([ues,  and  decorated  with  humau  hair;  and  these 
ttticks  arc  taken  in  the  hand  by  pcojile  who  go  to  visit  the  sick,  or  when 
any  medicine  is  to  be  given." 

Resuming  lier  journey  the  next  day,   Ida  met  with  no  startling 


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TRAVELS    OF    IDA    PFEIFFPJR. 


adventure  until  tlie  13th  of  August,  ■\vhou  matters  began  to  assume 
rather  a  serious  aspect.  "  More  than  eighty  armed  men,"  says  she, 
"stood  in  the  patliway  and  barred  our  passage,  and  before  we  were 
aware  of  it,  their  spear-men  had  formed  a  circle  round  me  and  shut  me 
in,  looking  the  while  indescribably  terrible  and  savage.  They  were  tall 
robust  men,  full  six  feet  high :  their  features  showed  the  most  violent 
agitation,  and  their  huge  mouths  and  projecting  teeth  had  really  more 
reseml)lance  to  the  jaws  of  a  wild  beast  than  to  any  thing  human.  They 
yelled  and  made  a  dreadful  noise  about  me,  and  had  I  not  been  in  some 
measure  familiar  with  such  scenes,  I  should  have  felt  sure  that  mv  last 
hour  AVfS  at  hand.  I  Avas  really  micasy,  however:  the  scene  Avas  too 
frightful ;  but  I  never  lost  my  presence  of  mind.  At  first  I  sat  down  on 
a  stone  that  lay  near,  endeavoring  to  look  as  composed  and  confidential 
as  I  could ;  but  some  rajahs  then  came  up  to  me  Avith  Aery  threatening 
looks  and  gestures,  and  gave  mo  clearly  to  understand  that  if  I  did  not 
turn  back  they  Avould  kill  and  eat  me.  Their  Avnrds,  indeed,  I  did  not 
comprehend,  but  their  action  left  no  maimer  of  douljt,  for  they  pointed 
with  their  knives  to  my  throat,  and  gnashed  their  teeth  at  my  arm, 
moving  their  jaAA's  then,  as  if  they  already  had  them  full  of  my  fiesh. 
(Jf  course,  AA'hen  I  thought  of  coming  among  the  Avild  Battakers,  I  had 
anticipated  something  of  this  sort,  and  I  had  therefore  studied  a  little 
speech  in  their  language  for  such  an  occasion.  I  knew  if  J  could  say 
any  thing  that  Avould  amuse  them,  and  perhaps  make  them  laugh,  I 
should  have  a  great  advantage  over  them,  for  savages  arc  quite  like 
(iliildren,  and  the  merest  trifle  Avill  often  make  them  friends.  I  got  up, 
therefore,  and  patting  one  of  the  most  Aiolent,  Avho  stood  next  me, 
upon  the  shoulder  in  a  friendly  manner,  said,  A\it]i  a  smiling  fiiee,  in  a 
jargon  half  ^lalay  and  half  Battaker,  '  Why,  you  don't  mean  to  say 
you  Avould  kill  and  cat  a  Avoman,  especially  sucli  an  old  one  as  I  am! 
I  must  bo  very  hard  and  tough !'  And  I  also  gaAe  theni  by  signs  and 
AA'ords  to  und(>rstand  that  I  Avas  not  at  all  afraid  of  them,  and  Avas  ready, 
if  they  liked,  to  send  back  my  guide,  and  go  Avith  tliem  alone,  if  they 
Avould  only  take  me  as  far  as  the  Eier-Tan.  Fortunately  for  me,  the 
doubtless  \'cry  odd  AA'ay  in  Avhich  I  pronounced  their  language,  and  my 
])antomime,  diverted  them,  and  they  began  to  laugh.  l*erhaps,  also,  tho 
fearless  confidence  that  I  manifested  made  a  good  impression ;  they 
(lilered  mo  their  hands,  the  circle  of  spear-men  opened,  and,  rejoicing 
not  a  little  at  having  escaped  this  danger,  I  journeyed  on,  and  reached 
in  perfect  safety  a  place  called  Titrjala,  Avhero  tho  rajah  received  me  into 
his  house. 

After  travelinir  in  Sumatra  seven  htmdred  miles  on  horseback  and  ono 
liundred  and  fifty  on  foot,  she  returned  to  IJatavia,  ami  renewed  her  ex- 
plorations of  Java.  On  the  14th  of  December,  she  took  her  dejiarturo 
for  Macassar,  the  chief  settlement  of  the  Dutch  on  Celebes,  visited  tho 
]\Ic)hicca  Islands,  .and  returning  to  Batavia  on  tho  '22d  of  May,  185H,  em- 
burked  on  the  Cth  of  July  for  San  Francisco.    She  arrived  at  the  golden 


VISIT    TO    THE    UNITED    STATES,   ETC. 


847 


gato  on  the  2'7th  of  August,  soon  pushed  her  way  into  the  interior, 
visited  the  nortliern  settlements,  made  acquaintance  with  the  Oregon 
Indians,  and  returning  to  San  Francisco,  took  passage  for  Panama,  De- 
cember loth. 

After  celebrating  tlie  new  year  with  friends  at  Panama,  she  cm- 
barked  for  Lima,  where  she  arrived  on  the  19th,  and  took  up  her  resi- 
dence at  the  house  of  the  Hamburg  consul,  Mr.  Rodewald,  Thence  she 
proceeded  to  Quito,  Avhich  city  she  left  on  the  3d  of  April,  returned  to 
Panama,  and  on  the  31st  of  May  saded  from  Aspinwall  for  New  Or- 
leans. After  a  stay  of  three  weeks  in  that  city,  she  ascended  the  Missis- 
sipjn  as  far  as  St.  Paid,  crossed  the  country  to  Chicago,  and  at  Milwaukee 
took  passage  to  the  Sault  St.  Marie,  August  20th.  On  her  return,  she 
visited  Detroit,  Cleveland,  and  Biiflixlo,  arriving  at  the  Falls  of  Niagara 
on  the  10th  of  September.  After  a  short  visit  in  New  York  and  Boston, 
she  sailed  on  the  10th  of  November  for  Liverpool,  but  before  returning 
to  Vienna,  made  an  excursion  to  the  Azore  Islands,  where  she  passed 
the  winter,  took  a  hasty  glance  at  Lisbon,  and  returned  to  London  Juno 
14,  1854,  thus  hai)pily  ending  her  second  journey  round  the  world. 

So  far  from  being  satisfied  with  her  achievements,  Avhich  have  never 
been  e(inaled  by  any  female  traveler  before  her,  Ida  Pfeiffer  is  at  present 
(.Tune,  1850)  preparing  for  a  voyage  to  Madagascar.  She  is  a  small 
woman,  quiet  and  unpretending  in  her  manners,  tanned  and  weather- 
beaten  from  her  travels,  but  with  a  keen,  dark  eye,  denoting  the  bound- 
less enthusiasm  and  courage  which  sustain  her. 


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EXPLORATION  OF  THE  RIVER  AMAZON. 


JOURNEY    OP    LIEUTENANT    IIERNDON. 

LiKUTEXANT  "Wii.iJA^Nr  Lkwis  ITiiiiXDox  was  uttachecl  to  the  United 
States  sloop-ol-war  iMiKhlia^  of  the  Paeilic  siiuadron,  and  while  tliat 
vessel  was  lying  at  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  Valparaiso,  in  August,  l.SijO, 
he  received  a  communication  from  Lieutenant  Maurj-,  snpcrintendant  of 
the  National  Observatory,  informing  him  that  orders  to  explore  the 
valley  of  the  Amazon  would  bo  transmitted  to  him  by  the  next  mail- 
steamer.  On  the  kli  of  Aiiril,  18-1],  Lieutenant  Lra'dner  Gibbon,  of  the 
navy,  arrived  at  Lima  Avith  orders  from  tlio  Navy  Department  to  Lieu- 
tenant Ilerndon,  authorizing  liini  to  proceed  with  the  exploration,  and 
appointing  Lieutenant  Gibbon  to  assist  him  in  the  service.  After  much 
deliberation  it  was  resolved  to  di\ide  the  party,  and  Jiicutenant  Gibbon 
was  instructed  to  proceed  to  Cuzco  and  examine  the  country  eastward 
of  that  place,  to  ascertain  wliether  the  river  Madro  do  Dios  was  con- 
nected with  the  Purus  and  formed  a  navigable  communication  with  the 
Amazon,  or  should  this  route  be  impracticable,  to  pass  around  the 
southern  shores  of  Lake  Titicaca  to  La  Paz,  and  thence  by  Cochabamba 
to  the  Maraore,  and  descend  that  river  and  the  j\Iadeira  to  the  Amazon. 

"That  the  rains  might  be  entirely  over  and  tlie  roads  on  the  mend 
in  the  Cordillera,"  says  Lieutenant  Ilerndon,  "  I  fixpd  u])on  the  20tli  of 
May  as  the  day  of  departure,  and  Mr.  Gibbon  and  I  set  about  making 
the  necessary  preparation.  I  engaged  the  services  of  Don  JNIanuel  Ijurra, 
a  youn-';  Peruvian,  who  had  made  the  voyage  down  the  Amazon  a  few 
years  before,  as  interpreter  to  the  Indians;  and  Captain  Gauntt,  of  the 
irigate  lian'taii  then  lying  in  the  harbor  of  Callao,  was  kind  enough  to 
give  mc  a  young  master's  mate  from  his  sliip,  named  llicliards ;  besides 
supplying  me  with  carbines,  pistols,  ammunition,  and  a  tent.  Captain 
Magruder,  of  the  iSf.  M<iri/\%  also  offered  me  any  thing  that  the  ship 
could  supply,  and  furnished  me  with  more  arms,  and  fifteen  hundred 
fathoms  of  the  fishing-line  now  put  on  board  ships  for  deep-sea  sound- 
ings."' 

The  (micro  was  ordered  to  bring  the  mules  on  the  20th,  but  when 


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KXPLOllATToN    OF    T  UK    IlIVKU    AMAZON. 


he  found  tliis  wus  Tiiosday  lie  said  it  was  Mti  luiltu-ky  day,  and  botyj^cd 
tliom  to  be  ready  liy  ]\Ioiiday,  wliicli  was  hu'ky.  This  roiild  imt  bo 
done,  thoroforc  on  AVcdncsday,  llu^  L'lst  of  3[ay,  tlicy  k)adcd  up,  after 
beins^  fiiiaiiy  ol)liged  to  bribe  tlio  old  Ic'llow  lo  take  on  all  the  ba<j;gaj;(>, 
■which  he  represented  to  be  too  much  for  his  beasts.  The  party  Avas 
.short  of  a  servant,  and  the  intiles  Avere  overloaih'd,  but  Licuitcnant 
Herndon  -was  unwilling  to  delay,  and  after  a  hard  mornitisjf's  Avork  in 
drumming  up  the  Peruvi.-m  i)art  of  the  exi)edition,  he  took  the  l)road, 
beaten  road  Avhich  ascends  the  riA'cr  Tlimao. 

On  the  25th  they  left  the  coast  district  and  entered  that  call(>d  the 
SiiM'ra,  the  clhnatc  of  Avhich  is  said  to  1)0  one  perpetual  spring.  Their 
encampment  here  AA'as  in  a  beautiful  dell  entirely  and  closely  surroinided 
by  moimtains,  Avith  the  snowy  summits  of  the  Cordillera,  in  sight  at  a 
short  distance.  "The  nights  in  the  Cordillera  at  this  season,"  says 
Ilerndon,  "are  A'ery  beautiful.  The  traveler  feels  that  he  is  lifted  above 
the  impurities  of  the  lower  strata  of  the  atmosphere,  and  is  breathing 
air  entirely  free  from  taint.  lAAas  noA'er  tired  of  gazing  into  the  glorious 
sky,  Avhicli,  less  blue,  I  think,  than  ours,  yet  seemed  palpable — a  dome 
of  steel  lit  up  by  the  stars.  The  stars  themselves  sparkled  Avith  intense 
brilliancy.  A  small  pocket  spy-glass  shoA\-ed  the  satellites  of  Jupiter 
Avith  distinctness ;  and  Gibbon  even  declared  on  one  occasion  that  ho 
could  see  them  A\'ith  the  naked  eye.  The  temperature  is  noAV  getting 
cool,  and  I  slept  cold  last  night,  though  with  all  my  clothes  on,  and  cov- 
ered Avith  tAA'o  parts  of  a  lieavy  blanket  and  a  Avoolen  poncho." 

On  the  2d  of  June,  at  two  o'clock,  they  reached  the  highest  point 
of  the  road.  Here  the  peaks  of  the  Cordillera  presented  the  appear- 
ance of  a  hilly  country  on  a  Avinter-day ;  and  their  snoAA'y  tops  con- 
trasted Avith  the  bright  green  of  the  lower  ranges,  and  the  placid  lakes 
Avhich  lay  snug  and  still  in  their  midst.  While  Gibbon  sketched  the 
Cordillera,  and  Ilerndon  Avas  boiling  snoAV  for  the  atmospheric  pressure, 
poor  Richards  lay  shivering  on  the  ground,  enveloped  in  pZ/fo/i."?,  a  mar- 
tyr to  the  veta.  The  sickness  caused  by  i-arity  of  the  atmosphere  at 
great  elcA-ations  is  called  veta,  or  vein,  l)y  the  Indians,  because  they 
believe  it  is  caused  by  A-eins  of  metal  dilfusing  a  poisonous  infection. 
"  It  is  remarkable  ,"  observes  Ilerndon,  "  that  although  this  affection 
must  bo  caused  by  absent'o  of  atmospheric  pressure,  yet  in  no  case  ex- 
ce{)t  this  (and  Richards  Avas  ill  before)  has  it  been  felt  at  the  greatest 
elevation,  but  always  at  a  jioint  below.  The  affection  displays  itself 
in  a  violent  headache,  Avith  the  veins  of  the  head  swollen  and  turgid,  a 
difficulty  of  respiration,  and  cold  extremities.  I  did  not  observe  that 
our  animals  Averc  affected,  though  they  trembled  and  breathed  hard, 
AA-hich,  I  think,  Avas  attributable  to  the  steepness  of  the  hill  up  Avhich  -wa 
rode.  The  barometer  stood  at  1 0.730,  indicating  an  elevation  of  Mxteen 
thousand  and  forty-four  feet.  Water  boiled  at  182°  5';  temperature  of 
the  air  43°." 

The  road  thence  cut  along  the  flank  of  the  moimtain,  at  Avhoso  base 


THE    I'UY-PTJY    MOUNTAIN. 


853 


was  a  Bcrios  of  beautiful  lakes.  Thou<:;li  not  sixty  miles  from  the  Pacific, 
they  liatl  crossed  the  great  tlividing  liJge,  and  the  waters  at  their  feet 
llowed  into  the  Atlantic. 

lu  the  evening  they  arrived  at  iNIorocoeha,  and  next  morning  all 
■went  to  see  the  mountain  of  Pinj-]nn/,  said  to  bo  Jiigher  than  Chimbo- 
razo.  The  place  of  view,  about  three  miles  distant,  was  gained  by  a 
most  toilsome  ascent,  but  the  magniticence  of  the  scene  amply  repaid 
their  labors.  A  lofty,  conical  mouniain,  covered  Avith  snow  to  the 
cylindrical  base  on  which  it  rested,  rose  in  solitary  majesty  from  the 
plain  beneath  them.  Gibbon  almost  froze  in  taking  a  sketch  of  it,  and 
the  rest  of  the  party  tired  themselves  nearly  to  de.ath  in  trying  to  get  a 
shot  at  a  herd  of  shy  vicunas  ■which  wore  feeding  among  the  distant 
rocks.  They  had  a  fatiguuig  ride,  and  enjoyed  a  late  dinner  and  a  good 
night's  rest. 

On  the  Gth,  they  gradually  descended  into  the  region  of  vegetation, 
and  arrived  in  the  afternoon  at  the  little  city  of  Tarma,  which  was  hailed 
with  delight  as  a  resting-place,  after  llio  t(Mlious  j)assiige  of  the  Cordil- 
lera. From  Tarma  they  made  an  excursion  to  Fort  San  Ramon  on  the 
Chanchamayo,  during  which  jNIr.  (iibbon  made  a  narrow  escape.  He 
was  riding  ahead  on  a  road  cut  round  a  precipice  several  hundred  feet 
deep,  when  suddenly  at  a  turn  before  him  a  bull  appeared,  foil  / wed  by 
Bcveral  cattle,  while  the  drivers  could  bo  heard  fur  behind,  urging  on 
the  herd.  It  was  too  late  to  retreat;  the  bull,  Avith  lowered  crest,  and 
savage,  sullen  look,  had  come  on  and  ])laced  his  head  between  the 
perpendicular  rock  and  the  neck  of  Gibbon's  mule,  Avhen  the  sagacious 
beast,  pressing  her  liaunches  hard  against  the  wall,  gathered  her  feet 
close  under  her  and  turned  as  upon  a  pivot.  This  placed  the  bull  on 
the  outside,  and  he  rushed  by,  followed  by  tlui  rest  of  tlie  herd  in 
single  file. 

It  was  now  determined  to  divide  the  party ;  to  Gibbon  was  assigned 
the  task  of  exploring  the  Bolivian  tributaries,  while  Ilerndon  took  the 
head-watera  and  main  trunk  of  the  Amazon.  It  was  a  bold  undertaking, 
for  the  party  was  already  small;  but  the  prosi)ect  of  <overing  such  an 
extent  of  territory,  and  gaining  a  knowledge  of  countries  and  rivers  so 
little  known,  prevailed  over  every  objection.  The  equipage,  Indian 
presents,  arms  and  ammunition,  instruments,  etc.,  were  divided,  and 
Gibbon  was  directed  to  hire  a  guide  ui  Tarma,  and  as  soon  as  Iticharda 
should  be  able  to  travel,  to  start  for  Cuzco. 

Ilerndon  set  out  with  his  party  on  the  1st  of  July,  and  at  the  en- 
trance of  the  valley  of  Acobamba  took  leave  of  Gibbon,  who  returned 
to  make  the  necessary  arrangements  for  his  expedition.  He  was  much 
affected  at  parthig  with  his  friend,  whom  he  felt  that  he  w^as  exposing 
to  unknown  perils,  while  depriving  himself  of  a  pleasant  companion, 
and  a  most  efficient  auxiliary. 

On  the  2d  they  rode  over  the  hill  called  "  Cuesta  de  la  Veta,"  be- 
cause of  the  sickness  travelers  suffer  in  passing  it.     The  ascent  brought 


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EXPLORATION    OF    THE    RIVER    AMAZON. 


lliem  to  the  i)l;iiii  ofJunin,  -svhoio,  on  tlio  Otii  of  August,  1824,  Bolivar 
defeated  the  Spaniards.  Half  an  liour's  rido  brouglit  into  view  the 
Western  Cordillera,  the  Laki;  Cliincliayooelia,  and  the  iiyrainitl  ercotod 
by  the  Prefect  Mariano  Kivero,  to  oonimoniorato  the  batllo.  On  the 
Gth,  they  reached  the  mining-town  of  Cerro  I'asco,  among  the  hills  of 
the  Western  Cordillera.  It  is  a  most  curiousdooking  place,  entirely 
lionoy-cond)cd,  and  having  the  mouths  of  mines  ga})iiig  everywhere. 
Tlie  hill  of  Sanla  Catalina,  from  -which  the  best  view  is  ol>tauied,  is 
penetrated  in  every  direction.  Vast  pits,  called  "Tajos,"  surround  this 
bill,  from  which  millions  of  silver  have  been  taken ;  and  the  miners  ire 
still  burrowing,  like  so  m.any  rabbits,  in  the  bottoms  and  .sides.  Im- 
mediately after  leavhig  the  (.\'rro,  on  the  13th,  tliey  passed,  close  at 
hand,  a  marshy  spot  ol"  ground  Avhicb  had  some  intcri'st  for  them,  as 
they  were  not  to  quit  the  Avaters  Avhich  tlu>y  saw  trickling  in  tiny 
streams  from  it,  until,  swelled  by  many  othcM-s,  they  poured  themselves 
into  the  Atlantic  by  a  mouth  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles  broad.  This 
•was  the  Bource  of  the  Iluallaga,  one  of  the  bead  tributaries  of  the 
Amazon. 

lluanuco,  which  they  reached  on  the  10th,  is  one  of  the  most  ancient 
cities  of  Peru.  It  is  pleasantly  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  ITuannco, 
or  Iluallaga  Iliver,  \\hich  is  here  about  forty  yards  vide,  and  was  at  this 
time  (the  dry  se:iM)n)  about  two  feet  deep.  Kcsuming  their  journey  on 
the  'JL'd,  they  came  on  the  1st  of  August  to  Juana  del  Kio,  a  settlement 
of  five  or  six  houses,  liut  as  the  liouses  were  all  shut  up,  they  crossed 
the  river  and  Avalked  down  about  a  half  a  mile  to  the  pueblo  of  San  An- 
tonio del  Tingo  ^laria.  TIikjo  is  the  Indian  name  lor  the  junction  of 
two  rivers,  the  Monzon  emptying  into  the  iluallaga  just  above  tho 
town.  Hero  they  jtreparcd  to  embark  on  the  river,  which  was  a  hun- 
dred yards  broad,  and  smooth,  and  deep.  After  breakfist  on  the  4th 
the  governor  and  his  Avife,  Avith  some  acquaintances  of  the  party,  accom- 
panied them  to  tho  river,  "After  loading  tho  canoes,"  says  Ilerndon, 
"the  governor  made  a  short  address  to  tho  canoemen,  telling  them  that 
"WO  '  were  no  common  persons ;  that  they  were  to  have  a  special  care  of 
us ;  to  l»e  very  obedient,  etc.,  and  that  he  would  put  up  daily  prayers 
for  their  safe  return  ;'  wliereupon,  aftt'r  a  glass  all  round,  from  a  bottle 
brought  down  specially  by  our  hostess,  and  a  Iiearty  embrace  of  tho 
governor,  his  lady,  and  my  fat  friend  of  the  night  before,  we  embarked 
and  shoved  off.  AVe  had  two  canoes ;  the  largest  al)out  forty  feet  long, 
by  two  and  a  half  broad  ;  hollowed  out  from  a  single  log,  and  maniuul 
each  by  live  men  and  a  boy.  They  are  conducted  by  txpinifcro  or  bow- 
man, who  looks  out  for  rocks  or  simken  trees  ahead  ;  n  poprro,  or  steers- 
man, who  stands  on  a  little  platform  at  the  stern  of  tlu'  boat  and  guides 
her  MolioTis;  and  th(!  hof/an,  or  rowers,  who  stand  iq>  to  ])addle,  having 
one  foot  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat  and  the  other  on  the  gunwale. 
When  the  river  was  smooth  and  free  from  obstru<'tions.  wi'  drilled  with 
tho  current;  the  men  bitting   on  the  trunks  and  bo.xes,  chatting  and 


1 1 


I 


''EL    ALMA    PERDIDA." 


855 


laughing  with  each  other ;  but,  as  we  npi)ro.icheJ  a  mal-paso,  their 
Bcrious  looks,  and  the  lirm  position  in  wiiioh  each  one  planted  himself  at 
hia  post  showed  that  work  was  to  bo  doru;." 

On  the  12th  they  arrived  at  tlio  port  of  Calsnyacu  and  slept  at  the 
pueblo,  which  Avas  half  a  mile  from  tlu^  port,  and  consisted,  as  usual,  of 
one  house.  At  the  \illago  of  Lupuna,  the  port  of  Pachiza,  where  they 
arrived  on  th"  IHh,  the  women  were  engaged  in  spinning;  the  balls  of 
cotton  thread  which  they  manufacture  being  generally  used  as  currency. 
When  they  Iiad  retired  to  their  mats  beneath  the  shed  for  the  night, 
Ilerndon  asked  the  governor  if  he  knew  a  bird  called  el  alma  2n'rdula. 
As  the  latter  did  not  know  it  by  name,  the  former  whistled  an  imitation 
of  its  notes,  Avhereui)on  an  old  woman  on  a  mat  near  them  related,  with 
animated  tones  and  gestures,  a  story  in  the  Inca  language,  the  substance 
of  which  was  that  an  Indian  .and  his  wife  once  went  out  from  the  village 
to  work,  taking  their  child  with  them ;  that  the  Avoman  Avcnt  to  the 
spring  for  water,  and  finding  it  dried  up,  Avent  further  to  look  for  an- 
other. The  husband,  alarmed  at  lier  long  absence,  lell  the  child  and 
wont  in  search  of  her.  When  they  returned,  the  child  was  gone  ;  and 
to  their  repeated  cries  as  they  wandered  through  the  Avoods  the  only 
response  Avas  the  Availing  cry  of  this  little  bird,  heard  for  the  first  time, 
whose  notes  their  excited  imagination  syllabled  into  ]>a-p<t  ina-nuf,  the 
present  Quichua  name  of  the  bird.  This  story  had  probably  suggested 
to  the  Spaniards  the  name  of"  the  lost  soul." 

At  Tarapoto  they  mot  a  fellow-countryman  named  Hackett,  cm- 
ployed  in  making  copper  k(  ttles  tor  distilling,  and  in  all  kinds  of  smith 
and  foundry  Avork;  he  had  adopted  the  habits  and  manners  of  the  peo- 
ple and  sijcmed  settled  in  the  country  for  life.  An  American  circus 
company  had  passed  through  Tarapoto  a  few  months  before  ;  they  had 
come  fionx  the  Pacitic  coast  and  Avero  hound  doAvn  the  Amazon,  It 
seemed  probable  that  the  adventure  did  not  p.ay,  as  Ilerndon's  party 
encountered  traces  of  them,  in  broken-down  horses,  at  several  villages 
on  the  river.     They  Hoated  their  horses  down  on  rafts. 

Chasuta,  the  port  of  the  district  of  Tara))oto,  is  an  Indian  village 
of  twelve  hundred  inhabitants,  "These  Indians,"  says  Ilerndon,  "are 
a  gentle,  quiet  race ;  very  doiilo,  and  very  obedient  to  their  priest, 
always  snhiting  him  by  kneeling  and  kissing  his  hand.  They  are  tolera- 
bly good  boatmen,  btit  excel  as  hunters.  Like  all  the  Indians,  they  are 
mnch  addicted  to  ilrink,  I  have  noticed  that  tlie  Indians  of  this  country 
are  reluctant  to  shed  blood,  and  seem  to  have  a  horror  of  its  .••ight.  I 
have  known  them  to  turn  away  to  avoi<l  killing  a  chicken,  Avhcn  it  Avas 
presented  to  one  for  that  i)urpose.  An  Indian  whom  Ijurra  struck  did 
not  complain  of  the  pain  of  the  blow,  but,  bitterly  and  repeatedly,  that 
liis  blood  bad  b(>en  slied.  They  eat  mosquitoes  that  they  catch  on  their 
bodies,  with  the  idea  of  restoring  the  blood  Avhich  the  insect  has  ab- 
stract cd." 

Uelow  Yurimaguas,  toward  the  close  of  August,  they  entered  the  lake 


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856 


EXPLORATION    OF  THE    RIVER    AMAZON 


country  ;  and  honce  to  tlie  mouth  of  the  Amazon,  lakes  of  various  sizes, 
and  at  irregular  distances,  border  the  rivers.  They  all  communicate 
with  the  rivers  by  channels,  which  are  commonly  dry  in  the  dry  season. 
They  are  the  resort  of  immense  numbers  of  water-fowl,  particularly 
cranes  and  cormorants ;  and  the  Indians,  at  the  proper  season,  take 
many  fish  and  turtles  from  them.  Many  of  these  lakes  arc,  according 
to  traditions  of  the  Indians,  guarded  by  an  immense  serpent,  which  is 
able  to  raise  such  a  tempest  in  the  lake  as  to  swamp  their  canoes,  when 
it  immediately  swallows  the  people.  It  is  called  in  the  Inca  language, 
"  Yacu  Mama,"  or  mother  of  the  waters  ;  and  the  Indians  never  enter  a 
lake  with  which  they  are  not  familiar  tliat  they  do  not  set  up  an  ob- 
streperous clamor  with  their  horns,  which  the  snake  is  said  to  answer. 

"  On  the  3d  of  September,"  continues  Ilerndon,  "  we  arrived  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Iluallaga.  Several  islands  occupy  the  middle  of  it.  The 
channel  runs  near  the  left  bank.  Near  the  middle  of  the  river  wo  had 
nine  feet ;  passing  toward  the  loft  bank  we  suddenly  fell  into  forty-five 
feet.  The  Iluallaga,  just  above  the  island,  is  three  hundred  and  fifty 
yards  wide ;  the  Amazon,  at  the  junction,  five  hundred.  The  water  of 
both  rivers  is  very  muddy  and  filthy,  particularly  that  of  the  former, 
which  for  some  distance  within  the  mouth  is  covered  with  a  glutin- 
ous scum,  that  I  take  to  be  the  excrement  of  fish,  probably  that  of 
porpoises. 

"The  Iluallaga,  from  Tingo  JMaria,  the  head  of  canoe  navigation,  to 
Chasuta  (from  which  point  to  its  mouth  it  is  navigable  for  a  draught  of 
five  feet  .it  the  lowest  stage  of  the  river),  is  three  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  miles  lung- ;  costing  seventy-four  working-hours  to  descend  it ;  and 
falling  four  feet  and  twenty-seven  hundredths  per  mile.  From  Chasuta 
to  its  mouth  it  has  two  hundred  and  eighty-five  miles  of  length,  and 
takes  sixty-eight  hours  of  descent,  lallmg  one  foot  rnd  twenty-five  hun- 
dredths per  mile. 

"  We  now  entered  upon  the  main  trunk  of  the  Amazon.  The  march 
of  the  great  river  in  its  silent  grandeur  was  sublime ;  in  tho  untamed 
might  of  its  turbid  waters  as  they  cut  away  its  banks,  tore  do^vn  tho 
gigantic  denizens  of  the  forest,  and  built  up  islands,  it  was  awful.  It 
rolled  through  tho  wilderness  with  a  stately  and  solemn  air.  Its  waters 
looked  angry,  sullen,  and  relentless ;  and  the  whole  scene  awoke  emo- 
tions of  awe  and  dread — such  as  arc  caused  by  tho  funeral  solemnities, 
the  minute  gun,  the  howl  of  tho  wind,  and  the  angry  tossing  of  tho 
waves,  when  all  hands  are  called  to  bury  the  dead  in  a  troubled  sea." 

They  reached  Nauta  about  noon  on  the  0th,  having  traveled  two 
hundred  and  ten  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  Iluallaga.  Hero  they 
purchased  a  boat,  thirty  feet  long,  and  engaged  twelve  rowers  and  a 
poporo,  and  set  them  to  work  to  fit  it  up  with  decks  and  coverings,  pre- 
paratory to  exploring  the  Ucayali.  They  started  on  the  25th,  and  an 
hour  afterward  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  iroayali.  This  is  a  beautiful 
Btrcam,  with  low,  Hhelving,  green  banks  at  ita  mouth.   Being  the  largest 


AimiVAL    AT    TIIK    BRAZILIAN    FRONTIER. 


857 


tributary  above  Brazil  it  is  called  by  some  the  main  trunk  of  the  Ama- 
zon, but  it  is  not  more  than  half  as  wide  at  its  mouth  as  the  latter  river. 
They  ascen-'  ""  tlic  Ucayali  as  far  as  Sarayacu,  M'here  they  arrived  on 
the  18th  v  ctobor.  This  was  a  neat-looking  Indian  village  of  about 
a  thousand  i;ihabitants,  under  the  government  of  Franciscan  friars,  of 
the  college  of  Oeopa.  llerndon  had  intended  to  continue  as  far  as 
Chanchamayo,  and  also  to  examine  the  Pachitca,  but  he  could  not  find 
men  enough  at  Sarayacu  who  were  willing  to  go  at  that  season,  and 
was  obliged  to  desist  from  further  explorations  in  that  direction.  On 
this  occasion  he  observes :  "  I  felt,  in  turning  my  boat's  head  down 
stream,  that  the  pleasure  and  excitement  of  the  expedition  were  passed; 
that  I  Avas  done,  and  had  done  nothing.  I  became  ill  and  dispirited, 
and  never  fairly  recovered  the  gayety  of  temper  and  elasticity  of  spirit 
which  had  animated  mo  at  the  start  until  I  received  the  congratulations 
of  my  friends  at  home." 

They  left  Sarayacu  on  the  28th,  and  in  eight  days  made  the  descent 
to  Xauta,  wliich  had  cost  them  twenty-three  in  the  ascent — the  distance 
from  Sarayacu  to  the  mouth  of  the  river  being,  by  the  channel,  two 
hundred  and  seventy  miles.  Two  of  the  men  deserted  at  Nauta,  al- 
though paid  as  far  as  Pebas ;  and  fearing  to  lose  more,  llerndon  col- 
lected the  few  Ijirds  and  animals  he  had  left  here,  and  started  on  the 
evening  of  November  5th.  On  the  8th,  he  arrived  at  the  moutli  of  the 
Xapo ;  found  it  two  hundred  yards  broad,  thirty-five  to  forty  feet  deep, 
and  of  a  gentle  current.  At  Chorocoeha,  a  settlement  just  below  the 
Napo,  he  breakfasted  with  some  Nauta  friends,  who  were  here  salting 
fish,  and  proceeding  thence  down  the  river  ho  arrived  at  Pebas  next 
day.  He  remained  a  fortnight  in  this  vicinity,  where  he  greatly  in- 
creased his  collection  of  animals. 

On  the  4th  of  December  he  reached  Tabatinga,  the  frontier  of  Bra- 
zil. The  American  ilag  floated  over  the  boat,  and  when  it  was  descried 
at  Tabatinga,  the  Brazilian  flag  was  hoisted  at  that  place,  llerndon 
landed  in  uniform  and  was  received  by  the  commandant,  also  in  uniform, 
to  wliom  he  presented  his  Brazilian  passport.  As  soon  as  his  rank  was 
ascertained  ho  was  saluted  with  seven  guns.  The  commandant  used 
much  stately  ceremony  toward  him,  but  never  left  him  a  moment  to 
himself  until  he  was  safely  in  bed  on  board  his  boat.  lie  insisted  en 
fiunishing  llerndon  with  a  boat  in  place  of  his  own,  wlueh  he  said  was 
not  large  enough  for  the  navigation  of  tlie  lower  part  of  the  Am.izon. 
llerndon  at  first  <leclined,  biit  finding  that  the  law  of  the  empire  forbids 
foreign  vessels  to  navigate  its  interior  waters,  he  accepted  the  proposi- 
tion, and  exchanged  boats ;  thus  eiud)ling  the  commandant  to  say,  in 
the  frontier  ])assport  which  lie  issued  to  llerndon,  that  the  latter  Avas 
descending  the  river  hi  a  Brazilian  vessel. 

The  party  resunu'd  their  joiuney  after  noon  on  the  Cth.  They 
passed  the  mouth  of  the  I<;a  toward  evening  on  the  0th,  and  fomul  it  a 
fine-looking  river,  half  a  milo  broad  at  the  mouth,  and  opening  into  an 


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858 


EXPLORATION    OP    THE    RIVEll    AMAZON. 


estuary  of  a  mile  in  width.  It  was  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight  feet 
deep,  and  had  a  current  of  two  and  three  quarter  miles  an  hour.  On 
the  14th  they  passed  tlio  Jurua,  Avliich  is  half  a  mile  wide  at  its  mouth. 
The  Amazon  at  this  point  is  a  mile  and  a  quarter  wide.  Concerning 
the  Indians  of  the  Jurud,  M.  Castolnau  has  some  curious  stories,  and 
gives  the  following  passage  from  Padre  Noronho :  "  The  Indians,  Cm(' 
amas  and  l^r/iiias,  live  near  the  sources  of  the  river.  The  first  are  of 
very  short  stature,  scarcely  exceeding  five  palms  (about  three  and  a 
half  feet),  and  the  last  (of  this  there  is  no  doubt)  have  tails,  and  are 
produced  by  a  mixture  of  Indians  and  Coata  monkeys.  Whatever  may 
be  the  cause  of  this  fact,  I  am  led  to  give  it  credit  for  three  reasons : 
first,  because  there  is  no  physical  reason  why  men  should  not  have  tails ; 
secondly,  because  many  Indians,  whom  I  have  interrogated  regarding 
this  thing,  have  assured  me  of  the  fact,  telling  mc  that  the  tail  was  a  palm 
and  a  half  long  ;  and,  thirdly,  because  the  Ileverend  Father  Friar  Jose  de 
Santa  Theresa  Kibeiro,  a  Carmelite,  and  curate  of  Castro  de  Avclaeus,  as- 
sured me  that  he  saw  the  same  tlung  in  an  Indian  who  came  from  Japura." 

On  the  IGth  they  encamped  on  an  island  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Jupura.  At  this  place  Ilerndon  estimates  the  width  of  the  Amazon  to 
be  four  or  five  miles.  It  is  separated  into  several  channels  by  islands. 
Next  day  they  arrived  at  Egas,  where  they  remained  until  the  2Sth. 
They  now  parted  with  the  Sarayacu  boatmen,  who  though  lazy  enough, 
were  active  and  diligent  compared  with  the  stupid  and  listless  Ticunas 
who  were  engaged  to  succeed  them.  Still  floating  onward  down  the 
river  they  entered  the  Rio  Xegro  on  the  evenuig  of  January  5th,  1852. 
"Wo  were  nuide  aware  of  our  approacli  to  it,"  says  Ilerndon,  "before 
getting  into  the  mouth.  The  right  bank  at  the  mouth  is  broken  into 
islands,  and  the  black  water  of  the  Negro  runs  through  the  channels  be- 
tween these  islands  and  alternates,  in  patches  (refusing  to  mingle),  with  the 
muddy  waters  of  the  Amazon.  The  entrance  is  broad  and  suj)erb.  It  is 
far  the  largest  tributary  of  the  Amazon  I  have  yet  seen ;  and  I  estimate 
its  width  at  the  mouth  at  two  miles.  There  has  been  no  exaggeration  in 
the  description  of  travelers  regarding  the  blackness  of  its  water.  Lieu- 
tenant Maw  describes  it  perfectly  when  he  says  it  looks  like  black  mar- 
ble. It  well  deser\e3  the  name  of  ' Rio  Negro.'  AVhon  taken  up  in  a 
tumbler,  the  water  is  a  light-red  color,  like  a  pale  juniper  water;  and  I 
shuuld  think  it  colored  by  some  su<!h  berry.  A  body  immersed  in  it 
has  the  color,  though  wanting  the  brilliancy,  of  red  Bohemian  glass." 

Next  day  they  arrived  at  Rarra,  the  capital  of  the  i)roviiico  of  Ama- 
zonas.  During  a  sojomn  of  six  weeks  at  this  place,  Ilerndon  obtained 
much  useful  informal  ion  respecting  the  country  and  its  productions,  and 
the  character  of  the  rivers  Negro  and  Funis.  Having  sent  INIr.  Oibbon 
to  look  for  tlu>  head  waters  of  the  I'urus,  he  had  hoped  to  ascend  it  from 
its  mouth,  but  now  he  was  too  mu  ■■  "vhausted  to  undergo  the  hard- 
ship and  exposure  necessary  for  a  thorough  examination  of  the  river. 

Having  had  the  boat  thoroughly  repaired,  and  well  fitted  with  palm 


BRAZILIAN    PUNCTUALITY. 


859 


coverings,  ho  sailed  from  Barms  on  tlie  1 8th  of  February.  Ninety  miles 
Lelow,  his  boat  was  nia<lo  fast  for  the  night  to  some  bushes  on  tlic  low, 
Avestern  bank  of  the  Madeira.  A  largo  island  occupies  the  middle  of 
the  Amazon,  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Madeira,  and  the  latter  is 
divided  by  a  smaller  island.  Tiio  Avesteni  mouth  is  three-quarters  of  a 
mile  wide  ;  the  eastern  one  a  mile  and  a  quarter.  Ilerndon  looked  long 
and  earnestly  for  the  broad  L  that  (lildjon  was  to  cut  on  a  tree  at  the 
mouth  of  whatever  tributary  he  should  deseeiul,  in  hopes  that  he  had 
already  come  down  the  Madeira,  and,  not  being  able  to  go  up  stream 
to  Barra,  had  gone  on  down  ;  but  it  was  nowhere  to  be  seen. 

On  the  1st  of  March  the  parly  entered  the  mouth  of  the  Tapnjos  and 
•arrived  at  Santarem.  This  city  is  four  hundred  and  sixty  miles  from 
the  Kio  Negro  and  six  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  the  sea.  It  is  the 
largest  town  in  the  province,  after  Para ;  the  official  returns  giving 
it  over  six  thousand  five  hundred  inhabitants,  of  whom  nearly  fifteen 
hundred  are  .slaves.  Ilerndon,  however,  estimates  the  population  at 
about  two  thousand,  all  the  planters  for  miles  around,  and  all  the 
tapuios  engaged  in  the  navigation  of  the  river,  being  included  in  the 
ollicial  returns. 

Ilerndon  left  Santarem  ou  the  28th  of  March,  in  the  evening.  The 
delegado,  whose  men  were  employed  in  building,  could  muster  him 
only  three  tapuios  and  a  i)ilot,  and  luvd,  moreover,  no  conception  that  he 
would  sail  on  the  day  appointed ;  as  the  people  of  the  country  never  do, 
by  any  chance.  He  proceeded,  however,  without  delay,  and  floated 
rapidly  on  toward  the  mouth  of  the  immense  river.  At  ( Jurupu,  about 
five  hundred  miles  from  the  sea,  the  river  is  ten  miles  wide,  and  the  tide 
is  very  apparent.  About  thirty-five  miles  below  Gurupa  connniMices  the 
great  estuary  of  the  Amazon.  Tiie  river  suddenly  flares  out  into  an  im- 
mense bay,  which  is  probably  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  across  in  its 
widest  part.  This  might  appropriately  be  called  the  "  Bay  of  the  Thou- 
sand Islands,"  for  it  is  cut  up  into  innumerable  channels.  The  great 
island  of  Marajo,  Avhich  contains  about  ten  thousand  square  miles,  occu- 
pies nearly  the  center  of  it,  and  divides  the  river  into  two  great  chan- 
nels: one,  the  main  chaimel  of  the  Amazon,  which  runs  out  by  Cayenne; 
and  the  other,  and  smaller  one,  the  river  of  Para. 

Entering  these  intricate  cliannels,  Ilerndon  and  his  party  arrived  at 
the  jNIojii,  upon  which  forty-five  miles  of  descent  brought  them  to  the 
junction  of  the  Aoani,  which  comes  in  from  the  south-east.  The  estuary 
fi)rmed  by  the  Junction  is  called  the  river  (luajara.  The  descent  (jf  tho 
Cjuajarii,  brought  them  to  the  Pani  Kiver,  five  miles  above  the  city, 
Avhere  they  arrived  in  the  evening,  on  the  11th  of  April,  Ilerndon  was 
Bo  Avorn  out  when  they  arrivt  1  that  instead  of  g<iing  to  tlie  constd's 
liouse  fi)r  letters  which  he  l;,:'w  nuist  be  then>,  he  anchored  in  the 
stream,  and  wrapping  himself  in  liis  blanket,  went  to  sleep.  On  tho  I'ith 
of  i\ray  he  end)arked  in  the  United  States  brig  Jhilphin,  having  previously 
shipped  his  collections  ou  board  of  Norris'a  clipper  bark  the  Peerless. 


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860  EXPLORATION    OF    THE    RIVER    AMAZON. 


JOURNEY    OF   LIEUTENANT    GIBBON. 

On  the  9th  of  July,  1851,  Lieutenant  Gibbon  left  Tarma  and  turned 
south-east,  accompanied  by  Henry  C.  Richards,  a  native  of  Virginia, 
and  Joso  Casas,  a  Peruvian  of  Spanish  descent.  A  mestizo  arriero,  with 
his  little  son,  drove  their  train  of  mules.  The  route  lay  over  an  elevated 
mountain  district,  in  -which  they  presently  came  in  sight  of  the  great 
valley  of  Juaja,  stretching  away  to  tho  south.  High,  snow-covered 
peaks  bounded  the  eastern  view. 

On  leaving  the  valley  of  Juaja  they  passed  through  a  rough  mount- 
ain country,  and  in  a  few  days  arrived,  by  a  long  and  tiresome  descent, 
at  the  town  of  Huancavelica.  The  town  is  situated  in  a  deep  ravine, 
amid  a  cluster  of  lolly  mountains.  It  contains  about  eight  thousand  in- 
habitants, and  is  the  capital  of  the  district.  After  visiting  the  quicksilver 
mines  Gibbon  proceeded  eastward  toward  the  town  of  Huanta,  where 
he  entered  the  province  of  Ayacucho,  "On  this  part  of  our  journey," 
says  Gibbon,  "Indian  girls,  with  chicha  and  chitpe  lor  sale,  arc  seated  at 
the  tops  of  the  steep  ascents.  Chicha  is  the  favorite  drink  of  the  In- 
dians. A  party — generally  old  women — seat  themselves  around  a  wooden 
trough  containing  maize.  Each  one  takes  a  mouthful,  and  mashes  tho 
grain  between  her  teeth — if  she  has  any — and  casts  it  back  into  tho 
trough  in  the  most  sickening  manner.  As  the  mill-stones  are  often  pretty 
well  worn,  the  operation  recpiires  time  and  perseverance.  Tho  mass, 
with  water  added,  is  then  boiled  in  large  coppers,  after  which  it  is  left 
to  ferment  in  huge  earthen  jars.  Chupe  is  the  Peruvian  national  dish, 
and  may  be  made  of  any  and  every  thnig,  so  long  as  it  holds  its  relation- 
ship to  soup.  It  is  made  generally  of  mutton,  potatoes,  eggs,  rice,  all 
highly  seasoned  with  pepper,  etc." 

On  the  way  a  man  in  2>oncho  and  a  traveling  dress,  with  an  Indian 
girl  behind  on  his  saddle,  overtook  them  and  accosted  them  in  English. 
He  was  born  in  New  Haven,  Mas  proprietor  of  a  circus  company,  and 
had  been  many  years  in  South  America.  As  they  slowly  wound  their 
way  up  the  mountain,  he  told  his  past  history ;  what  he  had  seen,  and 
how  often  he  thought  of  returning  to  New  England.  "  But  nobody 
knows  me  now,"  he  said.  "  Years  ago  I  heard  of  the  changes  there, 
and  don't  believe  I  should  know  my  native  ])lace.  I  have  adopted  the 
manners  and  customs  of  these  ])eople,  and  if  I  should  return  to  the 
United  States  again,  I  fear  my  earnings  Avould  not  be  sufficient.  I  have 
worked  in  this  country  for  years,  and  am  Avorth  nothing  at  last." 

The  approach  to  the  Apuriraac  was  among  wild  mountains ;  on  wind- 
ing around  one  of  them  they  came  suddenly  in  sight  of  the  river,  its 
waters  foaming  as  they  dashed  over  a  rocky  bed.  At  another  turn  they 
entered  a  tunnel,  cut  into  the  mountain,  Avhich  rises  ))erpendii',ularly 
from  tho  river  side.     Skylights  are  cut  through  tho  rock,  and  as  they 


THE    SEAT    OF   THE    INCAS. 


861 


nd  turned 
Virginia, 
icro,  witli 
1  elevated 
the  great 
iv-covered 

^h  mount- 

e  descent, 

ep  ravine, 

)usand  in- 

[uicksilver 

ita,  where 

journey," 

!  seated  at 

of  the  In- 

a  wooden 

ashes  the 

c  into  the 

;en  pretty 

ho  mass, 

it  is  k'ft 

onal  dish, 

relation- 

,  vice,  all 

an  Indian 
English. 
)any,  and 
uid  their 
seen,  and 
t  nobody 
^es  there, 
:)pted  the 
n  to  the 
I  have 

on  wind- 
river,  its 
urn  they 
licularly 
as  they 


advance  in  alternate  light  and  darkness  tho  mules  are  shy  and  the  ar- 
ricros  shout  at  the  top  of  their  voices  at  the  train.  They  came  out  at  the 
toll-house,  which  stood  on  the  brink  of  the  abyss  and  was  inhabited  by 
two  women,  a  man,  a  child,  a  dog,  and  two  jugs  of  chicha.  The  ropes 
of  the  suspension-bridge,  of  bark,  were  made  fast  to  the  posts  which 
supported  the  roof  of  the  house.  Gibbon  thought  best  not  to  examine 
too  ])articularly  how  these  ropes  were  fastened.  A  windlass  in  the 
middle  of  the  house  kept  the  ropes  hauled  up  Avhen  they  slack  off.  One 
woman,  a  good-looking  black,  was  seated  by  a  large  jar  of  chicha,  which 
bhc  sold  to  travelers,  with  her  child  on  the  other  side;  she  spun  cotton, 
with  a  smoking  lire  close  by  to  keep  off  the  sand-Hies,  which  were  here 
in  Hwaiius.  A  white  woman  was  seated  by  the  windlass,  holding  her 
head  in  her  hands.  She  seemed  to  have  had  the  small-pox,  but  the  red 
marks  on  her  face  were  caused  bv  these  annoyins:  flies. 

The  bridge  is  eighty  yards  long  and  six  feet  wide,  distant  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  feet  above  the  dark  green  waters.  There  are  six  floor- 
ropes,  crossed  by  small  sticks,  lashed  with  strips  of  hide  to  the  cables. 
This  platform  is  hung  to  two  side-cables  by  small  bark  ropes. 

As  they  approached  the  city  of  Cuzco  the  population  increased  .and 
the  land  was  more  highly  cultivated.  By  a  paved  road  they  ascended 
a  slight  elevation  in  the  valley,  then  passing  under  the  lofty  arch  of  a 
stone  aqueduct,  they  halted  to  gaze  upon  the  ancient  curiosity  of  the 
New  World — tho  city  of  Cuzco,  centuries  ago  the  seat  of  the  Incas.  It 
was  a  beautiful  view:  close  against  the  hills  at  the  west  end  of  the  val- 
ley stood  the  ruins  of  the  Temple  of  the  Sun,  and  near  it  rose  the  steeples 


and  roofs  of  a 


largo 


city.     The  floor  of  the  valley  was  carpeted  with 


green,  while  afor  off  were  the  snow-capped  Andes  in  a  clear  blue  sky. 

"I  found,"  says  (iibbon,  "a  very  friendly  disposition  toward  tho 
expedition,  with  a  desire  to  aid  me.  The  prefect  oftered  twenty  soldiers 
as  an  escort  hi  the  low  country,  to  the  east  of  the  Andes.  A  number  of 
young  men  volunteered  to  accompany  me.  A  meeting  of  the  citizens 
was  held  for  the  purpose  of  Ibrming  a  company  to  join  me.  At  their 
suggestion,  the  I'resident  of  Peru  was  applied  to  for  the  payment  of 
twenty  thousand  dollars,  appropriated  by  Congress,  for  the  exploration 
of  the  Kio  Madre  do  Dios,  supposed  to  be  the  same  with  the  river  Purus, 
rising  among  the  mountains  to  the  east'w'ard  of  Cuzco.  I  was  very 
much  pleased  also  to  hear  that  a  spirited  young  oflicer  had  applied  to 
command  the  soldiers." 

On  the  10th  of  September,  he  started  for  tho  head-waters  of  the 
Madre  do  Dios.  The  road  led  along  the  valley  of  the  Mapacho,  then 
ascended  a  steep  ridge  of  mountains,  and  soon  attained  an  elevation  of 
eleven  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  Gibbon  was  obliged  to 
leave  his  instnunents  in  Tortocamba  on  account  of  bad  roads,  and  take 
barley  for  the  mules.  l>y  law,  the  cargo  of  a  mule  descending  tho 
eastern  slopes  of  the  Andes  is  one  hundred  .and  fifty  ])ounds — one  half 
tho  usual  loud.     On  the  22d  he  reached  the  eastern  frontier  settlement, 


Wvk'i 


I  ! 


!    1 


II 


Ml 


862 


EXPLORATION    OF    THE   RIVKR    AMAZON. 


whore  one  liuiulrcd  iiu;ii  wcro  engaged  euUivating  iho  cocapliint.  The 
seed  is  phmted  hi  rows  like  maize.  In  two  years  the  bush,  live  or  si.v 
feet  high,  is  full  grown,  bearing  bright  green  leaves,  two  inehes  long, 
with  while  blossoms,  and  scarlet  berries.  The  women  and  boys  were 
gathering  the  ripe  leaves,  while  the  men  cleared  the  iields  of  weeds. 
The  gathering  takes  place  three  times  a  year,  in  cotton  bags.  The  leaf 
is  s]tread  out  in  tlie  stm  on  mats  and  dried. 

As  the  party  advanced,  tiiey  were  obliged  to  dismount  and  literally 
(!Ut  their  way  through  the  forest.  A  most  dillicult  struggle  of  twelve 
lioiu's  brought  them  to  the  Cosnipata  IJiver,  in  the  territory  of  the 
Chuncha  savages.  Next  day  they  built  a  rail  and  attempted  to  cross 
till' river;  there  wer(^  falls  above  and  below,  and  as  the  river  became 
too  deep  for  the  poles,  the  rati  lodged  against  a  small  island,  aller  being 
nearly  carried  over  the  tails.  In  the  evening  tliey  lay  down  npon  the 
rocks,  under  a  heavy  rain,  with  loud  cla})s  of  thunihr,  which  echoed  up 
the  .\ndes.  Toward  midnight,  an  old  Indian  of  the  conii)any  awoke 
them  Avith  the^  cry  that  the  river  was  ri.-,ing;  the  night  was  dark,  and 
the  rain  juMired  down.  On  striking  a  light,  they  fouml  that  a  rise  of 
tliree  feet  more  would  carry  them  oil',  and  lliat  es'^ape  from  the  island 
was  impossible.  The  old  Indian  called  iJiltlxMi  a  bad  man  f  >r  bringing 
him  tlu're  wlun  he  could  not  swim.  A  mark  v\as  i)laced  bv  the  ed;n! 
of  the  water,  which  was  roaring  teri'ibly,  and  they  seated  themselves 
vi'ry  unctiuifoi-lably  to  await  their  fa(e.  In  this  state  of  anxiety,  they 
s])eiit  the  rest  of  tlu;  night,  but  as  dayligliL  appeared,  the  storm 
abated.  The  water  soon  low  ered,  and  lliey  ]>assed  over  to  the  opposite 
shore. 

(libboii  descended  the  tributaries  to  the  main  head  of  the  Madre-de- 
Dios,  but  tuiding  it  inipi'acticable  to  descend  tlu'  river,  he  ]M-epared  to 
retrace  his  steps,  ''At  the  end  ol'  the  sixth  day  from  the  head  of  the 
Madre-de-I)ios,'' he  continues,  "  we  ai'rived  in  C'u/co,  after  an  absence 
of  twenty-one  days.  Kichards  was  still  nnich  reduced,  but  gaining  liealth. 
The  jireteet  exjiressed  his  regrets  at  not  being  anthorized  to  send  troops 
with  me,  and  asked  tlu'  liivor  of  a  w  ritten  account  of  my  visit  to  the 
east,  in  behalf  of  the  Peruvian  government." 

On  the  '28i]i  of  October,  the  expedition  left  C'uzco,  well  supplied 
with  ]>rovisions  by  tlie  kind  hos)iitality  of  the  peo]tle,  and  ]>roceeded 
toward  the  south-east.  "The  ifiglit  of  November  lilh,"  says  (Jibbon, 
"we  spent-  at  t'aracola.  To  the  led  of  us  we  beheld  the  deep  blue 
waters  of  the  great  southern  lake  Titicaca.  The  east  wind  troubled  its 
waters;  the  white-capped  waves  reininde<l  us  of  the  trade-wind  region 
of  the  ocean.  Large  liarren  i>lands  intercepted  our  view;  not  a  tree 
nor  a  bush  was  to  be  seen  ;  the  (;nly  living  thing  in  sight  was  a  llama, 
seeking  fooil  among  the  tund»led-up  rocks  on  the  uni)roductive  liills. 
The  scene  is  wild  and  deadly  sil(Mit.  Our  oidy  view  was  to  the  south- 
oast,  Avhere  W(.'  saw  to[)s  of  islands  beyond  toi)S  of  islands,  backed  by 
mountain  peaks.     Winding  round  a  hill,  and  descending  u  ravine,  wc 


Ml 


TIIK    CITY    OF    LA    PAZ. 


863 


come  to  an  arched  gateway,  and  enter  the  city  of  Funo.  It  is  a  dry, 
dusty,  uninteresting-lookiiiL;  ]>hice,  (>t'a1)out  live  thousand  inhabitants,  and 
is  the  capital  of  the  department  of  the  same  name.  The  town  is  situated 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  west  shore  of  Lake  Titicaca. 


I 


^ 


1        i 


% 


H.o?.?.- 


ILl.lMANI,    IlKlilHST    PK.VK    (if   Till;    ANlira. 

They  crossed  the  Desacjnedcra  by  a  iloating-  bridj^e,  at  tlie  southern 
end  of  the  lake,  and  continued  their  journey  over  the  dry  table-lands  of 
Bolivia.  "  Suddenly  arrivin-j:  at  the  ed,L;-e  of  a  deep  ravine,  A\e  saw  the 
tile-roofs  of  the  city  of  La  I'az,  near  tlie  base  of  the  .ynrat  snov  -capped 
mountain,  Illimani.  Descending-  by  a  steep,  narrow  mad,  a-.d  passing' 
the  cemetery,  the  air  Avas  luund  loaded  with  the  perfume  of  sweet  ilowers. 
8i>rin<^s  of  fresh  water  .cushed  out  Ijv  the  roa.l-side,  into  which  our 
nndes  sunk  their  noses  before  we  could  gel  a  drink.  As  we  entered  the 
town,  some  one  called  out  from  a  sliadcd  ])i;iz/,:i  for  our  passports. 

'•La  I'az  is  a  most  busy  inland  city.  The  blacksmith's  hanuner  is  heard. 
The  lariire  mercantile  houses  are  well  riupi»lied  with  goods.  The  plaza  is 
free  Ironi  markt't  jieoj.le,  for  there  is  a  regular  market-house.^  The 
dwellings  are  well  built,  of  stone  and  adolje.  The  honu,'  and  foreign 
trade  ajipears  to  be  possessed  with  a  life  seldom  met  Avith  in  an  inland 
town,  without  shipping  or  railroads.  The  people  appear  to  be  active. 
There  is  less  lounging  against  the  door-posts.  The  place  has  a  healthy 
appearance." 


I  ': 


\ 


^^Itii 


jfl^'T  '!^"' 

! '     ^ 

,li 


1 


i     :     'i 


i     -l'         "f 


I  :H  ^  ! 


I 


(|*i! 


;    r  i 


864 


EXPLORATION    OF    THE    RIVER    AMAZON. 


On  the  1st  of  December  they  quitted  La  Paz  in  a  southern  direction, 
proceeding  along  the  edge  of  the  great  Titicaca  basin,  then  turning 
eastward  atnong  the  Andes,  they  came  to  the  beautiful  city  of  Cocha- 
bamba,  which  has  a  population  of  over  thirty  thousand.  The  streets 
are  laid  off  at  right  angles.  On  the  south  of  the  main  j^laza  stands  a 
large  cathedral,  and  opposite  to  it  the  palace  occupies  the  whole  side 
of  the  block.  It  is  remarkable  for  its  handsome  appearance,  being 
much  superior  to  the  palace  in  Lima.  In  the  center  of  the  plaza  is  a 
ibuiitain  fed  by  water  from  a  snow  peak  on  the  ridge  in  sight. 

The  President  and  his  cabinet  being  here  on  a  visit,  Gibbon  hastened 
to  make  a  commercial  i)roposition  to  the  government.  A  Brazilian 
minister  had  concluded  a  treaty  of  limits  and  navigation  between  his 
country  and  Peru,  and  was  now  awaiting  the  action  of  the  Bolivian  gov- 
ernment to  secure  the  use  of  the  navigable  rivers  of  Bolivia  for  the  Brazils 
alone.  Gibbon  decided  to  ask  the  right  to  navigate  these  rivers  by 
steamboats  or  other  vessels.  In  an  interview  with  the  President,  the 
latter  expressed  the  hope  that  a  more  direct  route  between  the  L^nited 
States  and  Bolivia  might  be  found  than  Cape  Horn;  to  which  the  Presi- 
dent replied,  that  he  had  heard  of  Gibbon's  arrival  in  La  Paz,  and  was 
glad  to  see  him.  "  My  country,"  said  he,  *'  is  in  its  infancy.  I  would 
be  the  more  pleased  to  join  hands  with  the  United  States,  because  we 
are  all  Americans.  You  may  depend  upon  me  for  aid  and  assistance  in 
your  enterprise." 

Through  the  interposition  of  the  British  minister  at  Sucre,  the  Brazil- 
ian envoy  sent  to  Gibbon  passports  to  the  authorities  on  his  route,  and 
also  wrote  to  the  governor  of  Matto  Grosso  on  his  behalf. 

On  the  12th  of  May,  1852,  the  party  bade  farewell  to  Cochabamba, 
and  followed  a  train  of  nineteen  loaded  mules  toward  the  east.  "  On 
the  river  bank  the  women  seated  themselves  in  a  row  to  take  the  last 
dram  with  the  men  •who  were  going  with  us.  They  shouted,  sang,  and 
danced ;  then  shaking  hands  all  round,  the  arrieros  called  to  their 
mules,  and  Ave  all  moved  along  single  file  on  our  Avay  home  through 
the  river  bed,  which  was  now  dry  again,  the  wet  season  being  just 
over." 

They  soon  began  to  descend  the  Andes,  proceeding  in  a  north-easterly 
direction,  along  the  head  waters  of  the  Chapare.  At  Esjjiritu  Santo, 
they  saw  about  a  hundred  Creoles  cultivating  patches  of  coca.  "  The 
coca,"  says  Gibbon,  "  is  a  great  fovorite  of  the  Quichua  Indian ;  he 
prizes  it  as  the  Chinaman  does  his  opium.  While  the  one  puts  to  sleep, 
the  other  keeps  awake.  The  Indian  brain  being  excited  by  coca,  he 
travels  a  long  distance  without  feeling  fatigue.  While  he  has  plenty  of 
coca,  he  cares  little  for  food.  Therefore,  after  a  journey  he  is  worn  out. 
In  the  city  of  Cuzco,  where  the  Indians  masticate  the  best  quality  of 
coca,  they  use  it  to  excess.  Their  physical  condition,  compared  with 
those  who  live  far  off  from  the  coca  market,  in  a  climate  equally  inhos- 
pitable, is  thin,  weak,  and  sickly ;  less  cheerful,  and  not  so  good  look- 


m    I  -i 


NOCTURNAL    EXPEUIKNCES. 


865 


direction, 
3n  turning 
of  Cocha- 
he  streets 
a  stands  a 
ivhole  side 
ice,  being 
plaza  is  a 

1  hastened 

Brazilian 

twecn  his 

ivian  gov- 

ihe  Brazils 

rivers  by 

lident,  the 

le  United 

the  Presi- 

,  and  was 

I  would 

ecause  wc 

istance  in 

he  Brazil- 
oute,  and 

habaraba, 
St.  "On 
c  the  last 
ang,  and 
to  their 
3  through 
eing  just 

-easterly 
tu  Santo, 
"The 
dian ;  he 
to  sleep, 
coon,  he 
)lenty  of 
vorn  out. 
uality  of 
•ed  with 
ly  inhos- 
od  look- 


ing.  The  chewcrs  also  use  more  brandy  and  less  tamborine  and 
fiddle ;  soldom  <laneo  or  sing.  Their  expression  of  face  is  doleful, 
made  hideous  by  green  streaks  of  juice  streaming  from  each  corner  of 
the  mouth." 

Having  rested  their  mules,  they  pushed  on  over  a  level  road  to 
Vinchuta,  the  point  where  the  traders  of  the  province  of  Mojos  reach 
those  of  Cochabamba  with  salt.  "The  next  morning  the  governor 
made  his  appearance,  read  our  passports,  and  said  there  was  a  large 
canoe  ready  for  us ;  that  she  might  go  off  to-morrow.  He  seemed  to 
be  an  active  little  man  and  very  obliging ;  wanted  to  know  all  the  ni'ws 
from  Cochabamba,  and  was  constantly  complaining  he  had  nothing  nice 
to  give  us,  besides  which  he  was  very  particular  to  let  us  know  ho  had 
the  roads  ])ut  in  fine  order,  as  he  had  been  oi'dered  to  do  by  the  prefect 
of  his  department,  as  they  knew  we  were  coming.  The  crew  of  the 
canoe  were  stout,  fine-looking  Indians  of  the  Canichanas  tril)e.  They 
stood  before  us  with  straw  hats  in  hand,  listening  to  the  advice  of  the 
governor." 

On  the  25tli  of  May,  thoy  entered  the  canoe.  It  was  made  of  a  log, 
forty  feet  long,  and  four  feet  wide,  being  one  of  the  largest  usetl  by  the 
Bolivian  Indians.  From  the  stream  thoy  had  a  last  view  of  the  Andes, 
far  back  among  the  clouds.  They  soon  entered  the  river  Chapare,  wliich 
was  a  hundred  yards  wide,  sad  twelve  feet  deep,  and  increased  as  they 
descended. 

On  the  .'50th,  thoy  reached  the  Mamore,  and  continued  their  route 
pleasantly  along  its  smooth,  broad  surface,  sometimes  traveling  by  night. 

"After  the  sun  went  down,"  says  Gibbon,  "the  bright  moon  lit  up 
our  wator-i)ath  through  the  Avilds.  The  earth  seemed  asleep  as  we 
watched  the  nodding  Indians  at  their  paddles,  which  hung  dripping  over 
the  sides  of  the  canoe.  At  one  moment  a  rustling  noise  was  heard 
among  the  canes.  Wc  swept  close  in  toward  the  bank  by  the  current. 
The  burning  piece  of  wood  which  the  old  cajitain  kept  on  his  part  of 
the  boat,  disturbed  the  black  tiger,  or  a  serpent  shpped  sotlly  from  a 
cluster  of  canes  into  the  water  to  avoid  us.  As  we  turn,  the  moon 
shines  directly  up  the  river,  and  the  sheet  of  water  appears  like  a  silvery 
way.  We  think  of  obstruction,  and  fear  we  are  not  going  fast  enough 
to  see  the  glad  waters  of  the  Atlantic." 

Thoy  arrived  at  Trinidad  on  the  30th  of  May,  where  their  crew  took 
leave,  and  returned  with  the  boat.  Don  Antonio,  an  active  trader  of 
Trinidad,  who  owned  the  only  two  boats  from  the  Amazon  on  the  upper 
waters,  which  Avere  of  the  proper  build  for  the  falls  of  the  Madeira, 
offered  one  of  them  to  Gibbon,  but  he  had  no  men  to  spare,  and  it  was 
necessary  to  wait  and  go  with  hini  to  Brazil  to  get  them.  During  this 
long  stay  at  Trinidad,  they  made  acquaintance  with  the  motley  populace, 
consisting  of  natives,  Creoles,  and  Spaniards  ;  witnessed  a  bull-fight,  and 
other  anmsements  and  occupations  of  the  people  ;  and  meanwhile  made 
an  excursion  to  Loreto,  twelve  leagues  distant. 

55 


fli 


'    5 


il 


ii 


hill 


l'§ 


11:1  !^  i 


■jll 


■i     '  I 


.( 

l:  tJjjinMM  l:'' 

1 

> 

i 

(I'lfii 


ili'l 


lit 


866 


EXPLORATION    OF    TIIK    KIVER    AMAZON. 


Over  a  hundred  Indians  died  of  small-pox  while  they  were  m 
Trinidad,  and  the  people  were  still  suft'ering  with  it  when  they  left. 
The  idea  of  being  fastened  up  amid  disease  during  a  long  rainy  season, 
while  doubting  by  Avhich  route  they  witc  to  lind  an  outlet  to  the 
Atlantie,  became  daily  more  ])ainful  to  Gibbon.  Finally,  on  the  14th 
of  August,  Don  Antonio  found  his  cargo  could  not  be  disposed  of  in 
Trinidad,  and  he  nmst  return  to  Brazil  Anth  his  boats.  lie  had  Brazil- 
ian boatmen — negroes  and  mestizos — who  came  up  from  the  Amazon 
with  him,  and  were  thought  the  only  kind  of  i)eoplo  who  could  be  em- 
l^loyed  upon  the  expedition. 

The  baggage  was  stowed  on  board  the  Iffarite,  over  wliich  the  flag 
of  the  United  States  was  hoisted,  and  Don  Antonio  embarked  his  cargo 
on  the  Coberta,  from  which  the  flag  of  Brazil  was  suspended.  On 
entering  the  Maraore  River  again  they  found  thirty-three  feet  of  water, 
the  current  being  one  mile  an  hour.  They  stopped  a  week  at  Exalta- 
cion,  then  continued  down  the  Mamoro  to  its  junction  with  the  Ttenez, 
and  ascending  the  latter,  arrived  at  Fort  Principe  da  Beira,  in  Brazil,  on 
the  Vth  of  September. 

A  canoe  came  out  with  two  armed  negro  soldiers,  one  of  whom 
politely  gave  his  commander's  compliments  to  Gibbon,  Avith  the  request 
that  they  would  keep  off.  Gibbon  sent  up  the  letter  of  the  Brazilian 
minister,  after  which  two  old  negroes,  of  the  health-department,  brought 
the  conunander's  invitation  for  them  to  land  at  the  fort.  When  they 
landed,  a  young  negro  lieutenant  in  the  emperor's  army  came  to  meet 
Gibbon  and  oflerod,  in  the  most  polite  manner,  to  escort  him  to  a  house 
in  town.  As  they  passed  the  guard-house  the  negro  soldiers  respect- 
fully saluted  the  American  imiforni,  but  they  handled  the  musket  very 
awkwardly. 

When  Don  Antonio  arrived,  he  liad  his  boat  fitted  up  for  Gibbon's 
party,  and  gave  them  as  pilot  a  man  Avho  had  passed  up  the  Madeira 
with  him.  The  boat  was  twenty-three  feet  long,  with  four  feet  seven 
inches  beam.  Her  bottom  was  of  one  piece,  cut  out  of  a  very  large 
tree,  with  washlwards  nailed  rudely  on  the  sides,  caulked  with  oakum, 
and  well  pitched  outside  and  in.  The  two  ends  were  fastened  up  by  a 
solid  piece  of  Avood,  also  made  Avater-proof.  In  this  craft  they  set  out 
on  the  14th  of  September,  parting  at  the  fort  Avith  Don  Antonio,  Avho 
expected  to  be  two  years  longer  trading  oft'  the  cargoes  of  his  two 
small  boats. 

On  the  20th  of  Sci)tend)er  they  reached  the  falls.  These  consist  of 
a  series  of  distinct  rapids,  several  miles  apart,  doAvn  which  they  passed 
the  empty  boats,  and  transf)orted  the  baggage  along  the  rocky  banks  of 
the  river.  The  channel  is  broken  and  obstructed  by  rocks,  over  which 
the  Avaters  rush  down  in  numerous  streams,  and  keep  up  a  continuous 
deafening  roar.  It  is  impossible  to  pass  these  falls  A\'ith  a  steamboat, 
at  any  season  of  the  year. 

Below  the  falls  the  boat  was  carried  along  at  a  rapid  rate  by  the  cur- 


Y  wore  m 
tlioy  left. 
iny  season, 
let  to  the 
I  the  14th 
3se<l  of  in 
lad  Brazil- 
le  Amazon 
lid  be  em- 

ch  the  flag 
I  his  cargo 
aded.  On 
t  of  water, 
at  Exalta- 
the  Itencz, 
I  Brazil,  on 

3  of  "whom 
Lhe  request 
D  Brazilian 
nt,  brought 
When  they 
no  to  meet 
to  a  house 
rs  respect- 
usket  very 

ir  Gibbon's 
le  Madeira 
feet  seven 
very  large 
ith  oakum, 
d  up  by  a 
loy  set  out 
tonio,  Avho 
of  his  two 

consist  of 
ley  passed 
y  banks  of 
iver  which 
continuous 
steamboat, 

)y  the  cur- 


TRKACIIERY    OF    T  UK    BOATMKN. 


8G7 


rent,  which  boiled  up  in  great  globular  swells.  They  did  not,  nowcver, 
proceed  at  night,  as  the  navigation  was  still  obstructed  by  rocks  and 
occasional  rajtids,  but  al  (heir  eiicampment  they  became  aware  of  a  new 
danger — the  treachery  of  tlu'  blacks  in  their  employ.  The  one  on  duty 
shot  a  dog  Avhich  was  liiithfuUy  prowling  the  woods  around  the  camp, 
pretending  he  had  taken  it  lor  an  approaclung  tiger.  (Gibbon  had 
placed  great  confiden  '•  in  this  <lug,  from  which  ho  expected  a  (piick  re- 
l)ort  of  savages  or  wilil  beasts.  From  what  he  had  seen  of  the  men  he 
was  convinced  they  were  a  rough,  savage  set  Avho  would  put  his  party 
to  death  as  unceremoniously  as  the  dog,  and  he  ordered  another  man 
on  -watch,  at  which  they  expressed  an  impudent  dissatisfaction.  They 
lay  at  night  with  their  pistols  prepared  for  an  attack,  and  by  daylight 
(4ibbon  was  particular  to  let  every  man  of  them  see  his  revolver ;  ho 
and  Richards  kept  a  close  watch  upon  thcni  night  and  day. 

"  AVe  are  about  to  pass  out  of  the  Madeira  Plate,"  says  Gibbon, 
"  having  arrived  at  the  north-oast  corner  of  the  territory  of  Bolivia.  The 
lands  about  the  mouths  of  the  Bcni  and  !Mamor6  are  now  inhabited  by 
wild  Indians;  some  parts  of  them  are  free  from  inimdation.  Cacao 
grows  wild  in  the  forests.  The  head  of  the  Madeira  contains  a  mmiber 
of  islands.  Hero  Ave  find  the  outlet  of  streams  flowing  from  the  Andes 
and  from  the  Brazils  collected  together  in  one  large  riA'er.  "Water  from 
hot  springs  and  cold  springs,  silvered  and  golden  streams  ioining  Avith 
the  clear  diamond  brooks,  mingled  at  the  temperature  of  82"  Vah- 
renheit. 

"  The  Madeira  River  flows  through  the  empire  of  Brazil,  and  keeps 
the  northerly  course  pointed  out  for  it  by  the  ^ilamore.  The  first  falls 
we  met  Avere  close  to  the  junction  of  the  Mamore  and  Beni,  called  'Ma- 
deira,' three  quarters  of  a  mile  long.  It  is  difiicult  to  judge  the  dif- 
ference of  level  betAveen  the  ui)per  and  loAver  surfaces  of  the  river.  As 
the  falls  are  shelving,  and  extend  a  great  distance  in  length,  the  distance 
Ave  run  during  the  day  is  not  easily  estimated.  At  one  time  Ave  go  at 
the  rate  of  fifteen  miles  an  hour,  and  then  not  more  than  one  mile  in 
half  a  day.  This  fall  is  not  less  than  fifteen  feet.  Large  square  blocks 
of  stone  stand  one  upon  another  in  unusual  confusion.  The  boat  Avas 
paddled  through  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  and  by  passing  half  the  bag- 
gage out  over  the  rocks,  she  Avas  sledded  and  floated  through  narroAV 
channels  close  along  the  eastern  bank." 

On  the  23d  they  came  to  the  Ribeiras  falls,  AA'hich  arc  two  miles 
long.  The  baggage  aams  carried  five  hundred  yards  oAcr  a  path  on  the 
east  bank.  Don  Antonio  transported  his  vessels  on  wooden  rollers  hero, 
and  Avas  nearly  one  month  getting  up  these  tAvo  miles.  The  men  were 
anxious  to  see  AA'hether  they  could  not  pass  this  fall  with  the  boat  in  the 
water.  They  launched  her  doAvn  one  shoot  of  twenty  feet  nearly  per- 
pendicular by  the  rope  painters  in  the  boAV  and  stern. 

"  On  the  25th,"  continues  Gibbon,  "  Ave  came  to  a  number  of  rocky 
islands  in  the  river,  and  took  up  our  quarters  on  one  of  them  for  the 


ii  I' 


I    i 


\b\ 


i\'h 


Ml 


1 1'!  ■ 


^1 


808 


EXPLORATION    OF    THE    RIVER    AMAZON. 


niii-ht.  We  slept  utuler  lihuikets;  tlicro  is  a  heavy  ilcv,  and  the  nights 
are  (juite  cool.  Kiehards  was  ai'oused  by  a  severe  pain  in  his  ear;  he 
was  sulFering  all  night  long.  The  men  told  me  it  w;is  cunnnon  iMuong 
the  soldiers  at  the  Ibrt,  caused  by  exjjosing  the  ear  to  the  night  air  and 
dew.  The  only  remedy  reported  was  '  woman's  milk,'  which  was  not  at 
hand." 


DERri:xiiiN'(!  iiii;  UArihrt  di"  tiii^  M\iii:iiiA. 


Desoendin--'  the  Araris  IJiiidds  and  Pedroneira  Falls  nc\t  d.TV,  thov 
at  length  rciiclu'd  the  I'ari'ilao  Falls,  which  they  had  much  diflicidty  in 
])as-ing.  Here  they  were  surrounded  by  a  ))arty  of  sa\nge  women  and 
children,  and  two  unarmed  men,  who  were  (piit'j  fiiendly  and  manifested 
gr«'at  cariosity  at  every  thing  they  saw.  Tiie  women  were  all  ugly; 
the  Imys  cheerful  and  good-looking.  Some  of  the  men  who  came  aller- 
v.ard,  letV  their  bows  and  arrows  behind  the  rocks,  .ami  w.'ilked  up  un- 
armed. The  women  carried  their  babies  under  the  iu'm,  seated  in  bark 
cloth  straps,  shmg  over  the  opposite  shoulder.  The  infuits  ai)i'eared 
tv'rrilily  frightened  \\\.  t!ie  sii^hl  ol'  a  while  man;  one  ol'  them  screamed 
out  when  P(>dro  milked  tin-  mnthcr  into  a  tin  pot,  for  the  bi'tiellt  of 
Hichards' car,  '.vhich  still  troubled  him.  The  W(Mnan  cviilently  under- 
stood what  Wild  wanted  with  it,  .and  stooil  still  for  I'edro  to  milk  her  a3 
much  !is  he  chose. 

The  Tootoni  Falls,  at  wliicli  they  arrived  on  the  MOlh,  were  the  most 


the  niglits 
s  e:ir ;  he 
on  among 
it  air  and 
ivas  not  at 


(bv,  llu'v 

Ulciilty  ill 

onion  and 

nanifosU'd 

all   njil y ; 

an\o  nllor- 

a'd  lip  im- 

imI  in  Itark 

ai'i'i'arod 

.s(  roamcil 

Ix'tidit  of 

tly  niidcr- 

lilk  liur  as 

i  the  most 


CONFLUENCE    OF    THE    MADEIRA    AND    AMAZON.       869 

formidable  of  them  all.  The  roaring  of  the  water  over  and  through  the 
rocks  Avas  like  distant  thunder.  Here  Gibbon  was  attacked  with  severe 
bilious  fever,  which  prostrated  him,  and  all  the  party  were  worn  out 
and  haggard.  The  passage  of  the  falls  was  made  next  day,  by  carrying 
the  baggage  and  transporting  the  boats  upon  rollers.  The  men  were 
busy  from  daylight  till  dark  at  the  Avork.  Five  miles  below  they  ])assed, 
on  the  2d  of  October,  the  San  Antonio  Falls,  at  the  foot  of  whicli  they 
breakfasted  with  feelings  of  gratitude  at  having  pas>>ed  in  safety  the 
perils  of  seventeen  cataracts. 

As  they  move  on,  the  land  becomes  more  elcvatid,  and  belter  adapt- 
ed to  cultivation.  The  forest-trees  are  small  where  the  lands  are  free 
from  inundation.  Small  streams  llow  in  from  the  east,  while  on  the  west 
"madres,"  or  large  pools,  liavu  an  outlet  through  the  bank.  They 
passed  swiftly  along  by  the  force  of  ])ad(lles,  the  current  l>eing  only  one 
mile  an  hour,  and  arrived  by  moonlight  at  the  town  of  Borba,  on  the 
14tb  of  Octooer. 

"  Borba,"  observes  Gibbon,  "  is  a  small  town  of  tliroe  hundred  in- 
habitants. Two  rows  of  miserable  wooden  huts  stand  jiarallel  with  a 
most  distressingly  dilapitlated  church  ;  bells,  old  and  cracked,  are  lumg 
under  a  small  shed  near  the  door.  There  were  no  men  belonging  to 
Borba  to  take  us  on.  The  authorities  ordered  the  soldiers  who  came 
with  us  to  go  on.  I  regretted  this,  as  we  were  in  hopes  of  getting  rid 
of  these  impudent,  half-savage  Iree  negroes,  who  refused  to  ol)ey  the 
authorities  of  the  town.  -V  larger  boat  was  fitted  out,  and  we  pushed 
off  with  three  I'ortuguese  passengers. 

"During  the  21st  of  October  Ave  lay  all  day  by  a  sand  island,  unable 
to  proceed  until  evening.  When  the  Avind  dii'd  away,  Ave  paddled  on 
by  the  light  of  the  moon.  As  the  negroes  lifted  their  paddles  out  of  the 
water,  avc  dipped  the  thermometer  hi  the  Madeira  for  the  last  time,  88 ' 
Fahrenheit.  Suddenly,  the  boAV  of  our  little  canoe  touched  the  >\vi'\\ 
waters  of  the  mighty  Amazon.  A  bi'autilul  ajiple-sliaped  island,  Avith 
deep-green  foliage,  and  sandy  beach  encircling  it,  lies  in  the  mouth  of 
the  great  seri)entine  Madeira. 

"The  distance  from  the  tiiot  of  San  Antonio  Falls  to  the  month  of 
the  Madeira,  is  five  hundred  miles  by  the  river.  A  vcssi-l  drawing 
8ix  feet  Avater  may  navigate  this  distance  at  any  season  of  tlu'  year. 
A  cargo  from  the  United  States  could  reach  the  tiiot  (jf  the  falls,  on  the 
Madeira,  Avithin  thirty  days,  liy  a  eoinmon  niul(>  load,  through  tin- 
territory  of  Brazil,  the  goods  might  la'  pa-scd  iroii^  the  lower  to  tlie 
iijjper  liiUs  on  the  >[amore,  in  loss  thiin  seven  days,  a  distance  of  about 
one  hundred  and  eighty  mih's;  thence  by  steamboat,  on  that  river  and 
the  Ghapare,  a  distance  of  five  hundreil  miles  to  Viiichuta.  in  four  days. 
Ten  ilays  more  from  the  base  of  the  Andes,  o\er  the  roail  we  travrled, 
Avonld  make  lifty-<»ne  days'  j)assage  from  Baltimore  to  ('ochabamba,  or 
fifty-nine  days  to  l.a  Puz,  the  commercial  emporium  of  IJolivia,  Avhero 


'1' 


1 

t  •  : 

1 1 


1 1 


1       ': 


870 


EXPLORATION    OP    THE    RIVER    AMAZON. 


cargoes  arrive  generally  from  Baltimore  in  one  hundred  and  eighteen 
days,  by  Cape  Horn — often  delayed  on  their  way  through  the  territory 
to  Peru  from  the  sea-port  of  Arica.  Goods  by  the  Madeira  route,  sent 
over  the  Cordillera  range  to  the  Pacific  coast,  might  get  there  one 
month  before  a  ship  could  arrive  from  Europe  on  the  eastern  coast  of 
the  United  States,  by  two  oceans  or  the  old  route." 


I 


RICHARDSON'S 


TRAVELS    IN    THE    SAHARA. 


Mr.  James  Richardson,  a  native  of  the  toAvn  of  Boston,  in  England, 
became  interested,  like  many  others  of  his  countrymen,  in  the  project 
of  suppressing  the  African  slave-trade.  While  at  Algiers,  in  January, 
1845,  he  coticeived  the  design  of  visiting  and  exploring  the  celebrated 
Oasis  of  Ghadames,  lying  in  the  Sahara,  south-west  from  Tripoli.  Ilis 
principal  object  was  to  ascertain  to  what  extent  the  commerce  in  slaves 
was  carried  on  in  the  desert,  and  what  would  be  the  most  feasible  plan 
of  preventing  it.  Full  of  this  idea,  he  repaired  to  Tunis  and  afterward 
to  Tripoli,  where  he  arrived  on  the  18th  of  May,  of  the  same  year. 

At  Tripoli,  Mr.  Richardson  received  no  encouragement,  but  on  the 
contrary  every  one  endeavored  to  dissuade  him  from  persevering  in  what 
they  considered  an  insane  undertaking.  Mr.  Warrington,  the  British 
Consul,  nevertheless  made  application  to  the  pasha  on  his  behalf  for  the 
necessary  permission  which  was  at  first  granted,  but  accompanied  by 
all  sorts  of  remonstrances  and  objections.  The  formal  permit  and  j)ass- 
port  were  not  given  until  the  end  of  July,  when  through  the  persistence 
of  Mr.  Warrington  the  pasli.i  ordered  passi)orts  to  be  made  out  for  Mr. 
Richardson,  liis  servant,  and  camel-driver.  On  the  2d  of  August  he  left 
Tripoli  for  Ghadames. 

A  caravan  for  Ghadames  had  started  before  him,  but  lie  pressed  for- 
ward and  overtook  it  on  the  evening  of  the  first  day.  lie  gives  the  fol- 
lowing account  of  his  eiiuipmont :  "  I  had  two  camels  on  hire,  for  which 
I  paid  twelve  dollars.  T  was  to  ride  one  continually.  We  had  panniers 
on  it,  in  which  I  stowed  away  about  two  months'  provisions.  A  little 
fresh  provision  wo  were  to  ])urchase  ifi  route.  Upon  these  panniers  a 
mattress  was  )»laced,  forming  with  thcin  a  comfortable  platform.  I  my- 
self was  dressed  in  light  European  clolhcs,  and  furnished  with  an  um- 
brella for  keoping  oft'  the  sun.  This  latter  was  ail  my  arms  of  oftense 
and  defense.  The  othi'r  camel  carried  a  trunk  and  some  small  boxes, 
cooking  \itensils,  and  matting,  and  a  very  light  tent  for  kcejiing  off  sun 
and  heat."     As  it  was  the  height  of  sunnner  the  heat  was  uitense,  but 


'    ,         5 

.if 

'     ■  I      r. 

1   r    i 

*** 


1  1 1   ■'! 


872 


niCIIARDSON'S    TRAVELS    IX    THE    SAHARA. 


ufter  four  days  the  caravan  reached  the  castle  of  Yefran,  in  the  Atlas, 
Avhere  tliere  was  a  cooler  air.  Here  liichardson  was  stared  at  by  the 
inhabitants,  as  he  was  the  lirst  European  Cinistian  who  had  ever  visited 
the  place.  The  commandant  of  the  fortress,  however,  sent  him  a  brace 
of  j)artrid<i;es,  with  some  milk  and  grapes,  su])posing  that  he  had  been 
U]»pointe(l  British  Consul  for  (Jhadames. 

At  this  i)lace  he  letl  the  caravan,  in  order  to  visit  the  district  of 
llujbaii,  in  the  mountains,  the  native-country  of  his  camel-driver,  Mo- 
hammed. He  was  lodged  in  the  house  of  the  latter,  and  remained  there 
eight  days,  treated  with  the  greatest  kindness  and  hospitality  by  all  the 
inhabitants,  many  of  whom  came  to  him  to  be  cured  of  various  diseases. 
The  shekh  of  the  place,  in  particular,  became  very  intimate  ami  familiar. 
'"He  oilered  to  sell  me  his  authority,  his  shekhdoni,"  says  Kichardson, 
"  and  retire  from  affairs.  I  bid  one  thousand  dolhtrs  for  the  concern. 
*No,  no,'  said  he,  '  I'll  take  ten  thousand  dollars,  nothing  less.'  Then, 
getting  very  ilimiliar,  he  added,  '  Now,  you  and  I  are  equal,  you're  con- 
sul and  I'm  shekh — you're  the  son  of  your  sultan,  and  I'm  conmiander 
under  the  sultan  of  Stamboul.'  The  report  of  my  being  a  consul  of  a 
remote  oasis  of  the  Sahara  was  ju^t  as  good  to  me  on  the  present  occa- 
sion as  if  I  had  lier  majesty's  commission  for  the  consular  tifl'airs  of  all 
north  Africa." 

On  the  IGth,  lie  loll  Itujban  to  rejoui  the  caravan.  Nearly  all  the 
mountaineers  offered  him  their  services,  and  were  willing  to  leave  their 
liomes  and  go  with  him  anywhere.  After  four  days'  march  he  rejohied 
the  caravan,  and  encamped  on  a  plateau  on  the  southern  side  of  the 
Atlas,  After  crossing  the  mountains  he  expected  to  find  a  plain,  cor- 
responding to  that  on  the  northern  side ;  but  the  country  was  at  first 
imdulating,  and  then  sloped  into  a  sandy  level,  beyond  which  rose  other 
heights,  called  by  the  natives,  Saliaran  Mountains,  During  his  journey 
over  the  desert,  Kichardson  suftered  much  from  the  heat  and  want  of 
sleep,  as  the  caravan  traveled  j)rincipally  by  night.  "  Every  day,"  says 
he,  "  until  I  reached  (Jhadames,  there  was  a  sort  of  point  of  halting  be- 
tween life  and  suttbcation  or  death  in  my  poor  frame,  when  the  European 
nature  struggled  boldly  and  sui'cessfully  with  the  African  sun,  and  all 
liis  accumulated  fi)rce  darting  down  fires  and  fianu>s  upon  my  devoted 
head.  After  this  point  or  crisis  was  past,  I  always  found  ni\  self  nuich 
better," 

The  journey  from  Tripoli  to  (Jhadames  maybe  made  in  niiu-  days, 
but  the  caravan  consumed  twenty-three.  "At  dawn  of  day,  on  the 
'J">tli,"  continues  the  narrative,  "  we  slarteil  fresh  on  the  last  march. 
Just  when  day  had  broken  over  half  the  heavens,  /  .finr  (,'/i(ii/iitiirii  ! 
which  appeared  like  a  thirk  streak  of  bhwk  on  the  pale  circli-  of  tho 
horizon.  This  was  its  date-woods.  I  now  fancied  I  had  discovered  a 
new  worlil,  or  had  seen  Timbuctix),  or  followed  the  whole  course  of  tho 
Niger,  or  had  done  something  very  extraonlinary.  (Jradually  we  neared 
the  city  as  tho  day  got  up.    It  was  dusty,  and  hot,  and  disagreeable. 


H: 


ARRIVAL    AT    GHADAMES. 


873 


the  Atlas, 
at  by  the 
ver  visited 
im  a  brace 
i  liad  been 

district  of 
river,  Mo- 
iiied  there 
by  all  the 
s  diseases, 
d  familiar, 
icihardson, 
i  concern. 
s.'  Then, 
ou're  con- 
)nimaiider 
jnsiil  of  a 
sent  occa- 
airs  of  all 

rly  all  the 
eave  their 
G  rejoined 
de  of  the 
plain,  cor- 
^as  at  first 
rose  other 
s  journey 
1  want  of 
lav,"  savs 
alt  iiig  be- 
European 
II,  and  all 
i  devoted 
self  much 

iuc  days, 
\\  on  the 
't  marcli, 
<i(l(iiiiis  ! 
le  of  the 
ore  rod  a 
so  of  the 
•(>  neared 
•^ri'cablo. 


My  feelings  were  down  at  7,ero;  and  I  certainly  did  not  proceed  to  enter 
the  city  in  style  of  conqueror,  one  who  had  vanquished  the  galling  hard- 
ships of  the  desert,  in  the  most  unlavorable  season  of  the  year.  We 
were  now  met  with  a  great  number  of  the  peopUi  of  the  city,  conic  to 
welcome  the  safe  arrival  of  their  friends,  for  traveling  in  the  desert  is 
always  considered  h.secure  even  by  its  very  inhabitants.  Among  the 
rest  was  the  merchant  Essnoussee,  whose  acquaintance  I  had  made  in 
Tripoli,  who  welcomed  me  nuich  to  my  satisfaction  when  thus  entering 
into  a  strange  place.  Another  person  came  uj)  to  me,  who,  to  my  s>ir- 
prise,  spoke  a  few  words  in  Italian,  which  1  could  not  expect  to  hear  in 
the  desert.  lie  followed  me  into  the  town,  and  the  governor  afterward 
ordered  him  to  be  my  turjeman  ("interi)reter").  Now,  tlie  curiosity 
of  the  peo|)le  becami!  much  cxcitei",  ull  ran  to  see  The  Christian ! 
Every  body  in  the  city  know  I  was  coming  two  months  belbre  my 
arrival.  As  soon  as  I  arrived  in  Tripoli,  the  first  caravan  took  the 
wonderful  intelligence  of  the  appointment  of  an  English  Consul  at 
Ghadames.  A  couple  of  score  of  boys  followed  hard  at  the  heels  of 
my  camel,  and  st)me  running  belbre,  to  look  at  my  tace  ;  the  men  gaped 
with  wide  open  mouths ;  and  the  women  started  up  eagerly  to  the  tops 
of  the  houses  of  tlie  Arab  sul)url),  clapping  their  hands  and  loolooiii;/. 
It  is  })erhaps  characteristic  of  the  more  gentle  and  unsophisticated  nature 
of  womankind,  that  women  of  the  desert  give  you  a  more  lively  recep- 
tion than  men.  The  men  arc  gloomy  and  silent,  or  merely  curious 
without  any  demonstration. 


(;iIAI)A.\IKS. 


1 1 1 


•«    in 


y-  (, 


I  entered  the  city  by  the  southeiii  gate.  The  entrance  was  by  no 
means  imposing.  There  \vas  a  rougli-hcwii,  worn,  dilapidated  gate-way, 
lined  with  stoni'-benches,  on  which  the  ancients  were  once  accustomed 


w 

1 

t 

i 

^  :^'i  , 

I '  ,■ 


!-f' 


W^ 


i     I 


874 


IIICIIAIIDSON'S    TRAVELS    IN    THE    SAHARA. 


to  sit  and  tlisponso  justice  ns  in  old  Israolitish  tiinos.  Having  passed 
this  ancient  gate,  •\vliicli  wore  tlio  ago  of  a  thousand  years,  we  wonnd 
round  and  round  in  the  suburbs  within  the  walls,  through  narrow  and 
intricate  lanes,  with  mud  walls  on  each  side,  Avhich  inclosed  the  gardens. 
The  palms  shot  their  branches  over  from  abov((,  and  relieved  this  other- 
wise repulsive  sight  to  the  stranger.  ]>ut  I  was  too  much  fatigued  and 
exhausted  to  notice  any  thhig,  and  almost  ready  to  droj)  from  off  my 
camel." 

On  his  arrival,  Richardson  was  conducted  to  a  commodious  and 
tolerably  dean  house,  not  far  from  the  residence  of  the  governor.  The 
latter  received  him  in  a  friendly  maimer,  and  was  glad  to  make  use  of 
his  medicines  for  his  eyes,  which  weie  atllicted  with  ojdithalmia.  ^lost 
of  the  inhabitants  seemed  kindly  disposed  toward  the  traveler,  and 
though  there  were  occasional  cries  of  "  Infidel !"  as  he  passed  through 
the  streets,  lie  was  not  otherwise  molested.  Ho  adopti'd  the*  character 
of  a  marabont,  or  traveling  mendicant  saint,  and  a  physician,  and  was 
soon  busily  occupied  in  administering  to  the  wants  of  the  sick,  who 
tlocked  to  his  house.  lie  remained  three  months  in  Ghadames,  familiariz- 
ing himself  with  the  life  of  the  Sahara,  and  collecting  information  regard- 
ing the  routes  to  Soudan.  lie  formed  the  design  of  penetrating  as  liir  as 
Timbuctoo,  and  after  a  long  consultatiim  a\  itli  the  Touaricks,  engaged 
one  of  them  to  take  him  to  that  city;  but  the  ])lan  was  afterward  reUn- 
quished.  His  journal  of  the  residence  iiH  (ihadames  is  cpiite  interesting, 
though  loosely  and  carelessly  written.  Our  limits  will  only  allow  us  to 
quote  a  few  of  the  most  striking  passages. 

Soon  after  his  arrival,  he  writes :  "  During  the  four  or  five  days  of  my 
residence  here,  the  weath«'r  has  been  comparatively  tenq^erate;  at  least, 
I  have  not  lelt  the  heat  excessive.  To-day  has  been  close  aiul  cloudy  : 
no  sun  in  the  afternoon:  wind  hot,  ghihlce.  I  continue  to  be  an  object 
of  curiosity  among  the  j)eople,  and  am  followed  by  troops  of  boys.  A 
black  from  Timbuctoo  was  astonished  at  the  whiteness  of  my  skin,  atid 
swore  I  was  bewitched.  The  (Ihadamsee  Moors  eat  sugar  like  children, 
and  are  much  pleased  Avith  a  suck  of  it.  The  young  men  carry  it  about 
in  little  bags  to  suck." 

Toward  the  end  of  September,  Kichardson  Avrit  es :  "  To-d.ay,  resi- 
dent thirty  days  in  Ghadames  which  I  have  certainly  not  lost.  My  ex- 
})enses  of  living,  including  a  guard  to  slet'p  in  the  house  at  night,  and 
Said,  are  only  at  the  rate  of  eighteen  pence  per  day  ;  this,  however,  ex- 
clu'les  tea,  coffee,  and  sugar.  IJesides,  Shekh  Makouran  refuses  to  take 
any  thing  for  house-rent,  saying,  'It  would  be  against  the  will  of  (iod 
to  receive  money  from  you,  who  are  our  sure  friend,  and  our  guest  of 
hospitality.'  Few  patients,  in  comparison  with  the  ])ast.  As  th(!  winter 
approaches,  ^he  cases  of  oi)hthalmi.i  a'C  less.  In  the  precipit;iti(>;i  of 
leaving  Tripoli,  brought  little  ink  with  me,  and  most  of  that  I  gav  ■  r'wuy ; 
so  am  obliged  to  go  about  the  town  to  beg  a  little.  The  custom  is, 
when  one  person  wants  uik,  ho  begs  it  .tf  another. 


1 1-  ^ 


TJIE    "SEA    ON    LAND." 


875 


it! 


"  My  t.'ilol),  backed  with  two  or  thrco  ^russiiliiian  doctors,  cliarged 
me  ill  tlio  i)iil»lic  streets  witli  corniptiiijf  mid  liilsiiying  the  text  of  the 
Word  of  (iod.  'This,'  lie  said,  '1  have  found  l^y  h)<)kiiig  over  your 
Elerif^eel  ((Josj)el).'  It  is  i)re(:isi!ly  the  charge  which  we  make  against 
the  MohaiiiiiKMhins.  JJ\it  our  charge  is  not  so  nuidi  corrupting  one  par- 
ticular revelation  as  falsifying  the  entire  books  of  the  Jews  and  tlie 
Christians,  of  giving  theni  new  ft)rins,  and  atlding  to  them  a  great  num- 
ber of  old  Arabian  fables.  A  t^ileb  opened  the  Testament  at  the  (Jospel 
of  St.  iVIark,  ami  read,  t/uit  Jcnnti  y/v/.s-  (Iii.,  Sitn.  of  (iod.  Confounded  and 
vexed  at  this,  he  .said,  '  God  uutlur  h<(ji'lH  nor  in  bcijotlot'  (a  verse  of 
the  Koran).  An  Arab  from  the  Tripoline  mountains  turned  upon  mo 
and  said,  'What!  do  you  know(Jo<l':"  1  answeriul  sharj)ly,  'Yes;  do 
you  think  tin;  knowledge  of  (jiod  i:J  confmed  to  you  alone  ?'  The  by- 
ptanch'rs  applau<leil  the  answer, 

"  lu  general,  the  ignorant  of  the  popidatitm  of  this  part  of  north 
Africa,  as  well  as  soulheru  ^Morocco  and  Wadnoun,  tliink  the  Christians 
are  not  !i('((uainted  with  (Iod,  Bomctliing  in  tlie  sanu;  way  as  I  heard 
when  at  Madrid,  that  Spaniards  occasionally  asked,  if  there  were  Cliris- 
tians  and  churclies  in  England.  I>iit  in  other  parts  of  JJarbary,  I  have 
ft)und,  on  tlie  contrary,  ;iii  opinion  very  prevalent,  that  the  religion  of 
the  Knglish  is  very  much  like  the  religion  of  the  Moors,  arising,  I  have 
no  doubt,  from  the  absence;  of  images  aiul  jiictures  in  Protestant  churcluiS. 

"Speaking  to  the  JMoor  of  the  Saliara,  I  said,  'The  Sahara  is  always 
healthy;  look  at  these  Tonaricks,  they  an;  the  children  of  the  desert.' 
lie  rej)lied,  'The  Sahara  is  th(!  sea  on  Idiid,  and  like  sea,  is  always  more 
healthy  tli.iii  ciiltivatcil  spots  of  tlie  earth.  These  Touaricks  are  chiefly 
strong  and  j)owerful  from  drinking  camels'  milk.  They  drink  it  for 
months  together,  olleu  ftjr  four  or  live  nu)nths,  not  (>ating  or  drinking 
any  thing  else,  Afler  they  have;  drunk  it  some  time,  they  have  no  evac- 
uations for  four  or  five  days,  and  these  are  as  white  as  my  ])ornouse.  It 
is  the  camels'  milk  Avhicli  makes  the  Touaricks  like  lions.  A  boy  shoots 
up  to  manhood  in  a  i^'W  y(!ars ;  .and  there 's  nothing  in  the  world  so 
nourishing  as  camels'  milk.'  Caillie  mentions  that  the  chief  of  the 
]>rakiias  lived  for  several  months  on  nothing  but  milk  ;  but  it  was  cows' 
milk.  3Iany  of  the  Saharau  tribes  are  supported  fur  six  months  out  of 
twelve  on  milk. 

"Treating  some  IVIoors  with  coftee  .and  loaf  sugar,  one  asked  mc' if 
there  were  blood  in  sugar,  for  so  lie  had  heard  i'rom  some  Kuropeans  in 
Tripoli,  T  told  him  in  loaf-sugar.  '  What,  the;  blood  of  pigs?'  one  cried, 
'  How  do  T  know?' T  n'joined  ;  'if  the  refiner  has  no  bullock's  blood, 
why  not  use  that  of  pigs  V  Tliis  frightened  them  all  out  of  their  senses. 
They  will  not  eat  loat-sugar  again  in  a  hurry." 

Afh'r  giving  ui>  the  idea  of  crossing  the  desert  to  Timbuctoo,  Rich- 
ardson resolvecl  lo  pro(  eed  to  Kano,  in  tlui  kingdom  of  Iloussa,  by  way 
oftihat  and  the  unvisited  country  ofAlieer,  or  Asbeii,  which  lies  in  a 
desert,  south-west  of  Fezzan.     Toward  the  end  of  November,  prepara- 


Irpi 

i 

•:'        ' 

1 

! ; 

), 
1 

; 

1  I 


il 


!      I 


(■  I 


'  !i 


876 


mCIIARDSON'S    TRAVKLS    IN    THE    SAIFARA. 


tions  were  made  lor  the  (lcj)!irture  of  a  cariiv.'Ui  to  (iluit  and  Soudan, 
and  tlic  traveler  detcrniined  to  In;  of  the  party.  The  jj;overiior  of 
(iliadanies,  afler  Home  hesitation,  gav(!  his  permission,  and  Shekh  J\Ia- 
kouran,  the  owner  of  th(^  liouso  in  wiiieh  Itiehardson  lived,  had  a  testi- 
monial drawn  up,  and  signed  l»y  the  Kadi  in  behalf  of  the  pe(»ple  of 
(rhadames,  stating  that  during  his  residence  there  ho  l>ad  eonducted 
himsi'lf  well,  and  had  given  oHense  to  no  one.  lie  then  purchased  a  she- 
camel  for  Si'Jf),  hired  another  to  carry  the  baggage,  and  procured  a  com- 
plete Arab  dress.  The  shekh,  who  had  treated  him  with  the  greatest 
kindness,  furnished  him  with  a  store  of  cakes  for  the  journey,  made  of 
honey  and  dates. 

The  24th  was  fixed  u])on  for  the  de|)artiire  of  the  caravan,  but  as  tlie 
day  drew  nigh  the  phice  was  disturbeil  with  rumors  that  the  Shanbah,  a 
predatory  desert  tribe,  were  lurking  in  the  neighborhood,  ready  for  at- 
tack. Uu  the  afternoon  of  the  appointed  d;iy,  the  camels  were  lojuh^d, 
and  the  whole  ])oj>ulatiou  of  (Ihadanu's  collected  to  see  the  caravan 
start,  but  just  as  it  was  passing  the  gate,  a  man  and  boy  who  had  conu; 
in  from  the  desert,  crie<l  out  that  the  Shanbah  were  on  the  road.  All 
was  now  confusion  and  dismay ;  the  caravan  halted,  and  a  Senawanee, 
or  native  of  Senawan,  was  sent  forward  as  a  scout,  lie  did  not  return 
until  next  day  at  noon,  when  he  reported  that  the  supposed  Arabs  were 
merely  a  herd  of  stray  cattle.  The  jnerchants,  entirely  relieved  by  thia 
news,  at  once  put  the  caravan  in  motion. 

"Mounted  on  my  camel,  jiri'ssing  on  througli  the  desert,"  says 
Richardson,  "my  thoughts  still  lag  behind,  and  as  ]  turn  often  to  look 
back  upon  tlio  city  of  merchants  and  nuirabouts,  its  palms  being  only 
now  visible  in  the  <lingy  re<l  of  the  setting  sun,  I  endeavor  to  form  a 
correct  oj)inion  of  its  singular  inhabitants.  I  see  in  them  the  mixtiu'c 
of  the  religious  and  conunercial  character,  blended  in  a  nu)st  extra- 
ordinary manner  aiul  degree,  for  here  the  ))ossessioa  of  wealth  scarcely 
interferes  with  the  highest  state  of  ascetic  devotion.  To  a  religions 
scrupulousness,  which  is  alanned  .at  a  drop  of  medicine  tliat  is  prohibited 
falling  upon  their  clothes,  they  add  the  most  enterprising  and  determined 
spirit  of  commercial  enterprise,  plunging  into  tin;  desert,  often  in  coin- 
jianies  of  only  two  or  three,  when  .infested  with  bandits  and  cut-throats, 
tlu' journeys  the  mean  whiU?  extending  from  the  shores  of  the  .Mediter- 
raiu'aii  to  the  banks  of  the  Niger,  as  low  down  to  the  western  coast  as 
Noiifeo  and  Kabbah.  But  their  resignation  to  the  will  of  lieaven  is 
without  a  parallel.  No  nun-nuir  escapi'S  them  under  tlu'  severest  do- 
mestic allliction  ;  whiU?  jjrayer  is  their  daily  bread.  JJesides  live  tinu's  a 
day,  they  never  omit  the  extraordinary  occasions.  The  aspirations  of 
the  older  aiul  retired  nu'n  continue  all  the  live-long  day  ;  this  incense  of 
the  soul,  rising  before  the  altar  of  the  Klernal,  is  a  lire  which  is  never 
extinguished  in  (Ihadanu's!  Intdligrnt,  instructed,  aiul  industrious, 
they  are  the  greatest  frieuda  of  civilizaliou  in  north  Africa  and  tho 
great  tlesert." 


A    SKXriMKNTAJ.    A  ItAli. 


877 


Tlip  caravati  coiisistcil  o['  ci'^lity  jicrsoiis  and  two  Imndrctl  laden 
rairu'ls.  Alter  tiaxdiiiL;  lor  t'lree'  days  in  a  wotitli-eastcrii  direction,  tlio 
road  turned  to  the  soiit'i,  entered  tlio  j>or<:;e  of  a  low  mountain  ranfjjc, 
an<l  {gradually  ascended  to  an  elevated  table-land  of  the  Icsert.  Hero, 
lor  sevi-ral  days,  tlu;  Journey  Avas  e\<H'edin<rIy  lahoiious  ;  cxliaustint^, 
from  the  heat  and  hiindinif  {^lare  of  the  sand  by  day,  and  the  extreiuu 
coldness  of  the  nifrhts,  which  sometimes  previ^nted  them  from  sleepini^. 
"  I  notice  as  a  thing  most  extraordinary,"  says  Uii^hardson,  "  at\er  seven 
days  from  (Ihadaines,  two  small  trees  !  the  common  desert-acacia.  An- 
other phenomenon,  1  see  two  or  three  ])ret(y  blue  ilowers !  As  I  ]iicke(I 
one  up,  r  could  not  help  exclaiming,  J-Hliinttili(U<(h,  ('Praise  to  (Jod!') 
for  Arabic  was  growing  socond-born  to  my  tongue,  and  1  began  to  think 
in  it.  An  Arab  said  to  me,  '  Vakob,  if  we  had  a  reed  and  were  to  make 
a  meloilious  sound,  those  Ilowers,  the  coior  of  l.u'aven,  would  open  and 
BJmt  their  mouths  (petals).'     This  fiction  is  extremely  poetical. 


* 


Tir  K    w  i;i,i,s   OF    Ji  I  sr.A  ii , 


"But  hcr(>  in  tlio  center  of  this  wi!de;-ness  of  saml,"  he  continues, 
"  W(!  had  an  abundant  jiroof  of  thn  goodness  of  a  good  («od.  AVhlle 
mourning  over  this  horrible  scene  of  monotonous  desolation,  and  won- 
(h'i'in<^r  whvsuch  re<,/ions  were  cre;itetl  in  vain.  Ave  caiiie  upon  77/6'  Wi/Ih 
of  .V/.vA/A,  where  Ave  t  iicamped  for  the  <Iay.  Tiicse  are  not  ]iroi)er!y 
Avells,  i"or  the  sand  being  removcil  in  various  plan's,  .alxtut  four  or  livo 
feet  below  the  suriace,  the  Avater  runs  out.  Indeed,  Ave  were  obliged  to 
mak<>  our  own  wells.  Each  party  of  the  ghafalali  dug  a  avcU  for  itself. 
(Jhafalaiis  are  divided  into  so  many  parties,  varying  in  size  from  live  inen 
and  twenty  camels,  to  ten  men  and  forty  camels.  Three  or  four  wells 
Avere  dug  out  in  this  Avay.     yomc  of  the  places  had  been  scooped  out 


I  \ 


I 


•:   i . 


I  :  i:- 


■i    :    ' 

1/ 

) 

i 

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RICHARDSON'S    TRAVELS    IN    THE    SAHARA. 


before.  Water  may  be  found  through  all  the  valley  of  Mislah.  A  few 
dwarfish  palms  are  in  the  valley,  but  which  don't  bear  fruit.  The 
camels,  finding  nothing  else  to  eat,  attacked  voraciously  their  branches. 
These  jiits  are  considered  as  the  half-way  station  between  Ghadames 
and  Ghat." 

On  the  13th  of  December,  the  caravan  encountered  a  company  of 
Touaricks,  led  by  Ouweek,  a  predatory  chief.  A  halt  was  made,  a 
violent  dispute  took  place,  and  finally  all  parties,  after  having  made  their 
customary  prayers,  squatted  upon  the  ground,  and  commenced  a  solemn 
deliberation.  Richardson,  who  took  little  notice  of  what  was  going  on, 
was  lying  upon  the  ground  eating  some  dates,  when  he  was  informed 
that  Ouweek  had  determined  to  put  him  to  death,  as  he  was  a  Christian 
and  an  infidel.  The  people  urged  him  either  to  give  himself  up,  or  ofter 
a  ransom,  but  when  the  latter  was  proposed  to  Ouweek,  he  fiercely  de- 
manded a  thousand  dollars.  "Hereupon,"  says  Richardson,  "all  the 
people  cried  out  that  I  had  no  money.  The  quasi-handit,  nothing  re- 
ceding, '  Why,  the  Christian's  mattress  is  full  of  money,'  pointing  to  it 
still  on  the  camel,  for  he  was  very  near  mo,  although  I  could  not  dis- 
tinguish his  features.  The  Touaricks  who  liad  come  to  sec  me  bef  ">re  I 
arrived  at  the  well,  observed,  '  He  has  money  on  his  coat,  it  is  covered 
with  money,'  alluding  to  the  buttons.  All  our  people,  again,  s,vore  so- 
lemnly I  had  no  money  but  paper,  which  I  should  change  on  my  arrival 
at  Ghat.  The  bandit,  drawing  in  his  horns,  '  Well,  the  Christian  has  a 
nagah.'  'No,'  said  the  people,  'the  camel  belongs  to  us;  he  hires  it.' 
The  bandit,  givmg  way,  '  Well,  the  Christian  has  a  slave,  there  he  is,' 
pointing  to  Said,  '  I  shall  have  the  slave.'  '  No,  no,'  cried  the  people, 
'the  English  have  no  slaves.  Said  is  a  free  slave'  The  bandit,  now 
fairly  worsted,  full  of  rage,  exclaimed,  '  What  are  y.M  going  to  do  with 
me,  am  I  not  to  kill  this  infidel,  who  has  dared  to  come  to  my  country 
without  my  permission  ?'  Hercat,  the  messenger  from  Ghat,  Jabour's 
slave,  of  whom  the  bandit  was  afraid,  and  dared  not  lay  a  hand  upon, 
interposed,  and,  assuming  an  air  of  defiance,  said,  '  I  am  come  from  my 
sultan,  .labour ;  if  you  kill  the  Christian,  you  must  kill  me  first.  The 
order  of  my  sultan  is.  No  man  is  to  say  a  word  to  the  Christian.'  Our 
])eo))lo  now  took  courage  from  this  noble  conduct  of  the  slave,  dcclarhig, 
'  If  Yakob  is  beaten,  we  will  all  be  beat  first ;  if  Yakob  is  to  be  killed, 
we  will  be  killed  likewise.'  Ouweek  now  saw  ho  must  come  down  in 
his  i)rctensions.  The  bargain  was  struck,  after  infinite  wrangling,  for 
two  articles  of  clothing,  of  the  value  of  four  dollars  !" 

On  the  day  following  this  adventure,  the  cai'avan  reached  the  re- 
markable gi'oup  of  rocky  hills,  called  the  Jvaiir  Genoon^  or  Demon's 
Palace,  and  early  in  the  morning  of  the  15th  approached  Ghat.  The 
plain  contracted  and  became  a  narrow  valley,  between  rocky  ridges,  in 
the  bottom  of  which  appeared  the  dark-green  belt  of  the  palm-trees. 
Richardson  thus  describes  his  arrival  and  reception :  "  We  M'ere  now 
met  by  the  friends  of  the  Ghadamsee  merchants,  but  with  the  exception 


CURIOSITY    OF    TJIE    NATIVES 


^9 


of  Essnoussee  and  two  or  three  otliors,  I  received  f(  -nhitcs  of  d- 
comc  ;  and  when  we  got  up  to  the  gates  of  the  city  at  nuuii,  not  a  .xlo 
person  of  our  caravan  offered  me  the  least  assistance,  cither  in  inter- 
preting or  otherwise.  I  felt  myself  in  a  most  deplorable  predicament, 
but  I  reflected  that  all  men  must  each  one  look  after  his  own  business, 
so  our  people  were  now  each  one  occupied  with  his  own  affairs.  I  felt 
much  the  want  of  a  good  Moorish  or  Arab  servant.  Said  was  of  no 
use  whatever  in  this  case.  Strangers  and  loungers  crowded  and  clam- 
ored round  me,  anxious  to  look  at  the  lace  of '  the  Christian.'  It  was 
covered  with  my  triiveliiig  handkerchief,  and  when  I  untied  my  face  to 
gratify  their  curiosity,  they  burst  out  with  the  rude  and  wild  expression 
of  surprise,  '  M7iooh  !   Whooh  I    W/tcy .'' 

"  Several  of  the  Ghat  people  then  asked  me  what  I  wanted.     I  told 
them,  the  Governor  of  Ghat.     I  was  not  understood.    At  last  came  up 


'^^r'v^ 


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GIIAT. 


to  me  a  young  Tripolinc  Moor  of  the  name  of  Mustapha,  who  volun- 
teered his  services  as  Touarghce  and  Arabic  interpreter,  but  of  course. 
our  conversation  was  .always  in  Arabic.  Amid  a  cluster  of  Touaricks 
and  Ghat  townsmen,  iho  governor,  was  pointed  out.  Several  sh(>klis 
were  present,  but  it  ap])oars  they  gave  ])reocdeni'e  to  the  governor's  son 
from  a  feeling  of  shamefacedness.  Ilaj  Ahmed's  son  is  a  v(>ry  nice  polite 
young  gentleman,  as  smart  as  a  Parisian  dandy.  vVfter  a  little  delay  he 
conducted  us  to  a  house,  in  which  some  of  his  fither's  slaves  were  liv- 
ing. It  was  a  dark,  dreadful,  dilapidated  hovel.  The  young  gentleman 
most  earnestly  ajjologizod,  i)rotesting,  'the  town  is  full  of  people, 
merchants,  and  strangers.  "NVe  have  nothing  better  left  hi  the  town. 
Perhaps  you  will  come  and  live  in  our  liouse  out  of  the  town.'  We 
looked  out  our  baggage,  which  had  been  conveyed  for  us  by  Arabs  of 


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RICHARDSON'S    TRAVKLS    IN    THE    SAHARA. 


our  caravan,  and  wore  astotiislicd  to  find  it  scattered  about  outside  the 
city  gates,  the  caravan  people  having  thrown  it  down  there.  However, 
nothing  was  lost,  and  this  at  once  impressed  me  with  the  remarkable 
honesty  of  the  Ghatee  peojjlc." 

Kichardsfju  was  received  in  a  very  fi-iendly  manner  by  the  Governor 
of  Ghat,  Sliokh  Jabour,  the  chief  marabout,  and  afterward  by  Shafou, 
the  Hultan  of  the  country.  The  Touaricks  are  more;  bigoted  than  the 
inliabitants  of  Ghadanies,  and  he  was  frequently  insulted  in  the  streets, 
but  he  was  at  least  secure  from  violence,  and  found  no  serious 
obstacles  in  the  way  of  proceeding  to  Soudan.  His  means,  however, 
Avere  scarcely  sufficient  for  the  journey,  his  health  began  to  suifer,  and 
lie  fiiinlly  gave  up  the  plan,  after  liaving  become  satisfied  of  its  entire 
feasibility.  He  remained  in  Ghat  two  months  and  a  half,  at  the  end  of 
which  time  he  determined  to  return  to  Tripoli  by  wayof  ]\Iourzuk.  The 
following  passages  from  his  journals  will  throw  some  light  on  Touarick 
life  and  maimers : 

"Every  body,  as  was  tlie  case  at  Ghadames,  high  and  low,  rich  and 
poor,  young  and  old,  Avislies  to  convert  me  into  a  good  Mussulman, 
being  mortified  tliat  so  quiet  a  Christian  should  be  an  infidel.  An  old 
shckh  paid  me  a  visit  to-day,  and  began,  'Now,  Christian,  that  you 
have  come  into  this  country,  I  hope  you  will  find  every  thing  better 
than  in  your  own  country,  and  become  a  IMussuIman,  one  loved  of  God. 
Come  to  my  house,  leave  your  infidel  father  and  mother.  I  have  two 
daughters.  I  will  give  you  both  for  wives,  and  seven  camels  besides. 
This  will  make  you  a  shekh  among  us.  You  can  also  be  a  marabout, 
and  spend  your  life  in  prayer.'  I  excused  myself,  by  saying,  '  I  had 
engagements  in  my  country.  My  sultan  would  brand  me  with  disgrace, 
and  I  should  be  fetched  out  of  this  country  by  the  Turks,  who  Avere  always 
the  friends  of  the  English.'  The  shekh  sighed,  raised  up  his  aged  body, 
and  departed,  mumbling  something,  a  blessing  or  a  curse,  upon  my  head." 

One  day  ho  writes:  "Had  a  visit  from  some  score  of  Touarick  wo- 
men, of  all  complexions,  tempers,  and  ages.  After  staring  at  me  for 
some  time  with  amazed  curiosity  and  silence,  they  became  restless.  Not 
knowing  Avhat  to  do  with  them,  I  took  out  a  loaf  of  white  sugar,  cut  it 
into  pieces,  and  then  distributed  it  among  them.  The  scene  now  sud- 
denly changed,  joy  beamed  in  every  eye,  and  every  one  let  her  tongue 
run  most  volubly.  They  asked  me,  '  Whether  I  was  married — whether 
the  Christian  women  Avero  pretty — whether  prettier  than  they — and 
whether,  if  not  married,  I  should  have  any  objection  to  marry  one  of 
them?'  To  all  which  questicms  I  answered  in  due  categorical  form;  'I 
Avas  not  nuirried — the  Christian  Avomen  Avere  pretty,  btit  they,  tlic 
Touarick  wf)inon,  Avere  i)rettier  than  Christian  Avomen — and,  lastly,  I 
should  so;'  Avhether  I  Avould  marry  one  of  them  Avliem  I  came  from 
Sondan.'  These  ansAvers  Avere  perfectly  satisfoctory.  But  then  came  a 
puzzler.  They  asked  me,  '  Which  Avas  the  prettiest  among  them  ?'  I 
looked  at  one,  and  then  at  another,  with  great  seriousness,  assuming 


THE    P ALACK    OF    THE    DEMONS. 


881 


vi'i-y  un,r,Mlliint  airs    (tlio  women  tlio  mcaiiwhilo    '/I'^'^Yinii  •'^"'^  ooqucl- 
ihvj;,  and  soiiio  throwing  l)ack  lli(>ii-  1)aiTacans,  shawls  1  may  call  llicm, 
I     rurthcr   from   their   shouUlors,  baring  their  bosoms  in  Irnc  ball-room 
I     style),  and,  at  last  tiilling  back,  and  shutting  my  eyes,  placing  my  left 
j     hand  tn  my  forehead,  as  if  in  proflmnd  reflection,  I  e.\clainu'(l  languidly, 
I     and  Avith  a  forced  sigh,  'All,  I  can't  tell,  you  are  all  so  pretty!'     This 
created  an  explosion  of  mirth,  some  of  thj  more  knowing  ones  intimat- 
ing by  their  looks,  'It's  hicky  for  you  that  you  liave  got  out  of  the 
scrajie.'     I>ut  an  old  lady,  ctloso  to  me,  was  very  angry  with  nu;:  '  Vo;i 
i'ool.  Christian,  take  one  of  the  young  ones  ;  lieru  's  my  daugliter.' 

" Nothing  surprises  the  natives  of  tJhat  and  the  Touarieks  so  muc.Ii 
!  as  my  gloves.  I  am  obliged  to  put  them  ofl'  and  on  a  liundre(l  times  a 
day  to  jileaso  people.  They  then  try  them  on,  look  at  them  inside  and 
I  outside,  hi  every  shape  and  way,  expressing  their  utter  astonishment  by 
j  the  most  sacred  names  of  Deity.  Som(.>  also,  have  not  seen  stockings 
j  before,  and  examine  them  with  much  wonderment.  J  Jut  the  gloves 
j  carry  the  palm  in  exciting  the  emotion  of  tlic  terrililc.  One  saiti,  alter 
!  he  had  put  the  glove  on  his  hand,  'Ah!  ah!  whey,  whoo  !  that's  the 
J     hand  of  the  devil  himself!'  " 

I  On  the  5th  of  February,  IBIC,  Kichardson  left  (diat  Avith  a  Touaricrk 

I  caravan  for  Mourzuk.  On  approaching  the  Demon's  Palace,  ho  left  the 
■  caravan  and  wandei-cd  off  to  the  v.'onderful  natural  fortress,  with  the  de- 
i  sign  of  ])ro('uring  some  curious  geological  siiecimens.  Losing  liimself 
I  Hoon,  however,  anK)ng  the  rocky  mazes,  ho  wandered  about  all  night 
'  Avithout  finding  any  trace  of  the  road,  and  in  the  n.orning,  nearly  delir- 
I  ious  froni  thirst,  !?et  off  to  Avander  back  to  tJhat,  Avhen,  after  three  hours, 
I  he  A\as  fortunate  enough  to  slund)le  upon  his  own  party.  The  mer- 
chants supposed  that  he  had  been  killed  by  the  demons,  and  some  of 
them  said  to  him:  "You  Avere  verv  foolish,  von  ought  not,  as  a  Chris- 
i  tian,  to  liave  presumed  to  go  to  the  Palace  of  the  Demons,  Avithout  a  Mus- 
I  Kulman,  Avho  could  have  the  meanwhile  prayed  io  (lod  to  prescrA'e  you, 
and  Hkewiso  himself.  The  demons  it  is  who  have  made  you  Avander  all 
i  night  through  the  desert."  Nothing  of  any  .spei'ial  interest  occurred  dur- 
j  ing  the  remainder  of  the  journey,  and  on  the  122d  he  arrived  at  ^Nlourzuk, 
j  l^ichardson  soon  recovered  his  health,  under  the  hospitable  care  of 

I\rr.  Cagliufli,  the  English  vice-ennsiil  at  ]\Iourzuk,  and  by  the  nth  of 
;  JNIarch,  Avas  Avell  enough  to  start  Avitli  a  caravan  for  Tripoli.  lie  reached 
I  Sockna,  on  the  21st,  and  halted  there  nine  davs.  His  route  from  Ghat 
j  to  Tripoli  Avas  precisely  the  same  as  that  traversed  by  Denham  and 
Clapperton;  the  character  of  the  country  and  its  hdiabitants  is  de- 
I  scribed  in  the  narrative  of  these  explorers,  and  need  not  be  repeated 
i  here.  On  the  eA'cning  of  the  10th  of  April,  Richardson  arrived  at  Tri- 
;  poll,  after  a  tour  of  eight  months  and  a  half  hi  the  Sahara,  during  Avhieh 
i  time  he  traveled  sixteen  hundred  miles.  His  entire  expenses  Avere  less 
!     than  is:!00,  Avhich  sum  ho  earned  on  the  road  by  Avritiug  letters  to  the 

Ijondon  T'ltncs. 
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RICHARDSON  AND  BARTII'S 


EXPEDITION   TO    CENTRAL    AFRICA. 


JOURNEY    TROUCrll    AlR,  OR   ASBEN,   TO    HOUDAN. 

AiTEU  liis  roturn  to  Kniilfiml,  Mr.  Uiohanlson  did  not  h^so  sight  of 
the  projot't  of  a  visit  to  Soiulan,  which  he  had  hocii  ohligod  to  relinquish 
at  Ghat,  but  endeavored  to  enlist  the  sympathies  of  the  iiuhlic,  and  ob- 
tain the  sanction  of  govornnient.  Finally,  in  the  suimner  of  IStO,  ho 
received  a  government  eoinmis.sion  to  visit  Central  Africa  on  a  jiolitical 
and  comiuoreial  mission.  Drs.  Iiarlh  and  Overweg,  of  I'russia,  who 
were  highly  reconunended  by  lluniljoldt,  Hitter,  and  Kncko,  volunteered 
to  accompany  him.  the  former  as  anli(piarian  and  ])hilologist,  the  latter 
.as  naturalist,  on  condition  that  the  Uritish  government  should  dt'fray 
their  expenses.  Their  offer  was  accepted,  and  an  appropriation  of 
14,000  made  for  them,  in  addition  to  which  they  received  8:t,000  from 
the  Geographical  Society  of  Merlin,  I  he  King  of  Prussia,  and  other 
sources.  The  explorers  met  at  Tripoli,  when^  they  were;  delayed  some 
tirae  for  the  jjim'jxisc  (if  Iiaving  a  boat  eonstructeil  for  the  navigation  of 
Lake  Tsad.  Finally,  <in  tho  ;U)th  of  ^^arch,  IH'iO,  the  party  started, 
comprising  a  caravan  of  forty  camels,  with  whiih  they  joined  the  great 
Bemi-amuial  caravan  to  Hornou. 

Tho  route  followed  by  the  expedition  from  Tripoli  to  Lake  Tsad 
(Tchad  of  Dcnham  and  Clapperton),  was  not  the  direct  road  via  Min-- 
zouk  and  IJilma  through  the  country  of  the  Tibboos,  but  one  from  Mur- 
zouk,  (h'viating  gn-atly  westward  and  extending  through  the  Tuarick 
country,  with  the  kingdom  of  Air  to  Kaiio,  the  great  mart  of  Soudan. 
The  object  of  this  deviation  M'as  to  explore  countries  never  before  visited 
by  Kuroi)eanM.  The  expedition  entered  the  elevated  regions  south  of 
Tripoli  l»y  tli<^  (Jharian  Pass,  near  Avhich  is  mount  Tekut.  As  far  as  the 
Well  of  T.iboniah,  situated  at  the  llxit  of  tin-  northern  edge  of  tlu; 
Ilamada,  m.any  dei-p  w.adis  intersect  this  table  land,  and  the  ruins  of 
several  Koman  monunients  and  columns  were  discovered  by  the  travel- 
ers.   To  the  south  of  'I'aboniah  is  tho  llamsida,  an  immense  Htony  desert 


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EXPEDITION    OF    IlICIIARDRON    AND    BARTH. 


of  '2,000  1  >  '-',500  foot  cloviitioii,  and  oxtonding  :U)(»iit  110  goo;j;raj)liical 
miles  southwiird.  As  far  as  tlio  v.yv,  c:\n  rcac'h,  noitlujr  troos  nor  indica- 
tions of  woUs  an;  visible,  and  tlio  scanty  vegetation  which  o(Tnrs,  is 
only  found  hero  and  tlierc  in  the  trilling  irregularities  of  the  surface. 
The  ground  is  covered  with  small  stones,  j^yramids  of  wliich,  erected 
with  great  labor,  serve  as  road-marks  to  the  intrepid  e:imel-drivers  by 
day,  while  the  Polar  star  and  Aniares  are  the  guides  by  night.  AtliT 
six  long  days' journey,  the  expedition  reached  the  southern  edge  of  this 
table  land,  which  d(!S(U'nds  in  perpi'iidicular  walls  to  the  "NVady  el  llessi. 
Tlu^  nu)n()tony  of  the  dreary  black  rock  was  relieved  by  the  yellow 
sand,  without  which  the  whole  of  Fezzan  would  be  a  lifeless  wildenu-ss, 
as  it  is  in  the  sand  that  the  [lalin  trees  grow,  ai\d  in  the  wadis  filled 
with  it  that  the  wells  are  found.  In  the,  great  Wady  of  Fezzan  the  ex- 
])e(litioii  passd  through  a  complete  Ibrcst  of  iialnis,  as  well  as  through 
cultivatt'd  lields  of  wheat  and  liarley.  Another  small  tabU;  land  was 
traversed  by  the  travelers,  atlcr  which  tluy  reached  Murzouk  on  the  Oth 
of  May,  1H.")0. 

Here  they  were  compelled  to  make  a  long  stay,  as  they  were  await- 
ing the  arrival  from  (Ihat  of  the  Tuarick  escort,  headed  by  Ilateeta,  tho 
well-known  Tuarick  chief,  wlio  calls  himself"  the  friend  of  tho  Knglish," 
from  having  escorted  Oudiu'vand  (Maj)[)erton  to  (ihat.  The  journi^y 
fri)n>  IMurzouk  to  (Ihat,  generally  accomplished  in  twi'lve  days,  occupied 
th(!  travelers  thirty-six,  i)uiMg  jiartly  to  the  delay  caused  by  Ilateeta, 
])artly  to  the  slow  rate  of  traveling  of  this  old  and  decrepit  man.  The 
travi'lers  were,  however,  compensateil  by  the  discovery  ofsonu'  oxtrenu'ly 
curious  rock  sculptures  in  tin*  Wady  Telissanih,  wliich  is  situated 
about  mid-way  between  Murzouk  and  (ihat.  One  of  these  Hcnlptures 
consists  of  two  liutnan  bird  and  bull  headed  ligures,  armed  with  spears, 
sliields,  and  arrows,  and  combating  Ibr  a  child.  The  other  represents  a 
line  group  of  oxen  going  to  a  watering-place,  most  artistically  grouped 
and  skillfully  execute(l.  In  the  opinion  of  the  travelers,  tho  two  works 
bear  a  striking  and  unmistakable  resemblance  to  the  sculptures  of  Kgypt. 
They  are  evidently  of  a  very  high  anticjuity,  aiul  superior  to  nunu'rous 
other  sculptures  of  more  recent  <late  tbuiul  at  tho  samo  time,  in  which 
canu'ls  generally  tltrnu'd  the  principid  object.  They  most  probably  relate 
to  a  i)eriod  of  ancient  Tiibyan  history  when  camels  were  unknown  in  that 
jiart  of  Africa,  and  oxen  were  used  instead. 

At  Serdalous,  the  road,  till  then  from  east  to  west,  suddenly  turned 
almost  due  south,  in  the  direction  of  the  celebrated  Kasr  Janoon  or 
Palace  of  the  DenuHis,  a  small  range  of  liills  composed  chiefly  of  slato- 
marl,  and  most  curiously  shaped,  liaving  tlu!  appearance  of  ruinous 
cathedrals  and  castles.  This  region  is  held  in  the  nu)st  superstitious 
dreud  by  the  inhabitants,  who  never  go  near  it.  It  had  well-nigli  cost 
the  life  of  Dr.  liarlh,  who,  on  the  caravan  arriving  on  tlu'  spot,  with 
l)r.  Overweg,  deterndned  to  visit  this  curious  group  of  hills.  As  tlu^y 
could  procure  no  guide  or  companion,  they  set  off  alone,  while  Mr. 


I 


ir. 

o;j;ra{)hical 

lor  iiidica- 

occurM,  H 

ic  siirfaco. 

h,  oro(;t<!(l 

Irivers  by 

'it,.     Allcr 

i^o  of  this 

y  c'l  llossi. 

ho  yellow 

ildcnicHS, 

idis  lilled 

ui  th(^    «>Y- 

s  lliroiijijli 

land  waH 

)n  llio  0th 

oio  await- 
itoota,  tho 
Kiiglish," 
0  journey 
,  orcujiu'd 
Y  |[:it('i'ta, 
nan.  Tho 
oxiri'iiu'ly 
i  Hituatcd 
Hculptun's 
t]>  H])oarH, 
[)ios('nts  a 
)'  j^Toupod 
,wo  'works 
of  Kgypt. 
niiiiu'rouH 
,  ill  which 
iMy  relate 
wti  in  that 

ily  turned 
lanfion  or 
y  of  Hlato- 
)f  ruinous 
Dcrstitious 
•niiifli  eoflt 
ipot,  with 
As  thoy 
while  Mr. 


KICAUCir    KOR    DU.    UAliTlI. 


887 


A  ■■.'( ■:■>:,.■■■ 


IIIK   rAI.ACK   01'  llli;    lUlKlNM. 

KicliardsDii  j)it(;lied  his  tent  at  tlu'  nearest  well.  The  day  Avore  on,  it 
Mew  ;^'ales  of  wind,  and  none  <»f  them  icturned.  Al  last  towaid  the 
evening  Dr.  Overweg  returned,  hu^  without  his  (;oinj)anion,  iVoui  whom 
ho  had  M(!parated  without  seeint;  him  aj^'aiii.  (insit  fears  bei^aii  \u  he  enter- 
tained that  an  accident  had  lu'llillen  the  latter.  Seanih  was  I'omiiu  iice<l 
just  Itefon;  siniset,  and  continued  U|i  (o  midniL^dit,  hut  in  vain.  .\t  d;i\- 
breaU,  the  ruarch  was  more  vi<^orously  resumed,  ami  a  <'onsicleraliIe  re- 
ward was  oll'ered  as  a  stimulus  to  the  Tuaricks,  but.  the  day  won'  (»n 
without  I'esuK.  .lust  before  sunset,  however,  tlu;  joyful  iuteliit^'ence  was 
brouirht  to  thecani)),  that  Dr.  Uarth  had  at  last  been  discovered, still  ali\e, 
and  even  abl((  to  sjn-ak.  Oiu;  of  tin;  Tuaricks  had  found  him  about  v\<j^\\\. 
miles  from  the  camp,  lyin<jj  on  the  j^round,  unable  to  move.  I'nr  twenty 
four  hours  Ik;  hatl  remained  in  the  same;  position,  perfectly  exhausted 
with  heat  and  fatiifue.  On  seeiiu^  his  tldiverers,  h((  could  just  muster 
ntren<fth  to  say,  "Water,  wat(!r!"  He  had  liuished  the  small  supply  he 
h:id  taken  with  him  the  day  before  at,  noon,  .and  had  from  that  time 
HulVered  the  most  horribh;  tortures  from  thirst,  lie  had  i'\en  drunk  his 
own  blood  :  twenty -eit^ht  hours  in  the  Sahara  withoiil,  water!  Tie- 
Tuaricks  could  Hcarcely  at  lirst  credit  that  he  was  alive  ;  for  tlnar  sayini^ 
is,  that  no  one  can  live  more  than  twelve  hours  when  h»st  in  the  dcMrt 
j  durin;^  tlu;  heats  of  suminer.  Th((  <loctor,  however,  beim;  of  robust 
I  constitution,  was  well  enout^h  the  next  d:iy  1<»  mount  his  caiuel,  ami 
I  procei'd  with  the  caravan.  The  travelers  arriveil  at  (diat  on  the  17th 
j     of  July. 

j  At  (ihat,the  travelers  remaitu'il  ;i  weik  :  which  time  was  by  no 

(     means  <uu'  of  rest  or  recreation,  as  they  were  continually  haras-.('(l  by 

tho  greedy  demands  of  the  cliiels,  and  by  the  fanaticism  of  the  inhabit- 

L- 


'  I 


1 

i                 i     ■:    ^    i 

i                       -j! 

>              ■■!: 

'     i      1 

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'  1 

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i 

1 

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1 

i 

i 
1 

-M    ' 

1 

f 
1 

■,ll 


I'll 
I  <  I 

I"! 


IPIi'i 


888 


EXPEDITION    OF    lUCriARDSON    AND    BARTH. 


■Ax 


doed,  that  tlii'V  had  but  ff 


imu'li  so,  iTHloed,  tliat  tliey  liatl  Dut  lew  opportunities  of  ex- 
ploring the  town  and  surrounding  country,  except  when  their  medical 
assistance  hapjjcned  to  be  required.  Even  old  llateeta  proved  a  faith- 
less "friend  of  tlie  Englisli.''  On  the  2oth  of  July  the  expedition 
left  Ghat. 

"The  departure  from  (ihat,"  so  writes  Mr.  Richardson,  "  was,  for 
the  most  of  us,  an  exciting  moment.  So  fir  I  had  considered  myself 
eomi)aratively  on  familiar  ground  ;  for  although  I  had  followed  diflerent 
routes,  the  great  ponits  of  Murzouk  and  (fhat  were  well  known  to  me. 
Now,  however,  we  were  about  to  enter  upon  a  region  totally  unknown, 
of  whicli  no  authentic  accounts  from  eye-witnesses,  unless  we  count  the 
vague  reports  of  natives,  had  ever  reached  us:  valleys  unexplored; 
deserts  unafl'ronted ;  countries  which  no  European  had  ever  surveyed. 
Before  us,  somewhere  in  the  heart  of  the  Sahara,  raised  into  magnif- 
icence perhaps  by  the  mirage  of  rejjort,  was  the  unknown  kingdom  of 
Air,  of  which  Leo  .Vfricanus  hints  somi'thing,  but  the  names  of  whose 
great  cities  are  scattered,  as  if  at  hap-hazard  over  the  maps,  possibly 
hundreds  of  miles  out  of  their  right  position." 

The  travelers  iirst  j)assed  Barket,  a  considerable  town,  sin-rounded 
with  pall  i-trces  and  gardens,  and  situated  in  a  pleasant  and  pictunsipio 
piece  of  country,  nowhere  exceeded  in  beauty  in  the  whole  region  yet 
traversed.  On  the  'JTth  of  July  the  expedition  arrived  at  the  well  of 
Akuru,  and  Avas  there  joined  by  a  caravan  of  Kelowi  Tuaricks,  under 
"whose  protection  they  were  to  proceed  as  far  as  Tin-Tellust,  in  Air,  the 
residence  of  the  Kelowi  prince.  The  scenery  continued  to  be  very 
varied,  so  dlft'erent  from  the  vulgar  notions  of  a  desert,  or  level  expanse 
of  sand.  There  were  frequent  ascents  and  descents,  ravines  and  rocky 
plateaus.  On  the  30th  of  July  they  came  to  a  small  lake  inclosed  within 
immense  rocks,  called  Aggeri  AVater,  which  is  solely  produced  by  rain. 
Ilei'O  the  expedition  began  to  be  harassed  by  rumors  of  pursuing  Tua- 
ricks. (Jn  the  Ith  of  August,  the  Wady  and  well  of  Falesseles  was 
reached.  Hero  they  stayed  two  days  to  refrcsli  themselves,  as  they  were 
greatly  fatigued  by  the  long  days'  marches  which  they  liad  made  ever 
since  leaving  Ghat.  They  entered  now  upon  a  more  elevated  rocky 
region,  an  extensive  lianuida,  iminhabited  for  about  three  hundred 
miles  in  a  southerly  direction. 

On  the  15th  of  August,  not  far  from  the  well  of  Aisou,  the  travelers 
experienced  the  first  drops  of  Soudan  rain,  and  a  complete  Soudan  at- 
mosphere, the  clouds  having  a  vermilion  tinge,  and  the  air  being  hot 
and  clammy.  The  next  day  a  terriiic  tempest  was  experienced,  with 
ihnnder  and  lightning,  and  so  violent  a  shoAver  of  rain  that  the  travelers 
got  quite  wet  through  almost  in  an  instant.  On  the  ITth  of  August,  the 
Aisou,  or  the  Seven  Wells,  were  reachecl.  Here  reports  of  pursuing 
Tuaricks  again  alarmed  the  caravan;  but  the  enemy  was  outstripped, 
and  the  travelers  satbly  reached  the  borders  of  the  kingdom  of  Am*  at 
Taghajit,  hoping  to  bo  hospitably  received  by  its  inhabitants,  and  to 


ARUIVAL    AT    T  J  N-T  ELLUST. 


889 


rest  after  the  fatigues  of  a  forced  inarcb.  JJiit  they  ■\vore  sadly  dis- 
appoiuted. 

From  this  moment  they  -wcro  greatly  Iiarassed  by  the  attacks  of 
wliat  would  seem  to  have  been  the  lawless  tribes  of  the  border  regions, 
and  hordes  of  all  the  blackguards  of  the  surrounding  districts,  in  number 
gradually  increasing  from  sixty  to  several  hundreds.  Earnest  prepara- 
tions to  repel  these  attacks  Avere  now  made  by  the  mission  ;  whose  force 
consisted  of  about  sixty  men  able  to  fight.  To  these,  ammunition  for 
twelve  shots  was  distributed.  The  demand  made  by  the  enemy  to  the 
caravan,  was,  that  the  three  Christians  should  be  delivered  over  to  them ; 
but  their  servants,  their  escort,  and  the  othei  members  of  the  caravan 
remahied  faithful  to  the  travelers.  Several  times  *^he  enemy  challenged 
the  caravan  t<j  battle ;  but  when  the  latter  showed  a  bold  front,  ad- 
■\anced  in  a  body  well  armed,  and  shouted  out  that  they  accepted  the 
challenge,  tlu;  former  retired,  satisfied  with  the  payment  of  a  ransom. 
At  last,  however,  the  affair  became  more  serious;  and  before  the  trav- 
elers reached  the  town  of  Seloufiyeh,  a  troop  of  a  hundred  men,  insti- 
gated by  the  marabouts,  demanded  that  the  travelers  should  become 
Aloslems,  or  return  by  the  way  they  liad  come,  as  no  infidel  had  ever 
passed,  or  should  ever  pass  through  their  country. 

The  Tuarick  esci^rt  of  tlie  travelers  remained  faithful  and  firm,  and 
by  their  negotiations,  and  by  paying  a  heavy  ransom,  the  enemy  agreed 
to  the  proi»osition  that  the  travelers  should  be  taken  to  Tiu-Tellust,  to 
the  great  Sultan  Jui-Xoor,  who  should  decide  upon  tlieir  case.  On  their 
way  to  tliat  jjlacc,  they  2)assed  near  Thitaghoda,  the  city  of  marabouts. 
These  marabouts,  by  assigning  to  have  found  the  names  of  tlic  travelers 
in  their  books,  and  other  reasons,  had  determined  to  receive  them  with 
ojien  arms  and  ailbrd  tiu'in  their  protection  as  far  as  Tin-Tellust.  It  was 
from  tlu'se  ptTsons  that  they  received  the  first  substantial  action  of  kind- 
ness in  Air,  \  iz.,  a  jiresent  of  two  melons,  some  onions,  and  a  small 
(piantity  of  wheat.  Hy  a  kind  treatment  the  marabouts,  it  seems,  lioped 
the  Christians  would  still  be  converted  into  Moslems. 

Under  the  protection  of  this  escort,  they  reached,  on  the  3d  of  Sep- 
tember, the  l)road  and  spacious  valley  of  Tin-Tellust.  The  town  itself 
is  situated  in  the  middle  of  this  valley,  witli  trees  here  and  there  inter- 
spersed. This  place,  the  capital  of  the  mighty  Prince  En-Xoor,  on  wliom 
the  life  and  death  of  the  travelers  depended,  and  on  which  their  minds 
had  naturally  dwelt  so  long,  was  found  to  be  much  less  imj)Osing,  consist- 
ing, as  it  does,  of  only  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  houses  ami  huts,  and 
being  in  fact  nothing  but  a  larjjo  villajfe.  The  travelers  i)itche(l  their 
tents  Ufion  s»)me  sandhills  overlooking  tlu^  entire  country.  For  the  iirst 
time  since  many  a  day  they  felt  themselves  quite  secure  under  the  im- 
mediate ])rotection  of  Eu-Xoor,  who  on  their  arrival  sent  them  a  kind 
message. 

The  expeiliti'tn  now  liaving  fixed  tlieir  encampment  Ibr  their  resi- 
dence in  the  kingdom  of  Air,  Mr,  Uichardson's  chief  caro  was  that  of 


fll 


t  I  ■ 
i  k 


*     IP 


«  II 


ii 


III 


'!?'!!■ 


I  ( 


i  ■  1 


m 


890 


EXPEDITION    OP    RICHARDSON    AND    EARTH. 


obtaining  the  signing  of  certain  treaties  on  the  part  of  the  chiefs,  while 
his  scientilic  companions  longed  to  explore  the  country  around.  On  the 
4th  of  September,  the  travelers  were  received  by  the  Sultan  En-Noor 
in  his  palace,  a  long  mud-shed,  when  they  delivered  a  number  of  presents, 
the  largest  yet  given.  All  the  articles  were  carefully  examined,  but  not 
a  word  was  said.  The  sultan,  a  venerable-looking  black,  but  with  some- 
thing of  an  European  cast  of  features,  about  seventy-eight  years  of  age, 
received  the  travelers  favorably,  assured  them  of  his  protection,  and 
ascribed  the  robberies  they  had  suffered  on  the  road  as  arising  from  a 
general  fermentation,  a  kind  of  revolution  throughout  the  country. 

By  the  24th  of  September  the  friendly  relations  with  the  sultan  had  so 
far  increased,  that  jMr.  Richardson  paid  a  visit  to  his  highness  to  request 
him  to  sign  the  treaty  of  amity  and  commerce  which  he  had  prepared. 
On  this  occasion  En-Noor  really  seemed  what  he  professed  to  be,  the 
friend  of  the  English,  and  accepted  both  the  treaty  and  the  present  of  a 
sword  with  ardent  manifestations  of  pleasure.  This  was  a  day  of  rejoic- 
ing and  thanksgiving  to  the  travelers,  who  hoisted  the  union-jack  over 
the  tents  and  tired  a  salute ;  for  they  found  that  with  the  friendship  of 
the  chiefs,  and  particularly  of  En-Noor,  who  exerts  paramount  intluence 
in  Air,  the  people  were  also  showing  themselves  more  and  more  fiiendly, 
so  that  after  a  residence  of  several  weeks  the  former  felt  themselves 
quite  at  home  in  that  singular  country.  The  fanaticism  gave  way  by 
degrees,  and  the  sultan  became  so  much  attached  and  condescending  to 
his  guests,  that  he  visited  them  almost  daily  in  their  tents,  took  tea  or 
coffee  with  them,  and  chatted  A\ith  them  like  old  friends.  Thus  the 
months  of  September  and  October  passed  off  pleasantly  enough  upon 
the  whole,  and  the  travelers  Avere  only  awaiting  the  departure  of  the 
great  salt  caravan  of  the  sultan  to  Soudan,  under  whose  protection  they 
were  to  continue  their  journey  to  the  south. 

During  the  sojourn  of  the  expedition  at  Tin-Tellust,  Dr.  13arth  ob- 
tained permission  and  protection  to  visit  Agadez,  the  capital  of  Air,  and 
situated  in  the  south-western  portion.  lie  left  the  former  place  on  the 
4th  of  October,  escorted  by  a  caravan  mounted  on  bullocks  and  camels, 
the  general  direction  of  hia  route  being  about  S.S.E.,  and  the  distance 
to  Agadez,  in  a  straght  line,  one  hundred  and  thirty-two  geographical 
miles,  which  he  accomplished  in  six  days  going,  and  seven  days  return- 
ing. It  is  an  interesting  tract  of  country,  presenting  a  great  \  ariety  of 
scenery,  now  composed  of  fine  valleys,  now  of  monntam  chains  cut  up 
by  defiles.  Here  and  there  charming  spots,  green  with  herbage  and 
trees,  particularly  rich  in  doum-jialms,  and  of  a  truly  tropical  charai.'ter, 
greeted  the  eyes  of  the  traveler.  Agadez  is  situated  on  a  hamiida  or 
table  land,  consisting  of  sandstone  and  granitic  formations.  Its  circuit  is 
three  miles,  including  about  seven  hundred  housi's,  with  seven  or  eight 
thousand  inhabitants.  No  author  is  known  to  have  mentioned  this 
place  before  Leo  Africanus,  in  whose  time  it  was  a  flourishing  town. 
There  are  traditions  among  the  inhabitants,  that  it  owes  its  origin  chiefly 


AGADEZ. 


891 


to  some  tribes  coming  from  the  north,  probably  belonging  to  the  Berber 
race. 

Agadez  formerly  contained  not  less  than  from  fifty  to  sixty  thousand 
inhabitants,  there  being  now  only  about  eight  thousand.  At  present 
the  appearance  of  the  town  is  that  of  an  almost  ruhied  place,  scarcely 
the  sixth  part  of  it.  The  inhabitants  are  partly  merchants,  partly  arti- 
zans.  Respecting  the  -^  ^.oe  of  civilization  of  the  inhabitants,  it  may  be 
mentioned  that  there  are  live  or  six  schools  in  Agadez,  where  the  boys 
are  taught  to  read  the  Koran,  and  to  write.  The  women  seem  to  enjoy 
great  freedom.  Some  of  them  are  pretty,  and  liavc  Arab  features ;  and 
among  the  men  Dr.  Barth  observed  fine  faces  and  good  figures.  Tlio 
population  is  so  mixed  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  make  out  the  type  of 
the  orighial  stock. 

The  kingdom  of  Air,  as  it  is  called  by  the  Tuaricks,  and  Asben  by 
the  ancient  Soudan  name,  lies  about  midway  between  the  Nile  and  the 
western  coast  of  northern  Africa.  From  its  natural  features  it  can 
neither  be  considered  as  strictly  belonging  to  the  Sahara  nor  to  Soudan, 
but  it  presents  a  transition  country,  where  the  various  features  of  both 
regions  are  blended  and  mixed  together.  On  the  one  hand,  the  trojiical 
rains  extend  all  over  the  country  to  its  northernmost  extremity,  which 
is  not  the  case  in  that  part  of  tlie  desert  ex})lored  by  Oudney,  Denliam, 
and  Clapperton,  and  lying  to  the  east,  nor  in  that  portion  lying  to  the 
west. 

The  population  is  pretty  considerable  for  a  Saharan  country,  the 
total  number  of  inhabitants  being  estimated  at  about  sixty-four  thousand, 
which  is  at  least  double  that  of  the  whole  of  Fezzan.  It  was  stated  to 
the  travelers,  that  the  chiefs  of  Air  can  bring  fourteen  thousand  able- 
bodied  warriors  into  the  field.  The  largest  to"mi  is  Agadez,  with  about 
eight  thousand  inhabitants,  while  Tin-Tellust  has  only  about  four  hun- 
dred and  fifty.  There  are,  however,  about  half  a  dozen  towns,  the  pop- 
ulation of  each  of  which  exceeds  one  thousand,  while  the  great  bulk  of 
places  contain  between  that  number  and  one  hundred  inhabitants,  and 
a  good  many  contain  not  more  than  fifty. 

On  the  llith  of  December,  the  travelers  left;  their  protracted  en- 
campment at  Tin-Teggana,  and  on  the  14th  were  joined  by  the  salt 
caravan  froua  Bihna.  On  the  20th  December,  they  rested  opposite  the 
eastern  side  of  the  celebrated  Baghzen  Mountain,  Dr.  Overweg  ascend- 
ing what  may  be  considered  its  lower  terrace.  It  consists  of  porous 
basalt,  and  afforded  a  capital  view  of  the  high  and  steep  slopes  of  the 
Baghzen,  with  its  narrow  gorges,  the  home  of  groat  numbers  of  lions. 
The  next  day  they  descended  along  tlie  Wady  Unan  which  widens  out 
to  a  considerable  plain  further  south,  and  passed  through  splendid 
forests  of  the  doum-palm,  which,  laden  with  fruit,  imparted  to  the  coun- 
try a  truly  tropical  aspect.  Christmas-eve  was  passed  at  a  place  called 
Bargot. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1851,  the  travelers  passed  the  most  barren 


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892 


EXPEDITION    OF    RICHAUDSON    AND    BARTU. 


jiortion  of  tlu^  plateau,  and  ilesc^cndcd  by  a  gentle  slope  to  Soiulan.  Tho 
woatlicr  exporicuced  in  that  region  waa  bleak  and  cold,  with  a  keen 
braeiiig  air  iVoin  the  north-east,  under  which  tho  caravan  stitFercd  se- 
verely, and  several  camels  escaped  from  the  numbed  fingers  of  their 
drivers.  The  next  day  the  travelers  got  fairly  out  of  the  elevated  des- 
ert, and  entered  upon  a  wildern(!ss  of  small  thohikh-trees  full  of  birds' 
nests,  the  soil  covered  with  karongia  and  other  lierbs.  Great  numbers 
of  ant-hills  were  met  with.  The  same  character  of  landscape  continued 
to  tho  village  of  Nasumat,  which  Avas  reached  on  the  .'kl  of  January, 
llerci  tloeks  of  sheep  and  droves  of  oxen  betrayed  the  commencement 
of  an  inhabit (hI  country,  and  a  real  blessing  and  happiness  it  was  to  the 
travelers  to  be  kindly  received  by  the  inhabitants,  who  are  Tuaricks,  and 
belong  to  a  tribe  called  Tagaina.  Plenty  of  j)rovisions  were  now  ob- 
tained by  the  hungry  caravan  :  fowls  and  clieeso,  young  ostriches  and 
eggs  of  ostriches,  and  the  flesh  of  the  girafte,  were  brought  for  sale.  Tlio 
latter  Avas  relished,  and  its  taste  found  to  be  somewhat  like  beef.  Jlunt- 
irig  the  giraffe  is  a  great  occupation  with  the  jjcople  of  this  village,  tmd 
its  flesh  is  a  source  of  sul)sisteucc  for  them. 

The  caravan  now  entered  Damergou,  a  frontier  country  of  Bornou, 
under  the  s\\ay  of  the  Tuaricks,  greatly  intermixed  Avith  peojile  of  Bor- 
nou and  Iloussa.  Tho  expedition  encamped  on  the  7th  of  January  at 
the  village  of  Tagelal,  which  belongs  to  P]n-Noor.  It  Avas  anauged  that 
the  travelers  should  part  here  for  a  time  and  take  difterent  routes,  in 
order  to  explore  as  much  of  Soudan  as  ]iossil)le,  making  Ivouka  their 
l)lace  of  rendezvous.  ]\Ir.  Kichardson  Avas  to  take  the  direct  road  by 
Zinder,  T)r.  Harth  by  Katslma  and  Kano,  and  Dr.  OverAveg  by  a  cir- 
cuitous Avesterly  route  through  (luber  and  Mariadi.  On  the  11th  of 
January,  1S51,  they  jtarted,  never,  alas,  all  three  to  meet  again,  "Wo 
took  leave,"  says  i\Ir.  Kichardson  in  his  journal,  "  one  of  the  other  Avith 
some  emotion ;  lor  in  central  Africa,  those  travelers  aaIio  part  and  take 
divergent  routes,  can  scarcely  count  on  all  meeting  together  again." 

The  direction  of  3Ir.  llichardson's  route  Avas  nearly  due  south  for 
about  fifteen  geographical  miles,  when  it  turned  about  south-east  and 
continued  in  that  direction  as  far  as  Zuidor.  A  protracted  delay  of 
nearly  four  Aveeks  Avas  caused  at  Zuuler,  on  account  of  a  razzia  sent  to 
the  neisxhborinij  countries.  Mr.  Richardson  Avas  all  this  time  Avell 
treated,  had  good  opi)ortunities  of  making  observations  respecting  tho 
country  and  people  around,  and  also  of  collecting  information  generally; 
provisions  of  every  kind  AA'ore  supi)lied  to  him  in  abundance.  Sad  sights, 
hoAvevor,  connected  Avitb  the  slave-trade,  checked  his  delight  and  thnnv 
a  gloom  ov(>r  every  thing  else.  During  his  stay  the  sultan  Avent  out  in 
person  to  hunt  doAvn  the  subjects  of  his  OAvn  sovereign,  that  he  might 
l)ay  his  debts  by  selling  them  into  captivity. 

Zinder  has  a  population  of  about  ten  thousand  souls.  Tho  mili- 
tary force  consists  of  cavalry  and  foot — one  thousand  cavalry  having 
Bwords,  spears,  and  shields  ;  and  four  or  five  thousand  boAvmcn,  having 


])KAT1[    OF    MR.    UlOir  AUDSOxV. 


893 


only  bows  .ind  arrows.  Tlu*  liouseH  of  Ziudcr  nrc  mostly  linilt  of  doubh! 
malting,  but  a  good  number  ba\  (*  mud  walls  and  thatchod  roofrf.  Others 
aro  built  of  mud.  Then!  arc  no  nice  moscjues  with  minarets.  Tlx;  resi- 
dence of  the  sultan  is  a  fort  of  mud,  with  walls  of  some  height ;  it  over- 
looks all  the  other  building'^.  There  are  two  2)riiu'ij)al  streets,  running 
from  the  south  to  tlm  north ;  one  terminating  at  the  castle  of  tlu;  g(jv- 
ornor,  and  the  other  in  the  market.  These  are  of  some  Avidth,  thout 
being  spaces  for  a  dozen  camels  to  ])ass  abr».;ast.  There  are,  besides, 
many  little  S(iuareH  before  the  houses  of  the  grandees,  where  the  idle 
people  lounge,  of  Avhicli  the  streets  are  always  full.  The  scavengers  in 
the  streets  of  Zinder  an;  the  A'ultures  and  hyauias,  the  foriruu"  walking 
about  in  great  nund.)ers  by  day,  the  latter  enter  the  town  in  troops 
by  night. 

On  the  Hth  of  February,  ISf)!,  Mr.  Kichardson  left  Zinder  en-  ronlc 
for  Kouka,  undi'r  .an  escort,  and  inouTited  on  a  horso  })resented  to  him 
by  the  sultan.  The  general  direction  of  his  route  was  east,  through  a 
fine  wavy  cotmtry,  rising  at  t'.mes  into  high  hills,  with  comparatively 
few  trees,  and  more  sugar-cane  tields  than  in  the  northern  parts  of  the 
province.  The  coimlry  is  very  fine  aiid  park-like,  and  wore  it  not  for 
the  doum-})alm,  would  be  more  !ik((  some  of  the  best  parts  of  Europe 
than  Africa  is  suji^'osed  to  be.  On  the  11th  of  l"Vbru;iry,  he  entered 
Manga  or  JNlinyo,  considered  to  be  the  most  powerful  provinc(!  of  JJor- 
nou ;  and  alliir  passing  a  gn-at  number  of  villages- — for  the  country  is 
dens(^ly  peopled — reached  the  eajiital  (Jural  on  the  11th.  lleAvas  kindly 
r; ':;eived  by  the  sultan,  and  after  staying  for  several  days  at  (iur.ai,  left 
that  place  on  the  19th  ofFebruary.  His  I'outo  ledthrough  a  tract  of  coun- 
try Avhich  may  be  considered  as  the  southern  border  of  the  Sahara,  for 
the  vegetation  Avas  stimted,  and  the  fauna  exec cilingly  ))oor.  At  (Jusu- 
mana,  Avhich  forms  the  center  of  a  group  of  several  towns  and  villages,  the 
country  AV\as  considerably  improved.  It  is  situated  on  a  hill,  oA'erlooking 
a  steep  broad  valley,  full  of  doum-palms,  Avhile  in  the  gardens  Avheat, 
cotton,  and  pepper  are  cidtivate(l.  jMr.  Ivichardson  reached  this  place 
on  the  21st  of  February,  and  here  it  Avas  that  Ik;  Avrotc?  the  last  Avords 
of  bis  journal,  for  a  fcAV  days  afterward  he  fell  a  victim  to  the  fatigues 
of  the  journey,  and  the  inlbience  of  the  climate.  His  last  Avords  seem 
to  bint  the  cause  of  the  lamentable  accident  that  speedily  followed  : 
"Thermometer  at  sunset,  S'J'";  weather  A'ery  troublesome  to-day,  blow- 
ing hot  and  cold  Avith  tho  same  breath."  Spring  A\-as  advancing  with 
its  uncertain  temperatures  in  centr.al  Africa.  The  thernKuneter  stood 
nearlv  ;?0"  between  the  morniiiL;;  and  afternoon.  Doubtless,  lioAvever, 
the  umisual  iatigue  of  horse-exercise  during  the  days  that  succei.'ded  the 
departure  from  Zinder  may  have  contributed  its  share  in  breakhig  down 
Mr.  IJichardson's  strength. 

]\Ir.  Kich.ii'dson  died  at  TTngurutua,  about  six-  days' journey  from 
Kouka,  the  capital  of  IJornou,  on  tho  fth  of  ]Mareh,  1851,  eleven  months 
after  bis  departure  from  Tripoli,     His  fellow-traveler,  Dr.  r.arth,  hast- 


I 


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llh' 


891 


EXPEDITION    OF    RICHARDSON    AND    BARTII. 


ened  to  tho  spot  "with  hiudablo  energy  as  soon  as  he  licard  of  the  melan- 
choly catastrophe  tliat  had  taken  ])laco,  and  secured  all  his  papers  and 
effects,  Avhit'li  he  forwarded  to  the  British  consul  at  Tripoli.  The  journal 
of  the  ill-fated  traveler  has  since  been  published.  He  was  forty-two 
years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

From  Tagelal,  where  the  travelers  separated,  Dr.  Barth  went  in  a 
direction  about  south-west  nearly  on  a  straight  line  as  far  as  Katshna, 
thus  entering  the  dominions  of  the  Felatahs.  A  few  miles  from  Tagelal 
he  passed  Olaloal,  the  capital  of  Damcrgoii,  and  about  half  way  between 
that  place  and  Katshna  he  Ifll  tho  town  of  Tasawa  a  little  to  the  right 
of  his  route,  having  to  cross  a  dense  forest  before  reaching  the  frontier 
of  the  Felatah  empire.  Tliis  forest  is  rendered  unsafe  by  gangs  of  Fe- 
latahs. Arrived  rit  Katshna,  tlie  capital  of  a  Felatah  province,  he  was 
detained  some  days  by  the  governor,  who  extorted  from  him  a  high 
passage  money.  From  Katshna  to  Kano,  Barth  took  a  more  easterly 
route  than  tho  one  of  Clapj)erton,  and  found  the  various  streams  ho 
crossed  rumiing  to  the  eastward.  He  arrived  at  this  important  place, 
the  London  of  Soudan  Iti  a  commercial  point,  in  the  beginning  of  Feb- 
ruary, and  stayed  till  the  beginning  of  March.  During  this  time  ho 
collected  a  good  deal  of  infin-mation  respecting  Houssa,  and  but  for  this 
would  have  been  very  dissatisfied  with  his  visit  to  that  city  ;  for  he  was 
much  molested  by  the  inhabitants,  and  suffered  from  the  unhealthiness 
of  the  ])laoe  by  a  slight  attack  of  fever.  In  addition  to  this,  he  was 
greatly  disapi)ointcd  by  his  commercial  transactions,  for  the  great  amount 
of  goods  he  and  Dr.  Overwog  had  been  induced  to  purchase  at  Mur- 
zouk — to  be  exchanged  in  the  markets  of  Kano  for  Soudan  money  or 
merchandise — fetched  very  low  ])rices,  and  thus  entaUed  a  considerable 
loss,  which,  with  the  robberies  in  the  Sahara,  reduced  his  means  in  a 
degree  little  anticipated. 

On  the  5th  of  March,  Dr.  Barth  left  Kano  and  reached  Gummel,  tho 
first  considerable  ])lace  within  the  liornouese  dominions,  on  the  12th. 
Afler  staying  a  few  days  at  that  place,  ho  continued  his  journey,  and  met 
with  a  sherif  on  the  road,  who  acquainted  him  with  Mr.  Richardson's 
death.  This  sad  account  having  been  confirmed  by  succeeding  travelers, 
he  hui'ried  on  as  fast  as  possible,  in  order  to  fulfill  the  last  duty  to  his 
unfortunate  traveling  companion ;  if  too  late  for  his  burial,  at  least  to 
make  provision  that  his  lonely  grave  would  bo  respected,  and  also  to 
take  SI 'h  measures  as  might  be  necessary  for  the  successful  prosecution 
of  the  obj'.'ct  of  the  mission.  Having  secured  all  Mr.  Richardson's  pa- 
pers. Dr.  Barth  hastened  on  to  Kouka,  which  he  reached  on  the  2d 
of  Ajtril,  1851.  On  his  arrival,  he  presented  himself  at  once  at  tho 
fihekh's  palace,  as  one  of  the  surviving  Christians  who  had  come  from 
England  to  bring  him  presents  from  lier  Britannic  majesty.  He  was 
received  with  great  kindness  and  hospitality. 

While  awaiting  the  arrival  of  Dr.  Overweg,  Dr.  Barth  made  prepa- 
rations for  the  exploration  of  Lake  Tsad,  and  collected  information 


liiii'l  ,ii! 


ADAMOWA. 


895 


respecting  every  quarter  of  central  Africa,  with  the  zeal  and  indcfati- 
gability  which  distinguish  this  enthusiastic;  traveler,  though  the  state  of 
scanty  provision  and  disorganization  in  wiiich  he  found  the  whole  expe- 
dition on  his  arrival  at  Kouka,  were  sufficient  to  have  discouraged  the 
most  energetic.  In  this  dilemma,  the  Vizier  of  Bornou  had  lent  him 
$100 ;  with  which  he  was  enabled  to  pay  some  of  the  debts  incurred 
by  Mr,  Richardson,  and  part  of  the  salary  duo  to  his  servants.  On 
the  Tth  of  May,  Dr.  Overweg  arrived  at  Kouka,  and  was  welcomed  by 
his  traveling  companion  as  one  who  had  made  himself  already  quite  at 
home.  They  received  from  the  shekh  a  good  house  of  large  size  to 
live  in,  and  wore  supplied  daily  with  plenty  of  mutton,  rice,  wheat, 
butter,  and  honey.  Energetic  preparations  were  forthwith  made  for  ex- 
ploring unknown  regions,  Dr.  Barth  directing  his  steps  in  a  southerly 
direction,  and  Dr.  Overweg  commeucing  the  exploration  of  Lake 
Tsad. 

DR.  EARTH'S  JOURNEY  TO  ADAMOWA. 

The  great  object  of  Dr.  Barth  and  Dr.  Overweg  being  to  push  their 
way  southward  from  Lake  Tsad,  with  the  ultimate  view  to  cross  the 
whole  continent  of  Africa  and  reach  the  Indian  Ocean,  they  collected 
beforehand  as  much  information  as  possible  respecting  the   countries 
they  were  about  to  visit.     Thus  Dr.  Barth,  while  on  his  way  from  Kaiio 
to  Kouka,  received  accounts  of  a  country  of  Avhich  till  then  scarcely  more 
than  the  name  was  known,  and  that  it  was  situated  south  of  Lake  Tsad. 
This  country,  called  Adamaua,  Dr.  Barth  inferred,  from  all  he  hoard  of 
it,  to  be  the  most  beautiful  country  of  central  Africa,  and  a  strong  wish 
arose  to  reach  and  explore  this  region  at  the  earliest  opportunity.     He, 
therefore,  on  his  arrival  at  Kouka,  directed  all  his  energies  to  the  realiza- 
tion of  his  wish,  and  so  far  succeeded,  that  soon  after  Dr.  Ovorweg's 
arrival  at  that  place,  he  was  enabled  to  start  for  the  south,  leaving  his 
companion  to  navigate  Lake  Tsad.    Leaving  Kouka  on  the  29th  of  May, 
accompanied  by  a  Bornouese  kasholla,  or  captain.  Dr.  Barth  proceeded 
southward,  passing  through  the  province  of  Uje.     He  then  entered  the 
territory  of  a  tribe  called  the  Marghi,  whoiu  he  thus  describes :  "  The 
Marghi  are  a  very  fine  set  of  people,  tall  and  extremely  well-built ;  the 
color  of  some  is  black,  of  others  coi)per  color.     They  have  a  language 
of  their  own.     Their  villages  consist  of  grouj)s  of  huts  belonging  to 
separate  families,  and  the  huts  are  better  than  any  I  have  seen  in  Bornou. 
The  Marghi  are  quite  naked,  with  the  exceptit>n  of  a  simple  band  of 
leather  passed  between  their  loins  and  fixed  round  their  girdle,  and  a 
profusion  of  neatly  made  rings  of  iron  and  ivory  round  their  arms  and 
legs.     The  females  perforate  their  under  lijis,  and  the  males  their  right 
ear,  but  neither  of  them  make  any  incisions  in  their  face  or  body.     The 
Marghi  worship  their  god,  called  tamln,  in  holy  groves,  of  which  each 
village  has  one,  consisting  of  magnificent  trees,  surrounded  by  a  ditch, 


I  i 


H!-'! 


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896 


KXPIUtlTinN    OK    IlICIIARDSON    AND    nARTII. 


and  ronnini,'  a  kiml  of  citadel,  wliitluT  tlioy  retroat  during  war  with  all 
their  i)r<>]K!rty  and  wJ'.at  is  most  dear  to  them.  They  liave  also  a  rock 
near  l\obtsiiee,  the  capital,  which  is  tlu;  ohject  of  great  vejieration,  and 
on  Avhieli  they  jierlbrm  ordeals  very  similar  to  those  in  the  middle  ages. 
The  death  of  an  old  man  is  celebrated  with  rejoicings,  that  of  a  young 
man  with  grief  and  lamentations. 

"The  most  important  day,"  he  writes,  "in  all  my  African  journeys, 
was  the  18th  of  June,  when  we  reached  the  river  ]>enue,  at  a  point 
lailed  Taepe,  where  it  is  johied  by  the  river  Faro.  Since  leaving 
Murope,  I  had  not  seen  so  large  and  imposing  a  river.  The  IJenue,  or 
'mother  of  waters,'  which  is  by  (hr  the  larger  one.  of  the  two,  is  half  a 
mile  broad,  and  nine  and  a  (piarter  feet  deep  in  the  channel  where  we 
crossed  it.  ( )n  our  return,  eleven  days  later,  it  had  risen  one  and  a  half 
feet.  Tim  Faro  is  iive  tv> clfths  of  a  milo  l)road,  and  three  feet  deep, 
Avhich  increased  to  sevi'U  and  a  ciunrler  feet  by  our  return.  IJoth  rivers 
have  a  very  strong  current,  and  run  to  tlu^  west  into  the  Kowara  (Niger). 
\Vi>  crossed  the  Kenue  in  boats  innde  out  of  single  trees,  twenty-live  to 
thirty-live  fei't  long,  and  om-  to  one  luitl  a  half  feet  liroad,  and  forded 
the  l'\aro,  which  latter  was  acconi])Iished  not  without  difliculty,  on  ac- 
count of  the  strong  current.  The  Uennc  is  said  to  ris(>  niiu"  days'  jounuy 
from  ^'ola  inasouth-ensterly  tlireetion,  anil  the  Faro  seven  days' join'ney 
distiuit,  in  a  rock  called  Laliul,  l)uiing  the  rainy  season  the  country  is 
inundated  to  a  great  extent  by  the  two  rivers,  which  rise  1(t  their  high. 
(>st  level  towiird  the  end  olMnly,  and  reiuiiin  at  that  level  (I)r  forty  days, 
namely,  till  the  lirsl  days  of  September,  when  the  waters  Itegin  to  fill. 
Pioth  rivers  are  full  of  crocodiles,  and  the  J»enue  is  sujiposed  to  carry 
gold.  After  having  crossed  th(>  rivers,  -with  some  difliculty  to  the 
canu'ls,  we  passed  at,  tirsl,  tlii-ongh  some  swampy  groinid,  then  through 
a  very  line  eounlry  thickly  iidiabited,  and  reached  Vola,  the  ea])ital,  on 
the  'Jild  of  Jimi'. 

"  Vola  is  the  cajiitiil  ot'  h'Timbina  or  Adnmowa,  and  the  resilience  of 
the  Sultan  M^IiMmnied  i.ocl,  .son  of  the  iMallem  Adama,  who  coiKjnered 
this  country,  :md  on  whose  account  it  has  received  the  name  .\damowa. 
It  is  situated  in  a  rather  swampy  jilain,  imnidaled  during  the  rainy 
season  by  an  inlet  of  the  rixcr.  It  covers  a  large  .area,  its  dinnnsions 
beiuLC  two  and  a  half  mile;  from  east  to  west,  and  one  an<l  a  half  miles 
from  nortli  to  south.  All  tlii*  dwellings,  e\<ept  the  houses  of  the  Hultan 
and  his  lamily,  <'onsist  of  Inifs,  built  of  nnid.  Having  ro(le  up  to  tlie 
sultan's  palace,  we  were  lodge(l  in  the  house  of  one  of  his  chief-,  Ardo 
(iammawa.  My  lelh  r  of  recommendation  from  the  Shekh  of  liori  on, 
was  delivered,  and  made  upon  the  whole  a  good  imjtression.  It  repre- 
seutetl  me  as  a  st rammer,  a  ( 'liristlau — not  without  his  'holy  book'  -who 
usiled  Adamowa,  in  ordi'r  to  cvplore  thi're  and  '  ailmiri'  the  works  of  the 
Almighty  <lod.'  'I'hese  latter  words  made  the  l''ellatah  chief  violent  and 
umnanageal.le.  I'.\it  Morse  than  this,  was  the  letter  delivered  by  my 
companion,  the  kasliella,  in    v. Inch  the  disputed  frontier-territory  was 


1    M 


KESULT.S    OF    DR.    BARTII'S    JOURNEY. 


897 


once  more  claimod  l»y  the  Shokli  of  Honioti,  ami  this  In  a  rather  ener- 
getic manner.  Conse(|uently,  on  the  'JOth  of  June,  after  a  lliree  days' 
8tay  in  Yola,  a  message  from  the  sultan  was  delivered  to  me,  recjuesting 
me  to  leave  the  town,  and  return  tin;  way  I  came.  This  most  vexatious 
order  was  delivered  by  MalleiuMaiisiir,  the  brotlu-r  of  the  sultan  himself, 
and  next  to  him  in  iiithienee,  and  who  had  shown  me  much  kindness 
during  my  stay,  and  now  endeavored  to  appease  my  vexatious  feelings. 
He  said  that  I  \V(juld  be  most  welcoiiK^to  th(!  sultan,  if  I  brought  a  letter 
from  his  master  in  Sakat\i,  whose  slave  he  was.  I  gave  to  Mallem 
Mansiir  the  pn-sents  destined  for  him,  who  then  aiinoumu-d  to  mv  that 
the  sultan,  his  brother,  had  sent  two  slaves  as  a  present  for  myself,  and 
re(iuested  the  present  intended  for  him.  I  declared,  that  I  must  decline 
his  present,  for  in  addition  to  it  being  a  sin  for  me  to  possess  slaves,  I 
neither  would  give  nor  receive  the  smallest  j)resent  from  a  sultan  who 
ordered  me  to  leave  his  country  in  the  manncT  he  had  done.  Shortly 
after  this  we  left,  Vola,  accouiiinnied  by  two  horsemen,  who  had  cjrders 
to  conduct  us  safely  to  the  iroi.tier. 

"With  regard  to  the  height  of  the  mountains  seen  by  me,  T  must 
observe,  that  the  reports  of  snow-caj)pe(l  mountaii\s  in  that  r(\gion  of 
inner  AIVic;i,  are  without  foundiilion,  as  not  even  the  Alantika,  the  high- 
est moiuitain  of  Ailamowa,  and  probably  exce«'ding  ten  thoiisjind  feet  in 
lu'ight,  reaches  (he  limit  of  snow.  ]Most  of  the  other  mountains  in 
Adamowa  seem  only  three  thousand  feet  above  their  Ijasia." 

Dr.  I5arth  appears  to  havi'  returned  to  Kouka  on  the  sani(>  route  he 
came,  where;  he  safely  arri  veil  on  the  22dof  July,  after  an  absence  of  scarcely 
more  than  two  months.  The  results  of  this  jom-iiey,  though  short,  are 
mxpiestionably  the  mr)st  important,  both  in  a  geographical  and  cf»imnercial 
))oint  of  view,  of  those  which  have  y<'t  been  achieved  by  that  expedi- 
tion, l()r  the  miignilici'iit  river  discoveretl  by  Dr.  ISarth  holds  out  the  lio]pe, 
that  by  its  means  will  be  laid  open  the  vast  unknown  interior  of  Africa 
to  our  knowledge,  as  well  as  to  the  <ivili/a(ion  and  conunerce  of  the 
world.  Two  geographical  (piestions  of  importance  are  also  set  at  rest 
by  Dr.  I'unth's  journey,  namely,  the  non-existence  of  a  great  longitudinal 
mountain  chain  which  was  supj»osed  to  stretch  across  central  Africa  in 
the  I'cgion  traversed  by  tiuit  traveler,  and  the  nou-conn(.'.\ion  of  Lake 
Tsad  witli  the  Kowara. 


I  ! 
I  I 

1   r 

i   i 


1   ' 


I>R.    OVHUWEO'S    EXTLORATTON    OF    LAKE    TRAD. 


'{'he  boat  lor  exploring  I^akeTsad  and  its  numerous  islands  had  safely, 
though  with  groat  trouble,  been  conveyed  from  tlii*  Mediterranean 
across  the  desiTt  to  Kouka,  laden  in  pieces  on  camels.  The  Slu'kh  of 
llornou  being  o?i  terms  of  war  with  the  nations  inliabitini^  llu;  eastern 
Hhores  of  iiuUe  Tsad,  a  journey  round  (he  lake  was  found  impracticable, 
and  Dr.  Uverweg  theri'fore  di'terniined  on  a  cruise  on  the  lake  during 

fi7 


^i' 


CI 


'i     i 


m 


!l  I 


Ml! 


898 


EXPEDITION   OF   RICHARDSON   AND  BARTH. 


the  absence  of  his  compmiioii.  "With  the  assistance  of -(Vrab  carpenters, 
lie  ])ut  the  boat  together,  and  named  it  Lord  Pahnerston.  It  was 
launched  at  ^laduari,  east  of  Kouka,  when  a  vast  number  of  people 
flocked  together  to  see  and  admire  the  strange  boat.  \  harbor  near 
this  point  is  the  only  place  Mhere  an  occasional  trade  is  carried  on  be- 
tween the  inhabitants  of  Bornou  and  those  of  the  islands  in  the  lake,  the 
liiddumas.  Two  of  their  boats  happened  to  be  in  that  harbor  when  the 
Lord  J'alincrston  was  launched.  \)\\  Overweg  soon  became  friendly 
with  the  crews,  and  engaged  two  of  the  men  as  sailors  and  interpreters, 
ill  addition  to  whom  he  was  accompanied  by  his  servant,  a  Tripolitanian 
boatman,  and  Fugo  Ali,  a  Sudurti  chief 

On  the  28th  of  .Tune,  Dr.  Overweg  embarked  at  Maduari,  in  com- 
pany with  two  of  the  Jiidduma  boats.  For  the  first  seven  hours  they 
had  to  make  their  way  through  narrow  channels  between  small  islands, 
and  tluDugh  dense  reeds  of  a  luxuriant  growth,  infested  by  herds  of 
i(/i(/uri((us,  or  hip})opotanii,  which  were  no  less  disturbed  and  terrified 
by  the  boat  with  its  wiiite  sails  than  the  Biddunias  who  were  occasion- 
ally met  with,  either  in  boats  or  swimming  about  with  great  rapidity  on 
])i('ces  of  fioating  timber.  The  hip])opotami  would  often  appear  with 
their  heads  above  the  water,  and  gape  at  the  moving  sails.  Toward 
evening  the  open  water  of  the  sea  was  reached  ;  it  is  called  inkiOnl.  At 
night  the  boat  was  tied  to  a  fioating  island  of  reeds,  enlivened  by  hosts 
(if  jihosphorescent  insects.  On  the  t()llowing  day  a  north-easterly  course 
was  steered  tlirough  the  vast  open  expanse  of  the  lake,  the  average 
depth  oi  which  was  foimd  to  be  eight  to  twelve  feet.  Floating  islands 
of  reeds  were  met  with  in  that  o\K'n  portion  of  the  lake,  but  scarcely  any 
lislu's,  hipjiopotami,  or  Avater-fowl,  all  of  which  were  plentifid  hi  the  nar- 
row ciiamiels  toward  the  shores. 

On  the  ;U)th  of  June,  Dr,  Overweg  continued  his  course  witli  a  fresh 
breeze,  in  which  the  punts  of  the  IJiddumas,  not  having  any  sails,  were 
unable  to  keep  up  with  the  Lord  J*(d>mrx(<>n.  Toward  the  evening  the 
first  island  of  the  Jlidilumas — Kangallam — was  reached,  atler  prisviously 
sighting  to  the  right  hiind  the  small  island  of  Kamassa.  Uoinuling  the 
island  <if  Kangallam,  and  steering  a  more  easttM'ly  course,  Se\u*om,  a 
larger  island,  was  passeil,  and  IVLarea  wa.s  reached,  at  which  they  landed 
for  the  jiiirpose  of  taking  in  wood.  The  depth  of  the  lake  at  this  jioint 
was  six  feet  only,  ami  further  on  nine  feet. 

Leaving  ^^al•ea,  a  great  nundter  of  islands  were  jiassed,  of  which 
3Iaddeli,  .lerom,  and  Heroin,  were  the  jwincipal  ones.  Near  Maiea  tiie 
llshes  reappeared.  At  times  the  open  lake  was  seen,  stretching  south- 
ward through  the  narrow  channels  of  the  adjoining  islands.  In  the 
samu  direction  was  seen  an  island  covered  Avith  magnilleent  trees  and 
herdri  t»f  <'attle.  The  night  was  passed  close  to  the  island  of  I»erom. 
On  the  1st  and  'Jd  of  .luly,  the  voyage  was  continued  in  an  easterly 
direction,  through  similar  intricate  channels  fornu-d  by  innumerablo 
islands,  somi)  of  which  were  covered  with  fine  pastures  and  trees,  and 


penters,     i 

It  was 
r  people 
)or  near    • 
(1  on  be-     I 
lake,  the 
vhon  the 

friendly 
rpreters, 
olitanian 

,  in  com- 
urs  they 
I  islands, 
herds  of 
terrified 
occasion- 
.pidity  on 
[tear  with 
Toward 
ibitl.     At 
l>y  hosts 
ily  course 
average 
islands 
ely  any 
the  nar- 

a  fresh 

<,  were 

iiuig  the 

viously 

idiiifif  tho 

uroni,  a 

landed 

lis  jioiiit 


'V 


of  whioh 
larea  tlio 
itt  south- 
Ill  the 
rees  and 

lleroni. 

easterly 
inuerahle 
rei'S,  and 


( 


EXPLORATION    OF    LAKH    TSAD. 


899 


inhahited.  On  tho  latter  davtho  lariie  island  iM'larijxo  was  reached,  but 
previously  they  met  a  number  of  its  iiihaliitants,  from  whom  tliey  learned 
that  their  chief,  having  heard  of  Dr.  Overweg's  visit,  had  gone  to  the 
Bornouese  shore  to  fetch  hun,  and  conduct  him  safely  to  his  residence. 
Ko  less  kind  than  this  act  was  the  reccjition  of  the  visitors  in  the  harbor 
of  Belarigo  island.  Immense  multitudes  of  people  collected  round  the 
boat  to  Avelcome  the  Christian,  the  salutation  of  the  men  consisting  of 
shaking  by  the  hand,  and  of  the  women  by  imceasing  exclamations  and 
songs.  Dr.  Overweg  Avas  conducted  to  a  pleasant  eminence  U)  jiitcli  his 
tent,  and  abundance  of  milk  and  jirovisions  were  brought  to  him  and 
his  companions.  Late  in  the  evening  a  grand  procession  took  place  to 
honor  the  guests.  Mho  Avere  continually  assured  of  the  friendship  of  their 
entertainers.  Xext  morning,  the  whole  of  the  inhabitants,  old  and 
young,  went  to  cultivate  their  cane  fields  ;  and  tlic  afternoon  was  spent 
in  festival  assemblies,  dancing,  and  rejoicings,  on  whicli  occasion  Dr. 
Overweg  delivered  his  presents,  consisting  of  a  fewtobes,  pearls,  needles, 
rings,  and  sugar,  which  were  distributed  among  the  community  of  the 
island. 

Dr.  Overweg  stayed  four  days  in  Belarigo,  an<l  was  treated  invari.a- 
bly  with  the  greatest  kindness.  The  island  of  Belarigo  stretches  from 
north  to  south,  and  is  .about  four  miles  long,  and  between  one  and  two 
miles  broad.  On  the  Tth  he  left  the  island  to  extend  his  cruise  east- 
word.  Tlie  same  labyrinth  of  channels  and  islands  continued  as  before, 
'•^t  the  depth  of  the  sea  was  somewhat  greater,  namely  fifteen  feet. 
."  r  upward  of  two  hours'  sail  the  large  island  of  Doji  was  reached, 
,.  .icre  Dr.  Overweg  halted.  Some  of  the  jieojile  of  l?elarigo  had 
accompanied  and  followed  him,  not  in  boats,  but  swiinining  across 
the  narrow  chamiels  with  their  hand-floats.  It  appears  that  he  was  un- 
able to  extend  his  tour  further  to  the  east,  on  account  of  the  war  be- 
tween th((  jieople  of  Waday  .and  the  Biddumas,  which  \\as  not  yet 
terminated. 

The  fact  that  tho  waters  of  Lake  Tsad  are  fresh  and  dear,  is  fully 
confirmed  by  Dr.  Overweg.  A  new  feature  now  first  brought  out  by 
the  researches  of  that  traveler  is  its  comparative  sli.allowness,  the  sound- 
ings taken  by  him  ranging  from  eight  to  fifteen  feet.  The  de}ith  and 
vohnne  of  water,  as  well  as  the  superficial  exti'iit  of  the  lake,  varies 
greatly  in  dift'erent  seastms  and  jieriods.  Inundations  ;md  droughts  suc- 
ceeding each  other  produce  such  changes  that  the  channels  between 
various  islands  tliroiigh  which  Dr.  Overweg  saile<l  without  obstruction, 
are  frecpiently  laid  dry,  and  at  other  times  the  islaiuls  are  inundated  to 
such  a  degree,  that  the  inhabitants  have  to  retre.it  with  tlieir  property 
to  the  rajiges  and  sunniiits  of  tlie  sandhills  foimd  in  many  of  the  islands 
The  greater  portion  of  the  lake  is  occupied  by  a  vast  labyrinth  of  small 
islands,  the  largest  of  which  were  found  by  Dr.  Overweg  not  to  exceed 
livo  miles  in  length. 


In  ii' 


\  i 


'i  ( 


\ 


1 1 


,  1 


'  11 


'*  ;i 


I      i 


ii 

1 

! 

1 

i 

900         EXPEDITION    OF    RICHARDSON    AND    EARTH. 


EXTLGRATIONS     IN'     1  s :,  I     AND     1852. 

No  sooner  iiad  Dr.  Overwcif  rijoiiiod  his  cumpanioii  at  Koiika,  lliau 
tliey  planneil  another  journey  to  ho  undertaken  eonjouitly.  Owing  to 
the  recent  death  of  the  Sultan  of  Waday,  a  country  lying  to  the  east  of 
Lake  Tsad,  the  whole  of  that  region  had  been  involved  in  a  civil  war. 
The  Uelad  Soliman  (the  well-known  jwwerful  Arab  tribe,  formerly  living 
near  the  ^Mediterranean,  whence  they  were  driven  away  by  the  Turks 
and  subsequently  occupied  the  regions  to  the  north  and  north-east  of 
Lake  Tsad,  forming  an  allianci!  with  llornn),  determined  to  proiit  by 
this  dissension  of  the  i)eo|»le  of  "NVaday  among  themselves,  and  to  invade 
their  country.  Under  their  j)rotection  the  travelers  lioped  to  be  enabled 
to  exi)lore  the  countries  to  the  north-  oast  and  east  of  Lake  Tsad,  as 
well  as  the  mountainous  region  of  ]>orgou,  situated  about  midway  be- 
tween that  lake  and  Kgypt,  and  never  yet  visited  by  any  Eurojiean. 
Their  kind  liost,  the  Shekh  of  Jjoriu)U,  considerately  ecjuipped  twenty 
Arabs  expressly  for  the  purpose  of  conducting  them  safe  to  the  .\rab 
encampment. 

On  the  15lh  of  September  the  travelers  and  their  escort  h'ft  Jvouka, 
and  on  the  1st  of  October  they  reached  the  encamjtmeiit  of  the 
Uelad  Soliman  near  13ir-eI-Korno,  and  were  received  in  a  grand  style 
by  the  Aral)  horsemen,  who  paraded  their  celebrated  e(pu'strian  evolu- 
tions. The  camp  consisted  of  about  one  huiidreil  Arab  I'amilies,  and  a 
division  of  Tibbus,  together  with  about  five  thousand  ennuis,  seviual 
thousand  head  of  oxen  and  sheep,  and  two  hundred  horses — the  whole 
presenting  an  imposing  and  novel  spectacle  to  the  travi'lers,  particularly 
when  on  the  mart^h.  From  IJir-el-Korno  the  army  moved  on  toward 
I\Iaw,  the  capital  of  Kanem,  through  districts  situated  northward  iVom 
that  i)lace,  and  inhabiti'd  by  Tibbus.  The  western  tribes  of  the  Tibbus 
of  Kanem  were  already  subjugated,  and  the  eastern  ones  could  not  stand 
the  first  attack  t»f  the  Arabs,  but  flecl,  and  It^tl  their  lierds  of  camels, 
oxen,  and  sheep,  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  They  rallied,  however,  and 
succeeded  in  raishig  all  their  neighbors  in  order  to  jirevent  the  fiirtiier 
progress  of  the  Arabs.  The  latter  had  already  apitroached  Maw  to 
within  a  lew  hours'  distaiu'e,  when,  with  an  overwhelming  force  the 
enemy  made  an  attack  upon  their  camp,  which  ]troved  as  unexpected  as 
it  was  decisive.  The  Uelad  Soliman  were  defeated,  and  put  to  flight 
so  suddenly,  that  IJarth  and  Overweg  saved  their  lives  ;iiid  inslrunuMits 
only  by  a  (piick  retreat.  The  army  made  a  stand  in  western  Kanem,  in- 
tending to  renew  their  attack  upon  the  countries  eastward,  as  soon  as 
an  auxiliary  for«!e  of  the  Hornouese  should  Iiavejoiiietl  tliem.  Asthiswould 
have  caused  an  indelinite  loss  of  time  to  our  travelers,  beside  the  uncer- 
tainty of  their  juogress,  as  depending  upon  the  chances  of  an  invading 
army,  they  determine(l  to  return  at  once  to  their  iiead-ipiarter.s  at  Kouka, 
where  they  arrived  without  finther  mishaps,  on  the  IJth  of  November. 


PROGRESS    OF    DR.    BARTIf    0BSTRT7CTK D. 


901 


On  reaching  Kouka,  tlio  travelers  Icarnorl  lliat  a  largo  army  of  the 
Shokli  of  Bornou  was  al)oiit  to  leave  for  the  south,  to  castigate  the 
people  of  Maudara,  a  country  already  known  through  Major  Donham, 
who  there  met  with  so  narrow  an  escape  on  a  similar  occasion.  Dr. 
Barth  and  Dr.  Overweg,  far  from  being  discouraged  by  the  dangers 
their  predecessor  liad  undergone,  or  by  their  own  narrow  escape  in  their 
late  journey  to  Kanem,  determined  to  accompany  the  Uornouese  armv'. 
The  25th  of  November  was  the  day  of  dejiarture.  The  army  consisted 
of  upward  of  ten  thousand  horse,  and  the  same  number  of  foot  soldiers, 
with  inmnnerablc  trains  of  camels  and  other  beasts  of  burden.  The 
campaign  lasted  from  tlui  25tli  of  November  to  the  1st  of  February, 
1852.  The  army  penetrated  to  the  distance  of  two  hundred  miles  in  a 
south-eastern  direction,  into  a  country  called  Musgo,  and  retin-ncd  with 
a  ])ooty  of  five  thousand  slaves,  and  ten  thousand  liead  of  cattle.  The 
country  was  very  level,  and  abounded  with  marshes. 

After  a  short  rest  of  a  few  weeks,  the  two  travelers  left  Kouka  in 
the  end  of  March,  1852,  on  two  distiiict  journeys :  Dr.  Barth  going  in  a 
south-easterly  direction  toward  the  Nile,  and  ]")r.  Overweg  in  a  south- 
westerly direction  toward  the  Niger.  Dr.  Barth  directed  his  way  to 
Masefia,  the  capital  of  Bagirmi.  Owing  to  the  intrigues  of  a  native  of 
that  country,  who  had  recently  retimiod  from  Kouka,  and  who  consid- 
ered himself  not  sufllciently  lionored  by  the  sultan  and  the  vizier,  the 
most  absurd  rumors  respecting  the  object  of  Dr.  Barth's  visit  had  been 
spread  about,  namely,  that  he  was  a  dangerous  sorcerer,  and  that  ho 
had  come  to  cause  misciiief  to  the  people  and  to  dethrone  the  sultan.  Ac- 
cordingly a  most  determined  opposition  ^\'as  shown  him  in  the  country 
of  Loggeno,  and  he  was  not  allowed  to  cross  the  river  Shary.  Unde- 
terred by  these  diiHculties,  Dr.  Barth,  by  a  circuitous  route,  went  to  an- 
other ferry  at  Mele,  about  twelve  miles  lower  doAvn  the  river,  where  lie 
succeeded  in  crossing  the  river  and  thus  enterinu;  the  kiniidom  of  Ba- 
girmi,  but  his  further  progress  was  again  forcibly  stopped,  and  it  wag 
only  allowed  him  to  send  liis  letters  of  recommendation  to  the  capital, 
and  to  remain  till  an  answer  should  be  returiu'd. 

lie  reached  the  capital  at  last  on  the  28th  of  April,  and  though  ho 
seems  to  have  been  tolerably  well  received,  he  was  nut  allowed  to  ex- 
tend his  journey  beyond  that  place.  For  this  restriction  lie  endeavored 
to  make  up  by  collecting  all  possilile  informati<m  respecting  the  regions 
to  the  south  and  also  to  tlie  cast  as  far  as  Dar  Fur,  including  Waday. 
At  last,  on  the  10th  cf  August,  after  staying  upAvard  of  three  months  at 
Masefia,  he  was  allowed  to  commence  liis  return  to  Kouka. 

On  the  2tth  of  ^farch.  Dr.  Overweg  h'tl  Kouka,  his  route  being 
Bouth-west.  On  the  1st  of  April,  he  reacheil  Oujcba,  a  large  |)lace,  sur- 
romided  with  low  walls  of  red  clay.  The  vegetation  of  the  region  round 
Gujeba  is  tolerably  luxuriant ;  there  are  no  less  than  fifteen  different 
jtlaiits  cultivated,  and  Ibrty-scven  dinerent  kind-;  of  trees  were  enumer- 
ated to  him  by  their  native  names,  thirty-two  of  them  bearing  eatable 


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902 


EXPEDITION    OF    RICHARDSON    AND    BARTII. 


fruit,  three  eatable  roots  and  leaves,  and  twelve  neither  eatable  fruits 
nor  roots ;  forty  different  animals  are  met  with  by  the  hunters  of  Gujeba, 
including  the  civet,  the  musky  secretion  of  which  is  collected.  Gujeba 
belongs  to  Bornoii  only  since  1847,  Avhen  it  was  conquered  by  a  com- 
bined army  of  the  shekh  and  the  Uelad  Soliman.  Dr.  Overweg  was 
kindly  received  at  Gujeba,  and  a  house  adjoining  the  sultan's  was  given 
him  for  his  residence.  When  at  home,  he  was  contantly  besieged  by 
visitors,  who  conducted  themselves  with  the  greatest  propriety.  The 
playing  of  a  small  musical-box  he  had  with  him,  pui,  every  one  i?;  rap 
tures,  and  there  was  an  unceasing  demand  to  hear  the  tnolo  as  iaey 
called  that  instrument. 

Dr.  Overweg  left  Gujeba  on  the  9th  of  April,  after  a  stay  of  five 
days.  His  route  was  nearly  due  Avest.  After  crossing  a  considerable 
range  of  hills,  forming  a  spur  of  the  table  land  to  the  west,  the  large 
town  of  Fika  was  reached  on  the  14th  of  April.  Fika  is  surrounded 
with  a  walled  suburb,  and  the  town  itself  has  a  very  high  wall  with 
double  ditches.  It  is  indeed  most  strongly  fortified,  and  boasts  of  never 
having  been  taken  by  an  enemy,  not  even  by  the  Fellatahs.  It  lies  at  the 
opening  of  a  valley,  extending  to  the  west  into  the  mountains,  and  is 
abundantly  supplied  with  date-trees  and  water.  The  behavior  of  the  in- 
habitants to  the  travelers  was  by  no  means  so  amiable  as  in  the  places 
visited  previously,  though  they  were  readily  supplied  with  a  house  and 
plenty  of  provisions.  On  the  morning  after  his  arrival.  Dr.  Overweg  in- 
duced some  of  the  inhabitants  to  ascend  with  him  the  hill  which  over- 
looks the  town.  lie  there  enjoyed  an  extensive  view  over  the  vast  plain 
to  the  south,  draining,  it  was  said,  into  the  Benue.  The  Fellatah  terri- 
tory commences  immediately  to  the  south  of  Fika,  the  large  town  of 
Naffada,  also  Bake — the  former,  only  three  hours  distant — being  plainly 
discernible  to  Dr.  Overweg.  lie  was  about  to  ascend  a  highei  hill  fur- 
ther west,  when  messengers  from  the  sultan  arrived  to  commaad  his 
hnmcdiatc  return  to  the  town.  At  the  gate,  the  comers  were  greeted 
by  an  inuneiise  assemblage  of  the  people,  by  no  means  in  a  friendly  man- 
ner ;  the  Fika  men,  \vho  had  conducted  the  stranger  to  the  top  of  the 
hill,  were  unceremoniously  taken  hold  of  and  led  away,  and  doleful  cries 
and  lamentations  were  uttered  by  the  multitude,  sounding  "  La,  la,  ai, 
ai,  ai,  yai,  yai !"  Dr.  Overweg  pressed  forward  through  the  crowd,  and 
reached  his  habitation  without  any  violence  being  offered  to  him.  It 
was  afterward  explained  to  him  that  this  scene  arose  from  his  ascending 
the  hill,  which  affords  so  comi)lete  a  view  over  their  town,  that  the  in- 
habitants feared  this  knowledge  obtained  by  a  stranger  could  not  but 
be  productive  of  evil.  And  such  was  the  excitement,  that  one  person 
had  j)ro})osed  the  stranger  should  at  once  be  killed,  in  order  to  prevent 
the  ap})rehended  ill  consecpiences.  The  sultan  assured  Dr.  Overweg 
that  tills  manifestation  was  not  justified  by  his  own  feelings  ;  still  it  ap- 
peared advisable  to  leave  the  town  next  morning.  Accordingly  the  plan 
of  penetrating  further  in  that  direction  was  abandoned,  and  the  trav- 


DEATH    OF    DR.    OVERWEG. 


903 


elers  voturiiod  northward  toward  Dora.  From  this  place  they  roturncd 
to  Kouka  by  a  mort'  .stxitherly  route,  passiiit^  throutrh  the  country  of 
the  Martjjhi,  and  the  province  oflTje,  whidi  Dr.  Bartli  had  traversed  on 
his  way  to  Athunowa.  lie  reached  Kouka  in  safety,  though  greatly 
fatigued  by  his  journey,  on  the  '22d  of  May. 

Not  long  atter  Dr.  Uverweg's  return  to  Kouka  the  rains  commenced, 
the  fn-st  shower  occurring  on  the  loth  of  June.  He  now  began  anx- 
iously to  e.\:})ect  Dr.  Earth's  return  from  Bagirmi,  as  further  operations 
depended  upon  a  mutual  arrangement.  The  24th  of  June  was  a  joyful 
day,  the  great  caravan  arriving  from  the  north  and  bringing  letters  and 
6upj)lies  so  long  expected.  The  dispatclu's  from  the  British  government 
addressed  to  Dr.  liartli  -were  at  once  forwarded  to  Bagirmi  by  a  special 
messenger,  but  it  was  not  till  ihe  20th  of  August  that  that  traveler  was 
able  to  return  +o  '  <a.  During  this  prc^'"''f*'"d  delay,  Dr.  Overweg 
had  so  far  rc^,  led  ■  trength  as  to  make  .  .  l  excursions  to  the  lake, 
and  in  other  directions.  Dr.  liarth,  when  arriving  at  Kouka,  noticed 
tile  change  in  his  friend's  appearance,  who  looked  emaciated  and  had  no 
aj»petite.  To  avoid  the  dangers  of  the  rainy  season,  to  which  ho  had 
already  too  long  been  exposed,  it  was  arranged  that  he  shoiUd  set  out 
from  Kouka  on  an  excursion  along  the  river  Yeou. 

Dr.  Overweg's  health  was  satisfactory  throughout  this  trip,  and  ho 
returned  to  Kouka  on  the  14th  of  Sej)tember,  in  the  hope  of  having  re- 
gained his  health.  Five  days  afterward,  however,  he  was  attacked  by 
fever,  and  after  seven  more  days  he  was  no  more.  It  was  on  the  20th 
of  September  that  he  felt  seriously  ill.  At  his  own  wish,  he  was  re- 
moved to  Maduari,  which  is  ten  miles  oast  of  Kouka,  and  near  Lako 
Tsad.  This  is  a  very  open  and  pleasant  place,  intersj)ersed  with  trees, 
and  had  always  been  a  favorite  spot  with  the  deceased.  The  boat  in 
which  he  liad  mivigated  Lake  Tsad  was  aho  there.  It  was  not  till  the 
24th  that  he  was  enabled,  with  the  assistance  of  three  persons,  to  reach 
that  ])lace.  There  was,  however,  no  help.  The  most  dangerous  symp- 
toms manifested  themselves  on  his  arrival,  his  speech  becoming  grailually 
unintelligible,  and,  after  much  suffering,  ho  expired  (m  the  27tli  of  Sejv 
tember,  1852,  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning.  In  the  aftenioon  Dr. 
Barth  fulHIled  the  heart-rending  duty  of  interring  liis  only  com])aTiion 
and  frieml.  Thus,  at  the  early  age  of  thirty,  and  sharing  the  fate  of 
Mr.  Richardson,  fell  the  second  victim  out  of  three  persons  composing 
this  enterprise. 

EXPLORATIONS    OP   PRS.   BARTIT   AND    VOGEL. 

Meantime  letters  and  ftmds  had  arrived  from  England,  and  Dr. 
Barth,  linding  his  own  health  unimpaired,  determined  to  carry  on  tlie 
undertaking  single-handed,  regardless  of  the  perils  and  privations  that 
awaited  him.  He  made  preparations  to  leave  for  Sackatoo  and  Tim- 
buctoo,  but  first  took  the  precaution  of  forwarding  all  his  papers  to  En- 


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EXPEDITION    OF    RICHARDSON    AND    EARTH. 


gland.  He  finally  loft  Kouka  on  the  25th  of  November,  1852,  reached 
Sackatoo  in  Ai^ril,  1853,  and  entered  the  famous  city  of  Timhuctoo  on 
the  7tli  of  September.  After  this  nothing  was  heard  of  him  for  a  long 
time,  and  the  most  serious  apprehensions  were  felt  concerning  liim. 
Word  at  last  reached  Tripoli,  by  way  of  Bornoii,  that  he  had  fallen  a 
victim  to  the  enmity  of  the  chief  of  the  desert  tribes  around  Timbuctoo, 
Avho  had  sworn  that  ho  should  never  leave  the  city  alive. 

Previous  to  leaving  Kouka,  he  had  written  to  the  British  govern- 
ment, requesting  that  another  coadjutor  might  be  sent  out  to  supply  the 
loss  of  ]^r.  Overweg.  Dr.  Edward  Vogol,  an  assistant  of  Mr  Hind,  the 
astronomer,  volunteered  his  services,  which  were  accepted,  and  he  was 
also  permitted  to  take  two  volunteers  from  the  corps  of  sappers  and 
minerss.  This  new  party  loft  Trijjoli  on  the  28th  of  Juno,  185;3,  accom- 
panied by  Mr.  Warrington,  son  of  the  English  consul  at  that  place.  They 
reached  Mourzuk  on  the  Btli  of  August,  and  More  obliged  to  remain 
there  until  the  1 3th  of  October,  when  they  started  for  Bornou  Avith  a 
caravan  of  seventy  camels.  The  march  across  the  Sahara  was  very  rapid 
and  fortunate,  and  in  Decemljor  they  arrived  safely  at  Koidca.  The 
next  news  which  reached  England,  and  which  immediately  followed  the 
account  of  the  murder  of  Dr.  Barth,  Avas  the  death  of  ]Mr.  Warrington, 
and  the  dangerous  illness  of  Dr.  Vogol.  The  expedition  seemed  to  be 
fated,  in  every  Avay. 

After  some  months  of  painful  uncertainty,  came  the  joyful  intelligence 
that  Dr.  Barth  Avas  still  alive  and  had  lefl  Timbuctoo,  after  a  stay  of 
nearly  a  year.  The  report  of  his  death  had  been  invented  by  the  vizier 
of  Bornou,  Avho  coveted  the  su2)plies  belonging  to  the  expedition,  and 
AA'ho  Avould  no  doubt  have  taken  measures  to  have  the  story  confirmed, 
for  the  sake  of  securing  the  plunder,  had  he  not  been  deposed  in  con- 
sequence of  a  i^olitical  revolution  in  Bornou.  What  happened  to  Dr. 
Barth  during  his  stay  in  Timbuctoo  has  not  yet  been  nuide  knoAvn,  but 
it  is  saiil  that  he  owed  his  safety  to  the  friendship  of  the  powerful  sultan 
of  Houssa,  He  succeeded  in  exi)loring  the  Avhole  middle  course  of  the 
Kowara  (Niger),  which  no  one  but  the  lamented  Park,  Avhose  journals 
perished  Avith  him,  ever  accomplished.  In  his  journeyings  in  those 
regions,  he  discovered  two  lai'ge  kingdoms,  Gando  and  Hamd-Allahi, 
the  vt'ry  names  of  which  were  before  unknown.  He  was  treated  with 
the  greatest  reverence  by  the  inhabitants,  Avho  bestoAved  upon  liim  the 
name  of  "Modibo,"  and  seemed  to  consider  him  as  a  demi-god.  He 
reaclietl  Kano,  on  his  return,  on  the  17th  of  October,  185-t,  and  on  the 
1st  of  Decen\ber  met  Dr.  Vogel,  his  associate — the  first  white  man  he  had 
seen  for  more  than  two  years !  He  probably  spent  the  winter  in  Kouka, 
and  started  in  March  or  April  on  his  return  to  Euro})e,  as  avo  find  that 
he  reached  Mour/.uk  on  the  2nth  of  July,  1855.  Dr.  liarth  is  not  yet 
thirty-five  years  of  age,  and  with  the  boundless  energy  of  an  explorer, 
intends  retiu-ning  to  central  Africa.  He  stands  now,  indisputably,  at  the 
liead  of  all  African  truA'clers, 


EXPLORATION    OF    THE    BENUE. 


905 


Dr.  Vogcl,  after  Lis  recovery,  imitated  Barth  and  Overwcg  in  ac- 
companying the  army  of  Boniou  on  its  annual  foray  to  the  soutli-oast 
in  search  of  slaves  and  cattle.  IIo  Avent  about  ninety  miles  beyond  the 
furthest  point  reached  by  his  predecessors,  and  discovered  a  large  lake 
and  two  or  three  rivers,  the  existence  of  Avhich  was  not  inwiously 
known.  The  last  accounts  from  central  Africa  state  that  he  has  suc- 
ceeded in  reachhig  Yakoba,  the  capital  of  the  great  Fellatah  kingdom, 
■which  Dr.  Overweg  endeavored  hi  vain  to  penetrate.  He  designs  going 
thence  into  Adaniowa,  "where  he  will  ascend  the  great  mountain  Alan- 
tika,  and  push  his  way  further,  if  possible,  into  the  countries  of  Tibati 
and  Baya,  lying  beyond  He  "will  also  endeavor  to  penetrate  through 
Baghirmi  into  the  unknoAvn  and  powerful  kingdom  of  Waday.  It  is  al- 
most too  much  to  expect  that  Dr.  Vogel  will  be  successful  in  all  these 
daring  designs,  but  he  has  youth,  enthusiasm,  and  intelligence  on  his 
side,  and  there  are  few  difficulties  Avhich  these  three  auxiliaries  will  not 
overcome.       ' 

This  account  of  the  expedition  has  been  compiled  from  Mr.  Biehard- 
son's  journals,  published  since  his  death,  and  from  the  publications  of 
Mr.  Augustus  Petermann,  Secretary  of  the  Geographical  Society.  It  is 
as  complete  as  the  data  which  have  been  given  to  the  public,  will  allow : 
but  the  work  of  Dr.  Barth,  who  is  at  present  (June,  1850),  preparing  a 
connected  narrative  of  his  travels  for  publication,  will  iirst  fully  display 
the  vast  results  achieved  by  the  expedition. 


XAVIGATION    OP    THE    RIVER    BENUM. 

When  the  news  of  Dr.  Barth's  discovery  of  the  river  Bcnuii  reached 
England,  and  its  identity  with  the  Chadda,  the  great  eastern  affluent  of 
the  Niger,  was  evident,  Mr.  Macgregor  Laird — whose  connection  with 
the  unfortunate  Niger  ti'ading  expedition  of  1832-33  will  be  remem- 
bered— generously  oiTercd  to  contribute  $70,000  toward  fitting  out  an 
expedition  to  explore  the  new  highway  into  central  Africa.  lie  built  at 
his  own  expense  a  handsome  steamer  called  the  Pleiad,  and  through  his 
representation,  the  British  government  was  induced  to  contribute  $20,000 
toward  defraying  the  expenses  of  the  expedition.  Two  officers.  Dr.  W. 
B.  Baikie,  and  Dr.  Bleck,  of  lionn,  were  also  appointed  by  the  govern- 
ment, provided  with  special  instructions  to  take  charge  of  the  expedi- 
tion. An  unfortunate  mistake  was  made  in  the  choice  of  a  captain,  who, 
through  his  mismanagement  and  drunkenness,  and  particularly  through 
his  extravagance  in  the  use  of  coal,  delayed  the  enterprise ;  and  at 
length,  in  the  midst  of  the  voyage.  Dr.  Baikie  was  compelled  to  take 
away  liis  command. 

The  Pleiad  leh  Liverpool  on  the  17th  of  ^lay,  1854,  and  taking  on 
board  at  Sierra  LeoTie  sixty  or  seA'enty  black  sailors,  the  best  men  for 
navigating  African  waters,  and  thrc     jlack  interpreters,  they  reached 


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906 


EXPEDITION    OF    RICHARDSON    AND    BARTII, 


Fornando  Po  on  the  2")th  of  June,  and  on  the  8th  of  July  commenced 
their  explorations.  The  great  result  of  the  exi)cdition  was  that  it 
reached  a  point  three  hundred  miles  higher  up  the  Benue  than  Allen 
and  Oldtield  in  1823  ;  they  learned  that  they  were  only  sixty  miles  be- 
low the  mouth  of  the  Faro,  a  southern  tributary  of  the  Benue,  and  that 
the  Benue  was  navigable  during  the  rainy  season  as  far  as  11"  30'  east 
longitude.  Had  they  found  coal  along  the  shores  they  might  have  pen- 
etrated still  further  iii^o  the  country,  but  as  they  were  not  able  to  find 
any,  and  had  started  on  the  expedition  without  axes  to  cut  wood  for  the 
furnaces,  they  were  obliged  to  return. 

On  the  2 1st  of  July,  they  reached  the  city  of  Abo,  on  tlie  Niger, 
and  on  the  2d  of  August,  they  made  the  mouth  of  the  Benue.  The 
ri\'er  liad  fallen  considerably,  by  wliich  its  ascent  was  materially  liin- 
dered.  On  the  17th  of  August,  Dr.  Baikio  was  obliged  to  take  the 
command  of  the  steamer  from  the  drunken  captain.  The  vessel  was  then 
in  the  countries  Doma  and  Michi,  and  at  the  city  of  Ojflgo,  in  Doma, 
which  they  reached  on  the  23d  of  August,  they  got  their  lirst  and  only 
news  of  Dr.  Barth,  over  whose  probable  deatli  all  Europe  was  mourning. 
A  man  who  had  come  to  Ojogo  from  Keana  told  about  two  white  men 
wlio  were  in  Keana  when  he  left:,  and  who  had  exchanged  presents  with 
the  sultan.  Baikie  showed  him  the  vignette  on  the  title  page  of  the 
work  of  Petermann,  and  he  recognized  the  white  man  in  the  portrait 
of  Dr.  Barth,  but  remarked  that  he  had  a  big  beard  now.  Doctor  Vo- 
gel  also  was  identiiied,  excoi)t  that  he  now  had  liair  on  his  cheeks  and 
lips.  "When  they  arrived  at  this  j)oiiit,  the  river  had  risen  five  feet,  and 
they  had  no  cause  to  complain  of  lack  of  water  thereaft;er.  On  the  6th 
of  September  they  reached  the  considerable  city  of  Gandiko,  in  the 
kingdom  of  Kororofa.  At  first  the  inhabitants  manifested  a  disposition 
to  give  the  strangers  .1  hostile  reception,  but  Avhen  they  were  satisfied 
of  their  j)eaceful  intentions,  they  welcomed  them  hospitably.  The  king 
paid  Dr.  Baikie  a  visit,  and  a  friendly  and  profitable  trade  sprang  up 
between  the  city  and  the  steamer. 

The  greatest  difiicidties  commenced  in  Ilamaruwa.  On  the  18th  of 
September  and  the  four  following  days,  they  had  to  contend  with  a  ciu-- 
rent  of  from  two  and  a  half  to  three  knots  per  liour.  The  wood  burned 
poorly,  and  they  made  small  progress.  For  two  weeks  there  had  been 
considerable  sickness  on  board.  The  crew  suffered  from  swelled  limbs ; 
there  were  symptoms  also  of  droi)sy.  The  disease  appeared  to  be  of  a 
scorbutic  character,  and  it  was  soon  found  that  the  ship's  rations,  seven 
or  eight  gills  of  rice,  with  cold  water,  were  not  sufficient  for  the  exigen- 
cies of  tlie  crew ;  meat  was  therefore  provided.  On  the  22d  of  Sep- 
tember they  reached  the  city  of  OJarowf.,  where  an  envoy  from  the 
sultan  of  Ilamanuwa  was  waithig  for  thera.  He  bore  an  invitation  to 
them  to  go  up  to  the  palace  seven  or  eigut  miles  from  the  city.  This 
country  lies  on  the  northern  bank  of  the  Beiuie,  and  Messrs.  Crowther 
and  Richards,  Avho  accei)ted  the  invitation,  were  well  received  by  the 


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10  kin  (J 


INTERVIEW    WITH    THE    SULTAN    OF    IIAMAUUWA.     907 

sultan.  Thciii  Dr.  Haikie  wont  up.  The  country  is  inhabited  by  Fulos, 
who  do  not  live  upon  yiuus,  but  cultivate  gram.  In  the  villages  they 
keep  goats  antl  ])oultry,  especially  ducks.  The  road  to  tlie  palace  is 
only  11  narrow  i)ath  through  a  boggy  country  thickly  covered  with  grass 
and  bushes.  After  walking  iburteen  miles  they  reached  the  ca{)ital  on 
the  24th,  at  sunset.  It  is  built  on  a  little  eminence  at  the  foot  of  a  chain 
of  hills,  and  commands  an  extensive  prospect  of  the  marshy  plain.  The 
hunger  of  the  travelei's  was  first  whetted  by  half  an  liour  of  shaking 
hands  with  the  natives,  and  then  satisfied  by  various  preparations  of 
milk,  and  with  two  well-known  African  dishes,  foofoo,  and  })alaver  sauce. 
The  city  is  two  miles  long,  by  a  mile  and  a  half  in  breadth.  The  houses 
are  round  and  (piite  large,  well-built  and  surrounded  l)y  large  yards. 
The  inhal)itants  are  Fellatahs,  and  speak  the  Fulo  or  rather  the  Pulo 
language ;  most  of  them  speak  also  the  Iloussa  language,  which  tlie 
travelers  luiderstotjd.  The  ajjpearance  of  the  people  was  pleasing  and 
sometimes  even  beautiful;  their  intelligence  is  well-known  in  Africa. 
Baikie  had  an  audience  with  the  sultan.  The  foreigners  were  seated  on 
Turkish  carpets.  They  did  not  see  the  prince  himself,  for,  according  to 
the  custom  of  the  country,  a  silken  curtain  was  suspended  before  him. 
lie  i-eceived  some  presents,  and  talked  inu(;h  about  peace,  friendship, 
aad  future  commerce,  the  Avickcdness  of  Avars,  of  con(piest,  and  about 
an  alliance  against  couunon  enemies. 

The  cr(!W  was  so  much  weakened  by  sickness  that  the  steand)oat 
could  be  worked  no  further  up  the  river.  Dr.  Baikie  with  Mr.  May,  on 
the  2Tth,  started  up  the  stream  in  a  boat.  That  day  and  the  following 
they  made  but  little  })rogress,  but  on  the  third  day  the  wind  rose,  and 
they  ran  rapidly  bi'foie  it.  Before  noon  they  reached  Dulti,  a  village 
which  was  then  entirely  submerged,  with  the  exception  of  a  dry  spot 
about  a  gr(!at  tree.  Here  they  landed,  and  were  soon  surrounded  by 
flocks  of  rough,  savage-looking  people,  all  entirely  naked,  women  as 
well  as  men.  At  first  astonishment  kept  them  quiet,  and  Dr.  Baikie  at- 
temjited  to  g(!t  up  a  conversation  with  them,  and  g(>t  them  into  good 
humor.  Soon,  however,  they  began  to  be  troublesome,  and  to  press  up 
about  them  with  the  intention  evidently  of  carrying  off  their  boat  and 
plundering  them.  A  little  sporting  dog  which  the  travelers  had  with 
them  fortimately  showed  his  head  at  this  jutuitm-e,  and  his  sudden  ap- 
pearance inspired  the  natives  with  such  salutary  fear  that  they  imme- 
diately retreated.  As  the  doctor  did  not  think  it  worth  while  to  get 
into  a  fight  with  three  or  four  hundred  men,  armed  with  swords,  spears, 
bows  and  arrows,  he  gave  the  best-looking  among  them  a  few  presents, 
and  shoved  off.  While  they  wore  looking  about  for  another  landing- 
place,  the  natives  suddenly  came  upon  them  in  their  canoes,  and  tried 
to  get  them  in  the  swamps  and  bushes  along  the  bank,  so  that  they 
were  obliged  to  put  out  for  the  open  river.  Here  they  were  safe,  as 
they  could  easily  upset  any  canoe  which  niight  happen  to  be  trouble- 
some.    When  they  had  reached  open  water,  the  nine  or  tea  canoes, 


:.:t 


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908 


EXPEDITION    OP    RICnARDSON    AND    BARTH. 


manned  witli  eight  oi*  nine  men  apiece,  turned  back  and  left  them.  They 
had  already  fixed  that  afternoon  as  the  limit  of  their  upward  voyage, 
and,  though  very  unwillingly,  they  headed  their  boat  down  stream. 

That  point  was  in  latitude  9°  30'  north,  longitude  11°  30'  east.  They 
could  not  give  the  latitude  and  longitude  with  greater  accuracy,  as  they 
were  interrupted  in  their  observations  by  the  savages.  They  learned 
that  they  were  only  sixty  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  Faro.  On  the 
return  voyage  they  experienced  a  tropical  thunder-storm,  and  when  they 
arrived  at  Garowa  they  found  that  the  Pleiad  was  gone.  The  crew, 
fearing  that  the  river  was  falling,  had  compelled  the  mate  to  start  down 
the  river,  and  wandering  for  awhile  over  flooded  land  they  found  the 
steamer  and  continued  the  return  voyage  without  interruption.  On  the 
6th  of  October  the  river  began  to  foil ;  on  the  20th  they  reached  the 
Niger,  and  on  the  4th  of  November  at  sunset  they  anchored  before 
Fernando  Po. 

On  the  average,  the  sick-list  was  moderate.  Fever  was  in  all  cases 
treated  with  heavy  doses  of  quinine,  and  what  must  bo  regarded  as  al- 
most a  miracle  in  the  African  lowlands,  there  was  not  a  single  death 
during  the  whole  voyage. 


II 


BURTON'S 


PILGRIMAGE     TO     MECCA. 


Ix  the  autumn  of  1852,  Lioutenant  Ricliarel  F.  Burton,  of  the  Bom- 
bay army,  ofteix'tl  his  services  to  the  Koy  .  Geograpl ileal  8.)clety  of 
London,  for  the  purpose  of  undertaking  an  exploration  v.f  central  and 
eastern  Arabia.  lie  Avas  peculiarly  fitted  for  such  n,  journey  by  his  long 
residence  in  India,  and  his  familiarity  with  the  Persiai'  and  Arabic  lan- 
guages, and  their  various  dialects,  to  "which  advantages  he  allied  a 
decidedly  Shemitio  countenance.  The  Geographical  Society  f^v.  j  ^dliis 
plan,  but  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  p]ast  India  Company  ,i  .'fused  to 
grant  him  the  three  years'  leave  of  absence,  demandc'  f'^r  its  prosecu- 
tion. They  gave  hhn,  however,  an  additional  furlough  ofr  year,  in  order 
to  pursue  his  Arabic  studies. 

lie  thereupon  determined  to  prove,  by  actual  experiment,  that  his 
plan  was  practicable.  Being  suj^plied  with  means  by  the  Geographical 
Society,  he  set  out,  determined  to  (!ross  the  unknown  Arabian  Pi'ninsula, 
either  in  a  direct  line  from  jMedina  to  Muscat,  or  diaj:  )nally  i'rom  [Mecca 
to  Makallab  in  the  Indian  Ocean.  On  the  3d  of  .Vpril,  1853,  he  left 
London,  having,  by  the  advice  of  a  friend,  already  assumed  the  Oriental 
costume,  and  embarked  at  Southampton  as  a  I'ersian  prince.  He  de- 
ceived every  body  ini  the  voyage,  and  on  arriving  at  iUexandria  was 
gratified  to  see  that  ho  was  looked  upon  as  a  genuine  Moslem.  At  this 
place  he  enjoyed  the  hospitality  of  an  E  :  rlish  friend,  Avho,  the  better  to 
establish  his  ae^umed  character,  lodged  bi'u  in  an  out-housc.  lie  lost 
no  time  in  securing  the  services  of  a  religious  shekh,  plunged  once  more 
into  the  intricacies  of  the  faith,  revi^'cd  his  recollections  of  r»'ligious 
ablution,  read  the  Koran,  and  agaii^  became  an  adept  in  the  act  of  pros- 
tration. His  leisure  hours  ^"e'o  employed  in  visiting  the  baths  and 
coffee-houses,  praying  in  the  mosques,  attending  the  bazaars,  and  picking 
up  a  little  medical  knowledge,  which  he  judged  would  be  of  service. 

"  After  a  month's  hard  work  at  Alexandria,"  says  he,  "  I  jivopared 
to  assume  the  character  of  a  wandering  dervish,  after  reforming  my 
title  from  '  Mirza'   (Prince),  to  '  Shekh  Abdullah.'     A  reverend  man. 


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910 


BURTON'S    PILGRIMAGE    TO    MECCA. 


Aviioso  name  I  do  not  care  to  (jiiote,  some  time  aj^o  initiati'd  me  into  this 
order,  tlie  Kadiiiyali,  under  tlu'  higli-soundinf^  name  of  JJismillali-Shah  : 
•and,  after  a  due  period  of  probation,  he  graeioufsly  elevated  me  to  the 
proud  position  of  a  Miu'shid  (master),  in  the  mystic  craft.  I  was  tlierefore 
sufficiently  well  accpiainted  witli  the  tenets  and  practices  of  these  Oriental 
Fret'iuasons.  No  character  in  the  Mosleni  world  is  so  proper  for  dis- 
guise as  that  of  the  dervish.  It  is  assumed  by  all  ranks,  ages,  and 
creeds  ;  by  the  nobleman  who  has  been  disgraced  at  court,  and  by  the 
jteasant  who  is  too  idle  to  till  the  ground  ;  by  Dives,  who  is  weary  of 
life,  and  by  Lazarus,  wlio  begs  bread  from  doov  to  door.  Further,  the 
dervish  is  allowed  to  ignore  cereuiony  and  politeness,  as  one  who  ceases 
to  ai)pear  upon  the  stage  of  life  ;  he  may  pray  or  not,  marry  or  remain 
single  as  he  pleases,  be  respectable  in  cloth  of  frieze  as  in  cloth  of  gold, 
and  no  one  asks  liim — the  chartered  vagabond — why  he  comes  here  'i 
or  wherefore  he  goes  there  ?  IIi;  may  wend  his  way  on  foot  alone,  or 
ride  liis  Arab  steed,  followed  by  a  dozen  servants  ;  lie  is  ecpially  feared 
without  weapons,  as  swaggering  through  the  streets  armed  to  the  teeth. 
The  more  liaughty  and  t)lfensive  lie  is  to  th(!  people,  the  more  they  re- 
sjjcct  him;  a  decided  advantage  to  the  traveler  of  choleric  temperament. 
In  the  hour  of  imminent  danger,  he  has  only  to  become  a  maniac,  and 
lie  is  safe  ;  a  madman  in  the  East,  like  a  notably  eccentric  character  in 
tlie  West,  is  allowed  to  say  or  <h>  whati'ver  the  spirit  directs." 

lU'foro  leaving  England,  Jiurton  had  neglected  to  provide  liimself 
•with  a  jiroper  passport,  and  it  was  only  after  much  delay  and  iterjilexity 
that  he  obtained  a  certificate  from  the  consul  at  Alexandria,  declaring 
him  to  1t(«  ;in  Indo-Dritish  subject  Jianied  Abdullah,  a  doetor  by  jirofes- 
sion.  He  then  took  jiassage  on  the  Nile  steamer,  and  proceeded  to 
Cairo,  where  he  <piartered  himself  in  one  of  the  native  khans,  lie  here 
became  actpiainted  with  an  I-'gyptiaii  merchant  named  Hadji  Wali,  who 
advised  him  not  to  let  it  be  known  that  he  was  a  I'ersian,  as  the  latter 
were  very  unpopular  at  .Mecca,  but  to  choose  some  other  character. 
"After  long  deliberation  about  the  choice  of  nations,"  says  he,  "  I  be- 
came a  I'athan  (AtVghaii).  Horn  in  India  <tf  AfVghan  parents,  who  had 
settled  in  the  country,  educate<l  at  llangoon,  and  sent  out  to  wander, 
as  men  of  that  race  fre(|uently  are,  from  early  youth,  I  was  well  guarded 
against  the  danger  of  (ietection  by  a  A  llow-countrynian.  To  support 
the  character  re(piires  a  knowh'tlge  of  I'ersian,  llimhistani  and  Arabic, 
all  of  which  I  knew  siidiciently  well  to  jtass  muster;  any  tiilling  inuc- 
curacy  was  charged  upon  my  long  residence  at  liungoon."' 

IJiirton  rcMiiaintid  in  Cairo  some  time,  studying  the  mysteries  of  tlic 
Moslem  faith  under  a  religions  teaclier.  The  fast-month  of  Kamadan 
occurred  soon  arter  his  arrival,  and  he  was  obliged  to  conform  to  its 
jiainful  rules.  During  this  time  lie  continued  to  make  preparations  for 
liis  lb-part  uro,  by  jturchaHing  a  supply  of  lea,  oofTee,  rice,  sugar,  dates, 
biscuits,  oil,  vinegar,  and  t<»bacco,  toj^jether  with  a  small  tent,  three 
water-skins,  and  a  box  of  nie('iciiu's.    Hi'  also  took  about  X'HO  in  money, 


J 


I  IV'IK     V  t 


KXCITIXr,    SCENH    AT    '^UKZ. 


911 


the  most  of  wliu-h  lie  srciuvd  in  ;i  lu'lt  about  his  wai.st,  lli'  pickcil  up, 
as  a  Iravoling  cuiupauion,  :i  boy,  nauu'd  Mobainnu'd  Kl-I>asyuiii,  a  native 
of  Meera,  fioui  whom  lie  bought  tlu;  ilwdin,  or  piiL,n-im-robe,  and  the 
ehroiul,  which  all  jiilnriius  eany  with  tlieiii.  With  this  boy,  and  his 
Indian  servant,  Sliekh  Nur,  JJurton  at  last  set  out  fur  Suez,  with  the 
avowed  purpose  of  proceeding  to  Mecca  via  Djidda,  yet  seci-etly  detitr- 
mined  to  visit  Medina  on  the  way. 

At  Suez,  he  became  ac(piaiiited  with  a  comfiany  bound  for  ^Medina 
and  Mecca,  and  by  making  loans  of  various  sums  of  money  to  the  ditl'cr- 
cnt  memliers,  succeeded  in  securing  their  good-will.  .Vt'ler  some  further 
jiassport  diiliculties,  Avhicli  were  settled  by  Afr.  AVc'st,  the  JJrilish  vice- 
consul,  Avho  had  been  told  to  exjtect  JJurtoii,  and  saw  tiirough  his  di-;- 
guise,  every  thmg  was  in  readiness,  and  the  company  only  waiteil  fi  , 
the  sailing  of  a  large  Arab  boat,  bound  for  Vembo  or  l)iidda.  "  Ii:i 
niense  was  the  confusion,"  says  Iliirton,  "on  the  eventful  day  of  our 
departure.  Suppose  us  standing  upon  the  beach,  on  the  morning  of  a 
liery  July  day,  carefully  watching  our  hurriedly-packed  goods  and  chat- 
tels, surrounded  by  a  mob  of  idlers,  who  are  not  too  jnoud  to  pick  up 
waifs  and  strays,  Avhile  pilgrims  rush  about  apparently  mad,  and  friends 
are  weeping,  ac<piaintances  vocilerating  adieus,  boatni"n  demanding 
fees,  shopmen  claiming  debts,  women  shrii'king  and  talking  with  incon- 
ceivable power,  children  crying — in  short,  for  an  hour  or  so  we  were  in 
the  thick  of"  a  human  storm.  To  confouml  confusion,  the  boatmen  have 
moored  tlu'ir  skilf  half  a  dozen  yards  away  from  the  shore,  le^t  the  por- 
ters should  be  unable  to  make  more  than  double  tliiir  fire  from  the' 
Ilajis.  Again  the  Turkish  women  raise  a  hideous  howl,  as  they  are  car- 
rieil  otr  struggling  vainly  in  brawny  arms ;  the  chihh-eii  howl  because 
tln'ir  motheis  liowl;  and  tlu'  men  scold  and  swear,  i>icaus(«  in  such 
Kcenes  none  may  be  silent.  The  moment  we  had  embarked,  each  indi- 
vidiial  fbimd  that  he  or  she  had  mis>ied  something  of  vital  inipoilance 
— :v  pipe,  a  child,  a  bo.v,  or  a  water-melon  ;  and  naturally  all  the  servants 
were  in  the  bazaars,  when  they  sIiouM  have  bet'ti  in  llie  boat." 

Scarcely  hatl  they  embarked,  and  taken  their  places  on  llu'  elevated 
poop  of  their  vessel,  the  (ioldm  lITrc,  when  a  company  ol' Moghri'bbins 
or  Arabs  of  .Morocco,  followed,  ami  insolently  attempted  to  ilislodge 
tlieni.  This  jiroceeiliiig  they  Ibrtibly  re>isted;  clubs  were  used  and 
tliiggers  wei'e  drawn,  and  the  fight  soon  became  llerce  and  gcneial. 
liurtoii  and  his  compaii),  however,  had  the  advantage  of  being  raise(l 
four  feet  above  the  others,  and  this  »'nable<l  them  to  mainlaiii  their  posi- 
tion. "At  ilrst,"  says  he,  "I  began  to  lay  on  load  with  imiin  itmrfc, 
really  fearing  to  kill  some  one  with  such  a  weapon;  but  it  soon  became 
evident,  that  the  .Moghrebbins'  heads  and  shoulders  could  bear,  ai  d  d'(l 
require  tin;  utmost  exertion  of  strength.  I'resiiitly  a  thought  struck 
mo.  A  large  earthen  jar  full  of  drinking  wati-r — in  its  heavy  fi  line  of 
wood,  the  weight  might  have  been  one  hundri-fl  pounds — >tood  u)ioii 
the  edge  of  tin;  I'oop,  ami  (he  thick  of  the  fray  took  place  beneath. 


i! 


:i:# 


I     I 


912 


BURTON'S    PILGRIMAGB    TO    MECCA. 


Seeing  an  opportunity  I  crcjjt  up  to  the  jar.  and,  without  attracting  at- 
tention, hy  a  smart  i)ush  witli  tlie  shoulder  rolled  it  down  upon  the 
Bwarni  of  assailants.  The  fall  caused  a  shriller  shriek  to  rise  above  the 
ordinary  din,  tor  heads,  limbs,  and  bodies,  were  sorely  bruised  by  the 
weight,  st-ratehed  by  the  broken  jjotsherds,  and  wetted  by  the  sudden 
dischargi'.  A  i'ear  that  something  worse  might  be  forthcoming  made 
tlu!  Mogluebbins  shrink  oif  toward  the  end  of  the  vessel.  After  a  few 
imnutes,  we,  sitting  in  grave  silence,  received  a  deputation  of  individ- 
uals in  whity-brown  burnouses,  spotted  and  striped  with  what  Me[)his- 
topheles  calls  a  'curious  juice.'  They  solicited  peace,  which  we  granted 
upon  the  condition  that  they  would  buid  themselves  to  keep  it.  Our 
heads,  shoulders,  and  hands  were  penitentially  kissed,  and  i)resently  the 
fellows  returned  to  bind  up  their  hurts  in  dirty  rags." 

Leaving  Suez  on  the  Gth  of  July,  the  (/ohk'/i.  Wire,  after  lying 
aground  a  day  or  two  off  Tur,  reached  the  mouth  of  the  (iulf  of  Akaba 
on  the  1 1th.  While  crossing  to  the  Arabian  shore,  it  is  customary  for 
pilgrims  to  recite  the  following  prayer:  "O  Allah,  ()  Exalted,  ()  Al- 
mighty, ()  jMI-pitiful,  ()  All-powerful,  thou  art  my  (Jod,  and  sutticteth  to 
me  the  knowledge  of  it!  Glorified  be  the  Lord  my  Lord,  and  glorified 
be  the  liiith  my  faith !  Thou  givest  victory  to  whom  thou  ploasest,  and 
thou  art  the  glorious,  the  merciful!  We  pray  thee  for  safety  in  our 
goings-forth  and  our  standings-still,  in  our  words  and  our  designs,  in  our 
dangers  of  temptation  and  doubts,  and  the  secret  designs  of  our  hearts. 
Subject  unto  us  this  sea,  even  as  thou  didst  subject  the  deep  to  .Mo-ics, 
and  as  tlmu  didst  subject  the  fire  to  Abraham,  and  as  thou  didst  suliject 
the  iron  to  l)avid,  and  as  tlK)u  didst  subject  the  wind,  antl  devils^  and 
genii,  and  mankin<l  to  Solomon,  and  as  thou  didst  subject  the  moiHi  and 
El  liurak  to  Mohammed,  upon  wlioni  be  Allah's  mercy  and  his  blessuig! 
Ami  subject  unto  us  all  the  seas  in  earth  and  heaven,  in  thi'  visible  and 
in  thine  iii\  isible  worlds,  the  sea  of  this  life,  and  tlu>  sea  of  futurity.  U 
thdii  who  reignest  ovi'r  every  thing,  and  unto  whom  all  things  return, 
Khyas !  Khyas !" 

At  nnon  on  the  twelfth  day  after  leaving  Sue/,  the  party  entered  th(» 
har1»or  of  Venibo.  Tin-  town,  which  is  an  ordinary  Arab  port,  is  built 
on  the  edge  of  a  barri'n  plain  between  the  moimtains  and  the  sea.  The 
pilgrims  at  once  set  about  preparing  for  their  journey  to  Mecca,  and 
liaving  engaged  twilve  canu'ls,  set  out  on  the  following  eveninL'.  They 
traveled  mostly  by  niirht,  on  account  of  the  heat,  and  Uurton  conse- 
(piently  had  but  little  o])porfunity  to  observe  the  sc(>nery.  Near  Hir 
Abbas  the  caravan  was  waylaid  by  a  horde  of  Hedonin  robbers,  who 
Were  not  driven  olf  U'lil  aOer  a  fight  of  some  hours,  and  the  loss  of 
twelve  men  on  the  jiart  of  the  pilgrims.  Ibuton  thus  describes  his  ap- 
proach to  Kl  Medina:  "  Half  an  hour  al\er  leaving  the  Wadi  el-Akik,  or 
*bleMHed  valley,' We  came  to  a  huge  flight  of  steps  roughly  cut  in  a 
lonrr  broad  line  of  black  scoriaccous  ba'^alt.  This  is  calh  d  the  Miidarraj 
or  lligiit  of  sti'ps  over  the  westirn   ridge  of  the  so-called  Kl  llarratain. 


\ 


1\ 


III 

^XSIII!^  ! 

Mild 

O 

•turn, 

\tho 

built 

Tlio 

,  !UUI 

'Huy 

onso- 

;u-  Hir 

s,  who 

OSS  ot 

is  i\\y- 

<ik,  or 

in  a 

(lirnij 

nitiiin. 


MOSQUK    OF    KUBA    AT    MEDINA, 


913 


It  is  holy  ground  ;  for  tlio  Propliot  spoke  -woU  of  it.  Arrived  at  the  top 
wc  passed  througli  n  lane  of  blaek  secina,  Avitli  steep  hanks  on  hotlx 
sides,  and  after  a  few  minutes  a  full  view  of  the  eity  suddenly  opi>ned 
upon  us.  We  halted  our  heasts  as  if  hy  word  of  eominand.  All  of  us 
deseendcd,  in  imitation  of  the  pious  of  oM,  and  sat  down,  jadeil  and 
hungry  as  we  were,  to  feast  our  eyes  with  a  view  of  the  Holy  City.  '  O 
Allah!  this  is  the  TIaram  (sanctuary)  of  the  I'rophot ;  make  it  to  us  a 
protection  fnin  hell  ilre,  and  a  refuge  from  eternal  i»uiii<hnuiitl  (> 
open  the  gates  of  thy  n\ercy,  and  let  us  pass  through  them  to  the  lan<l 
of  joy  I' 

"As  we  looked  eastward,  the  sun  arose  out  of  the  horizon  of  low 
hills,  hluned  and  dotted  with  sintill  tufted  trees,  Avliidi  from  tin*  morning 
mists  gaiiu^il  a  giant  stature,  and  the  earth  was  stained  with  gold  and 
purple.  Ik'fore  us  lay  a  spacious  plain,  hounded  in  front  hy  tin-  ini'lulat- 
ing  ground  of  Xejil ;  on  the  left  was  a  grim  barrier  of  rocks,  the  cele- 
brated INlount  Ohod,  Avith  a  clump  of  verdure  and  a  white  doiiic  (  -  :wo 
nestling  at  its  base.  Uightwanl,  broad  streaks  of  lilae-coloreil  mists 
were  thick  with  gathereil  dew,  tlu're  pi(>rced  and  thiuTieil  by  the  juorn- 
ing  rays,  stretched  over  the  dat(>  groves  and  the  gardens  of  Kuha,  which 
stood  out  in  einerahl  green  fnun  the  dull  tawny  surlaco  of  the  plain, 
liclow,  at  the  distance  of  about  two  miles  lay  Kl  ^Vfedina  ;  at  lirst  sight 
it  appeared  a  large  place,  but  a  closer  inspection  proved  the  ini[ire.->ion 
to  be  an  erroneous  one." 

t)n  arriving  at  ^Medina,  Durton  became  the  guest  of  ir.uuil,  one  of 
the  company  he  joined  at  Suez,  and  continued  to  reside  with  him  during 
his  stay  in  the  Holy  City.  He  performed  all  the  religious  visitations 
required  of  the  pilgrim,  and  mad(^  excursions  to  Jt'bel  Ohml  (the  sci'Uci 
of  one  of  Mohammed's  liattles),  and  the  mosipie  of  Kuha,  in  the  vicinity, 
while  Availing  for  an  f>pportunily  to  ju'oceed  eastward  through  the  liiart 
of  Arabia.  Ho  gives  the  f<)llowing  description  of  the  I'rophefs  in()si|ue  : 
"I'.'issing  through  muddy  streets — they  had  been  freshly  waterctl 
before  evi'tiing  time — T  came  siuldenly  upon  the  mosque,  l>ike  that  at 
!Mecca  the  approacli  is  chokeil  up  by  ignobl(>  buildings,  some  actually 
touchijig  the  holy  'enceinte,'  others  separated  by  a  lane  compared  Avith 
which  the  road  round  St.  Paul's  is  a  Vatican  squiire.  There  is  no  outer 
front,  no  general  aspect  of  the  IVophet's  mos(jue  ;  conse(pu'ntly,  as  a 
building,  it  has  neither  beauty  nor  dignity.  And  euti'ring  the  IJab  el 
llalnnah — the  (Jate  (^f  Pity — by  .1  dimintitive  flight  of  steps,  I  Avas 
astonished  at  the  mean  .and  tawdry  appear.ance  of  a  place  so  imiv(>rsally 
venerateil  in  the  Moslem  worhl.  It  is  not  like  the  ^feccan  mosipie. 
graml  and  simple — th(>  expression  of  a  single  sublime  idea;  the  longer  I 
looked  at  it,  the  nuu'e  it  suggested  the  resemblaiu'e  of  a  museum  of 
second-rate  art,  a  curiosity-shop,  full  of  <iruaments  that  are  Jiot  ac(;e3- 
saries,  and  decorate<l  with  ]iauper  sph'iidor." 

Durton's  design  of  penetrating  the  interior  of  Arabia  Avas  unn)rt)iii- 
ntely  frustrated.     "During  the  whole  of  the  afternoon  of  Tuesday  the 

58 


K 


J 


i  i  I'- 


'  ,    ^ 

i'l 

.   [ 

'i  'ij  ■' 

1  ■' 

1 

1 

1    ' ' 

1 

i 

! 

i 

914 


HURTON'S    riLGRIMAGK    TO    MECCA. 


30th  August,"  says  he,  "  the  sound  of  firing  among  the  mountains  was 
distinctly  lieurd  in  the  city.  Through  the  streets  2)arties  of  Bedouins, 
sword  and  matchlock  in  hand,  or  merely  carrying  (juarter  staves  on  their 
shoulders,  might  be  seen  hurrying  along,  frantic  at  the  chance  of  missing 
the  fray.  The  townspco])le  cursed  them  privily,  expressing  a  hope  that 
the  whole  race  of  vermin  might  consume  itself.  And  the  pilgrims  were 
in  no  small  trepidation,  fearing  the  desertion  of  their  camel-men,  and 
knowintr  Avhat  a  blaze  is  kindled  in  this  inflammable  land  bv  an  ounce 
of  gunpowder.  I  afterward  lieard  that  the  Bedouins  fought  till  niglit, 
and  separated  after  losing  on  both  sides  ten  men. 

"This  (piarrel  put  an  end  to  any  lingering  possibility  of  my  prosecut- 
ing my  journey  to  Muscat  as  originally  intended.  My  disappoint- 
ment was  bitter  at  first,  but  consolation  soon  suggested  itself.  Under 
the  most  favor.ible  circumstances,  a  Bedouin  trip  from  El  Medina  to 
Muscat,  one  thousand  and  five  hundred  or  one  thousand  .and  six  hundred 
miles,  would  re(pure  at  least  ten  months ;  whereas,  under  ])aiu  of  li)sing 
my  commission,  I  was  ordered  to  be  at  Bombay  before  the  end  oi"  March. 
]Moreover,  entering  Arabia  by  El  Ilejaz,  as  has  before  been  said,  I  was 
oblig(!d  to  leave  behind  all  my  instruments  except  a  watch  and  a  pocket 
compass,  so  the  benefit  rendered  to  geography  by  my  trip  would  have 
been  scanty.  Still  remained  to  me  the  comfort  of  refiectiiig  that  pos- 
sibly at  Mecca  some  opportunity  of  crossing  the  Peninsula  might  present 
itself.  At  any  rate  I  hud  the  certainty  of  seeing  the  stringe  wild 
country  of  the  Ilejaz,  and  of  being  present  at  the  ceremonies  of  the 
Holy  City." 

On  the  1st  of  September,  Burton  lefl  Medina  fov  M>'ccn.  The 
cara\an  traveletl  entirely  by  night,  greatly  to  his  annoyance,  as  his  op- 
portunities of  observing  the  scenery  and  formation  of  tlie  coinitry  were 
thus  greatly  restricted.  Beyond  an  attack  of  the  marauding  Jji'douins,  no 
incident  occurred  on  the  way,  and  the  ciravan  entered  Mecca  In-fore  day- 
light on  the  11th  of  September,  one  day  before  the  commencement  of  the 
pilgrimage.  15  irton's  real  character  w.as  not  suspected  by  any  one,  and 
he  performed  all  the  recjuired  ceremonies  with  perfect  impunity.  His 
.account  of  them  corresjxinds  very  in-arly  with  that  of  Burckhardt,  which 
has  been  given  at  length  in  this  volume.  After  the  «'oncIusion  of  the 
pilgrimage,  he  proceeded  to  I)jid<la,  where  he  embarked  f<»r  Suez,  in 
order  to  take  passage  for  Indi.a.  Lieutenant  Burton  is  admirably  quali- 
fied for  this  jo\irney,  and  liis  narrative  of  it  is  one  of  the  most  jiii'turesipie 
;iiid  characterislio  uccouuta  of  Oritutal  life  which  has  ever  been  pub- 
Ibhud. 


EXPLORATION    OF    LOO-CIIOO, 


UNDER     COMMODORE    PERRY. 


I; 


111 


lull 

tho 

ill 

iiili- 

)ub- 


Ov  the  arrival  of  the  American  cxjiedition  to  Japan,  iiiidor  Com- 
modore I'erry.  at  the  harbor  of  Xapha  (or  Napa-Kiang)  in  the  (Jreat 
Loo-Choo  island,  at  tho  end  of  May,  1853,  the  cominodore  di'tonninod 
to  send  an  exploring  party  into  the  interior,  which  had  never  been 
visited  by  Europeans.  The  j)ersons  ajipointed  for  this  service  were  the 
Uev.  (Jeorge  Jones,  chaplain  of  the  Mitisisstppi ;  Mv.  Bayard  Taylor; 
Mr.  Heine,  artist;  Dr.  Lynah,  surgeon;  with  four  seamen  and  four 
Chinese  coolies  for  carrying  tlie  baggage.  Mr.  Taylor  pirepared  tlie 
following  report  of  the  exploration,  which  is  taken  from  the  narrative  of 
the  expe  lition,  ])ublished  by  order  of  Congress: 

Mo!iaay,  the  .30th  of  May,  was  the  day  fixed  upon  by  Commodore 
Perry  for  our  dej)arture.  We  were  ordered  to  cross  the  island  to  the 
eastern  shore,  follow  the  line  of  coast  northward,  and  return  through 
the  interior,  pushing  our  course  as  far  as  practicable,  under  our  instruc- 
tions to  return  within  six  days.  All  the  stores  having  been  procured, 
and  packed  in  convenient  parcels,  togetluT  with  portfolios  and  drawing- 
materials,  implements  for  preparhig  birds,  etc.,  we  landed  iiboiit  10 
o'clock,  and  proceeded  to  the  house  of  the  missicmary.  Dr.  liettelheim, 
which  had  bei'u  chosen  as  the  rendezvous.  The  authorities  hai]  not 
lieen  previously  infonncd  of  our  intention;  and,  as  it  was  evident  that 
Ave  should  not  be  allowed  to  advance  fir  without  .an  escort,  or  espionage 
of  Kome  kind,  Dr.  Bettelheim  sent  to  re»|nest  that  a  proper  oflicer  should 
.'iccoinpauy  us  as  guide.  After  waiting  about  an  liour,  :iud  no  person 
ajipearing,  we  decided  to  set  out,  l)elieving  that  our  guide  would  bo 
forthcoming  before  we  left  the  city.  Tn  fact,  we  had  no  sooner  reached 
the  main  street,  communicating  with  the  road  to  Shendi,  the  capita!  of 
tlie  island,  than  a  pt»rtly  personage,  with  a  long  white  beard,  and  two 
younger  otllcers,  with  black  beards  and  swarthy  complexions,  joined  us. 
A  crowd  of  eurioua  natives  hud  uUo  cuUcctud,  and  fuUuwod  us  until  we 
left  the  city. 


I 


]'l' 


;!.j  ■' 


916 


EXPLORATION    OF    LoO-CIlOO. 


Eac'li  of  UiG  men  earriod  a  haversack,  in  aclilitiou  to  liis  arms, 
leaving  abont  one  liundred  and  twenty  pomids"  weiglit  of  l)aggago  to  bo 
divided  among  the  four  coolies.  The  men,  Terry  and  ^Mitchell,  marched 
in  advance,  the  former  carryhig  tlie  flag,  while  the  other  men,  Smith 
and  Davies,  remained  in  the  rear  of  the  baggage  ;  this  order  was  pre- 
served durhig  the  -whole  expedition.  We  liad  not  jiroceeded  half  a  mile 
before  our  coolies  showed  simis  of  breakhiij  down  mider  their  loads, 
and,  even  though  we  might  force  them  to  keep  up  for  some  time  longer, 
it  Mas  evident  that  "we  could  not  make  much  jirogress  Mithout  fiu'ther 
helj> ;  Mr.  Jones,  therefore,  recpiested  the  portly  old  oflicer,  who  seemed 
to  liave  special  charge  over  us,  to  supply  us  with  four  more  coolies, 
promising  that  they  should  be  paid  on  our  return.  After  waiting  half 
an  hour  at  the  northern  end  of  the  city,  four  spans  young  natives  came 
up  with  band)oo  poles,  and  relieved  the  Chinamen  of  half  their  load. 
We  now  took  the  liigh-road  to  Sheudi,  passing  the  salt  creek  which 
comes  up  from  tlie  village  of  Tume,  by  a  bridge  of  one  arch  ;  the  cruwd 
turned  back  at  this  pohit,  leavuig  ns  about  a  dozen  followers,  who 
seemed  to  be  attendants  or  subordinates  of  the  principal  otVuers. 

Beyond  the  bridge  Ave  passed  over  a  meadow,  studded  m  ith  singular 
broken  rocks,  of  secondary  lunestone,  covered  Avith  clumps  of  jiiue-trees. 
The  road  then  passed  around  the  base  of  a  hill,  the  front  (jf  which  was 
occupied  by  a  teinjile  of  massive  stone  masonry.  It  was  shaded  with 
large  trees,  resembling  in  foliage  the  Indian  fig  or  sycamore.  I'aths, 
over  which  tlu'.  liedges  of  bamboo  formed  complete  arches,  ran  uj)  the 
sides  of  the  hill.  On  our  right  were  meadows  of  i)earded  rice,  a  variety 
Avhich  Dr.  Lymdi  declared  to  be  unkyiown  in  tlie  southern  States.  The 
country  now  became  ()i)en  and  undtdating,  and  covered  with  tlie  richest 
vegetation  ;  not  only  was  all  the  low  lanil  planted  Avith  rice,  but  the  hill-) 
Avere  in  many  places  terraced  nearly  to  the  to|),  ami  the  water  carefully 
conducted  from  field  to  iield  by  artificial  channels.  Tlu' streams  wero 
lined  with  thick  hedges  of  banana,  and  the  knolls  which  ilotted  the 
landsca[)e  AVere  crowned  with  groves  of  the  Loo-Choo  pine,  a  beautiful 
tree,  strongly  resembling  the  cedar  of  Lebanon  in  its  tlat  horizontal 
layers  of  tbliagc  ;  it  is  probably  a  new  species.  There  was  something 
in  the  forms  of  the  landscape  Avhich  reminded  me  of  the  richest  Euglish 
scenery,  mixe<l  Avith  this  su})erb  vegetation  of  the  tropics.  The  views 
on  each  side  increased  in  beauty  as  Ave  approached  Sheudi,  the  cajiital 
city  of  the  island,  Avhicli  is  scattered  along  the  sonth-Avest  slope  of  a 
groiip  of  hills.  The  houses  are  half  buried  in  foliage,  and  stretch  over 
an  extent  of  a  mile,  the  citadel,  or  residence  of  the  viceroy,  occupying 
an  elevated  central  position. 

The  day  was  dark  and  cloudy,  threatening  rain,  and  fresh  u  ind  blew 
in  our  faces  as  Ave  climbed  the  heights.  Near  the  smnmit  we  passed 
through  a  high  wooden  gate,  upon  which  Avere  iiisciibeil  two  Chineso 
characters,  signifying  "the  central  hill,"  or  "place  of  authority,"  and 
entered  the  mahi  street  of  the  city,  which  is  broad,  handsomely  paved, 


THE    CUNG-QUA. 


917 


- 


Is 

y 

I'O 

ill 

nil 


I 


and  lined  with  high  walls,  hchind  which,  and  the  foliage  of  their  gardens, 
the  iirincipal  dwellings  arc  mostly  conceaU'd.  As  avo  reached  the  gate, 
tlic  Hag  was  unrolled,  and  fastem-d  upon  the  end  of  a  musket.  A  fine 
grove  of  old  trees,  Avith  crooked  trunks,  gnarled  boughs,  and  thick, 
dark-green  foliage,  attracted  my  attention  on  entering.  We  had  not 
ju'occeded  fitYy  paces  before  the  officers  attending  us  beckoned  to  \u  to 
enter  a  doorway  on  the  right  side  of  the  street.  AVe  made  a  halt,  and, 
leaving  men  and  coolies  outside,  went  in.  It  ])roved  to  be  a  Ciokj-cjik)^ 
or  resting-place  for  travelers,  or  rather  for  officers  of  government,  ssince 
in  Loo-Choo  there  are  no  other  travelers.  The  Cini<i-qK<\  corresponds 
very  nearly  to  the  Turkish  khan,  excejit  tliat,  being  used  only  by  persons 
of  some  consideration,  it  is  far  more  neat  and  elegant  in  every  respect. 
The  house  into  which  we  Avere  ushered  resemble<l  :i  in-jvate  dwelliii"-  of 
the  better  class.  The  i)rincipal  ai)artiueiit  Avas  car)»eted  Avith  very  line 
soft  mats,  and  surrounded  on  thrr;e  sides  by  an  open  veratulah.  A<ljoin- 
ing  the  building  Avere  kitchens  and  out-housi'S  for  servants,  and  in  front 
a  small  yard  planted  with  sago-pahns  and  a  tree  resembling  the  f/iontr- 
piifi.  AVe  Avere  politely  received  by  a  gentleman  in  a  gray  robe,  Avho 
jierformed  the  ko-toir  toAvard  us  in  the  most  approved  style.  Seats  were 
brought,  and  tea  prepared  after  the  Chinese  fashion,  serve(l  in  small 
cups.  Tlie  attendant  Avas  directed,  by  signs,  to  wait  first  upon  Mr. 
Jones,  Avho  Avas  thenceforth  rec<)giiiz;'(l  ;is  the  head  of  the  party.  The 
former  served  us  on  his  knees,  both  Avheu  he  offered  and  when  he  took 
fiAvay  the  cups.  We  remained  but  a  (iiw  minutes,  and  took  our  leave, 
evidently  to  the  surprise  and  perplexily  of  our  conductors,  Avho  did  not 
as  yet  comiirehend  oiir  tibject. 

On  leaving  Xai)ha,  avc  liad  noticed  an  expression  of  doubt  and 
anxiety  upon  the  faces  of  the  natives,  and  this  ratlu'r  increased  as  avc 
proceeded.  X<>  remonstrance  AA'hatever  A\'as  nuide  to  us,  but  our  move- 
ments Were  Mispicioii-^ly  scrutinized.  When,  therefore,  wv.  left  the  Cimg- 
(jua,  and,  instead  of  returning,  took  our  i-ourse  directly  onward  through 
the  city,  th(>  tiu  es  of  our  convoy  becanu;  clouded,  and  an  expression  of 
alarm  communicated  itself  to  those  of  the  natives  whose  curiosity  had 
attracted  them  aromid  us.  We  soon  reached  the  gate  of  the  citailel,  at 
the  foot  of  the  mas<ive  walls,  Avhich,  rising  through  groves  (»f  trees,  dom- 
inate over  the  city.  The  gate  Avas  closed,  but  had  it  beiu  open,  we 
should  not  have  ]>resumed  to  ent(>r.  Tiie  northern  and  eastern  slope  of 
the  hill  is  covered  with  sjilendiil  old  trees,  divided  by  Avinding,  shaded 
avenues,  on  the  sides  of  Avhich  many  nativi'S  were  sitting,  Avith  fims  in 
their  liands.  The  sun,  which  shone  out  liot  and  clear  l!>r  an  instant, 
checkered  this  rich,  park-like  scenery  Avith  strong  contrasts  of  light  and 
shadow,  and  down  through  the  dejiths  of  the  trees  iniiinin;it<'d  the  face 
of  a  i)ool  of  Avater,  so  completely  covered  with  the  floating  lea',  es  of  a 
Hpecies  of  lily  as  to  appear  like  a  jiatch  of  green  swar  1.  We  passed 
around  the  base  of  the  citadel  to  its  eastern  siile,  and,  after  some  de- 
liberation,  took  a  jiaved  road  Avhicli  led  through  the  suburbs  of  tlu^  city 


I 


ji 


r 


rn 


.1, 


I  IS 


918 


EXPLORATION    OF    LOO-CIIOO. 


in  an  east-south-east  direction.  Wherever  we  turned  we  could  see 
scouts  running  in  advance,  and  driving  the  inhabitants  away  from  our 
path,  so  that  a  silence  and  desertion,  like  that  whicli  follows  pestilence, 
took  ])lace  wherever  we  moved.  All  Avith  whom  we  accidentally  came 
in  contact  saluted  us  politely,  but  with  a  settled  .air  of  melancholy,  which 
I  ascribed  to  tlie  surveillance  exercised  over  tlicm  by  an  unnatural  gov- 
ernment, r.ather  than  any  ill-will  toward  us. 

The  northern  side  of  Siieudi  is  a  wilderness  of  rich  vegetation.  The 
ai)pearance  of  a  flourishing  cocoa-palm,  now  and  then,  showed  that  the 
clim.ate  is  entirely  tropical.  The  eastern  suburb  of  the  capital  is  com- 
posed principally  of  bamboo  huts,  thatched  with  rice  straw.  The  inhab- 
itants were  all  hidden  away  out  of  sight,  and  blinds  of  split  bamboo  let 
down  belbre  the  doors.  We  took  a  road  which  led  along  tlie  hills  to- 
ward the  south-east,  and  after  issuing  from  the  capital,  gained  a  ridge 
whence  we  could  see  a  lung  line  of  the  western  coast,  with  the  squadron 
riding  at  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  Napha.  From  this  point  the  interest 
of  the  journey  ])ruperly  connuenced,  as  we  M'ere  entering  uj)on  ground 
v.hich  no  one  before  us  had  ever  exi^ored.  The  limit  of  the  excursions 
made  by  others  was  Sheudi,  and  very  few  succeeded  in  entering  that 
capital.  We  were,  therefore,  gieatly  enlivened  by  the  j)rospect  before 
us,  and  ])ursued  our  way  with  more  alacrity  than  comported  with  the 
comfort  of  our  disheartened  conductors. 

Al)o>it  a  mile  from  Sheudi,  the  road  turned  more  to  the  east,  and 
iifter  passing  through  a  dense  wood,  came  out  upon  a  hill,  whence  wo 
caught  a  glimpse  of  the  sea  on  the  eastern  si<le.  A  temple,  ai)parently 
erected  during  the  past  year — for  it  was  destitute  of  either  altar  or  god 
— stood  iu  the  shade  of  a  dump  of  pines,  and  as  it  was  now  one  o'clock 
we  halted  for  refreshment.  Some  of  the  natives  brought  water,  while 
the  men  picked  up  sufficient  dead  wood  to  boil  our  kettle,  and  in  the 
course  of  time  we  were  rcgak'd  with  tea  and  ship's  biscuit.  We  offered 
the  former  to  the  officers,  l>ut  they  did  not  appear  to  relish  it.  The 
Loo-C'hoo  coolies,  however,  ate  heartily  of  the  biscuit,  which  they  had 
better  earned  than  our  vagabond  Chinese.  They  gave  the  name  of  the 
place  as  Pino.  Mr.  Heine  took  a  sketch  of  it,  and  astonished  the  nativ  ■>, 
some  forty  or  fifty  of  whom  had  collected  to  look  at  us,  by  tiring  at  a 
mark  with  his  rifle.  Inuuediattly  after  leaving  Pino,  whence  we  started 
at  3  I*.  M.,  the  paved  road  ceased,  and  the  way  became  deep  and  miry. 
The  soil  was  a  lead-colored,  stiff  clay,  the  disintegration  of  shale  rock, 
which  here  appeared  for  the  first  finu\  We  had  not  proceeded  nuirc 
than  half  a  mile  l)efore  we  reached  the  dividing  ridge  or  crest  of  the 
island,  and  a  niagnificent  panorama  opened  below  us  to  the  eastward. 
The  sea-line  of  the  Pacific  formed  the  horizon,  and  a  fi))acious  sheet  of 
water  l)etween  two  lieadlands  which  made  out  from  the  island  led  us  to 
suppose  that  we  were  looking  upon  Barrow's  IJay.  Hetween  us  and  the 
sea  lay  an  amphitheater  of  hills,  cultivated  to  their  very  tops,  and 
clothed  with  the  greenest  verdure.     Their  sides  were  carefully  terraced. 


n 


FIKST    ENCAMPMENT. 


919 


and  every  advantage  taken  of  the  inclination  of  the  soil,  so  as  to  collect 
the  rains  for  irrigation.  The  cultivation  was  quite  as  patient  and 
thorough  as  that  of  China.  The  picturesque  fo»-mation  of  the  hills  gave 
a  great  variety  of  outline  to  the  landscape,  which  enihraced  a  compass 
of  perhaps  twenty  miles.  Toward  the  west  Ave  overlooked  all  the  coun- 
try we  had  passed,  as  far  as  a  lieadland  in  the  north-west,  which  T  took 
to  be  Capo  Broughton.  Mr.  Heine  look  a  sketch  of  the  view,  looking 
eastward,  while  I  attempted  to  take  the  western  side. 

llosnming  our  march,  we  descended  the  ridge,  which  was  about  six 
himdred  feet  above  the  sea-level.  The  clayey  path  leading  down  was 
very  wet  and  slipj)cry,  and  the  coolies  fell  and  rolled  over  several  times 
with  the  baggage.  Passing  through  gaps  between  the  lower  hills,  wo 
reached  a  semicircular  plain,  nearly  two  miles  in  breadth,  extending 
around  the  head  of  the  bav.  On  either  side  was  a  villaire  of  thatched 
huts,  buried  in  trees.  The  scouts  had  already  been  before  us,  and  the 
natives  lay  concealed  in  their  habitations.  The  former  supposed  that 
we  would  take  a  road  leaditig  to  a  large  village  at  the  head  of  the  bay, 
but  as  we  turned  abruptly  to  tlie  northward,  we  soon  saw  them  running 
across  the  fields  to  regain  the  road  ahead  of  us.  There  Avere  a  number 
of  villages  at  the  base  of  the  hills,  on  our  left,  but  so  thickly  studded 
Avith  trees  that  they  Avere  almost  concealed  from  vicAV.  I  collected  a 
number  of  ])lants,  one  of  them  a  species  of  althtca,  AA'ith  a  splendid  scarlet 
blossom.  The  road  Avhich  Ave  took  led  through  the  rice  fields  and  was 
very  deep  and  muddy.  "While  stopping  to  rest  on  a  bridge  over  one  of 
the  irrigating  streams,  our  old  conductor  came  up  Avith  his  two  assist- 
ants, and  intimated  to  us  bA'  signs  that  it  was  time  Ave  should  return  to 
the  shij)s.  The  sun  Avould  soon  set,  they  said,  and  wo  should  have  no 
place  to  sleep.  We  replied  (also  by  signs),  that  instead  of  returning 
Ave  Avere  going  Tiorthward,  and  Avould  not  reach  the  ships  again  for  five 
or  six  days.  They  aj)peared  greatly  surprised  at  this,  and  a  little 
troubled,  since  it  was  part  of  their  duty  not  to  lose  sight  of  us.  The 
old  fellow,  Avho,  in  his  haste  to  keep  up,  had  slipped  doAvn  in  the  muddy 
road  and  soiled  the  hinder  part  of  his  robe,  laughed  heartily  at  the  acci- 
dent, and  finally  became  resigned  to  the  prospect  of  the  long  tramp  be- 
fore him.  Tlu'V  then  pointed  to  the  Avest,  saying  that  there  AA-as  a  Cung- 
qua  in  that  direiition,  Avhere  avo  could  spend  the  night.  Our  course, 
however,  Avas  nearly  north-east,  and  about  h.'ilf  past  five,  h.aving  reached 
a  hill  overlooking  the  bay,  on  the  summit  of  Avhich  Avas  an  open  space 
siu'rouiided  with  young  pines,  Ave  determined  to  encamp  there.  The 
peoi)le  objected  to  our  cutting  down  the  trees,  and  we  m.ade  tent  poles 
by  fastening  together  the  bamboo  staves  used  by  the  coolies.  There 
Avas  a  village  <in  the  slo])e  of  the  hill  below  us,  and  after  some  delay, 
cause(l  by  th(>  <litficulty  of  interpreting  our  Avants  to  the  native  ofticialp, 
w  obtained  four  finvls,  forty  cgix^,  and  t\A'o  bimdles  of  fircAvood.  One 
of  our  Chinamen,  "A-shing,"  professed  to  speak  the  Loo-Choo  language, 
but  Ave  soon  found  him  as  miserably  deficient  in  this  as  he  Avas  in  all 


1 

! 

1 

1 

f 

j 

i 
j 

■■ 

i 
•  1 

!i 

•i  ,    I 


mU  \i 


.',j 


:  I'll 


'H 


ir 


920 


KXPLORATION    OF    LOO-CIIOO. 


c'llur  useful  qiialitio.s.  His  ''oiiiradt',  liowcvcr,  who  spoke  no  Eiijrlisli, 
iciuld  M  ritu  C'liiiii'sc,  and  tlii'  inosago  Iiaviiig  l)(jcu  thus  ooiuiuuiru'atcJ 
and  "wiiltL'u,  was  liiially  nad  by  Uk;  old  JV-chiiiL;.  Tlio  lalUr  refused 
to  !ioct'i)t  cither  cash  or  dollars,  sa}  iiij^  that  they  were  of  no  use  to  the 
]ieojile  whatever,  hut  thai  every  thin<^  would  he  furnished  us.  The 
Chinese  sutxj^esti'd — prohably  on  their  own  account— that  W('  should 
jiay  the  |ieoj)le  in  siii]i's  itiscuit,  hut  we  had  .scarcely  enough  lor  our 
own  wants.  Tl  was  at  len<j;lh  decidinl  that  "Wc  .should  take  what  we  re- 
<iuired  and  sellle  for  its  value  with  the  IV-ching-  on  our  return. 

The  jieojile  were  tardy  in  l)rinu;ing  our  iIrewo(.Kl,  and  we  were  ohlijjjcnl 
to  eat  our  supper  by  the  hght  of  our  camp  lire.  I  suceei  tU'il  in  <j;elting 
a  sketdi  of  the  Lay,  while  d.iylight  remained.  It  is  deep  and  s])aci(jus, 
and  pnitected  by  reefs  across  the  mouth,  but,  judi^nML;'  ironi  the  ap|)ear- 
ance  of  the  water,  too  shaMow  to  be  made  avail.ablt  titr  naval  purposes. 
A  large  Aillage  lies  at  its  head,  and  several  lishing  junks  were  at  anchor 
l)efore  it.  At  night  the  plain  sparkled  with  lights,  some  of  them  mov- 
ing to  and  fio-  probably  lanterns  carried  by  pirsons  jiassing  from  one 
village  to  aiioiher.  The  olllccrs  determined  to  remain  with  us  at  all 
ha/.:iitl-,,  and  at  their  conmuuid  tlu'  people  brought  up  bandioo  poles  and 
matting,  oni  of  which  they  I'rected  a  ti'm[)orary  structure  beside  our 
tenl.  'I'lu'y  were  jjcrfectly  good-hinnored  in  their  demeanor,  and  sub- 
nfilf  ed  with  gicat  jiatii  nee  to  what  they  could  not  avoi.l.  J5efore  going  to 
sK'cp  we  ai'ranged  l!)ur  Matches  of  two  hours  each,  from  U  r.  M.  until  5 
A.  M.,  ;md  the  subordinate  natlvt!  jioliccincn  kindled  a  lire  and  kejit  a 
coimtc'i-watcii.  We  were  all  sonuiwhat  faliguetl  with  our  lirsl  march 
«pf  ten  miles,  but  the  inosi|ifitoes  were  so  terribly  annoying  (liat  few  of 
lis  slept  more  th:;a  half  an  hour  dming  the  whole  night. 

AVe  rose  ;it  dawn,  and  ilmiid  the  natives  already  stirring.  The  morn- 
ing gave  promise  of  fair  weather.  The  JV-ching  and  his  associates  came 
n]>  and  saluted  us  gravely  ;is  soon  as  we  arose.  It  recjuired  about  two 
hours  to  cook  and  eat  breakfast,  strike  llus  lent,  and  jiack  the  baggage 
lor  carrying.  "When  avc  were  all  reatly  we  Ibinnl  I'ight  native  eooiic3 
on  hand,  those  whoi  i  we  took  from  Xapha  lia\  ing  returned  the  evening 
previous.  Leaving  C'amj»  I'eriT  (as  Me  named  the  s]iot)  Me  took  a  path 
leading  n[>  a  sleej>  hill  to  the  north.  Winding  around  its  bmw,  Me  de- 
scended into  a  v.'dU'v,  siuannnidi'd  by  alirupt,  scarpiMl  jiills.  A  stream 
llowing  .nl  the  bottom  of  a  deep  gully,  overhung  Mith  large  banana-trees, 
made  its  way  out  of  this  broad  cul-de->ac  toward  the  sea.  We  crossed 
the  valley  on  the  ridges  of  swampy  gniss,  l)etwet'n  the  Hooded  rice- 
field.-,  and  (Tnnbed  a  long  and  toilsome  ridge,  by  wet,  slippery  i^aths, 
leading  np  thron  ,h  copses  of  young  pine.  We  had  now  gained  the 
spinal  ridge  of  the  island,  imd  turned  nortli-Mcst ward,  over  alternato 
liills  anil  meadows,  along  its  smi\mit.  The  M'ood  was  ]irincij)!illy  pine, 
but  T  (.l.M'rved  several  new  varieties  of  shrubs,  not  in  ilower.  >.'ow  .and 
then  M-e  passe.l  the  huls  of  the  natives,  generally  in  clusters  of  two  and 
three,  but  I'vcn  in  this  secludeil  region  notice  of  our  coming  had  reached 


I 

I 


I 


THE    <'I3ANNKR    ROCK," 


921 


tlicm,  and  tlu'  iiiliiiliitiinls  m-civ  liiiMfii.  I  Idokcd  into  mjiiu',  ;iii<l  IouikI 
the  interiors  to  consist  of  :i  single  r.joni,  sinokc-bliirkmecl,  and  I'liiiiislied 
whh  llio  nidi'st  nloiisils.  Two  ol'llieni  li:id  a  gratini;'  orininiljuo,  juised, 
like  a  lloor,  al>out  si.v  inehes  abou'  llie  gronutl,  and  tlie  thick  mats  wliicli 
serve  tlic  Loo-Chooans  us  beds  were  spread  ui)on  this. 

.Mr.  ,1  ones  left  tlu' eanip  befui-e  lis,  and  we  had  not  yet  ll)!nid  him. 
Coming  to  a  deep  woodeil  gorg*',  with  a  stream  Ihiwing  westward,  we 
disetnered  liiat  onr  trne  course  lay  further  to  the  east,  and  retraced  our 
Bte})S  llirough  the  phio  woods,  and  over  xij)laiul  rice-meadows  to  a?i  ojicn, 
grassy  height,  whence  we  saw  ^fr.  .Joikjs,  surrounded  by  a  group  of  na- 
tives, about  half  a  inilc!  to  the  soutli  of  us.  In  a  short  time  we  again 
reached  the  sunimit-ridge,  overlooking  the  Lay,  and  enjuycil  tin-  vii'W 
of  a  s'lpcrl)  land- .ajjc.  'I'he  dividing  ridge  of  the  island,  as  we  had 
already  noticed,  is  nearest  the  eastern  shore,  <  whic'h  the  di'seent  is 
much  mure  abrupt  tluiu  on  the  western.  The  t ullivation  on  this  side  is 
also  more  thorough,  ami  the  erojis  more  luxuriant.  The  knees  vi'  the 
mountains  lielow  us  were  feathered  Avitli  beautiful  groves  of  the  Loo- 
Choo  ]>ine,  intermhigled  with  terraced  fields  of  grain  and  vegetables, 
while  the  plain  bi'low,  ihrough  its  whole  sweep  >.>['  iiileeii  miles,  was 
bnnvn  with  its  harvest  of  rice.  AVe  counted  a  do/.cu  villages,  some  of 
them  ill'  considerable  size,  dotting  its  exjtunse.  To  the  northward  e.v- 
teuded  a  long  lieadland,  l;ir  beyond  what  Ave  had  supposed  \n  lie  the 
extremity  of  the  bay,  and  projecting  from  the  island  in  a  south-i  asterly 
diietlion.  It  was  now  jilain  that  we  had  not  yet  reached  IJaiiow's  Uay, 
of  uhicii  tliis  headlautl  firmed  the  southern  boundary.  While  lialting 
to  rest  our  coolies,  in  the  shade  of  a  clum})  of  jiiiKS,  3Ir.  Heine  shot  a 
raven,  with  a  beak  much  broader  than  the  Kurojieaii  species.  There 
w;us  a  very  large  toml),  of  a  slia]ie  nearly  circular,  on  the  northern  side 
of  the  ridge.  About  two  miles  further,  the  road  swi'rving  a  little  to  the 
west,  we  came  upon  a  singular  rock,  rising  liigh  out  of  a  Ibrest  of  ])ines. 
Tlie  summit,  v  hich  was  very  sharp  ami  jagged,  was  seventy  or  eighty 
feet  aliove  the  crest  ol'the  ridge,  and  l)cing  composed  of  secondary  lime- 
stone, honeycombed  by  the  weather,  it  was  an  exceedingly  striking  and 
picturescpK!  oliject.  AVhile  ^h:  Heine  stojiped  to  sketch  it,  and  3Ir. 
Jones  to  examiiut  its  geology,  I  climbed  to  the  summit,  Avhich  was  so 
sharp  as  to  make  it  a  mo>t  uneasy  seat.  Finding  that  it  was  the  highest 
jicak  in  that  part  of  tlic  island,  conimrviiding  a  view  which  embraced  a 
considerable  reach  of  both  shores,  I  o'di'red  the  Hag  t<)  be  brought,  and 
luifurled  it  from  tlu' top  oi  the  rock,  while  the  men  fired  a  salute  I'roni 
the  base  and  hailed  it  with  three  hearty  <'heers.  ^V('  bestowed  upon  it 
the  name  of'^Hamur  Uork.''  The  natives  looked  on,  unable  liow  to 
understand  our  proceedings,  but  not  in  the  least  troubled  l)y  them.  A 
little  to  the  nortli  of  where  wi-  were  the  island  narrowed  suddenly,  Le- 
tween  tlu'  liead  of  the  eastei  i  bay  and  a  di'cp  bight,  which  makes  in 
on  the  Western  side,  between  Cape  Uroughton  and  the  headland  bound- 
ing I'ort  MeUille  on  the  west.    1  juilged  its  'breadtli,  at  this  point,  to  bo 


1.1 


M' 


1  I  f 

!       -1 


r 


ii.i; 


Ifli 


922 


EXPLORATION    OF    LOO-CIIOO. 


about  four  milcH,  in  n  straiglit  lino.  To  tlic  .south-west  T  could  roo  tho 
2)o.sition  of  Slieudi,  eight  or  ten  miles  distant.  The  landseape  was  si^  '. 
and  varied,  all  the  hills  being  coated  with  groves  of  jtine.  We  foui'<,' 
on  the  rock  the  "  Wax-plant"  of  our  greenhouses,  in  full  bloom,  the 
splendid  scarlet  Althteu,  and  a  variety  of  the  Malva,  with  a  large  yellow 
blossom. 

Continuing  our  niarcli  along  the  suinniit-ridge,  we  came  gradually 
upon  a  wilder  and  more  broken  region.  Hugo  fragments  of  the  same 
<lark  limestone  ro(!k  ov(>rhung  our  j)ath,  or  lay  tund)led  along  the  slopes 
below  us,  as  if  hurled  there  by  some  violent  natural  convulsion.  As  the 
hill  curved  eastward,  wo  saw  on  its  southern  side  a  series  of  inimetiso 
square  masses,  separated  by  deep  fissures,  reaching  down  the  side  nearly 
to  its  base.  They  wero  apparently  tifly  feet  liigh,  ami  at  least  a  Inui- 
dred  feet  scpiare,  and  their  tops  were  covered  with  a  thick  growth  of 
trees  and  shrubbery.  In  the  absence  of  any  traces  of  volcanic  action,  it 
is  diflicult  to  conceive  lu)w  these  detached  masses  were  distributed  with 
such  regularity,  and  cjirried  to  such  a  distance  from  their  original  place. 
Till'  eastern  front  of  the  crags  under  which  we  passed  was  studded  with 
tombs,  some  of  them  built  against  the  rock  and  whitewashed,  like  tlio 
tombs  of  tlu!  present  iidiabitants,  but  others  excavated  within  it,  and 
evidently  of  great  age.  Looking  down  uj)ou  tlie  bay  it  was  easy  to  see 
that  the  greater  part  of  it  was  shallow,  and  in  some  places  the  little  lish- 
ing  junks  could  not  ai)proach  within  lialf  a  mile  of  tlio  shore.  The  rice- 
fields  were  brought  S(iuaro  down  to  {]w.  Avater's  edge,  which  was  banked 
up  to  prevent  the  tide  from  overrtowing  them,  and  I  noticed  many 
triangular  stone-dykes,  stretching  some  distance  into  the  water,  and  no 
doubt  intended  as  weirs  for  fish. 

In  less  than  an  hour  after  leaving  IJanner  Rock  wo  wore  surprised 
by  the  discovery  of  an  ancient  fortress,  occupying  a  commandiiig  j)osi- 
tion  upon  the  summit  of  one  of  the  spurs  of  the  central  ridge.  Its  out- 
line was  irregular,  but  with  a  general  direction  from  north-east  to  soutli- 
west ;  and  while  some  parts  of  it  wero  in  perfect  preservation,  other 
portions  were  overgrown  with  vines  and  shrubbery,  and  hardly  to  bo 
distinguished  from  the  natural  rock  upon  whicli  it  was  liascd.  Passing 
through  an  arclied  gateway,  tho  road  led  to  a  terrace,  overgrown  with 
trees,  upon  whicli  stood  a  structure  of  masonry  resembling  a  cenotaph, 
A  ilight  of  stone  stej^s  conducted  us  to  another  gateway,  .'ifter  jtassing 
which,  and  a  spacious  vestibule,  avo  entered  the  interior  of  the  fortress. 
The  si)aco  was  occujiied  by  a  luxuriant  grove  of  trees,  and  at  tho  further 
end  Avas  a  private  dAvelling  of  respectable  ap])oarance.  Our  Pe-ching 
was  already  thoro,  and  tho  master  (whom  our  Chinese  coolies  designated 
tho  "Japanese  consul"),  respectfully  invited  ns  to  enter.  The  day  Avas 
oppressively  liot,  and  Ave  found  tA\'o  or  three  cups  of  Loo-C!hoo  tea  an 
agreeable  refreslnnent.  Returning  to  the  terrace,  at  the  base  of  tho 
outer  Avail,  Ave  lialtcd  in  the  shade  to  allow  tho  men  their  mid-day  rest 
and  meal.    A  flight  of  steep  steps,  cut  in  the  rock,  led  doAVUAvard  on  tho 


FORTUESS    OF    NAOAGUSKO. 


923 


nortliom  side  to  a  grotto  under  tlit;  foiindiitioii  of  the  casili',  at  tlio  bot- 
tom of  wliicli  was  a  jjooI  of  cold,  sweet  Mater.  'I'lie  jilaeo  was  eoin- 
plctoly  overhung  Ity  dense,  I'oliage,  and  iiiaeoossible  to  tin;  beams  of 
tho  sun. 

While  our  meal  was  j»rojiaring,  Air.  Jones  traced  out  a  rouLfli  plan 
of  the  fortress,  and  the  men  took  nu'asuren\ents.  The  following  are  its 
dimensions,  asciertained  with  tolerable  accuracy  : 


Lcnglli  .... 
lircadtli  .... 
Thickiif.sH  of  wiillH  at  liottoiu 


23.'i  j)acei4. 
70       " 


G  to  12 


Tliii  .lu'ss  (if  Willis  iit  toj) 12  foot. 

(jPi'ali'Ht  lici^'lit  of  outer  wiJI,  inca.suriii)»  iilonjf  tlio  slojie  CO     " 

HimkIiI  of  all,  from  irisidu 12     " 

Aiifjio  of  outer  wall 60° 

The  material  was  limestone,  and  the  masonry  of  admirable  con- 
struction. The  stones,  some  of  which  were  cu])es  of  four  feet  square, 
were  so  (-arefully  hewn  and  jointed  that  tlu>  absence  of  any  mortar  or 
cement  did  not  seem  to  impair  the  durability  of  the  work.  There  were 
two  remarkabh^  points  about  the  work.  The  arches  were  (h)idile,  tho 
lower  course  being  formed  of  two  stones  hewn  into  almost  a  par.'d.orus 
curve,  and  meeting  in  the  center,  over  which  was  the  regular  !>gyptian 
ardi,  with  its  key-stone. 

The  other  peculiarity  was,  that  in  j)laco  of  bastions,  there  were 
square  projections  of  masonry,  presenting  a  concave  front,  whicli  would 
catdi  and  concentrate  the  force  of  a  caimon  ball,  rather  than  ward  it 
oft*.  But  this  fortress  must  liave  betm  erected  many  centuries  before  tho 
use  of  tire-arms  of  any  kind  could  have  been  known  to  the  Loo-Chooans. 
Our  Chinese  pretended  to  give  the  name  of  the  place  as  Ching-King, 
which  are  Chinese  words,  signifying  the  cliief  or  capital  citadel. 

We  resumcnl  our  march  at  half  past  one  o't;lock.  The  old  Pe-ching, 
"Chang-Yuen,"  who  liad  become  a  little  fatigued  by  this  time,  took  a 
ka-</oo,  or  Loo-Choo  chair,  and  ibllowed  in  otir  rear,  leaving  the  par- 
ticular charge  of  us  to  his  subordinates.  The  scouts  werc^  sent  ahead, 
as  usual,  for  our  patli  descended  again  to  the  populous  j)lain  at  tho  base 
of  tho  hills.  We  already  perceived  indications  of  a  fixed  system  in  tho 
es])ionage  to  which  wo  were  sid»jocted.  Chang- Yuen  and  liis  two 
secondary  ofticers  were  doptited  to  acconijiany  us  during  the  wJioh?  jour- 
ney, while  their  dozen  <jr  more  attendants  and  helpers  wen;  changed  as 
we  passed  from  one  district  of  the  island  into  another.  Notliing  could 
exceed  the  vigilance  with  wliicli  they  watclied  us.  We  might  sejiarato 
into  as  many  divisions  as  there  were  mc!!,  and  yet  eacli  of  us  would  still 
retain  his  native  convoy.  We  could  neither  tire  them  down,  nor  run 
away  from  them.  W^hcn,  by  chance,  we  stiddenly  clianged  our  course, 
we  still  found  them  before  us.  And  though  this  Avas  tlie  result  of  a 
jealous  and  c.vcilusivc  system,  yet  they  managed  to  give  it  the  appearance 
of  being  done  through  respect  for  us. 


y 


If 


I? 


,y!i!,'i;i 


p 


924 


EXPLORATION    OF    LOO-CKOO. 


I  Avas  curious  to  obtain  some  information  regarding  tlie  domestic  life 
of  the  natives,  and  frequently  entered  tlieir  liuts  iniawares,  in  the  hope 
of  fnuUng  them  at  tlieir  avocations  "within.  In  most  cases  I  found  the 
huts  deserted,  but  in  some  others  caught  the  merest  glimpses  of  Loo- 
Choo  life,  in  its  more  humble  aspects.  Near  the  castle,  while  our  con- 
Aoy  was  i)assing  around  a  village,  I  slijiped  into  one  of  the  alleys  and 
entered  a  bamboo  inelosure,  within  which  Avere  live  neat  dwellings. 
The  mats  were  let  down  before  the  doors,  but  the  iieoj)lc  were  all  hid- 
den behind  screens  an<l  in  lofts  under  the  thatch,  for  on  looking  in  I 
found  no  one  bu^  a  Hiild  and  an  old  man,  who  immediately  knelt  down 
and  knockeil  his  liirehead  on  the  floor  before  me.  In  another  hut,  in  a 
village  on  the  ])lain,  I  ftmnd  an  old  woman  and  a  girl  of  about  twelve 
years  of  age,  both  of  whom  fell  on  their  knees,  and  held  up  their  hands 
with  .'ui  expressioTi  which  was  at  once  imjiloring  and  reverential.  A  few 
words  of  friendly  greeting,  though  in  English,  encouraged  them,  and  I 
should  no  doubt  have  b'.en  able  to  inspect  the  interior  of  the  hut,  had 
not  one  of  the  spies  conu;  up  at  that  moment  and  driven  them  anay. 

In  the  rich  rice  jilains  to  Mhich  we  desct'nded  we  found  sugar-cane 
for  the  first  time,  no)'<//iioii,  or  millet,  and  three  varieties  of  the  grain 
known  in  the  United  States  as  "broom-corn.'"  Tlu-  road  struck  out  into 
the  swampy  rice  fields,  and  we  made  tor  a  green  headland  covered  with 
pines.  A  villagi',  almost  completi'ly  buried  in  bowers  and  arcades  of 
bam'  ;to,  lay  at  its  foot.  As  we  were  about  entering,  we  came  upon 
two  cinious  stones  jilanted  in  the  earth.  The  largest  Avas  iiboiit  four 
feet  high,  aiul  from  its  peculiar  form  struck  mo  at  once  as  a  h'/n/mn,  or 
endjlem  of  the  i'hallic  worship.  The  same  idea  occurred  to  ^fr.  Heine, 
wlio  made  a  .sketch  of  it.  It  was  a  very  hard,  dark-colored  stone, 
resembling  ]iorpIiyry,  and  the  only  thing  we  eonld  learn  from  the  natives 
respecting  it  was,  that  they  called  it  " /.s'/zm."  There  is  im  trace  of  thi.s 
feature  of  the  Hindoo  religion  existing  either  in  Japan,  China,  or  Loo- 
Choo.  The  discovery  of  this  stone,  if  it  should  prove  to  be  a  I'hallio 
cmblcni,  is  therefore  exceedingly  curious.  In  the  course  of  the  atler- 
noon  we  found  two  more,  one  of  which  was  jirostnite  anil  broken.  In 
coiijutu'tion  with  these  remains,  the  llice  jf  the  hill  behin<l,f(ir  a  distance 
of  two  miles,  is  almost  entiri'ly  covered  with  excavated  tombs,  resem- 
bling the  simi>ler  forms  of  the  rock  tombs  of  Kgyi>t  and  Syri;i.  Our 
native  condudi-rs,  Avhen  interrogated  respecting  them,  called  them  *'lhe 
houses  of  the  dcNil's  men,"  and  seeineil  amuseil  at  om-  taking  notice  of 
them.  This  flat,  in  a  country  where  ancestral  tombs  are  considered 
sacied,  as  among  the  Chinese,  seems  to  j)oint  to  the  existence  of  another 
race  on  tiie  island,  in  .ancient  times— a  race  who  may  have  received  the 
worship  of  the  Lingam  from  Java,  or  other  islands  where  memorials  of 
it  exist. 

At\cr  an  unavailing  attempt  to  slioot  u  couple  of  herons  in  a  rico 
field,  we  kept  a  course  nearly  due  north,  iiassing  throngh  several  beauti- 
ful \illages.     The  housis  Avere  surrounded  Avith   banana-trees,  and  the 


DOMESTIC    il  A  N  U  F  A  C  T  U  R  ]■:  S . 


925 


alleys  completely  (ncrarclied  with  b.'iiiiboo.  In  one  of  the  houses  I 
fotiiid  a  woman  weavintf  tjrass-eloth,  in  a  loom  of|irim"tive  eonstnicti(m. 
She  ceased  from  work  as  I  approached  tlio  door,  Imt  commcnci'il  atrain, 
ill  obedience  to  my  gestures.  The  shuttle  Mas  a  little  longer  than  the 
breadth  of  the  stuff,  and  thrown  bv  liaiiil.  At  the  fool  of  the  hill  Dr. 
Lynah  found  a  ))iece  of  lignite,  which  resembles  coal,  but  is  unfortun- 
ately no  indication  of  its  presence.  We  liad  a  long  and  toilsome  ascent 
up  a  barren  hill  which  brought  lis  again  upon  a  cultivated  upland.  There! 
were  thrive  or  four  cattle  grazing  here,  the  iirst  Ave  had  noticcil  since 
leaving  Xai>ha.  W(;  saw  a  hm-se  now  and  then,  but  this  animal  ap])('ared 
to  be  scarce.  The  dividing  ridge  between  the  bays  was  about  three 
miles  in  advance,  and  though  the  afternoon  was  nigh  spent,  and  tlio 
whole  party  was  consideral)ly  fatigued,  we  determined  to  get  sight  of 
Barrow's  J5ay  before  encamping.  At  last  wo  reached  a  large  village  on 
the  western  slope  of  the  ridge.  It  was  surroumled  with  plantations  of 
banana,  and  a  tall  pine  grove  towered  n  '•  it.  Through  a  ilerp  roa<l 
gate,  cut  in  the  crest  of  the  hill,  a  fme  picture  of  Barrow's  Hay  and  tho 
mountains  beyond  presented  itself  to  our  view.  The  soutluTU  shore  of 
tho  bay  was  about  three  miles  distant,  and  a  singular  range  of  rocks, 
rising  in  di'tached  sipiaro  masses  li':e  the  walls  and  towt'i's  of  a  ruine(l 
city  intcrveiu'd.  The  lanilsca]>e  was  more  richly  wooded  than  those  on 
the  southern  bay,  and  the  outliiU'S  of  the  hills  were  roiui  Kr  and  more 
gently  undulating.  We  seemed  to  havo  reached  a  region  of  a  ditVcreiit 
geological  character.  We  were  about  to  pitch  our  tciit  at  this  jilaee, 
when  the  native  otilcers  gave  us  to  understand  that  thire  Mas  a  ('muj- 
qua  a  short  distance  further,  and  urged  us  so  strongly  to  go  on  that  Me 
shouldered  our  muskets  and  haversacks  and  started  airain.  Ihif  mc  had 
a  rough  tramp  of  nearly  three  mih's  further,  and  finally  came,  willi 
bruised  feet  and  aching  shoulders,  upon  the  last  descent  to  llarrow's 
Hay.  {'ictiii'esipie  craLjfs  stiidiled  the  hillside,  and  a  large  \  ill;ige,  com- 
pletely covered  with  thickets  of  lianana  and  bamboo,  lay  lu'lore  us. 
Over  it  towere<l  a  tall  «'rag,  rent  through  the  center  and  surmomiled  Mith 
a  sipiare  rock,  like  a  ruiiieil  toM'er.  We  threade(l  the  village  by  shaded 
alleys,  and  at  the  fiirtl.er  end,  on  a  spot  commanding  a  tine  v'ew  of  tho 
bay,  found  a  handsome  ('nit;/-t/iiii,  m  an  iiiclosiin-  planted  with  trees, 
A  dignitary  of  some  kind  welcomed  us,  and  we  Mere  at  once  served 
Mith  small  cu|)S  of  exci'llent  tea.  The  sof*^,  thick  mats,  the  shelter  and 
(•((inlort  of  the  building  were  Mell  Morth  the  fatigue  of  our  forcel  march. 
Fresh  Mater  in  earthen  jars,  Mith  a  sipiare  u'ooden  ladh'  floating  on  tiio 
to]»,  stood  ready  for  us,  and  ther(>  M-as  a  kiteln  ii  in  the  rear  Avhere  our 
men  could  cook  conveniently.  'I'he  I'e-ehing  came  in  al\er  simset  ami 
greeted  us  Mith  much  coi-(lialily.  Kggs  and  fowls  Mere  immeiliately 
funiishe(1,  and,  as  at  our  former  oanip,  all  payment  Mas  nf'usrd.  The 
utmost  curiosity  aj>peared  to  jn-evail  in  the  village  respecting  us,  and,  as 
it  grcM"  <lark,  the  circle  of  heads  jx-ering  oAcr  the  Mall  inclosing  tho 
Cimg-fpiu  increased  rapidly,  till  there  could  not  have  l»eeu  le>s  than  two 


M 


I     ii 


i 


926 


EXPLORATION    OF    LOO-CHOO. 


IliiHiifl 


]\  I'i 


lit. 


•  I    : . ' 


or  tlirt  ('  luiiKlrod.  p-ircs  v/erc  kiiulled  all  around  us,  and  tlio  ruddy 
glow  thrown  up  hy  llu-ni,  and  l»y  the  torches  carrit'd  back  and  forth, 
llickcrcd  brilliantly  over  the  dusty  foliage  of  the  trees. 

A  watch  was  set  as  before,  and  the  mosquitoes  being  less  annoying, 
wo  all  enjoyed  a  tolerable  rest.  The  Chinamen  were,  or  feigned  to  be, 
completely  spent,  and  for  the  greater  part  of  the  day  the  baggage  had 
been  carried  by  Loo-C^hoo  coolies.  The  ]»atience,  good-humor,  and 
endurance  of  tlie  latter,  quite  put  to  shame  the  worthless  and  deceitful 
creatures  whom  we  had  been  indiscreet  enough  to  bring  with  us.  The 
natives  kejit  their  counter-Match,  aiid  on  rising  before  sunrise  the  ne.\t 
morning,  we  found  that  fifty  or  sixty  of  them  liad  jiassed  the  night  at 
their  camp  fires.  The  object  of  the  officers  in  having  a  watch  kept 
seemed  to  1)e  both  to  ])revent  any  of  us  from  stealing  a  march  ujion 
them  during  the  night,  and  to  hinder  any  of  the  natives  from  annoy- 
ing us, 

Mr.  Jones  made  n))plication  for  a  boat  to  carry  tis  across  the  bay,  but 
there  was  none  to  be  had.  The  name  of  the  village  to  which  the  Cung- 
quii  belonged  was  "  ."Nlissikya."  Wo  set  our  little  file  in  moti<in  and 
j)roceed'.'(l,  by  a  jilcasant  path,  over  1ev(;l  ]an<l,  a  mile  or  two  inland. 
The  cultivation  was  thorough,  but  confmecl  mostl\  to  beans  and  sweet 
potatoes.  The  villagt'S  were  so  hiddi'ii  away  behind  their  alleys  of  tall, 
arched  bamboo  that  the  police  scouts  ha<l  little  nee(l  to  ]irece(b'  us.  A 
nati\e  guide  ran  ahead  ;  but  as  he  constantly  took  the  left-hand  road, 
leading  into  the  middle  of  the  islaml,  evidently  wita  a  view  of  c(uiduct- 
ing  us  back  to  Sheudi,  \vv  finally  halted  at  the  foot  of  an  isolated  hill, 
cover(  d  with  wood,  and  held  .a  consultation.  The  wild  imunitain-range 
north  of  Harrow's  Bay  now  ajipeared  on  our  right,  and  it  was  plain  that 
our  course  was  leading  us  away  from  the  head  of  the  bay,  which  wo 
desired  to  reach.  We  therefore  turned,  in  spite  of  the  protestations  of 
the  guide  and  tlu'  native  officers,  and  passed  around  the  ea^itern  brow 
of  tln'  hill,  wheri'on  we  found  two  grottoes  of  sofl  limestone  rock.  The 
scenery  here  was  a  charming  mixture  of  pine  forest  an(l  cultivated  fl«'ld  ; 
and  botli  in  its  features  and  its  prevailing  hue  of  dark-green  resembled 
the  landscapes  of  HUithi'rn  (Jermany. 

In  the  bottom  of  the  valley  was  a  stream  lined  with  Itristling  ranks 
of  the  jutiidduuii,  or  false  pini'-apple.  We  wero  obliged  to  pull  olT 
iiur  lioots  and  wade.  We  here  found  a  slirub  with  sm.'ill  white  bios- 
sonis  and  bright-green  milky  lt>aves  ;  another  with  yellow  berries  of  .1 
pow<  riul  aininalic  taste  ;  and  a  liliaceous  plant,  w  ith  a  raeine  o!"  flowers 
resembling  those  of  the  snap-dragon,  but  white  in  hiu',  with  a  fringed 
lip  of  the  richest  orange.  At  one  of  (he  villages  on  the  plain  I  noticed 
the  plum  and  the  orange,  and  a  new  variety  of  the  lianynn,  with  v«Ty 
small  glossy  leaves.  IJeyoiid  the  stream  we  struck  into  fragrant  pino 
woods,  and  finally  into  a  (b^ise  forest  wlioro  the  path  was  still  w«t  an«l 
slippery  from  the  rains,  and  the  branches,  meeting  overhead,  made  a 
perpetual  shade.    There  were  few  (lowers,  and  still  fewer  birds,  in  this 


i 


ARR    VAL    AT    BARROW'S    BAY. 


927 


wilderness.  In  fiict,  tin;  scarcity  of  birds  all  over  the  island,  considering 
that  thoy  are  not  destroyed  by  the  natives,  is  rather  singular.  The  ilay 
■\vas  very  clear  and  hot,  and  the  trees,  while  they  shaded  us,  quite  shut 
oif  the  sea  breeze.  The  foUage  was  almost  troiiical,  consisting  ol'  dense 
glossy-leaved  shrubs  and  luxuriant  ferns,  overtoiijiod  by  woods  of  pine. 
Smaller  paths  branched  olf  liere  and  there  to  the  distant  huts  of  the 
woodmen.  After  ascending  for  more  than  two  miles,  we  crossed  a  ridge, 
and  the  path  became  gradually  mure  open,  e.\i)osing  a  view  U)  the  west, 
over  high  hills,  covered  entirely  with  coj)se\vood  and  patches  of  pine 
forest.  The  country  resembled  the  wild  lands  of  America.  Theri'  wero 
Bwamps  in  the  hollows,  and  we  began  to  look  out  &)V  the  wild  boars 
which  are  said  to  exist  in  this  part  of  the  island.  Catching  another 
view  to  the  eastward,  we  found  ourselves  near  the  head  of  Uanuw's 
Bay,  and  after  a  half  hour's  halt,  to  rest  the  coolies,  set  out  again.  Our 
official  escort  came  uj>  during  the  halt,  much  fatigue<l,  but  as  cordial 
ami  good-humored  as  evi'r.  Indeed,  considering  that  all  their  troublo 
and  liitigue  were  caused  liy  ourselve*J,  we  had  every  reason  to  admire 
the  unshaken  patience  with  which  they  submitted  to  our  apparently  way- 
ward course. 

Crossing  another  hill,  wo  passed  down  l)road,  well-trodden  paths, 
shadeil  by  magnificent  arches  of  foliage,  through  a  neat  village.  Tho 
houses  were  larger  than  usual,  and  there  was  an  a^^pect  of  greater 
wealth.  Among  the  trees  was  one  fifteen  feet  high,  covered  with  cream- 
colored  blossoms,  Avhich  exiialed  the  fragrance  of  nutmeg.  An  avenue 
of  pines  led  down  from  this  lovely  spot  to  a  narrow  jilain  at  the  liead  of 
Barrow's  Jiay.  The  rice  growing  in  these  pints  was  very  scanty  aiul 
not  yet  in  head.  A  large  village,  buried  in  trees,  exteiuled  for  lialf  u 
mile  inland  from  thi'  shore.  We  took  a  path  leading  down  to  the  beacli ; 
but  Mr.  Jone.s,  who  was  in  ailvance,  entered  the  village,  where  hv  wun 
very  courteously  received  and  twici-  presented  with  tea  and  pipes.  The 
oxhibitictn  of  his  watch,  and  a  pocki-t  mieroscope,  e\cit(  d  the  unlioundeil 
wonder  of  the  natives.     The  \illage  was  named   •  Isitza." 

We  funled  a  salt  erei'k  and  pitched  our  noovbiy  cmip  on  a  piny 
knoll,  at  the  foot  of  the  liills.  As  ^Ir.  Jones  had  no.  n  rived,  we  fastened 
our  flag  to  till'  (op  of  a  tree  and  fireil  signals.  I  t  ik  a  l^alh  in  the  sea, 
with  the  men,  whili'  our  kettle  was  boiling.  The  .vater  was  excessively 
paluie,  and  the  fine  white  particles  of  salt  c.veri  il  my  t;u\'  like  dust  as 
it  l)ecame  dry.  At  tiiis  point  .Mr.  .1  ernes  to  i  1  a  firatuui  of  gm-iss,  Ibr 
the  first  time,  at  th(>  water's  edgi-.  Our  native  friends  drank  thice  cups 
of  our  tea  ant!  aske(l  for  some  biscuits,  wliieh  tiny  sec ined  to  r- lish. 
Before  starling  again  we  had  a  talk  witli  them  about  the  route.  Wn 
wished  to  reach  a  point  on  tlie  coast  nortli  of  Harrow's  IJay,  markeil  as 
"Kaneja"on  our  copy  of  (lie  Japanese  chint  of  Loo-l'hoo.  The  officers 
did  not  seem  to  recogtiize  any  such  pliuu',  though  they  spoke  of"  Kan- 
nah,"  where  there  was  a  Cung-cpia,  thirty  U,  or  teu  miles  dis'timt,  and 
we  decided  to  reach  it,  if  possible. 


I 


928 


EXPLORATION    OV    LOO-CIIOO. 


"Wo  loft  nt  lialf-])ast  ono,  taking  ono  of  tho  natives!  ns  a  giiido.  Tlio 
jwitli  ibllowcd  the  line  oi'tlio  bay,  and  -wo  walked,  for  two  hours,  in  deep 
sand  and  crushed  shells,  around  curve  and  heailland.  It  was  very  toil- 
some work,  esjiecinily  as  the  glare  of  tho  sand  struck  directly  in  our 
faces.  The  beach  was  narrow  and  bordered  with  thick  hedges  of  tho 
pandaiius,  the  fruit  of  which  reseud)les  that  of  tlie  iiine-aj)j)Ie.  Tho 
mountains  on  our  left  were  wild  and  nncultivated.  There  were  occa- 
sional i)aths  striking  np  their  sides  ;  but,  althougli  the  compass  told  us 
that  the  shore-path  led  us  out  of  our  duo  course,  the  guide  refused  to 
take  any  of  them.  At  the  end  of  two  hours  we  reached  a  large  village, 
where  tlu?  guide,  who  had  followed  ns  from  "  Isitza,"  levied  a  substitute 
and  turned  back.  A  two-masted  jimk,  of  thirty  or  forty  tons  })urden, 
lay  at  anchor  in  a  cove  near  this  place.  We  were  now  approaching  tho 
northern  extremity  of  Harrow's  iiay,  and  had  a  full  view  of  the  long 
headland  soutli  «if  it,  and  the  four  islands  which  li(>,  like  a  breakwater, 
across  ils  mouth.  The  bay  appeared  to  be  extremely  shallow,  except 
near  the  tut r.uu'e;  .and  I  doulit  whether  it  would  be  of  nuudi  value,  as  a 
harbor,  for  shijipiug  of  large  size. 

The  path,  liually,  tunu'd  off  to  tho  north,  up  a  steep  hill,  which 
brought  us  upon  a  rolling  upland,  covered  with  abundance  of  wood. 
The  mduntains  MO  had  passed  exhibited  an  outline  similar  t-.  the  Cats- 
kills,  and  then;  Avas  nothing  in  the  scenery  to  iomiud  us  of  the  ,  icinity 
of  the  tropics.  AVc  presently  cntcu'ed  a  fine,  broad  avemie  of  pines,  at 
the  extremity  of  which  api)ea' "d  a  handsome  house,  with  a  tiled  roof. 
Our  native  condtu-tors  ])assed  >  n  into  futuxo  bamboo  arches,  which  de- 
noted a  village  bc\oud;  but  I  slipped  suddenly  into  the  open  eutranc(* 
and  found  a  spaciou.s  house  in  the  midst  of  the  garden,  with  a  small 
Iluddliist  temple  beside  it.  ()uick  as  my  motions  had  been,  tho  mats 
were  already  li-t  down  belore  all  the  doors,  and  nobody  was  to  be  seen. 
Before  the  house  was  a  plant  about  ten  feet  high,  with  large  scarlet 
p.an'cles  of  llowors.  I  had  l»arely  time  to  break  off  a  cluster  wlien  ono 
of  our  olllcers  came  hurrying  up  and  urged  me  by  signs  and  words,  to 
leave,  s:iying  that  the  luniyo,  or  governor,  as  he  designated  ^Tr.  .Tones, 
liad  goiu'  fill.  1,  therefore,  followed  him  through  the  village  to  the  Cuug- 
qua,  which  was  larger  and  fmer  than  any  we  had  yet  seen.  It  a\  as  liko 
sm  elegant  private  residence;  liaving  a  garden,  iiu'losed  by  a  square, 
clipped  hedge  of  jasmin,  and  a  separate  establislmuMit  for  servants 
and  attendants.  There  were  rows  of  chrysiuithemums  (a  llower  nmch 
esteemed  1)y  the  .Japanese)  and  two  peach-trees  in  the  garden,  beside  a 
htoiit  riinii/fi'it,  elijt]ied  into  a  fanciful  sh.'ipe.  We  I'lstalleil  ourselves  in 
the  chief  apartment,  on  th.-  soil  matting,  while  iho  ^'e  hing  and  his 
train  took  tlie  other  buihliig.  The  only  su|»plies  we  could  procure  were 
raw  salt  fish  and  sweet  ]>  itatoea,  Avith  some  roots  of  a  nativ((  onion, 
liickled  in  salt.  Neither  fowls  nor  vi;'^:^!^  could  be  foimd.  Tlie  n' *' 
gave  the  name  of  the  \illag(i  as  '' Cliiiig,''  whi«h,  being  a  Chinese  ..old, 
is  uvideiitly  incorrect ;  but  we  eould  get  no  other.     The  paper  screi'iis 


FIRE    IN    THE    WOODS. 


929 


between  the  rooms  were  removed  on  our  arrival,  tea  was  brought  in, 
and  the  natives  busied  themselves  to  make  us  comfortable ;  but  the 
same  unrelaxing  espionage,  as  at  "  Missikya,"  was  kept  up  thi'ough  the 
whole  night.  Again  camp-fires  vere  kindled  and  guards  posted  around 
us,  while  crowds  of  curious  natives  peeped  from  behind  the  bushes  and 
walls  to  gratify  their  desire  of  seeing  us.  Mr.  Heine,  who  had  the  first 
watch,  went  out  to  tlio  camp-fire,  showed  the  people  his  watch,  and 
other  curiosities,  aj7d  soon  had  a  large  crowd  of  villagers  gathered  about 
him ;  but  one  of  tie  officers  making  his  appearance,  a  single  word  of 
command  scattered  them  in  all  directions,  and  they  did  not  return 
again.  In  the  evening  I  offered  a  handful  of  cash  to  one  of  the  boys 
Avho  had  accompanied  ^is  from  Napha.  He  refused  it  very  earnestly,  as 
there  were  two  other  boys  standing  near ;  but,  watching  an  opportunity, 
when  he  was  alone,  I  offered  it  again,  when  ho  imraediat'ily  accepted  it, 
with  gestures  expressive  of  his  thanks. 

The  Pe-ching,  who  had  fallen  in  the  rear,  came  up  after  dark,  and 
immediately  sought  us,  to  make  Ins  salutations.  Wo  found  that  he  and 
his  associates  had  been  keeping  a  journal  of  our  proceedings,  and  had 
already  filled  a  roll  of  paper  several  yards  in  length  with  their  remarks. 
Wc  had  but  few  mosquitoes,  and  slept  so  well  that  I  had  same  difficulty 
in  rising  for  the  mid-watch.  After  much  search,  two  tough  old  hens 
were  found  for  our  breakfast,  which  we  ate  under  the  scrutiny  of  a 
hundred  eyes,  continually  peering  at  us  over  walls,  or  popping  out  from 
behind  bushes.  Whenever  we  noticed  any  of  them  the  heads  disap- 
peared, but  they  returned  agaui  as  soon  as  our  gaze  was  removed. 

We  were  now  commencing  om  fourth  d.ay,  and  it  was  time  to  think 
of  turning  back  shortly.  After  some  consultation,  it  was  determined  to 
follow  the  coast  for  a  short  distance  further,  then  strike  across  the  island 
in  the  direction  of  Port  Melville,  and  reach  in  the  evening  a  point  on 
the  western  shore  corresponding  to  the  latitude  of  our  present  camp. 
On  starting,  the  native  officers  were  very  urgent  in  requesting  us  to  taku 
a  rorid  leading  westward.  We  kept,  howev(>r,  a  co  irso  nearly  due 
north,  and  soon  reached  a  hill,  whence  there  was  an  excellent  view  of 
the  country  on  all  sides.  The  northern  headland  of  Barrow's  Bay  lay 
behind  us.  The  general  direction  of  the  coast  in  advance  was  north- 
east, stretching  {.\v.ay  to  a  distant  p'-ornontory.  Asjunal  ridge  of  mount- 
ains, covered  with  a  wilderness  of  forests,  ran  parallel  with  the  coast, 
leaving  a  narrow  strip  of  cultivated  land  next  the  sea.  A  columvi  of 
smoke  ascended  fiom  one  of  the  northern  peaks,  which  we  judged — and. 
rightly,  as  it  after'vard  proved — to  be  a  fire  in  the  woods. 

Mr.  Jones  decided  to  make  i"o»'  a  gorge  between  two  peaks,  about 
six  miles  distant,  and  rather  to  the  o.ast  of  north.  Wq  crossed  a  deep 
valley,  with  a  salt  creek  at  its  bottom,  and,  alter  following  the  coast  for 
some  time,  took  a  road  which,  after  ascending  a  long  barren  ridge, 
plunged  into  the  woods.  The  further  we  advanced,  the  more  dense  bo- 
came  the  wilderness.    The  only  persons  wo  met  were  woodmen  whom 

60 


IH 


Ml 


"^WT 


\m\' 


H'' 


Mii 


I,  I 


9S0 


EXPLORATION    OP    LOO-OHOO. 


we  sav  occasionally  felling  trees  with  their  rude  axes.  The  path  was 
narrow,  wet,  and  slippery,  and  for  two  or  three  miles  a  continual  ascent. 
At  length  we  reached  a  conical  peak  covered  with  trees.  The  ascent 
was  very  difficult,  and  I  halted  with  the  cooUes  at  the  base,  while  Mr, 
Jones,  Dr.  Lynah,  and  Mr.  Heine,  went  up  to  obtain  a  view.  By  climb- 
ing the  trees  and  cutting  away  some  of  the  limbs,  they  opened  space  for 
a  grand  central  panorama  of  the  island,  which  3Ir.  Heine  set  about 
sketching  from  a  tree-top.  The  path,  which  by  this  time  had  dwindled 
almost  out  of  sight,  passed  directly  over  the  summit.  We  found  the 
ascent  like  a  staircase,  and  were  obliged  to  use  hands  and  feet  to  reach 
the  top.  The  Loo-Choo  coolies  who  carried  our  baggage  made  their 
way  up  with  great  difficulty.  As  we  were  all  suffiiring  from  thirst,  I 
started  in  adv.ance,  with  the  seaman  Mitchell,  the  Chinamen,  and  the 
coolies.  The  path,  which  was  now  a  faint  woodman's  trail,  did  not 
appear  to  have  been  traveled  for  months.  It  was  shut  in  by  a  species 
of  small  bamboo,  so  dense  as  almost  to  exclude  light,  and  a  large,  red, 
hairy  spider  had  woven  innumerable  webs  across  it.  Now  ascending, 
now  ;(efe<iondmg,  we  pushed  ourselves  or  crept  through  the  almost  im- 
per  ous  copsewood,  for  nearly  two  miles,  till  the  path  betnme  more 
opf  u.  .vA  a  partial  look-out  to  the  westward  showed  us  the  Cliina  sea. 
On  ii.-i  »\de  of  the  nearest  peak  to  the  northward,  avc  distinctly  saw  the 
V  ood;?  )a  fire  and  a  bare  space  of  about  ten  acres  studded  with  charred 
li.uiks.  The  descent  was  very  sliitptry,  but  becoming  more  and  more 
Of '  !*.  ?.t  length  recognized  our  position.  We  were  approncliing  the 
he;;  :  i'  the  deep  bight  south  of  Port  Mc'l\ille,  and  sepurnted  from  it 
by  an  arm  of  the  island,  which  stretches  out  to  the  north-west,  at  right 
angles  to  the  main  body.  The  cunous  peaked  island  called  the  "  Sugar 
Loaf,"  off  the  point  of  this  promontory,  was  in  view  before  us.  The 
western  slope  of  the  island  at  this  point  is  covered  almost  eiitirely  vith 
forests,  the  cultivation  beii^  confined  to  the  bottoms  of  valleys  and 
ravines  opening  upon  the  sea. 

The  path  led  across  the  top  of  a  narrow  ledge  about  a  yard  wide, 
with  chasms  more  than  a  hundred  feet  deep  on  each  side,  and  then 
dropped  to  the  bottom  of  the  glen,  M'here  we  found  a  stream  of  deli- 
ciously  cool  and  sweet  water.  Wo  all  drank  to  excess,  and  then  climbed 
a  little  ridge  beyond,  where  tho  air  blew  fresh,  and  sat  down  to  await 
the  rest  of  the  party.  Mr.  JoncC  found  granite  of  fine  quality  in  the 
ravine,  and  we  afterward  met  with  another  broad  stratum  in  a  rocky 
gateway  further  below.  Our  only  path  made  for  a  village  on  the  shore, 
whither  we  repaired  for  our  mi-  lay  1  't.  The  houses  were  lined  with 
luxuriant  bananas,  in  blossom,  u,  '  the  lanes  between  them  hedged  with 
the  glossy  «noca»5iw<»,  forming  i  "^lls  of  foliage  <  nty  feet  in  height, 
outside  of  which  were  neat  wiiivi^r  fences  of  split  bamboo.  Near  the 
village  were  three  structures  raised  n[M>n  timber  frames,  and  coven^d 
with  thatched  roofs.  They  appeared  to  be  storehouses,  elevated  in  this 
manner  to  p:*esorve  tho  grain  from  tho  moisture  of  the  earth.     Beneath 


r 


— I 


LOO-CHOO   COOLIES 


931 


them  were  wooden  platforms,  offering  us  shade  and  convenience  for  our 
halt.  Tiic  people  brought  ua  sweet  potatoes,  a  small  })an  of  salt  fish,  and 
a  pumpkin,  which  was  all  they  could  supply.  Even  these  were  refused 
us  until  the  arrival  of  the  Pe-ching,  to  whose  authority  all  the  others 
deferred.  The  rapidity  of  our  march  had  left,  him  in  the  rear,  but  he 
came  up  aft.er  an  hour,  and  set  himself  to  work  with  great  good  humor 
to  supply  (lur  wants.  In  order  to  shield  themselves  from  the  heat  of  the 
sun,  some  cif  his  attendants  had  tied  banana  leaves  around  their  heads, 
and  they  Jill  complained  of  fatigue. 

We  left  Ny-komma,  as  the  village  was  called,  about  half  past  two. 
At  this,  the  most  northern  point  we  reached,  we  could  not  have  btvn 
more  than  eight  or  nine  miles  distant  from  Port  Melville.  The  inter- 
vening land  was  low,  and  another  day  would  have  enabled  us  to  reach 
the  head  of  that  liai-bor.  The  native  officials  explained  to  us  by  signs, 
and  by  tracing  lines  on  the  sand,  that  the  road  to  Sheudi  lay  along  the 
bearh,  and  that  there  was  a  Cung-qua  about  twenty  U  distant.  "We 
tramped  along  sandy  beaches  and  over  stony  headlands,  following  the 
g'jneral  course  of  the  shore,  and  never  diverging  far  from  it.  The  bny, 
or  bight,  marked  with  numerous  abrupt  indentations,  presented  some 
fine  bold  outlines  of  shore.  Off  the  many  inferior  promontories  lay 
rocky  islets,  covered  ■with  rich  vegetation.  The  wooded  mor.ntains  on 
our  leH  were  the  same  which  we  had  skirted  the  day  previous  on  the 
northern  side  of  Barrow's  Bay.  The  lower  slopes  on  this  side  were 
partially  cultivated,  but  the  principal  thoroughfare  of  the  island,  which 
we  were  following,  kept  near  the  sea,  and  often  ran  for  half  a  mile 
through  deep  sand  and  shells.  The  scenery  was  extremely  picturesque, 
reminding  me  of  the  coast  of  Sicily.  Inside  of  the  Sugar  Loaf  we  espied 
two  small  boats,  with  lu^-sails  of  white  canvas,  which  the  men  declared 
were  our  ships'  boats;  but  this  has  since  proved  to  be  a  mistake. 

Notwithstanding  the  sultry  heat  of  the  afternoon,  the  Loo-Choo 
coolies  kept  pace  with  us,  under  their  heavy  loads,  M'hile  our  lazy  and 
complaining  Chinamen  lagged  behind.  These  coolies  were  mostly  boys, 
from  twelve  to  sixteen  years  of  age.  I  noticed  as  a  curious  fact  that,  in 
spite  of  the  heavy  loads  they  carried,  and  the  rough  by-ways  we  fre- 
quently obliged  them  to  take,  they  never  perspired  in  the  least,  nor 
partook  of  a  drop  of  water,  even  in  tl.o  greatest  heat.  They  wcii- 
models  of  cheerfulness,  alacrity,  and  enduriuice,  always  in  readiness,  and 
never,  by  look  or  word,  evincing  the  Ic^st  dissatisfaction.  Our  oftici  \\ 
<^onductors  drank  but  two  or  three  tunes  of  water  durin<T  the  whole 
joiwney.  Tea  appears  to  be  the  universal  beverage  of  refreshment.  It 
■ts  alw.ays  brought  to  us  whenever  we  halted,  and  frequently  offered  to 
Mr.  Jones,  as  the  head  of  the  party,  in  passing  through  villages.  Once, 
at  an  humble  fisherman's  village,  when  we  asked  for  niizi^  which  signifies 
cold  water,  they  brought  us  a  pot  of  hot  water,  which  they  call  yw,  anu 
were  much  surprised  when  we  refused  to  drink  it. 

Afler  a  march  of  ten  miles  along  the  pictureoque  shore,  we  reached 


i 


TiJ 


II  I    ' 


Jli 


I  4  J 


! 


lii'illJI't 


MH 


i .  m 


982 


EXPLORATION   OP   LOO-CHOO. 


one  of  the  loveliest  spots  on  the  island.  It  Avas  a  village  perched  on  a 
bold  promontory,  overgrown  with  the  pine,  banyan,  and  sago-palm,  at 
the  mouth  of  a  charming  valley  which  opened  up  between  the  hills  to 
the  base  of  the  lofty  peak  behind  Barrow's  Bay.  A  stream  of  sweet 
water  threaded  the  valley,  which  was  covered  with  the  freshest  verdure, 
and  overhung  with  beautiful  groves  of  pine.  It  was  a  picture  of  pastoral 
loveliness,  such  as  is  rarely  found  in  any  country.  Nothing  struck  mo 
more  during  the  journey  than  the  great  variety  of  scenery  which  the 
island  incloses  in  its  narrow  compass.  We  passed  through,  at  least,  four 
different  districts,  which  bore  but  the  slightest  resemblance  to  each 
other,  either  in  features  or  character.  Wo  had  both  the  groves  of  the 
tropics  and  the  wild  woods  of  the  north  ;  the  valleys  of  Germany  and 
the  warm  shores  of  the  Mediterranean. 

The  village  was  large,  thriving,  and  as  neatly  laid  out  and  hedged  in 
as  an  English  garden.  The  scrupulous  neatness  and  regularity  of  the 
Loo-Choo  villages  was  doubly  refreshing  to  one  familiar  Avith  the  squalor 
and  tilth  of  China.  The  sight  of  the  Cung-quii,  which  occupied  the  place 
of  honor  at  the  top  of  the  promontory,  completed  our  raptures.  Its  roof 
of  red  tiles  glittered  in  the  sun  ;  a  row  of  feathery  sago-palms  threw 
their  brilliant  leaves  over  the  w.all  of  the  inclosuro ;  the  whitest  and 
softest  of  mats  covered  the  floor;  the  garden  blazed  with  a  profusion  of 
scarlet  flowers;  and  stone  basins,  seated  on  pedestals,  contained  fresh 
water  for  our  use.  Its  aspect  for  comfort  and  repose  was  a  balm  to 
travelers  as  weary  as  ourselves,  and  I  directed  Terry  at  once  to  hoist 
the  stars  and  stripes  upon  the  roof.  I  hastened  back'to  make  a  sketch 
of  the  beautiful  valley  before  sunset,  while  Mr.  Heine  occupied  himself 
with  a  view  of  the  Cung-qua.  A  venerable  old  man,  with  a  snowy  beard 
reaching  nearly  to  his  knees,  approached  the  bank  where  I  sat,  but  upon 
noticing  me,  made  a  profound  yet  dignified  reverence  and  retired.  The 
village  was-  named  Un-fia.  We  had  not  yet  reached  the  region  of  fowls, 
but  the  people  gent  us  two  small  fresh  fish,  with  a  pumpkin  and  some 
cucumbers.  Our  own  stores  were  quite  low,  both  sugar  and  pork  having 
been  exhausted,  so  that  we  had  nothing  left  but  tea,  coffee,  and  ship 
biscuit. 

The  natives  kindled  a  fire  inside  the  grounds  of  the  Cung-qua,  and 
half  a  dozen  of  them  sat  around  it  all  nitrht.  The  morning  was  dull, 
and  a  cap  of  mist  on  the  mountain  threatened  rain.  A  batii  in  the  sea 
before  sunrise  refreshed  us  for  the  day's  march.  For  our  breakfast, 
there  were  sent  two  long,  eel-like  fish,  resembling  the  gar,  a  few  yoimg 
egg-plants,  two  gourds,  and  a  basket  of  sweet  jiotatoes.  So  much  time 
was  occupied  in  cooking  and  consuming  these  delicacies,  that  we  did 
not  get  under  way  before  eight  o'clock.  Another  consultation  was  held 
with  our  attendants,  who  declared  that  Sheudi  was  ninety  li  distunt,  and 
that  it  would  require  three  days  for  us  to  reach  Nai)ha;  this  did  not 
correspond  with  our  own  ideas  of  our  position,  and  wc  determined  to 
attempt  reaching  Napha  the  next  evenuig,  as  we  had  been  ordered. 


i 


li 


A   CHINESE    "SPEOIPIC." 


933 


We  passed  through  the  village  of  Uii-na,  and  over  the  headland  to  a 
deep  bay.  The  tide  was  running  out,  and  instead  of  wading  through 
the  sand  around  its  entire  curve,  we  made  a  straight  line  for  the  oitpo- 
eite  shore,  tramping  through  water  two  or  three  inches  deep  over  beds 
of  decomposing  coral.  We  had  proceeded  along  the  shore  for  an  hour 
and  a  half,  when  A-shing,  one  of  the  Chinese  coolies,  fell  sick  in  conse- 
quence, as  it  afterward  appeared,  of  drinking  sackce,  and  eating  green 
peaches.  His  load  was  given  to  the  Loo-Choo  coolies,  and  he  obtained 
a  temporary  relief  by  punching  his  throat,  in  three  places,  so  violently 
as  to  produce  an  extravasation  of  blood.  Counter  irritation  is  the  usual 
Chinese  remedy  for  all  ailments,  and  it  is  frequently  very  efticaeious. 
Wo  were  near  a  fishing  village,  and  Mr.  Jones  endeavored  to  obtain  a 
canoe,  in  which  to  send  both  our  Chinamen  back  to  (he  vessel.  The 
Pe-ching  begged  him  to  give  up  the  idea,  since  one  of  the  native  ofticcrs 
would  be  obliged  to  accompany  them,  and  they  all  feared  to  trust  tliein- 
selves  in  the  frail  craft.  They  brought  a  kagoo^  or  rude  sedan,  in  which 
they  offered  to  have  the  man  conveyed  to  Napha,  but  he  was  better  by 
this  time,  and  declared  himself  able  to  proceed  on  foot.  The  officers 
expressed  the  greatest  satisfaction  when  they  found  that  none  of  them 
would  be  required  to  return  in  the  canoe. 

In  the  mean  time  the  rest  of  us  had  pushed  forward  with  the  baggage. 
The  morning  was  very  hot,  the  glare  from  the  white  beach-sand  struck 
in  our  faces,  and  we  began  to  tire  of  an  endless  tramp  around  cove  atler 
cove,  and  headland  after  headland.  We  were  now,  as  Ave  calculated, 
opposite  the  head  of  Barrow's  Bay,  and  Sheudi  was  almost  in  a  due 
southerly  direction ;  yet  the  road  still  clung  to  the  coast,  as  if  intent  on 
carrying  us  to  the  extreme  point  of  Cape  Broughton,  thus  greatly  length- 
ening our  journey,  besides  which,  our  orders  were  to  return  through  the 
center  of  the  island.  In  answer  to  all  our  inquiries,  the  native  officers 
and  guides  pointed  along  the  shore  and  were  extremely  anxious  to  pre- 
vent our  taking  any  inland  paths.  This  excited  our  suspicion,  and  wo 
imagined  their  object  to  be  to  prevent  our  seeing  the  interior.  Finally,. 
coming  to  a  well-trodden  path,  which  struck  otf  up  the  hills,  we  shut  our 
ears  to  all  remonstrance  and  took  it.  In  a  short  time  it  brought  us  to  a 
handsome  village,  shaded  not  only  with  bamboo,  but  with  8i)lendid 
banyan-trees.  Beyond  it  there  was  a  deep  ravine,  with  a  faintly-markoil 
foot-path  leading  to  some  water  at  the  bottom.  Again  the  natives  en- 
treated us  to  take  a  path  which  plainly  led  to  the  shore.  They  pointed 
to  the  gorge,  crying  '  mjz/,"  intimating  that  the  path  went  no  further 
than  the  water.  Nevertheless,  seeing  traces  of  a  ;/ath  on  the  oj)posite 
side,  we  descended,  followed  by  the  unwilling  officers  and  coolies.  The- 
pool  of  water  which  supplied  the  village  was  shaded  by  the  largest  pines 
I  saw  on  the  island.  They  were  seventy  or  eighty  feet  in  height, 
whereas  the  average  is  not  more  than  forty  feet. 

Our  suspicions  did  injjistice  to  the  natives,  for  we  soon  found  that 
they  had  our  convenience  in  view.     Our  path  struck  into  a  side-braiich 


m 


4 


934 


EXPLORATION    OF    LOO-CHOO. 


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of  the  ravine,  which,  though  not  more  than  twenty  feet  Vfidi:,  whs  a 
rice-swamp  at  the  bottom.  The  sides  were  nearly  perpendicular  walls 
of  earth  and  loose  rocks,  so  that  we  were  obliged  to  plunge  up  to  the 
knees  in  mud.  One  of  the  men,  Smith,  sunk  so  deep  that  it  required 
the  strength  of  throe  natives  to  extricate  him.  When,  at  last  we  reached 
the  top  of  the  hill,  we  found  it  covered  with  waste  thickets,  and  uo 
path  to  be  seen  except  one  on  an  opposite  height,  which  we  reached 
with  some  trouble.  The  path,  an  old  and  unused  one,  led  us  b.ick  to 
the  beach,  which  it  now  seemed  impossible  to  leave.  The  coolien,  \vho 
h.id  had  a  hard  tug  to  get  through  the  rice-swamp,  took  the  whole  mat- 
ter very  good-liimorodiy,  and  the  officers  laughed,  aa  I  thought,  with  a 
sort  of  malicious  pleasure  at  our  discomfiture.  Tlie  walk  over  the  white 
sand  was  dt  ubly  fatiguing  after  this,  au  1  on  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Jones  we 
determined  igain  to  miike  for  tlio  interior,  especially  :i^  we  had  reached 
the  head  of  the  last  cove,  whence  the  coast  appeared  to  run  almost  due 
westwardly  to  Cape  Broughton. 

Mr.  Jones  and  Dr.  Lynah,  wth  the  men  Davis  and  Smith,  took  a 
foot-  ;ith  leading  southward  into  the  mountains,  and  after  proceeding  a 
little  fiirther  along  the  coast  I  followed  them  with  the  seaman  Mitchell. 
Mr.  Iloine,  with  Terry  and  the  Loo-Choo  coolies,  still  kept  the  shore. 
We  (Mitchell  and  I)  reached  with  great  difficulty  the  path  taken  by  the 
first  party.  It  ascended  steeply  through  pine  forests,  alternating  with 
dense  copsewood,  for  about  two  miles,  till  we  gained  the  siunmit  of  the 
ridge.  The  whole  expanse  of  Barrow's  Bay  came  full  into  view  to  the 
eastward,  while  to  the  south  wo  looked  beyond  the  promontory  we  had 
been  doubling  so  tediously,  and  saw  the  same  deep  cove  we  had  beheld 
three  days  before  from  t'.\e  top  of  Banner  Rock.  But  all  the  interior  ot 
the  island  was  still  a  wiidvMniess,  and  for  ten  miles  in  advance  stretched 
aij  unbrolvf  •<  forest.  Our  path  did  not  appear  to  have  been  much  trav- 
eled— other  suif)!*  j);iths  bijinched  from  it,  but  the  party  in  advance  had 
broken  olf  bcughs  an  1  left  them  as  guides  for  us.  I  was  much  spent 
with  the  heat  and  tl.e  exertion  of  climbing  so  rapidly,  and  after  drink- 
ing out  of  a  muddy  hole  tilled  A\ith  leaves,  felt  an  attack  of  mingled  heat 
and  cold,  ■with  an  oj>pressioii  of  the  heart,  which  took  away  all  my 
strength.  We  saw  tht?  other  party  on  the  top  of  a  high  peak  ahead  of 
us.  The  path  crossed,  a  ledge  as  narrow  as  a  wall,  with  deep  gulfs  on 
each  side,  and  then  nacended  a  rocky  ladder,  the  steepness  of  which 
took  away  what  little  strength  I  had  remaining — I  was  obliged  to  lie 
down  for  some  time  before  I  could  procoe.l  further.  A  rain-cloud  com- 
ing up  rapidly  over  Barrow's  Bay  admonished  us  to  leave  our  lofty  look- 
out. The  path  kept  on  southward  through  miles  of  wilderness,  but  the 
natives  who  had  accompanied  us  pointed  to  another,  which  led  back 
almost  the  way  wo  came,  and  which  they  said  would  bring  us  to  a 
Cung-qua..  As  there  were  no  signs  of  the  baggage,  we  were  thus  under 
the  necessity  of  retracing  our  steps  almost  to  the  shore.  On  our  way 
we  passed  through  a  singular  gorge,  which  was  closed  up,  in  its  nar- 


i 


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I 


STONE    BRIDGE    OVER    THE    FI-IJA. 


935 


'\  already  been  waiting  somo 

he  ^tnilding -waa  a  bond  Jide 

Vicur,  for  it  was  occupied, 

<i  some  kind  with  Iiis  attend- 


rowest  part,  by  fragments  hurled  from  above  by  somo  convulsion  of 
nature.  The  stream  flowing  at  the  bottom  disappeared  for  about  fifty 
yards,  when  it  again  issued  to  the  light  through  a  cavernous  opening. 

A  rain  now  came  on,  which  continued  for  two  or  three  hours,  and 
made  the  road  sUppery  and  toilsome.  We  passed  through  a  village, 
romantically  situated  in  a  wooded  glen,  and  over  uplands,  covered  with 
groves  of  pine,  the  path  gradually  swerving  to  the  south,  till  it  finally 
struck  directly  across  the  promontory.  A  great  part  of  the  way  was  a 
waste  of  wild  thickets,  with  marshy  hollows  between  the  hills.  We 
saw,  several  times,  the  tracks  of  the  wild  boar,  which  the  natives  assured 
us  were  abundant ;  but  we  were  not  so  fortunate  as  to  get  a  sight  of 
one.  There  were  no  traces  of  our  baggage  until  we  found  the  Pe-ching, 
and  two  other  natives,  crouching  under  a  bush  to  keep  out  of  the  ram, 
and  smoking  their  pipes.  Finally,  about  lialf-past  two,  we  heard  the 
report  of  fire-arras,  and  soon  after  reachi  the  Cung-qua  of  "  Chanda- 
kosUf'^  where  Mr.  Heine  and  the  coolies  > 
time  for  us.  We  were  uncertain  wht 
Cung-qua  or  the  residence  of  a  bunyo, 
when  Mr.  Heine  arrived,  by  a  personage 
ants,  but  immediately  given  up  for  our  use.  There  was  a  crowd  of  at 
least  a  liundred  natives  collected  within  the  inclosure  and  looking  on, 
with  great  astonishment,  while  Mr.  Heine  fired  at  a  mark.  What 
seemed  most  to  interest  them,  next  to  the  accuracy  of  his  aim,  was  the 
fact  of  the  piece  exploding  without  the  application  of  fire  (nothing  but 
Japanese  matchlocks  ever  being  seen  on  the  island),  and  its  being  loaded 
at  the  breech.  They  appeared  familiar  with  the  nature  of  gunpowder, 
and  the  use  of  our  cutlasses ;  but  during  our  journey  we  never  saw  a 
single  weapon  of  any  kind.  There  is  said  to  be  a  small  garrison  of 
Japanese  soldiers,  both  at  Napha  and  Sheudi ;  but,  if  so,  they  were 
carefully  kept  out  of  the  way. 

The  Pe-ching,  who  soon  afterward  came  up,  informed  us  that  we  had 
come  thirty  //,  and  that  Sheudi  was  still  sixty  li  distant,  and  wo  could 
not  reach  it  on  the  following  day.  Learning,  however,  that  there  was 
another  Cung-qua  twenty  U  further,  wo  decided  to  rest  an  hour  or 
two,  and  push  on  to  it  the  same  evenuig.  The  people  brought  two 
fowls,  M'ith  abundance  of  eggs  and  cucumbers,  and,  hungry  and  tired  as 
we  were,  we  made  a  most  palatable  meal. 

We  left  again  at  half  past  four.  The  road  was  broad,  well  beaten, 
and  shaded  by  a  double  row  of  pine-trees.  It  ran  in  a  south-eastern 
direction,  parallel  with  the  coast,  and  about  two  miles  inland.  The 
country  continued  open,  slightly  undulating,  and  pleasantly  diversified 
with  groves  of  pine  for  four  miles,  when  we  came  suddenly  upon  a  deep 
glen,  traversed  by  much  the  largest  stream  we  had  seen  upon  the  island. 
The  road  crossed  by  a  massive  stone  bridge,  of  three  arches,  remarkable 
for  the  size  and  rude .  strength  of  the  piers,  each  of  which  had,  on  the 
inner  side,  in  order  to  protect  it  from  floods,  a  triangular  abutment, 


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IMAGE  EVALUATION 
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33  WfST  MAIN  STRUT 

WIBSTIR.N  Y    MSIO 

(716)  873-4S03 


936 


EXPLORATION    OP    LOO-CHOO. 


projecting  ten  or  twelve  feet.  The  sides  of  the  glen  were  nearly  per- 
pendiculur,  and  covered  with  wild  and  luxuriant  vegetation.  Toward 
the  sea,  under  a  range  of  broken  limestone  crags  that  hung  high  over 
the  stream,  were  several  ancient  excavated  tombs.  A  spring  of  excel- 
lent water  gushed  out  from  the   foot   of  one  of  these   crags.      Mr. 

which   was   remarkable  for  its 


Heine  took  a  sketch   of  the 


place, 


seclusion  and  picturesque  beauty.     The  natives  called  the  stream  the 

On  reaching  a  height  overlooking  the  sea,  we  were  agreeably  sur- 
prised with  the  sight  of  the  squadron,  lying  off  the  furthest  point  to  the 
south-west,  and  between  fifteen  and  twenty  miles  distant,  in  a  straight 
line.  This  encouraged  us  to  believe  that  we  could  reach  Napha  at  the 
time  appointed,  and  we  pushed  on  rapidly  and  cheerily,  for  it  was  now 
growing  dark,  and  no  appearance  of  the  Cung-qua.  The  road  ap- 
proached the  shore,  and  became  a  raised  causeway,  passing  through 
rich  rice  swamps.  The  natives  whom  we  met  ui  the  dusk  of  the  even- 
ing took  to  flight  on  seeing  us.  At  last,  at  half  past  seven,  weary  and 
spent  with  a  tramp  of  twenty-seven  miles,  the  native  herald  who  ran 
before  us  turned  into  a  gateway,  over  Avhich  towered  a  magnificent 
banyan-tree.  We  followed,  and  discharged  our  pieces  in  a  general  fext- 
de-joie,  on  seemg  a  Cung-qua  with  the  lamps  lighted,  attendants  wait- 
ing with  their  trays  of  tea-cups,  and  a  polite  old  gentleman  standing  in 
the  verandah  to  receive  us.  The  Loo-Choo  mats  were  never  so  soft,  nor 
the  cups  of  unsugared  native  tea  so  refreshing,  as  on  that  evening. 
Eggs,  cucumbers,  rice,  and  fowls  were  immediately  forthcoming,  and 
our  men  concocted  a  soiip  which,  to  our  minds,  could  not  have  been 
improved.  The  old  Pe-ching  made  his  appearance  at  a  late  hour,  nearly 
as  fatigued  as  ourselves,  but  overflowing  with  cordiality  and  good  humor. 
A  company  of  native  guards  kindled  a  fire  under  the  banyan-tree,  and 
prepared  to  spend  the  night  there.  Our  men  were  so  fatigued  that,  in 
anticipation  of  another  hard  journey  on  the  morrow,  we  dispensed  with 
the  usual  watch.  It  was  the  less  important,  as  we  had  found  the  native 
guard  exceedingly  vigilant  in  keeping  away  all  stragglers  from  our 
vicinity.  Tiie  light  of  the  ruddy  camp-fire,  playing  over  the  spreading 
boughs  of  the  banyan-tree,  brought  into  strong  relief  the  groups  of 
swarthy  faces  clustered  around  it,  and  presented  a  picture  so  Ihntastio 
and  peculiar  that  I  sat  looking  at  it  long  after  I  ought  to  have  been 
asleep. 

The  sound  of  rain  upon  the  tiles  of  our  Cung-qua  awoke  us  fre- 
quently during  the  night,  and  when  we  arose  at  daybreak  the  sky  was 
overcast,  the  roads  flooded,  and  a  steady  dismal  storm  had  set  in.  The 
Pe-ching  and  his  associates  wished  us  to  stay  at  "  Pi-ko,"  as  tlie  Cmig- 
qua  was  called,  until  the  next  day,  slapping  their  legs  to  indicate  how 
tired  they  were,  and  making  signs  of  slipping  up  and  falling  down  in  the 
mud.  But  we  were  inexorable,  and  thoy  sent  for  a  new  set  of  coolies 
to  carry  our  baggage.     We  had  another  discussion  about  the  distance, 


ft 


-tO^SM 


RETURN    TO   NAPHA. 


937 


which  ended  in  their  declaring  that  Sheudi  was  sixty-five  li  and  Kapha 
thirty  H  distant.  This  was  absurd,  and  probably  ought  to  be  attributed 
to  the  ignorance  of  the  Chinese,  through  whom  we  communicated  with 
them.  The  coolies  prepared  themselves  for  the  rain  by  putting  on 
shaggy  jackets  of  grass,  resembling  th*^  sheep-skin  garments  of  the 
Roman  herdsmen.  Our  men  had  their  pea-jackets,  and  we  were  partially 
protected  by  ponchos  of  gutta-percha  and  oilcloth.  We  were  delayed 
in  getting  breakfast,  and  did  not  break  up  our  camp  until  half-past  nine, 
when  we  set  out,  every  body  stiff  and  sore  from  the  previous  day's 
travel.  The  rain  was  still  falling,  though  not  so  heavily  as  at  first,  and 
the  road  was  an  alternation  of  water  and  stiff  mud,  through  which  we 
trudged  with  difficulty,  and  at  the  risk  of  leaving  our  boots  behind  us. 
After  rounding  the  head  of  the  bight,  we  struck  off  over  the  hills  to  the 
south-west,  and  in  an  hour  and  a  half  came  upon  another  deep  glen,  in 
the  bottom  of  which  were  two  massive  bridges  over  a  stream  so  broad 
and  deep  that  it  was  doubtless  a  frith  of  the  sea.  We  stopped  an  hour 
to  rest  and  enable  Mr.  Heine  to  take  a  sketch  of  the  place.  I  noticed 
that  the  heavy  triangular  abutments  to  the  piers  were  here  placed  on  the 
side  next  the  sea.  The  natives  gave  the  glen,  or  river,  the  name  of 
"  Machinatoo." 

The  rain  had  ceased  by  this  time,  except  an  occasional  si)rinklo,  and 
the  road  improved.  After  another  hour  the  roads  branched,  that  on 
the  left  striking  off  up  the  hills  to  Sheudi.  We  kept  on  over  the  hills 
toward  Napha,  the  scenery  gradually  assuming  a  familiar  ai)pearanct', 
till  finally,  from  a  height  covered  with  pine-trees,  we  looked  down  upon 
the  harbor  and  the  American  squadron.  After  fording  a  broad  salt 
creek,  and  crossmg  another  ridge,  we  descended  to  the  village  Tumo, 
opposite  Napha.  We  reached  our  starting-point,  the  house  of  Dr.  Ik-t- 
telheira,  at  2  p.  m.,  and  there  took  leave  of  our  worthy  Pe-chiiig  and  his 
two  assistants,  after  having  appointed  a  time  to  meet  them  again,  and 
endeavor  to  return  some  compensation  for  the  provision  furnished  during 
the  journey. 

The  distance  we  traveled  during  the  six  days  was  one  liundrcd  and 
eight  miles,  as  nearly  as  we  could  calculate.  Our  trip  ejiibracod  a 
little  more  than  half  the  island,  leaving  the  extremity  south  <  f  Naphr. 
(which  is  of  Hmited  extent),  and  that  part  north  of  the  head  of  Port 
Melville,  and  lying  on  both  sides  of  that  harbor,  for  future  exploration. 


h 


fre- 


f 


INDEX. 


! 


Aaron,  tomb  of,  207. 

Ababdehs,  character  of,  211. 

Arab  tribe  of;  208. 

Abkoulgui,  village  and  gold-washings  ot,  276. 

Abokko,  kindness  of,  637. 

ilia  fidelity,  551. 

Abou-Sunbcl,  opening  ofj  236.  Bayard  Tay- 
lor's description  of,  236. 

attempted  excavation  of,  233. 

temple  of,  211. 

Abn-Nocta,  description  of,  449. 

Abyssinian  roiida,  674 — Life,  674 — Supersti- 
tions, 675,  681,  682 — Government,  676— 
Climate,  677— Butohery,678— Habits,  679 
—Dress,  680, 

Acapulco,  72. 

Adam  (Canadian),  sufferings  ot,  311, 

Adamowa,  country  of  Central  Africa,  895 — 
Dr  Earth's  visit  to,  895,  897. 

Addy  Abo,  province  of,  673. 

Adoua,  appearance  of,  669 — Return  to,  673. 

Africaner,  563,  664,  667,  568. 

African  war-song,  498. 

Association,  116,  117, 

Agady,  battle  of,  271. 

Agadez,  the  capital  of  Air,  890 — Descrip- 
tion of,  891. 

Agaro,  battle  of)  275. 

Aggeri  Water,  888. 

Ailat,  village  of,  667. 

Air,  or  Asben,  u  kingdom  of  Central  Africa, 
885 — Accouiitof  Richardson  and  Earth's 
expedition  to,  885  to  892. 

Aisou,  or  the  seven  woUs,  888. 

Akaba,  Gulf  of,  912. 

Akaitcho  ( Ksquimaux  chief),  293,  296. 

320. 

Akuru,  well  of,  888. 

Alantika,  highest  mountain  of  Adamowa, 
897. 

Alexandria,  Ida  PfoiflTer's  v.yago  to,  833, 

plague  at,  230. 

Alexoi  (tho  KurUe),  412,  415,  420,  436, 
437. 

Ah  (Hailji),  his  dishonesty,  490. 

Sultan  of  Iiudamar,  101. 

Allen  (Cnptuin  Bird),  commands  the  Sotidan 
on  an  expedition  to  the  Niger,  65.3 — 
Dangerous  illness,  558 — Death,  568. 

(Captain  Wni ),  accompanies  Dr.  Old- 
field,  660 — Completes  a  survey  of  the 


Niger,  651 — Commands  tho   Wilherforce 
on  a  second  expedition,  553 — Arrival  at 
Eboo,  554 — Treaty  with  King  Obie,  555, 
— Reaches  Damuggoo,  556 — Model  farm 
at  the  junction  of  tho  Niger  and  tho 
Chadda,  657 — Ravages  of  the  fever,  557 
— Return  to  tho  sea,  557 — Visit  to  tho 
Bights  of  Benin  and  Biafra,  559— Model 
farm   abandoned,   559 — Return    to  En- 
gland, 560. 
Altai  Mountains,  81 — Silver  ore  of,  81 
Amazon,  the,  856,  858,  859,  869. 
Valley  of  the,  69. 


American  exploration  of  the  i.sland  of  Loo- 
Choo,  915 — Escort  furnished  to  the  Amer- 
icans by  the  authorities,  916 — Description 
of  the  roads  to  Sheudi,  916— The  Gung- 
qttd,  or  resting-place  for  travelers,  917 — 
Suspicious  demeanor  of  the  natives,  917 
— Character  of  the  environs  of  Sheudi, 
918 — Scenery  near  Pino,  918 — Thorough 
cultivation  of,  919 — Precautions  of  tho 
authorities  to  prevent  intercourso  with 
the  Americana,  919 — A  superb  landscape, 
921 — An  ancient  fbrtress  In,  922— Two 
curious  stones,  supposed  to  bo  an  emblem 
of  the  Phallic  worship,  924 — Scenery 
about  Barrow's  Bay,  925— Scarcity  of 
birds  in  the  island,  927 — A  delightful 
Cung-qu4,  928 — Curiosity  of  the  natives, 
929— A  fine  view,  930 — Character  of  tho 
coast  scenery,  9;n — Neatness  of  the  vil- 
lages, 932— A  Chinese  remedy,  933 — 
Mistaken  suspicions  of  tho  natives,  933 
— A  vast  forest,  931 — The  party  corao  in 
sight  of  tho  squadron,  930 — Arrival  at 
tho  starting-point.  937. 

Ancient  rock-tomplo,  209. 

Anderson  (Alexander),  118. 

"  death  of,  123. 

Anderson's  Falls,  004. 

Angostura,  58. 

Ankobcr,  view  of;  058,  661. 

Antelopes,  320. 

Antioch,  201. 

A  pure  Rivor,  42,  43. 

Apiiriinac  Rivor,  860 — Bridge,  861. 

Ar.ib  guides,  singular  eustoni  of;  209. 

salutation,  023. 

boats  on  the  Rod  Sea,  665, 

guide,  superstition  of,  206. 

939 


(  • 


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m 


i  I' 


;l    •     i  I 

•    I 


940 


INDEX 


Arafat,  encampment  of  the  Moslem  pilgriraa 

at.  222 — View  from  the  summit,   223 — 

sermon  upon,  224. 
Aral  Sea,' 328. 

Archilete,  murder  at,  722.  ^ 

Arctic  Sound,  297 
Argali  (Mount),  view  from,  .S68. 
Arpo,  Island  of.    257— Vegetation,   258— 

Colossi  upon,  258. 
"  Asie  Centrale."  87. 
Assal  Lake,  651. 
As.syrian  records,  discovery  of)  821. 

throne,  819. 

Astraclian,  85. 

Atabapo  River,  51. 

Ataruipe,  cavern  of,  65. 

Atbara  River,  216. 

Atmospheric  Rarefaction,  effect  of,  694. 

Attah,  king  of  545. 

"      (king),  treaty  with,  5G6. 
Atta,  town  of,  53G. 
Aturea,  Rapids  of,  48. 

•  Indians,  fate  of,  56. 

Australian  Bight,  774. 

scenery,  787. 

tribes,  780,  783,  784,  790,  791,  793. 

Axum,  description  of,  673. 

Babylon,  ruins  of,  822,  823,  824. 

Back  (George),  289. 

his  winter  journey,  295. 

(Captain),  commands  an  expedition 

in  search  of  Captain  Ross,  597 — Sails  to 
New  York,  598 — Proceeds  to  Lake  Win- 
nipeg, 598 — Ascends  the  Saskatchewan, 
599— Reaches  Great  Slave  Lake,  600— 
Ascends  Hoar  Frost  River,  601 — Arrives 
at  the  sources  of  the  Thlew-ee-choh,  602 — 
Winter  quarters,  603 — Starving  Indians, 
603— Sufferings  >  .f  the  party,  606— Death 
of  two  ravens,  607 — Departure  for  the 
north — Embarks  on  the  Thlowee-choli, 
608 — Descends  the  rapids,  609 — Meets 
with  Esquimaux,  610 — Sketches  the  na- 
tives, 610 — Arrives  at  the  Polar  Sea,  611 
— Lands  on  Montreal  Island,  612 — Gains 
Point  Ogle,  6 1 2— Returns  to  England,  6 1 3. 

Badagry,  506,  620,  623— Extortion  of  tho 
king  of)  524. 

Baghdad,  822,  824. 

Baghzen  Mountain,  the,  aacondod  by  Dr. 
Overweg,  891. 

Bagimi,  country  of,  901. 

Baikie,  Dr.  W.  B.,  appointed  to  take  charge 
of  an  expedition  to  the  Niger,  905 — En- 
ters tho  Niger  in  tho  steamer  Pleiad  and 
attains  the  highest  point  yet  reached,  906 
—Gets  tidings  of  tho  death  of  Dr.  Barth, 
906 — Enters  the  kingdom  of  Kororofu, 
906 — Sickness  among  tho  crew,  9(i0 — 
Well  received  by  the  Sultan  of  llamaru- 
wa,  907 — Difflcultiea  with  tiie  natives 
higher  up  tho  river,  907 — Return  with- 
out losing  a  man,  908. 

Bakones,  tribe  of;  577 


Balonne  River,  778. 

Bambarra,  kingdom  of,  107. 

Bamboo,  description  of,  767,  768. 

Bammakoo,  113. 

Banks  (Sir  Joseph),  93. 

"        "         108, 

"Banner  Rock,"  921. 

Baobab-tree,  633. 

Biiarabinski,  Steppe  of,  80. 

Barca  Gana,  472 — His  march  to  Mandara, 
479— Interview  with  the  .''ultan,  481— 
Defeatad  by  the  Fehit.ihs,  4f^3 — Disgraced 
and  restored  to  favor,  489 — Wounded, 
490 — Marches  around  Lake  Tchad,  503. 

Baris,  land  of  the,  638— People  of,  639,  647. 

Barket,  888. 

Barnaul,  81. 

Barrow's  Bay,  92 L 

Barth,  Dr.,  accompanies  Mr.  Richardson  to 
Central  Africa,  885 — Narrow  escape  in 
the  desert,  880 — Harassed  by  the  Tua- 
ricks,  888 — Enters  tho  kingdom  of  Air, 
889 — Visit  tho  sultan  En-noor,  890 — 
Visits  Agadez,  the  capital,  890 — Leaves 
Air,  891 — Separates  from  his  associates 
on  the  frontiers  of  Bornou,  892 — Proceeds 
to  the  frontiers  of  tiie  Felatah  country, 
894 — Arrives  at  Kano  in  Soudan,  894^ 
On  the  death  of  Mr.  Richardson,  proceeds 
to  secure  and  send  home  his  papers,  894 
— Pr3pares  to  explore  Lake  Tchad,  894 — 
Journey  to  Adamowa,  895,  897— Joins  a 
hostile  expedition  into  the  Waday  coun- 
try, 900— Accompanies  another  army  Into 
Mandara  and  Musgo,  901 — Travels  to- 
ward the  Nile,  901 — Meets  much  oppo- 
sition, and  is  finally  turned  back  in  Ba- 
girmi,  901 — Rejoins  Dr.  Overweg,  w;:o 
died  soon  uiler,  903 — Visits  Sackatoo 
and  Titnbuetoo,  and  explores  the  middle 
course  of  tlio  Niger,  904 — Meets  Dr. 
Vogcl,  904— Returns  to  Europe,  904, 

Batn  el-Hadjar,  256. 

Battakers,  tribe  of  the,  845,  846. 

Baouangketsi,  country  of,  574. 

Bear  (Captain  Lewis's  adventure  with),  148. 

Bears,  tenacity  of  life  of,  143. 

Bechuanas,  669,  670— Interment,  371— 
Rain-maker,  572,  673 — Abandonment  of 
wounded,  575 — Conversion,  576. 

Becrof  (Governor),  liis  reception  of  Lan- 
der, 542. 

— —  (Governor),  relieves  the  Albert,  558. 

Bedouin  woman,  compassion  of  a,  254. 

honor,  anecdote  of  441. 

■^-^—  intrigues  of,  44' ,  444— order  of 
march,  444. 

hospitality  of  the,  445. 

religion  of  ilie,  450. 

——  alliance  of  the  Syrian  tribes,  460. 

habit  of  cooking  on  the  inarch,  451. 

ceremony  of  rceoiicihation,   453 — 

Their  nmrdouffs.  or  war-dromedin ks,  453 
— Declaration  of  war,  454 — Custom  of  the 
hatfc,  454. 


• 


_     i 


INDEX. 


941 


n 


Bedouins,  character  of,  623. 

Bee's  Creek,  119. 

Beer  Springs,  708. 

Begharmis,  battle  with  the,  495. 

Belanger,  perilous  adventure  in  a  rapid, 
302. 

Bell  (Mr.),  his  visit  to  Abyssinia,  667. 

Bello,  Sultan  of  Houssa,  501. 

(Sultan),  camp  of,  513. 

Belzoni,  birth  and  education,  229 — ^Visit  to 
EngKind,  229— Goes  to  Egypt,  230— 
Wounded  by  a  Turkish  soldier,  230 — Ar- 
rival at  Thebo.s.  231 — Adventure  in  a 
tomb,  232 — Kxcursion  to  Nubia,  233 — 
Return  to  Thebes,  233 — Explorations  of 
the  tombs  at  Tliebos  and  Kamak,  234 — 
Opens  the  temple  of  Abou  Sirabel,  236^ 
Opens  the  second  pyramid,  238 — Journey 
to  the  ruins  of  Bernice,  238,  239— To  the 
Oasis,  239 — Return  to  Europe,  241 — 
Death,  241. 

Benui-,  nver,  89(5 — Joins  the  Niger,  896. 

Beni-Abou-Ah,  tribe  of,  G17,  618,  619. 

Beni-Abou-Hassan,  tribe  of,  617. 

Bcni  Geneba  Bedouins,  718. 

Beni-Klialed,  shepherd  tribe  of,  616. 

Benowm,  camp  at,  100. 

Berber,  country  of,  214. 

king  of,  261. 

Bernice,  ruins  of,  239 — Mistake  of  Cail- 
Uaud  concerning  them,  238. 

Berkel  (Jabel),  rums  at,  259. 

( Mount),   282 — Ruins  at  its  base, 

282,  283. 

Bertat,  people  of,  277. 

Bettelheim,  Dr,  missionary  at  Loo-Choo,  915. 

Boyrout,  829,  832. 

Bible,  confirmation  of  the,  818. 

Bigwhite,  the  chief,  193. 

Bilma,  468. 

Bird  Rock,  534. 

Biruie,  town  of  475 — Court  oC,  475. 

(old),  ruins  of,  487. 

Birs  Nimroud,  823. 

Black  Waters,  valley  of  the,  728. 

Blacksmitli  (nogro),  79. 

Bleek,  Dr.,  accompanies  an  expedition  to 
the  Niger,  905. 

Blue  Lake,  746. 

Blue  Town,  the,  736— hotel  at,  736. 

Bogoslowsk,  copper  mines  of,  79. 

Bohea  Mountains,  scenery  of,  770 — Tea  dis- 
trict of,  771. 

Bohrs,  tribe  of  the,  637. 

Bokhara,  Russian  intercourse  with,  323. 

. dangers  of  the  route  to,  324. 

appearunco  of  341 — Houses,  .S41 — 

Inhabitants,  312— Jews  of,  342— Palace 
of  the  Khan,  313— Markets,  343— Decay 
of,  343. 

women  of,  345. 


Bokharia,  scenerv  of,  334. 

kiian  of  335. 

tlio  territory  of,  338 — Face  of  the 

country,  339— Climate,  336 — Cities,  840. 


Bokharia,  population  of,  344 — Slave  popula- 
tion of,  344. 

Boo-Khaloora,  465 — His  illness,  466 — Re- 
ception in  Bornou,  472 — Departs  for  Man- 
dara  ,478— Fights  at  Musfeia,  482— Death, 
485. 

Bonny,  mes.senger  from,  537,  538. 

Bonplaud,  Association  with  Humboldt,  22. 
appointed  superintendent  of  tho  gar- 


dens at  Malmaison,  75 — Journey  to  Para- 
guay, 75 — Imprisonment,  75 — Death,  7G. 

Borgoo  Hunter,  509. 

Bornouese  Troops,  evolutions  of,  472. 

Bornou,  approach  to,  469. 

body-guard  of  SK  .  '      472— Shekh 

of,  474 — Sultan  of,  475-  -<..:,  wity  of  the 
people,  476 — Anecdote  of  a  Bornou  lady, 
476. 

rainy  season  in,  489. 

Sheich  of,  receives  presents,  495— 


Security  of  the  country,  503. 

Defeat  of  the  shekh  of  514. 


Botta,  (M.),  his  discoveries  at  Khorsabad, 
810. 

Bottle-treo  of  Australia,  779. 

Bourhad-Bota,  ascent  of  the,  747. 

Boussa,  510 — Sultan  of,  510 — His  statement 
of  Park's  fate,  511 — His  kindness  to  Clap- 
perton,  511. 

kindness  of  tho  inhabitants,  529. 

Boy  (King),  540.  541,  542. 

Brazil,  Ida  Pfeiflfer's  adventures  in,  838,  839 
—Indians  of,  840,  841. 

Brick  Tea,  354. 

Broussa,  ride  to,  828. 

Bubaker,  encampment  at,  103. 

Buddha,  Moral  Code  of)  355. 

Buddliist  prayer,  353. 

priest,  356. 

priest,  772. 

laws  concerning  corpses,  369. 

Buffaloes,  144. 

Bukhau,  mountain  and  wells  of)  333. 

Bulgar,  ruins  of,  78. 

Burckhardt  (Jolm  Lewis),  birth  of,  197 — 
Education,  197 — Visit  to  England,  198 — 
I'imploycd  by  the  African  Association, 
198 — Departs  for  the  east,  198 — Arrives 
at  Aleppo,  201 — Proceeds  to  Dama-scus, 
202 — Excursion  to  tlio  Hauran,  2i)2 — To 
the  Dead  Sea.  203-205 — Discovers  Petra, 
205 — Arrival  at  Cairo,  207 — Ascent  of 
tiio  Nile,  208 — Reception  in  Nubia,  208 
— Arrives  in  the  territory  of  Sukkot,  210 
— Reception  in  El  Maliass,  210 — Decides 
to  return,  210 — Reaches  Assouan,  211 — 
Joins  a  caravan  for  Berber,  211 — Arrival 
at  El  Mekheyref  214 — Proceeds  to  Da- 
rner, 214 — Adventure  at  Darner,  215 — 
Arrives  at  Sliendy,  215 — Travels  through 
Takka  to  Souakin,  2 1 7 — Attempted  extor- 
tion of  tho  governor,  217 — Arrival  at  Jid- 
da, 218— Visit  to  Moliammod  A)i,  219— 
Residence  at  Mecca,  221 — Journey  to  Me« 
dma,  254 — Attacked  by  Bedouini,  224 — 


'• 


Li 
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iii 
h 


'pfH\ 


IT 


i 


m 


942 


INDEX. 


■ 


Proceeds  with  a  caravan  to  Yombo,  225 
— Sails  for  Coasier  and  arrives  at  Cairo, 
226— Visits  Mount  Siual,  226— Death, 
226. 

IJui'dekin  River,  789. 

Burton,  Lieutenant  R.  P.,  makes  a  pilgrim- 
aj^o  to  Mecca,  909 — Assumes  the  oriental 
costume,  909 — Disguises  himself  as  a 
wandering  dervish,  910 — Proceeds  to 
Suez,  911 — Scene  on  an  Arab  boat,  911 
— Knters  the  harbor  of  Yembo,  912 — Ac- 
companies a  caravan  to  Mecca,  912 — At- 
tiieked  by  Bedouins,  912 — Knters  Mc- 
dinji,  913 — His  residence  at,  913 — Pre- 
vented from  proceeding  to  Muscat,  914 — 
Bcturns  to  Suez,  914. 

Cabul,  683. 

Cailliaud  (Frederic),  early  travels,  245 — 
Embarks  for  Egypt,  245 — Sets  out  for 
the  Oasis  of  Jupiter  Ammon,  240 — Ar- 
rives at  Sivah,  247 — Visits  the  ruins  of 
Om  Beydah,  250 — Arrives  at  tlio  Little 
Oasis,  251 — Accused  of  magical  arts,  251 
— Proceeds  to  Fanifreli,  252 — To  Daklel, 
253 — Visits  Kl-Khargeh,  254 — Arrives 
in  Siout,  254— Visits  to  Cairo,  254,  255— 
Returns  to  Tliebcs,  255 — Proceeds  to  As- 
souan, 255 — Arrives  in  Nubia,  2r)0 — Ex- 
amines the  temple  of  Soleb,  256 — Enters 
Dongola,  257 — Visits  tho  ruins  atMerawo, 
259 — Received  by  Ismail  Pasha,  260 — 
Accompanies  him  to  Berber,  261 — Pro- 
ceeds to  Shendy,  262 — Discovers  the  ruins 
of  Meroti,  2(13— -Sails  up  tho  Blue  Nile, 
266 — Arrives  at  Senaar,  207 — Mortality 
among  the  troops,  207 — Visit  to  Ibrahim 
Piwlia,  269 — Accompanies  Ismail  Pasha 
into  the  negro  country,  271 — Narrow  es- 
cape, 272 — Arrival  at  Fazagl,  274 — Es- 
cape from  a  oonflagr.ition,  270 — Reaches 
the  country  of  Gamamyl,  276 — Examines 
the  gold-vtraahings,  277 — Defeat  at  Sin- 
guciind  return,  278 — Embarks  at  Adassy 
and  return  to  Senailr,  279 — Visit  to  tho 
ruins  of  Naga,  280 — Of  Mesowurat,  281 
— Return  to  Shendy,  282 — Visit  to  tho 
ruins  of  Mount  Berkol,  282 — To  the  Oasis 
of  Selimeh,  283— Return  to  Cairo,  284— 
Arrival  in  France,  285. 

Cairo,  834. 

Ciilabozo,  40. 

Calcutta,  Ida  Pfeiffor's  residence  at,  842. 

Callirhoi!,  hot  springs  of,  803. 

Calmucks,  description  of,  388. 

Calpl,  village  of;  67. 

Calumet  Bluff,  133. 

Camoahwait  (Shoshonee  chief),  153,  154. 

Camels,  na  draught  animals,  790. 

Camping  in  the  snow,  394. 

Canning  (Sir  Stratford),  810,  814. 

Canton,  approach  to,  76L 

Ida  Pfeiffor's  adventures  in,  841, 842. 

Cape  Disappointmoiit,  170. 

Caracao,  84— (Silla  do),  34,  S6 


Carib  Indians,  68. 

Carichana,  mission  of,  47. 

Caripe,  mission  of,  30. 

Carpentaria,  Oulf  of,  791. 

Carson  (Kit),  697,  702,  706,  709,  722,  723. 

Carthagena,  61. 

Cashghar,  city  of,  337. 

Casks,  negotiation  by  means  of;  413. 

Caspian  Sea,  86. 

Cassiquiare  River,  53,  54. 

Caviglia,  ((.'aptain),  exploration  of  tho  Pyr- 
amid, 234. 

Caxamarca,  valley  of;  69. 

Cerro  Paaco,  854. 

Ceylon,  842. 

Chaboneau,  adventure  of,  149. 

Chadda,  discovery  of  the,  534. 

Exploration  of;  660. 

Chalarc  River,  864,  865. 

Chasuta,  855. 

Chiclia,  a  drink  of  the  South  American  In- 
diana, 860. 

Cliilluckitequaw  Indians,  106. 

Chimborazo,  Ascent  of;  65,  66. 

China,  death  of  the  Emperor  of,  358. 

Rcoiicry  of,  371. 

great  wall  of,  372. 

army  of,  375 — a  soldier  of  do.,  375. 

Chinese  oflleers,  Humboldt's  Interview  with, 
82. 

festival  of  tho  new  year,  376. 

'■ —  frontier,  389. 

costume,  755 — Pliysiology,  759. 

tea-carrier.s,  770. 

Chlehnikoff,  410,  421 — Makes  a  compass, 
429 — Falls  into  a  pit,  432 — Pensioned, 
4:i7. 

Cliuga  (ilount),  frightful  pass.ige  of;  748. 

Ciiupo,  a  Peruvian  national  dish,  800. 

Chwostoff  (Lieutenant),  attack  on  tho  Ja- 
panese Kuriles,  411,  414,  435. 

Clapperton  (Captain  IIugh),joins  Major  Don- 
ham  at  Tripoli,  403 — Separates  from  him 
at  Kouka,  491 — Proceeds  with  Dr  Oud- 
ney  to  Katagum,  497— Death  of  Dr.  Oud- 
noy  498 — Clapperton  enters  the  kingdom 
of  Houssrt,  498 — Arrival  at  Kano.  499 — 
Procures  an  exhibition  of  boxers,  500 — 
Reai'hes  Sackatoo,  500 — Interview  with 
the  f'Ultan,  501 — Suspicions  of  the  sultan, 
50) — Return  to  Kouka,  502 — Arrival  in 
Europe,  504 — Departure  on  his  second 
expedition,  505 — Proceeds  to  the  interior, 
500 — Death  of  several  of  the  party,  606 
— Reception  at  K.atunga,  507 — Detention, 
508 — Arrival  at  Wawa,  510 — Proposal  of 
marriage,  510 — Reaches  tho  Niger,  and 
arrives  at  Iloussa,  510 — Place  of  Park's 
death,  511 — Returns  to  Wawa,  511 — De- 
tention at  Koolfu,  512 — Enters  Kano,  513 
— Arrives  at  the  camp  of  Bello,  Sultan  of 
Iloussa,  513 — Sojourn  at  Sackatoo,  613 — 
Last  illness,  6M: — Death,  516 — Burial  by 
Lander,  517. 

Clarke's  adventure  in  an  Indian  lodge,  103. 


f 


f^ 


INDEX. 


943 


; 


:.' 


, 


Clark's  River,  159. 

Point  of  View,  1T4 

Clatsop  Indians,  173. 

Coca,  offecta  of,  864. 

Cochabamba,  864. 

Cochrane  (Captain  John  Dundas),  deter- 
mines to  travel  round  the  globe  on  foot, 
383^^ets  out  for  Russia,  383 — Leaves 
St.  Petersburg,  384 — Plundered  by  rob- 
bers, 384 — Arrives  at  Novgorod,  385 — 
Reaches  Moscow,  386 — Crosses  the  Ural 
Mountains,  337 — Arrives  at  Tobolsk,  387 
— Ilia  passports  stolen,  387 — Arrives  at 
Omsk,  388 — ^Visits  the  Chinese  frontier, 
389 — Proceeds  to  Barnaoul,  389 — Inter- 
view with  the  Governor-general,  390 — 
Reaches  Irkutsk,  390  —  Descends  the 
Lena  in  a  can  jo,  301 — Arrives  at  Ya- 
kutsk, 392 — A  winter  journey,  393 — 
Reaches  Zashiversk,  on  the  Indigirka, 
39G— Suffers  from  the  cold,  397— Be- 
comes a  priest,  397 — Reaches  the  Kolyma, 
397 — Travels  with  dogs,  398— Meets  witli 
Baron  Wrangol  at  Lower  Kolymsk,  399 
— Attends  a  fair  of  the  Tchuktchi,  401 — 
Returns  to  Kolymsk,  402 — Ascends  the 
Kolyma,  403 — A.  perilous  situation,  404 
— Reaches  the  Oraekon,  406 — Swims  the 
Okota,  407 — Dangerous  passage,  408 — 
Arrives  at  Okotsk,  409 — Proceeds  to 
Kamtchatka,  410 — Marries  a  Kamtchat- 
dale,  410— Returns  to  St.  Petersburg,  410. 

Cold,  in  British  America,  290. 

Columbia  River,  Head-waters  of  the,  162. 

Great  Falls  of  the,  164. 

Lower  Falls  of  the,  167. 

Mouth  of  the,  170. 

Constantinople,  827. 

Cojjpormino  River,  293. 

•  Narrows  of  the,  295- 


296. 


-Mouth  of  the, 


■  River,  crossing  of,  305,  306. 


Cordilleras,  scenery  of,  852. 

Cosnipata  River,  862. 

Cotopaxi,  volcano  of,  64. 

Cossacks,  of  Ural,  85 — Religious  worship, 
85. 

Cow-tree,  36. 

Cracroft's  River,  mishap  at,  300. 

Cumana,  city  of;  28 — Customs  of  the  inhab- 
itants, 29 — Earthquake  at,  33. 

Cumberland  House,  289. 

Cung-quas,  the,  of  Loo-Choo,  917. 

Curare  poison,  64. 

Cuzco,  861,  862. 

Dakhel  Oasis  of)  263 — Antiquities  o^  253. 
Dale  (Lieutenaat),  death  of,  805. 
Dalles,  the,  712. 
Daraara-land,  565,  566. 
Darner,  selling  goods  at,  215. 
Daniergou,  country  of,  892. 
Dainuggoo,  637. 

Danakil,  country  o^  653 — Danakil  barber, 
664. 


Dark  Water,  king  of  the,  630. 

Darkhan  (Mount),  367. 

Darkisch,  city  of,  466 — Its  inhabitants,  457. 

D'Arnaud,  629. 

Dar-Fur,  anecdote  of  pilgrim  from,  633. 

Darling  River,  discovery  of,  6H4 — Explora- 
tion of;  585, 686 — Junction  with  the  Mur- 
ray, 691. 

Dead  Sea,  Entrance  into,  798 — ^Sounding  of, 
799 — Southern  extremity  of,  800 — Tem- 
perature of;  801 — Depression  o^  804. 

Deboni  Arabs,  chief  of  the,  653. 

Demba  (Park's  black  boy),  103. 

Demons'  Palace,  878,  881. 

Denham  (Major  DLron),  appointed  to  com- 
mand an  expedition  in  Central  Africa, 
403 — Joins  Captain  Clapperton  and  Dr. 
Oudney  at  Tripoli,  463 — Arrival  at  Mour- 
zuk,  404 — Delay  at  Mourzuk  and  return 
to  Marseilles,  465 — Return  to  Mourzuk, 
4G6 — The  expedition  sets  out,  466 — 
March  across  the  desert,  467 — Approach 
to  Bornou,  469 — Arrival  at  Lake  Tchad, 
469 — Approach  to  Kouka,  471 — Recep- 
tion, 472 — Visit  to  tho  Sultan  of  Bornou, 
475 — Curiosities  exhibited  to  the  natives, 
476 — Excursion  to  Lake  Tchad,  477 — 
Death  of  his  horse,  478— Journey  to  Man- 
dara,  479 — Arrival  at  Mora,  480 — Visit 
to  tho  Sultan  of  Mandara,  480— Battle 
with  the  Felatahs,  483— Retreat,  484— 
Stripped  and  plundered  by  the  Felatahs, 
484 — Narrow  escape  from  death,  485 — 
Desperate  condition,  485 — Retreat  to 
Mandara,  486 — Arrival  at  Kouka,  487 — 
Expedition  into  tho  Munga  territory, 
487, 488— Denham  separates  from  Clapper- 
ton  and  Oudney,  491 — Proceeds  with 
Mr.  Toole  to  Loggun,  492 — Reception  by 
the  Sultan,  493— Death  of  Mr.  Toole,  495 
— Of  Dr.  Oudney,  496 — Expedition  to 
Lake  Tchad,  495— Returns  to  Kouka, 
497— Meets  with  Clapperton,  497— Ex- 
cursion on  the  eastern  side  of  l.nko  Tchad, 
503 — Return  to  Europe,  50  >. 

Derr,  capital  of  Nubia,  208. 

Dcrwazoh,  description  of,  338. 

Dickson  (Dr.),  journey  into  Africa,  505, 
506. 

Diet  of  the  Nubian  caravans,  213. 

Dinkaa,  tribe  of;  631,  644. 

Distress  for  want  of  water,  213. 

Djbel  Akhdar,  621,  622. 

Dogs,  as  an  article  of  food,  178. 

Dongola,  scenery  of,  257. 

(old),  258 — Ruins  of  a  Coptic  con- 
vent, 268, 

Drayhy  (the),  444,  445 — March  into  Meso- 
potamia, 447— Becomes  chief  of  the  Be- 
douins in  Syria,  45,3 — Defeats  tho  Waha- 
bees,  455— Visits  their  king,  456. 

Drewyer,  his  adventure  witli  tho  Indians, 
157. 

Drinking  a  Fetish,  520. 

Drovotti,  h..  hostiUty  to  Bolroni,  234. 


t|» 


ii 


'fv'p. 


(1 


944  INDEX. 


i  i 


^H  in ;  1 


Duiti,  opposition  to  Dr  Blaikie  at,  907. 
Dunrora,  Lander's  description  of,  619. 
Dyaks,  tribe  of,  844. 

Eboo  people,  war  canoes  ofj  539. 

town,  539. 

Eotooroop,  island  of,  411. 

Egga,  town  ol^  532 — Lander's  visit  to,  632. 

Ehrenberg,  77. 

Electrical  Eel,  40,  41. 

Klf  phant-hunting  on  Lake  Tchad,  477. 

i:i  AIh,  6;i0. 

l';i-(  laruh,  villaRO  of,  247. 

101  Ilaimcr,  wells  ofj . 

El-IIaniniar,  skeletons  at,  467. 

El-Kcrr,  cataract  of;  279. 

El  Khargeh,  Oasis  of,  253. 

El  Mekheyref,  214. 

El  Till,  desert  of,  207. 

Encounter  Bay,  593. 

Eneeshur  village,  179. 

Engaddi,  fountain  of,  799. 

English,  Tartar  description  of  the,  732. 

Chinese  idea  of  the,  741. 

En-Noor,  Sultan  of  Air,  889 — Makes  treaty 
with  Mr.  Kichardson,  890. 

Esmeraldi,  mission  of,  54. 

Esne,  expenses  of  living  at,  211. 

Esquimaux,  295. 

Back's  intercourse  with,  610. 

Franklin's  intercourse  witli,  321. 

Expedition  Range,  788. 

Eyre  (Edward  John),  commands  an  expe- 
dition into  the  interior  of  Australia,  773 
— Encamps  at  the  head  of  Spencer's  Gulf 
and  proceeds  to  Lake  Torrons,  773 — 
Progress  toward  tlie  interior  arrested, 
774 — Proceeds  westward  from  Spencer's 
Gulf,  774— Visits  Port  Lincoln,  774— 
Reaches  the  Great  Bight,  774 — Reduc- 
tion of  the  party,  775 — Great  privations, 
775 — Robbery  and  murder,  776,  776 — Ar- 
rival at  Albany,  776. 

Falesseles,  Wady  and  Well  of,  838. 

Falls  of  the  Missouri,  146,  147. 

Farafreh  (Oasis  of),  252— Inhabitants  of;  252, 
253. 

Farm  (the  model),  557,  659. 

Fatoumii(Amadi),  journal  of,  124, 125, 126. 

Fataliah  Sayoghir,  joins  M.  de  Lascaris, 
440 — Escape  from  freezing,  -444 — Travols 
in  disguise,  446 — Interview  with  tho 
Drayhy,  447 — Captured  by  Shokh  Ab.si, 
431 — Suffering  from  thirst,  452 — Falls 
down  a  precipice,  454. 

Interview  with  the  King  of  thoWa- 

habecs,  437 — Conversation  upon  Chris- 
tianity, 458 — Disastrous  termination  of 
his  travels,  459. 

Fatteconda,  town  of,  95. 

Fayoum,  district  of,  239. 

Fazogl,  country  of,  271. 

mountain    of,   273 — Submission  to 

tho  king,  274. 


Felatah,  empire  of,  894. 

Fezzan,  sultan  of,  465. 

Wady  of,  886. 

Fika,  town  of,  902. 

Fire  in  an  African  Forest,  270. 

Fitzpatrick,  his  crossing  of  the  Sierra  Ne- 
vada, 718. 

Floyd  (Sergeant),  death  ot,  132. 

Forday  (King),  540. 

Fort  Cliipewyan,  291. 

Fort  Clatsop,  175. 

Fort  Enterprise,  293 — Winter  temperature 
at,  294 — Occupation  at,  294. 

Franklin's  return  to,  310. 

Fort  Mandan,  139. 

Fort  Providence,  292. 

Fortune  (Robert),  appointed  to  visit  tho  toa- 
countries  of  China,  763 — Reaches  Hong- 
Kong  and  proceeds  to  Shanghai,  763 — 
Prepares  to  visit  tho  hill  of  Sung-lo,  763 
— Passes  through  Ilang-chow-foo,  764 — 
Discovers  now  trees,  764,  765 — Enters  tho 
district  of  llwuy-chow,  706 — Visits  the 
Sung-lo  district,  766,  767 — Returns  to 
Shanghai  and  ships  tea-plants  to  India, 
767 — Departs  on  a  journey  to  tho  Bohca 
Mountains,  767— Arrives  at  Fou-chow-foo, 
767 — Sails  up  tho  Min,  767 — Describes 
tho  bamboo,  767,  768— Sails  from  Ning- 
po  up  the  Green  River,  769 — Sails  down 
tho  Kin-kiaiig  to  Ilokow,  769 — Describes 
the  tea-carriers,  770 — Arrives  at  the  gates 
ofFokicn  and  enters  the  mountains,  770 
—Visits  tho  hills  of  Woo-e,  771— Tea- 
farms,  772 — Returns  to  Shanghai,  772. 

Foulah  Robbers,  113. 

Franklin  (Sir  Joiin),  appointed  to  explore 
the  northern  coast  of  America,  289 — Res- 
idence at  Cumberland  House,  290 — Or- 
ganization of  tho  expedition.  291 — Arri- 
val at  Great  Slave  Lake,  292— Winter 
quarters  at  Fort  Enterprise,  293 — Descent 
of  tho  Coppermine,  295 — Embarkation  in 
canoes  on  tho  Polar  Sea,  296 — Land  on 
Hood's  River,  297 — Continue  their  jour- 
ney by  land,  298 — Sufferings  from  cold, 
300 — Failure  of  provisions,  300 — A  musk- 
ox  shot,  301 — Diet  of  tripe  deroche,  301 
— Perilous  situation  of  one  of  tho  party, 
302— Perplexity  of  tho  party,  305— Diffi- 
culty in  crossing  tho  Coppermine,  306 — 
Some  of  tiio  party  left  behind,  308 — Ar- 
rival at  Fort  Enterprise,  310 — Sufferings 
at  the  fort,  311 — Remainder  of  tho  party 
arrive,  313 — Good  example  of  Hepburn, 
313— Murder  of  Mr.  Hood,  315— The 
murderer  shot,  317 — Tho  party  reduced 
to  four,  318 — Relieved  by  the  Indians, 
319 — Returns  to  Montreal,  320^-Second 
expedition,  320 — Winter  on  Mackenzie's 
River,  320— Exploration  of  tho  coast,  321 
—Return  to  England,  321. 

Fray,  Juan  Gonzalez,  60. 

Fremont,  (Col.  John  C),  ordered  to  explore 
the  Rocky  Mountains,  697 — Departure  of 


•1 


t.V 


I.VDEX. 


945 


tlio  expedition,  691 — Arrival  at  Fort  Lara- 
mie, 098 — Discouraging  picture  of  tbo 
country,  698 — Determines  to  proceed,  G99 
—Readies  the  South  Pass,  699— Tribu- 
taries of  tho  Colorado,  700 — Ascends  the 
Wind  River  Mountains,  700 — Illness,  702 
—Reaches  the  summit,  703— Returns 
homeward,  704 — Descent  of  tho  Platte, 
"704 — Descent  of  tho  rapids,  704,  705 — Re- 
turn to  St.  Louis,  706 — Commands  an  ex- 
pedition to  Oregon  and  California,  706 — 
Arrives  at  St.  Train's  Fort,  706 — Crosses 
tho  Rocky  Mountains,  707 — Enters  Bear 
River  Valley,  707 — Encamps  at  the  Boar 
Springs,  709 — Descends  the  river,  709— 
Arrives  at  the  Salt  Lake,  710 — Proceeds 
to  Fort  Hall,  711 — Descends  the  Snako 
River,  711 — Reaches  tho  Wallahwallah 
and  desceads  to  the  Columbia,  712— Ar- 
rives at  the  Dalles,  712 — Projects  a  new 
route  to  tho  south,  713 — Arrives  at 
Tlamath  Lake,  714 — Discovers  Summer 
Lake,  715— Pyramid  Lake,  716— Difficult 
passage  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  717,  718 — 
Descent  into  California,  719 — Arrival  at 
Sutter's  Fort,  7  20-— Journey  eastward, 
720— Roaches  the  Spanish  Trail,  721 — 
Encounters  a  plundered  party,  721 — Do- 
feat  of  tho  robbers,  722 — Tabeau  shot  by 
the  Indians,  723 — Arrival  at  Utah  Lake, 
723— Return  of  the  expedition,  723. 
Fulos,  account  of  the,  907. 

Galilee,  sea  of,  796. 

Gallatin's  River,  150 

Gamamyl,  country  of;  276. 

Gambarou,  rums  of,  288, 

Gandiko,  town  of,  906. 

Gay  Lussac,  74. 

Gazelle  Lake,  644. 

Geysers,  the,  Ida  Pfeiffer's  visit  to,  836,  837. 

Qhadames,  Richardson's  residence  at  873, 

876— Inhabitants  of,  876. 
Gharian  Pass,  886. 

Ghat,  Oudnoy  and  Clapperton's  visit  to,  466. 
Richardson's  residence  at,  879,  881 

—People  of,  880— Women  o^  880,  881. 
885. 


Ghor,  valley  of;  206. 

Gibbon,  (Lieut.  Lardner),  joins  Lieutenant 
Herndon  at  Lima,  851 — Assists  ia  prepar- 
ing for  the  expedition  to  the  Amazon,  851 
— Separates  from  Herndon  at  Tarma,  853 
—Leaves  Tarma,  860— Enters  tho  province 
of  Ayacucho,  860 — Meets  with  a  Yankoo 
ehowraan.  S60 — Crosses  the  Apurimac, 
861 — Arrives  at  Cuzco,  861 — Excursion 
to  tha  Madre  de  Dios,  861 — A  night  on 
the  Cosnipata,  862 — Returns  to  Cuzco, 
862— Approaches  Lake  Titicaca»  862 — 
Reaches  La  Paz,  863 — Arrives  at  Cocha- 
bamba,  864 — Interview  with  tho  Presi- 
dent, 864 — The  coca-plant,  864 — Embarks 
on  the  Chapare,  865 — Night  traveling, 
865 — Arrival  at  Trinidad,  863— Unpleas- 


ant delay,  866— Reception  at  Fort  Prin- 
cipe da  Beira,  in  Brazil,  86G — Reaches 
the  falls  of  the  Madeira,  866— Treachery 
of  tho  boatmen,  867 — Passage  of  the  fall.s, 
867,  8ri8 — Arrival  at  the  Amazon,  869 
— Commercial  advantages  of  the  route, 
869,  870. 

Gilbert,  murder  of;  790. 

Gobi,  desert  of,  369,  380. 

Godey,  adventure  of,  722. 

Goethe,  19,  87. 

Golownin  (Captain  Wassili),  directed  to 
survey  tho  Kurile  Islands  and  tho  coa.st 
of  Tartary,  411 — Reaches  tho  island  of 
Eetooroop,  411 — Fired  upon  by  tho  Ja- 
panese, 412 — Holds  a  conference  with 
them,  413 — Invited  on  shore,  414 — Taken 
prisoner,  415 — Severe  treatment,  416 — 
Conducted  to  Hakodadi,  418,  419— Im- 
prisonment, 420,  423 — Removal  to  Mats- 
mai,  423 — Tortured  by  Japanese  curiosity, 
424,  42G— IIopo  of  liberation,  427— Ro- 
movod  from  their  cages  into  a  house,  428 
— E.scape,  429 — Fearful  adventure,  430 — 
Night  upon  the  mountains,  431 — Recap- 
tured and  imprisoned,  433 — Hears  of  the 
arrival  of  a  Russian  vessel,  434 — Second 
winter  in  Japan,  434->-Removal  to  Hako- 
dadi, 435 — Liberation,  436— Return  to 
Russia,  437. 

Goorneh,  sepulchral  excavations  at,  232. 

Gordon,  (Captain),  his  journey  and  death, 
284. 

Goz  Rajob,  ruins  near,  216. 

Great  Basin,  exploration  of,  713 — ^FirHtviow 
of;  715. 

Great  Bend  (of  tho  Missouri),  134 

Great  Slave  Lake,  292, 

Green  River,  707, 

of  China,  769, 

Guacharo  Cavern,  31. 

Guanajuato,  12. 

Guayaquil,  72, 

Gujeba,  agriculture  of  the  region  about,  901. 

Guntoo  (Mount),  358, 

Hadendoa  Bedouins,  217, 
Hakodadi,  419— Prison  ot,  420,  421. 
speech  of  the  governor  of)  436. 


Halfay,  country  ofj  265. 

HaU  (Fort),  711, 

Hama,  440. 

Hamada,  desert,  description  of,  885. 

Hamaruwa,  reception  of  Dr  Blaikio  at,  90& 

Hang-chow  River,  764, 

Hang-chow-foo,  764. 

Harris  (Major  W.  C),  appointed  by  the 
East  India  Company  to  command  an  ex- 
pedition to  Shoa,  649 — Proceeds  from 
Bombay  to  Tajura,  649 — Receives  a  visit 
from  the  sultan,  650 — Sets  out  for  the 
interior,  650— Fearful  sufferings  of  tha 
party,  651 — Reaches  the  country  of  tha 
Debeui,  653 — Interview  with  the  chief; 
653— Detention  at  the  Wadj  Killuloo,  666- 


'm 


■•,  r,:  ,- 


946 


INDEX. 


iH!!:^!:: 


ril^SiWi 


\ 


— Tnsolcnco  of  tlio  natives,  656— Crosses 
the  oasis  of  Siilti^lli,  656 — Arrives  at  tlio 
lldwoaii,  3S6 — Rocoption  in  the  kinj^dum 
of  Siioa,  657 — Ascends  the  mountains  to- 
ward Ankobor,  657,  658 — A  thief-catcher, 
658 — Uoocption  by  the  king  Sahela  Si- 
lAsaie,  (S69 — Kntranco  into  the  capital, 
661— Residence  at  Ankober,  661 — Itolit,'- 
ion  of  the  Etliiopians,  661,  GG2 — HabitMof 
tlio  people,  663 — Commercial  treaty  with 
tho  king,  664. 

Ifarris  (Mount),  682,  586. 

1  latoeta,  a  Tuarick  chief,  886. 

1  lauran,  tho,  202. 

Havana,  60. 

Ifawalia  River,  656. 

Hccia,  Mount,  Ida  Pfeiffor's  ascent  of;  837, 
838. 

Heine  (Mr.),  appointed  to  tho  Loo-Ghoo  ex- 
pedition, 915— Astonishes  tho  natives 
with  his  riflo,  918,  929,  935— Sketches  a 
grand  central  panorama  of  tlio  island,  030. 

Honip  palm,  764. 

Hepburn  (John),  conduct  ofj  807. 

effoct  of  his  example,  313. 

Horndon,  (Lieutenant  Wm.  Lewis),  receives 
orders  to  explore  the  valley  of  tho  Ama- 
zon, 851— Preparations  for  the  exjiodi- 
tion,  851 — Departure  from  Lima,  8.')2 — 
Grosses  tho  Cordilleras,  852 — ^Visits  tho 
Puy-puy  Mountain,  853 — Arrives  at  Tir- 
ma,  863 — The  party  separates,  853 — Vis- 
its tlie  mining  town  of  Corro  Pasco,  aot 
— Embarks  on  tho  Huallago,  854 — "  Tlio 
lost  soul,"  855 — A  fellow-countryman, 
855 — Reaches  tho  Amazon,  856— Ascend.s 
tlio  Ucayali,  857 — Arrives  nt  the  frontiers 
of  Brazil,  867 — Reception  at  tho  fort  of 
Tabatinga,  857 — Reaches  the  moutii  of 
the  Rio  Negro,  858 — Halts  at  Barra,  858 
— Passes  tiio  Madeira,  859 — Reaches  tho 
moutii  of  tho  Amazon,  859 — Returns  to 
the  United  States,  859. 

Hillman  (William),  engaged  by  ifajor  Den- 
ham,  463 — Illnos.s,  489— Makes  a  gun- 
carriage,  490 — Makes  a  cart,  602 — Re- 
turns to  London,  504. 

Hippopotami,  631. 

Hoar-frost  River,  601. 

Horns,  440. 

Hood  (Robert),  289, 

murder  of,  316. 

Hood's  River,  297 

Hornemann,  198. 

Horse-racing  among  the  Mongols,  364 

Horzo,  pass  of,  482. 

Hottentots,  662 — method  of  building,  6G4. 

Houghton  (Major),  93. 

Houssa,  boxers  of,  600. 

Houtson,  joins  Captain  Clapperton,  606 — 
Returns  to  Badagry,  608. 

Huallago  River,  854,  866. 

Hue  and  Gabet,  sent  out  to  re-establish  the 
French  Catholic  Mission  at  Pekin,  728 — 
Ciommanded  to  proceed  into  the  interior, 


728— Enter  Mongolia,  728— Cross  the 
kingdom  of  Oochckten,  730— Arrive  at 
Tolon-Noor,  731— Tho  town  described, 
731— Meets  with  tho  Queen  of  tho  Khal- 
kaa,  732 — Tartar  inodo  of  greeting,  7.32 
— Pass  tiirougii  the  country  of  Tclmknr, 
733 — Lost  horses  restored  by  Tartars 
733,  734— Ruined  city,  734— Burial  of  the 
kings,  735— Reach  tho  Blue  Town,  736 
— Ooss  tho  Yellow  River  and  enter  tho 
Lnnd  of  Grass,  737 — Desolate  country, 
737 — Pilgrims  going  to  witness  a  lama 
niiraele,  738 — Arrive  too  late,  739— Pass 
tho  Dobsoon-Noor,  or  gait  Lake,  739 — 
Reeross  tho  Yellow  River,  740 — Enter 
the  i)rovinco  of  Kan-Sow,  741 — Danger- 
ous road,  741 — Arrive  at  tlio  frontiers  of 
Thibet,  742— Study  tho  lanpunge,  742— 
Enter  the  Buddhist  monastery  of  Koun- 
boum,  743— Proceed  to  the  Blue  Sea,  746 
— .loin  a  Thibetan  embn."<sy  to  Lha-Ssa, 
747— Ascent  of  Mount  (.'huga,  748— Ar- 
rival at  Lha-Ssa,  749 — Lodgings,  750 — 
Palace  of  tho  Talo  Lama,  751— I'resenta- 
tion  to  tho  authorities,  752— Detention 
niid  examination,  752 — I'rojected  mission 
at  Llia-Sso.  753 — .TealouHy  of  the  Chinese 
minister,  753 — Departure  from  Lha-Ssa, 
751 — Reach  tho  Cliine.so  frontier,  766 — 
Diflioultios  concerning  dress,  765 — Clii- 
neso  odor,  765 — Arrival  at  Tchiiig-tou- 
fou,  756 — Reach  tho  Blue  River,  756 
— Disputes  with  the  Mandarins,  757 — 
Lodfjiiigs  in  a  theater,  757 — Chinese  cu- 
riosity, 757— Descend  tho  Blue  River,  758 
— Chineso  pliysiology,  758,  759 — Cross 
Lake  Pou-Yang,  759,  760 — Arrival  at 
Canton,  761 — Grotesque  costumes,  761  — 
Arrival  at  Pekin.  7G2 — Return  to  Eu- 
rope, 702. 

Hudson's  Bay  Company,  687. 

Human-headed  bull,  discovery  of|  812. 

Humboldt  (Alexander  von),  his  birth,  19 — 
Education,  20 — Enters  tho  university  of 
Frankfort-on-the-Oder,  20 — First  scien- 
tific journey,  20 — Visits  Switzerland  and 
Silesia,  21 — ^Desire  of  travel,  21 — Pre- 
parations for  his  American  journey,  21 — 
Meeting  with  Bonpland,  22 — Journey  to 
Spain,  22— Voyage  to  Americis  23 — Ar- 
rival at  Tenoriffo,  24 — Ascent  of  tlie 
peak,  28 — Arrival  at  Cumana,  28 — Ex- 
cursion to  Araya,  29 — Attacked  by  a 
Zambo,  32 — Departure  from  Cumana,  33 
— Arrival  at  Laguayra,  34 — Ascent  of 
the  Silla  of  Caracas,  34 — Departure  for 
the  interior,  36 — Experiment  with  elec- 
trical eels,  40 — Voyage  on  the  Apura,  42 
— On  the  Orinoco,  44-50 — On  the  Atab- 
apo,  61 — On  the  Rio  Negro,  52,  53 — On 
the  Cassiquiare,  63,  54 — Visits  the  cavern 
of  Ataruipe,  66, 56— Arrival  at  Angostura, 
67 — Return  to  Cumana,  69 — Visit  to 
Cuba,  69,  60 — Sends  his  collections  to  Eu- 
rope, 60 — Voyage  to  Carthagena,  61 — 


e 

t 

i 


I 


INTDBX. 


947 


Reachos  Bogota,  62— ArriTal  at  Quito, 
63 — Ascent  or  Pichincha,  64— Ascent  of 
Chiroborazo,  66-67— Proceeds  to  the  Am- 
azon,  68 — Ascends  its  upper  valley,  69 — 
Visita  the  silver  mines  of  Qualgoyoo,  69 
— Arrival  at  Caxamarca,  69— At  'l>ux- 
illo,  71 — At  Lima,  71 — Visit  to  Mexico, 
12— To  the  United  States,  73— Iteturn 
to  Europe,  73— Publication  of  his  works, 
74 — Piiinfl  a  journey  to  India,  76 — Resi- 
dence in  Paris,  76 — Sots  out  for  Uusstia 
and  Siberia,  77— Arrival  at  Tobolsk,  80 
—At  the  Chinese  frontier,  81 — At  A.s- 
trachan,  85 — Return  to  Berlin,  86 — Mis- 
sion to  Paris,  87 — Residence  in  Berlin,  88 
— Publication  of  "Kosmos,"  88— Later 
years,  88,  89— Personal  appearance,  88, 
89. 

Humboldt  (Wilhelm  von),  education,  20. 

"  "  Residence  at  Alba- 
no,  74. 

Hunger,  sufferings  of  Franklin's  party  from, 
304. 

Hungry  Crock,  186. 

Hurricano  in  the  desert,  217. 

Hwuy-chow  district;  763. 

Ibrah,  town  of,  619. 

Ibrahim  Pasha,  arrival  at  Sennair,  269. 

Iceland,  834-838— Habitations  of;  836— In- 
habitants of;  836— Traveling  in,  836. 

Ilok  River,  326. 

Ilezk,  Salt  works  of;  83. 

Illimani  Mountain,  863. 

Imerachism,  400. 

Inca  Legend,  70. 

Incas,  ancient  road  of  the,  68. 

Indian  Conjuror  outwitted,  290. 

Indian  vapor-baths,  161. 

Indus  River,  survey  of,  683. 

Irby  and  Mangles,  236. 

Irkutsk,  city  of,  390. 

Iro  River,  crossing  of;  354. 

Isaaco  (Park's  guide),  adventure  with  a 
crocodile,  120. 

Journey  in  search  of  Park,  124. 

Isitza,  village  of,  927. 

Ismail  Pasha,  his  expedition  against  Don- 
gola,  265 — <3amp  at  Assouan,  265— Vic- 
tory over  the  Shygheeaa^  266. 

His  reception  of  Cailliaud — Diplo- 
matic trick,  260 — March  to  Berber,  260. 
Arrival  at  Senna&r,  267 — Plans  of 


African  conquest,  270 — March  to  Fazogl, 

271. 

His  search  for  gold,  277— Repulse 

•*at  Singu6,  278. 
His  fate,  286. 

Jannah,  Clapperton's  visit  to,  606. 

Japanese,  treachery  of  the,  416— -Manner 
of  binding  prisoners,  416. 

■  Fear   of  suicide,  419 — Desire   for 

specimens  of  writing,  421 — Bathing,  422 
— Extraordinary  curiosity  of;  424,  426. 


Jarra,  100,  103. 
Jabtil  Kora,  scenery  of;  220. 
Jefferson  River,  150. 
Jorm,  town  cS,  687 — Inhabitants  of;  687. 
Jerusalciii,  SU4. 
8H0. 


Ji'SHo,  ooiwt  of,  417. 

Jidda,  218. 

Jimbii,  786. 

JohniMm  (Park's  nogro),  108. 

Jones  (Uov.  (ioorgc),  appoiritod  on  the  piirty 
to  explore  Loo-Choo,  915 — llocogni/ijil 
by  the  natives  as  the  chief  of  the  pHilv, 
917 — Makes  a  plan  of  an  old  fortress,  ifh 
— Reception  of,  at  Isitza,  927 — Return  to 
the  squadron,  937. 

Jordan,  rapids  of  the,  797 — Pilgrims'  bath- 
ing-place, 797. 

Jordan,  valley  of  the,  203. 

Jorullo,  volcano  of;  73. 

Journal,  singular  method  of  keeping,  422. 

Kaaba,  description  of  the,  221. 

Kaarta,  Kingdom  of,  99. 

Kacuiida,  532. 

Lnridor'a  .second  visit  to,  650. 

Kajnago,  kingdom  of,  90. 

Kalah  Shcrgut,  mounds  of,  816. 

Kamalia,  114,  116. 

Kamtcliatka,  410. 

Kanom,  country  of;  900 — Military  expedi- 
tion into,  900. 

Kano,  Clapperton's  description  of;  499. 

Clapperton's  second  visit  to,  613. 

Town  of,  894. 

Kansas  River,  valley  of;  706. 

Kara-kum,  desert  of,  328. 

Karfa,  the  slave-merchant,  116. 

Kasan,  78. 

"Kasr  Bint  Faraoun"  (Petra),  206. 

Easr  Janoon,  or  Palace  of  the  Demona,  a 
range  of  hills,  886. 

Katsha,  capital  of  a  Folatah  prince,  894. 

Katunga,  city  of,  507 — Description  of,  608. 

Entry  of  the  Brothers  Lati'lor,  624. 

Katagum,  Clapperton's  reception  at,  497. 

Keo-ming,  ancient  temple  of,  379. 

Keks,  land  of  the,  635— Chief  of,  636— VU- 
lago  of;  637. 

Kerak,  visit  to,  802— Chief  of,  803. 

Kcrek,  treachery  of  the  shekh  o(  204 

Khabour  River,  820. 

Khalgan,  city  of;  371. 

Khalkhas  Tartars,  caravan  of;  745. 

Khata,  ceremony  of  the,  743. 

Khartoum,  643. 

Khirgis  caravans,  332. 

Kliirgiscs,  songs  of;  329— Habits  of  life,  330 
— Government,  330. 

village  of,  326 — Punishment  of  a 

criminal,  325— Tent  o^  326. 

Middle  Horde  of,  83. 

Sports  of  the,  84. 

Khinkhan  Mountains,  370. 

Kboja-Kul,  lake  ot,  327. 


ii' 


fr  1 

li 

948 


INDEX. 


hif:>. 


!•    ^ 

•  '  J 

'   yi  !•   ' 

:r.i 


s 


4 


Khorsabad,  discoveries  at,  810. 

Khung-ming,  legend  ot,  366. 

Khutukht(k  (grand  lama),  festival  of  the^  363. 

Kiakiita,  349. 

881. 

Kiama,  town  of,  609. 

Kilgou,  flght  at,  271,  212. 

Kirrce,  Lander's  adventure  at,  638. 

Eizil-kum,  desert  of,  332. 

Kl.ncko,  Description  of  Humboldt,  88. 

Knees,  proloction  of  the,  397. 

Knoblechor  (Dr.  Ignatius),  education,  643 — 
Joins  the  Catholic  mission  at  Eliartoum, 
643 — Accompanies  the  annual  trading 
expedition  up  the  White  Nile,  643 — In- 
tercourse established  with  the  Dinkas  and 
Shillooks,  644 — Received  with  kindness 
by  the  king  of  Kyks,  645 — Friendly  in- 
tercom se  with  the  EUiiibs,  645 — Reaches 
the  country  of  tlio  Khirs,  645 — Passes 
the  rapids  of  tho  White  Nile  and  arrives 
m  tlie  Bari  villa:;e  of  Tokinan,  646 — As- 
cends the  peak  of  Logwek,  64() — Baris  de- 
scribed, 647 — Return  to  Khartoum,  647. 

Kolyvansk,  porphyry  works  of,  81. 

Koolfu,  612. 

Koondooz,  description  of,  684— Chief  of,  685 
— Horses,  686. 

Kooniakary,  98. 

Kooskooskee  River,  159. 

Koroom  (Shekh),  accompanies  Cailliaud,  24G 
— Enters  a  remarkable  well,  246 — Super- 
stition of,  247. 

"  Kosmos,"  88. 

Kouka,  472,  489,  495,  497, 

Kounboum,  Lama.sery  of  743,  744 — Mirac- 
ulous tree  of,  765 — Rules  of,  745. 

Kourdkeyleh,  Forest  of,  267. 

Kouyunjik,  excavations  at,  817,  818,  821. 

Krapf  (Dr.),  657. 

Kuba,  mosque  of^  913. 

Kumaddschero,  Japanese  interpreter,  423. 

Kuuaahir,  harbor  of,  412. 

Kuruman  Mission,  669. 

KuBsery,  492. 

Kuriles,  chief  of  tho,  412. 

Kyks,  tribe  of,  646. 

La  Charotto,  130. 

194. 

Laird  (Macgrcgor),  joins  Richard  Lander  in 
a  mercHutilo  expedition  to  the  African 
const,  543 — Fnters  tiio  Niger,  643 — At- 
tack of  the  Ebocs,  543,  644 — Interview 
with  king  Ohio,  644 — Mortality  on  board, 
645 — Ceremonies  to  prevent  the  boats 
from  passing  up  tlio  river,  646— Reaches 
the  Kong  Mountains,  646 — Sickness  of 
the  party,  647 — Ascent  of  tho  Chodda, 
647— Visit  to  Funda,  648— Descends  tho 
river,  549 — Returns  to  England,  650. 

——  Fits  out  an  expedition  to  explore 
the  course  of  tho  Niger,  905 — Obtains 
tho  co-opcratiou  of  tho  firitish  ^vem* 
mont,  905. 


L^eunesse,  adventure  of,  706. 

Lake  (Captain),  conduct  of,  641,  542. 

Lakono  (king),  639,  640— His  wife,  640. 

Lama  costume,  728. 

Lamartine,  purchases  the  journal  of  Fatallah 
Sayeghir,  440. 

Land  of  Grass,  737. 

Lander  (John),  joins  his  brother  Richard, 
623 — Dangerous  illness  of  625 — Plun- 
dered and  almost  dxowned,  638 — Releaso, 
641. 

Lander  (Richard),  enters  Captain  Clapper- 
ton's  service,  505 — Detained  at  Kano 
with  sickness,  512 — Account  of  Clapper- 
ton's  lost  illness,  515-517 — Left  at  Sacka- 
too,  518 — Journey  southward  to  Dunrora, 
619 — Recalled  by  the  king  of  Zegzeg,  519 
— Reception  at  Wawa,  620 — Arrival  at 
Badagry,  620— Return  to  England,  521 — 
Embarks  with  his  brother  on  an  expedi- 
tion to  the  Niger,  623 — Difficulties  at 
Badagry,  624— Arrival  at  Katunga,  524— 
Reaches  Boussa,  525 — Embarks  on  tho 
Niger,  626 — Detention  at  Yaouri,  527 — 
Return  to  Boussa,  628 — Proceeds  down 
the  Niger,  529 — Danger  from  hippopota- 
mi, 631 — Arrival  at  Kacunda,  f>32 — Voy- 
age by  night,  634 — Threatened  attack, 
635 — Reception  at  Damuggoo,  537 — Ar- 
rested ond  plundered  by  natives,  538 — 
Proceed  down  the  river  with  their  cap- 
tors, 639,  640 — Arrival  at  the  sea,  540— 
Received  by  an  English  captain,  541 — 
Return  to  England,  642 — Accompanies 
Mr.  Laird,  543— Joins  Dr.  Oldlield,  550— 
Proceeds  to  Cape  Coast,  661 — Plundered 
and  wounded  by  the  Eboes,  662 — Death, 
653. 

La  Paz,  863. 

Laramie  Fort,  69S. 

Lari,  description  of,  470. 

Lascaris  (M.  de),  becomes  tho  secret  agent  of 
Napoleon,  439 — Settles  in  Aleppo,  439 — 
Employs  Futallali  Sayeghir,  440 — Jour- 
ney to  Horns  and  Palmyni,  440 — Meets 
with  Shekh  Salim  at  Coriotain,  441 — 
Attacked  by  Bedouins,  441 — Meets  with 
the  Emir  Nasser,  442 — Rfjception  by  Me- 
hanna  El  Fadul,  442 — Residence  among 
the  Bedouins,  443 — Escape  from  freezing, 
444 — Sends  Fatallah  to  the  Drayliy,  41tJ 
— Conducted  lo  him  by  Fatallah,  447 — 
Calumniato<l  by  a  peddler,  448^Hattlo 
between  tho  Dniyliy  and  tho  Wuhabecu, 
449 — Aceomplislii'S  an  alliance  of  the 
tribes,  460 — .Tourney  into  Persia,  451 — 
Battle  with  tlio  Wahabees,  45.3— Dis- 
patches Fatallah  to  tho  king  of  Mio  Wa- 
habees, 456 — Returns  to  Syria,  469— 
Death,  469. 

I^yard  (Henry  Austen),  first  visits  tho 
east,  809 — Sots  out  to  explore  the  niins 
of  Nineveh,  81(t — Arrives  at  Nimrond, 
811 — First  discoveries,  811 — Tho  Paalia 
iuterforoa,   811 — Excavations  continued, 


INDEX. 


«4!9 


ent  of 

!9— 

Jour- 

141— 
with 
Me- 

lOIlJ? 
Zillft 

llii 
47  — 

alllo 

ilio 
51— 
-Dis- 
Wh- 
69— 


'813 — Diaoorery  of  colotsal  statues,  812, 
813 — Suspends  operations,  813,  814 — Re- 
flumes  the  work,  814— Excursion  to  the 
Tiyari  Mountmns,  814 — Aided  by  gov- 
ernment, 814 — Discovers  an  inscribed 
obelisk,  816 — Relics  transported  to  Bagh- 
dad, 810 — Palace  uncovered,  816,  816 — 
Further  excavations,  81ft— Returns  to 
Europe,  816— -Second  journey,  816 — Pro- 
ceeds to  Mosul  and  arrives  at  Nimroud, 
817— Continues  the  excavations,  817 — 
Discovery  of  Assyrian  relics,  818,  819 — 
Colossal  lions,  820 — Historical  tablets, 
821 — Party  dispersed  by  fever,  821 — Pro- 
ceeds to  Baghdad,  822— Arrives  at  Baby- 
lon, 822 — Appearance  of  the  place,  823 — 
Palace  of  Nimroud,  823 — Journey  to  Nif- 
fer  and  Wurka,  824— Excavations,  824 
— Roturn  to  Baghdad  and  Mosul,  824 — 
Further  excavations,  824  —  Departure 
from  Mosul,  824. 

Lebanon,  plague  on,  833. 

Leichhardt  (Dr.),  sots  out  on  an  expedition 
from  Sydney  to  Port  Essington,  786 — 
Discovers  Mackenzie's  River,  788 — Fol- 
lows the  Burdokin,  789— The  Mitchell, 
»89— Attacked  by  natives,  79() — Mr.  Gil- 
bert killed.  790— Arrives  at  the  Gulf  of 
Carpentaria,  791 — A  native  strays  into 
camp,  791 — Passage  around  the  lioad  of 
the  gulf,  792— Ascends  Roper  River,  792 
— Descends  the  South  Alligator,  793 — 
Kindness  of  the  natives,  793 — Roaches 
the  soa-shoro,  793 — Arrives  at  Port  Es- 
sington, 794 — Returns  to  Sydney,  794. 

Lewis  and  Clarke  appointed  to  explore  a 
route  to  the  I'acitic,  129 — Departure  of 
the  expedition,  130 — Intercourse  with  the 
Ottoways,  131 — Council  with  the  Sioux, 
135 — Arrival  among  the  Mandans,  138 — 
Winter  at  Fort  Mandan,  139,  141— Depart- 
ure, 142 — Adventure  with  a  boar,  142 — 
With  a  buffiilo,  144-Dangerou8  navigation, 
144, 145— Arrival  at  the  Falls  of  the  Mis- 
souri, 146 — Ascent  of  the  Jefferson  River, 
160 — Arrival  among  the  Snake  Indiatis, 
151 — Cross  the  dividing  ridgo  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  162— Purchase  of  horses 
166 — Departure  fVora  the  Shoshonecs, 
168 — Descent  of  Lewis's  River,  161 — Ar- 
rival at  the  Falls  of  the  Columbia,  164 — 
First  view  of  tho  Pacific,  167— Encamp 
for  the  winter,  171— Terrible  rains,  172 
—Set  out  on  their  return,  176 — Meet 
with  frien''ly  Indians,  181 — Recross  tho 
mountains,  186 — The  party  separates,  187 
— Encounter  with  the  Minnotaroes  188— 
Captain  Lewis  shot,  190 — (Clarke  reaches 
tho  Yellowstone,  190 — Horses  stolen  by 
Uie  Indians,  192 — ^Tho  two  parties  unite, 
192— Arrival  at  St  Louis,  l»i. 

iLewis's  Rivor,  161. 

.Lens  Rivor,  331. 

Letorzoc,  joins  M.  (Mlisad,  i4S. 

illuoss  «i;  2M. 


Lha-Ssa,  approaeli  to,  749— description  o^ 
750— Dwellings  of,  750— Women  o?  761— 
Police  of,  752— Catholic  mission  at,  663. 

Limmen  Bight  River,  792. 

Lingam,  a  supposed  emblem  of  the  Phallio 
worship,  discovere<l  in  Loo-Choo,  924. 

Loo-Choo,  island  ofj  visited  by  Commodore 
Perry,  915 — Description  of)  916-937. 

Loggun,  town  of;  493 — Sultan  of)  493— 
Country  of,  493. 

Logwek,  646,  647. 

Long's  Peak,  697. 

Lotus,  description  of  the,  632. 

Louisiana,  acquisition  of,  129l 

Ludaraar,  kingdom  of,  100. 

Lynah  (Dr.),  accompanies  the  Loo-Choo  «Z' 
ploring  party,  915. 

Lynch,  (Lieutenant  W.  F.),  authorized  to  ex- 
plore the  Dead  Sea,  795 — Proceeds  to 
Smyrna,  795 — Arrives  at  Acre,  796 — 
Marches  across  the  desert,  796— Embarks 
on  tho  Soa  of  Oaliloe,  796— Descends 
the  Jordan,  797 — Difficult  navigation, 
797 — Reaches  the  bathing-pliice  of  the 
pilgrims,  797 — .\rrival  of  pilgrims,  798 — 
Enters  the  Dead  Sea,  798 — Encamps  at 
the  fountain  of  Engaddi,  799 — Pillar  of 
Salt,  800 — Arrives  at  tho  southern  ex- 
tremity, 800 — Doaolate  scenery,  800 — 
Sufferings  from  heat,  801 — Excursion  to 
Kerak,  802— Return  to  the  Dead  Sea,  803 
— Jounioy  to  Jerusalem,  804 — Arrival  at 
the  Mediterranean,  804 — Excursion  to 
the  sources  of  the  Jordan,  804— Death  of 
Licutonant  Dale,  806 — Roturn  to  tho 
United  States,  806. 

Macao,  763. 

Mackenzie's  River,  331. 

Mncquario  River,  581,682. 

Madeira  River,  86G.  867— Falls  o?  867,  803. 

Magdalcna  River,  61. 

Mahiiss,  territory  of,  210. 

Ma'.imals  (holy  camels),  224. 

Maiya,  669. 

Mai  Moogamy,  his  kindness,  480. 

Makaroff,  his  rescue  of  Captain  Golownin, 

431. 
Mallen  Mansin,  Dr.  Barth  is  visited  by,  897. 
Malta,  190, 

Mamon';  River,  865,  866. 
Mandan  Indians,  138,  139,  140. 
Mandani,  coimtry  of,  480 — Sultan  of,  481 — 

His  horror  of  Christians,  481. 

country  of,  901. 

Manga,  or  Minyo,  prince  of  Bomou,  893. 

Manna,  206. 

Mansong,  King  of  Bambarra,  108,  109. 

122. 

Mantchoo  language,  374. 

Maranoa  River,  781. 

Mamyray,  his  mre  of  Major  Denham,  486. 

Marghi,  description  of  tho  tribe,  895. 

Marin's  River,  140. 

'     ■   '  "  Kxploratiou  ot,  187,  188. 


!   i 

1 

(  ■  ■ 

;  ^ 

! 

I  h 


III' 


11  f; 


m  i 

i  i 


950 


INDEX. 


I 


Uaaefla,  town  oC  901 — Dr.  fiarth  detained 
at,  901. 

Mart7n  (Lieutenant),  118. 

Massawa,  town  o(|  and  its  climate,  666. 

Matiuskin,  401. 

M&tamai,  city  oC,  423 — Prison  of;  424. 

governor  of,  427. 

Haypures,  rapids  o^  49. 

McLeod  (A.  R.),  699. 

McNeal,  adventure  of,  176. 

—  adventure  with  a  bear,  187. 

McWilliam  (Dr.),   bis  journal    of   voyage 
down  the  Niger,  668. 

Mecca,  Burclchardt's  first  view  of,  219 — 
Ceremonies  of  the  Pilgrimage,  222. 

city  of;  914. 

Modeenot-Abou,  temple  of)  284. 

Medical  practice,  Captain  Clarke's,  181. 

Medina,  224. 

(the  Holy  City),  approach  to,  913 — 

Lieutenant  Burton's  visit  to,  913 — Fight 
among  the  Bedouins  of,  913. 

Melville,  Port,  921. 

Memnon,  colossal  bead  o^  231 — Removal  of 
do.,  232. 

Merawe,  268 — ^Nigbt  adventure  at,  269. 

Meriwether's  Bay,  121. 

Meroe,  discovery  of|  263 — Description  of 
the  ruins,  2G3,  264. 

Mesowurat,  ruins  of,  281. 

Mota  River,  47. 

Mexico,  valley  of,  72. 

MoyendorfT  (But)n),  attached  to  a  R\u»ian 
mission  to  Bokhara,  323 — Do[)arturo  fVoni 
Orembourg,  324 — Arrival  in  the  Kirghiz 
country,  326 — Night  search  for  water, 
327^Arrival  at  the  Aral  Soa,  328~Tra- 
verso  the  desert  of  Kara-kum,  328 — 1>083 
the  Sir-doria,  331 — Cr^/ss  the  desert  of 
Kizil*cum,  332— Entrance  into  Bokhnria, 
333— Arrived  at  the  capital,  336— Re- 
ception, 336 — Winter  at  Bokhara,  339 — 
Visit  to  Ourghenj^  340 — Return  to  Rus- 
sia, 346. 

Michel,  conduct  of)  314 — Shoots  Mr.  Ilood, 
316 — Shot  by  Dr.  Richardson,  317. 

Milk,  human,  a  remedial  agent,  8GS. 

Minnetaroe  Indians,  142. 

Mislah,  the  wells  of,  877. 

Missikya,  village  of,  926. 

Missouri,  north  fork  o^  145. 

llood-wators  of  the,  161. 

Mitchell  (Col.  T.  L.),  proposes  to  explore  a 
route  from  Sydney  to  the  Oulf  of  Carpen- 
tari(^  776— Departure  of  the  expedition, 
777— Crosses  the  Darling  and  ascends 
the  Narran,  777 — Ascends  the  Balouno, 
778 — Meets  with  the  natives,  778 — De- 
scribes the  bottle-tree,  779,  780 — Sus- 
picious movementaof  the  native^  780-— 
Discovers  the  Maranoa,  780 — Ascends  the 
river,  781 — Finds  s  running  stream,  782 — 
Enters  the  tropica,  788 — Natives  threaten 
an  attack,  783 — Recrosseatho  tropical  line 
and  prooiaeds  westward,  784-- Diacovum 


the  Victoria  River  and  follows  it  west- 
ward, 784 — Returns  to  the  Maranda,  785 
— Returns  to  Sydney,  786. 
Moffat  (Rov.  Robert),  sent  as  a  missionary 
to  South  Africa,  661 — Describes  Great 
Naraaqua-land,  661 — Proceeds  to  Byson- 
dermoid,  663  —  Arrives  at  Africaner's 
village,  564 — Interview  with  Afl-icaner, 
564,  565 — Excursion  to  Damara-land,  566 
— A  woman  exposed  to  death  by  her 
children,  566 — Journey  to  the  Oriqua 
country,  567 — Visits  Cape  Town  with  Af- 
ricaner, 667 — Astonishment  of  the  colo- 
nists, 6C7,  668 — Interview  with  the  gov- 
ernor, 668 — Joins  the  mission  at  the 
Kuruman,  669 — Ignorance  of  the  natives^ 
669 — TJioir  indifferonce  and  perversity, 
570 — Thievish  propensity,  671 — Funeral 
ceremonies,  671 — Rain-maker,  672,  673— 
Visits  Cape  Town  with  natives,  673 — 
Their  impressions  of  a  ship,  674 — Visit 
to  Mukaba,  chief  of  ttie  Bauangketsi,  674 
— Description  of  the  country,  674 — At- 
tacked by  tho  Barolonps,  674 — Visit  to 
tiio  Barolongs,  676 — Customs  of  the  Be- 
chuanas,  676— Visit  to  the  Matabele  tribe, 
577 — Villages  in  the  trees,  577 — Recep- 
tion by  King  Moselokatso,  678 — Results 
of  mis-sionary  labors,  578. 

I^Iogiircbbins,  or  Arabs  of  Morocco,  vicrient 
conduct  of;  911. 

Mohammedan  prayers,  912,  913. 

Molmmmod  Ali,  visit  to  Mecca,  222. 

Mohammed,  tomb  of;  226. 

Mongol  salutation,  352 — Horses,  362. 

superstition,  363— Manner  of  pre* 

paring  tea,  364. 
■  songs,  367. 
nobleman,  369. 


Mongolia,  scenery  of,  366. 

scenery  of,  740. 

•  interviowwiththegovemoraof,  361. 

— —  Christians  of,  728. 

Mongolian  ruins,  367. 

— city,  ruins  of,  734. 

Montreal  Island,  611,  613. 

Montufar,  Carios  de,  65. 

Moor,  416,  421 — Determination  to  remain 
in  Japan,  428 — Treachery  of,  433 — Sui- 
cide of,  437. 

Moorish  robbers,  104 

Mora,  in  Maudara,  480. 

Morrison  (Dr.),  death  of;  607. 

Morumbidgee  River,  688 — Enters  the  Mur- 
ray, 589 — Voyage  up  the,  694. 

Mount  St.  Helens,  163. 

Mountain  of  Little  People,  133. 

Mourgovan,  queen  of,  732. 

Mourzuk,  coldno&i  of  the  nights  at,  603. 

Richardson's  residence  at,  881. 

Mudarr^j,  description  of  the  912. 

Mugodjar  Mountains,  327. 

Multnomah  River,  177. 

Mummies,  in  the  tombs  of  Thebefl,  235. 

Muuga,  country  of,  488. 


I 


INDEX. 


951 


Muraouk,  town  ^t,  88G. 

Murray  River,  discororyof  689 — Mouth  of, 

G92. 
Muscat,  city  of,  616— £i.        ;*;  616— Letter 

of  Imam,  617 — Wellati    >  return  to,  617. 
Museum  (Bricish),  314,  dl6. 
Musfeia,  battle  of,  483. 
Musgo,  couutry  of,  901. 
Musgow,  people  of]  482. 
Music-box,  effect  of^  on  tho  shekh  of  Bor- 

nou,  477. 
Musk-oxon,  301. 

Naga,  ruins  of,  280— Groat  temple,  281. 

Nainaqua-land,  description  of)  661,  6U2. 

Nan-cho,  town  of,  769. 

Naplia  (Nnpa-Eiang),  harbor  ofj  OlS. 

Napoleon,  plan  of  oriental  empire,  439. 

Narran  Rivor,  777. 

Nazareth,  832. 

Nodjid,  country  of  the,  456— Capital  of,  450. 

Negri  (M.  dc),  arrival  in  Bokhara,  331,  335 

—Reception  by  the  Khan,  330. 
Negro,  Rio,  858. 
Negroes,  night-attack  of,  27.^?. 
Nomr  (Mek),  Visit  to  Ismail  Pasha,  261. 
New  Barcelona,  69. 
Nicholas,  Kmpcror  of  Russia,  77. 
Nifibr,  mound.4  of,  824. 
Niger,  Park's  first  view  of,  107. 

scenery  of  tho,  630. 

perilous  night-voyage  on  the,  633. 

-  scenery  and  inhabitants  of,  646. 
Nile,  approach  to,  254. 

Forks  of  the,  265. 

(White),  passage  ofj  by  the  ICgyptian 

army,  265. 

(Blue),  266 — Scenery  of  tho  banks. 


2G7. 


(Blue),  279. 


Nimroud,  mound  of,  809 — Excarationa  at, 

811,  815,  8!  7,  820,  821. 
Nisluiey  Kolymsk,  398,  399. 
Norway  House,  698. 
Novgorod,  385. 

Nubia,  reception  of  tho  traveler  in,  309. 
Nubian  Desert,  213. 

intense  heat  of  the,  283. 

Ny-korama,  villogeof,  931. 

Oa-sis  of  Jupiter  Ammon,  239. 
(tho  Little),  240 — Scenery  and  in- 
habitants nf.  240— Fountain  of;  240. 

(tito  Little),  map  of,  251— Jealousy 


of  tho  inhabitiuUs,  251. 
Obi  River.  80,  81. 
Ohio  (Knig),  539.  640,  644,  645. 

"    reception  by  Captain  Allen,  664- 

Obri,  G25— luhubitants  of,  625. 

Odors,  national,  765. 

Ohod  (Mount),  913. 

Okola  River,  fording  of  tho,  407. 

Okotsk,  409. 

Oldflold   (Dr.),  oscenda    the    Cliadda,   660 

— Arrives    iit    lUbba,  660 — Beturoi  to 
65 


the  sea,  851 — Ascends  tho  Niger  to  Id- 
dah,  651 — Trade  with  the  natives,  551 — 
Sickness  of  the  men,  662 — Attacked  by 
the  natives,  652— Return  to  England,  653. 

Om  Beydah,  ruins  of,  248,  249,  260. 

Oraau,  Oasis  of,  619~Shore8  o?  626. 

Oraekon,  district  of  the,  406. 

Omsk,  388. 

Ootlashoot  Indians,  169. 

Oronbourg,  323. 

88. 

Oregon,  rainy  season  in,  168. 

Orinoco  Rivor,  44 — Fisheries  of  turtle's 
eggs,  45 — Rapids  of  tlie,  48. 

— ^—  bifurcation  of  the,  60,  64. 

Orizaba,  peak  of,  73. 

Orak,  83. 

Otoniiic  Indians,  67. 

Ottoways,  131. 

Oubi,  camp  of,  671— Interview  with,  672. 

Oudney  (I>r.),  nasociatod  with  Denhain  and 
Clapporton,  483 — Illness,  489 — Leaves  for 
Siickntoo,  491- Death,  495— Burial,  498. 

Oulou  (Mount),  381. 

Our^'i,  tho,  359 — Ceremonies  at,  359,  360, 
301. 

•  Description  of]  366. 

Ourghunjij,  fortress  of,  340. 

Ovorwog  (Dr.),  accompanies  Mr.  Richard- 
son to  Central  Africa,  886 — Visits  tho 
Kasr  Janoon  or  Palace  of  the  Demons,  886 
— Ascends  tho  Bnghsen  Mountain,  891— 
Separates  from  his  companions,  and  trav- 
els through  Gubor  and  Mariadi,  892 — Re- 
joins Dr.  Barlh  at  Kouka,  895 — Cora- 
mencos  alono  tho  exploration  of  Lake 
Tsad,  897 — Builds  a  boat  and  embarks  at 
Miduari,  898 — Description  of  Lake  Tsad 
mid  iU  numerous  islands,  898,  899 — In 
company  with  Dr.  Barth,  visit  the  coun- 
try of  tho  Waday,  890 — Join  the  army  of 
the  Arab  tribe,  Uelad  Soliman,  891— Be- 
ing defeated,  escape  with  difficulty,  and 
return  to  Kouka,  890 — Accompany  a 
BornoiieBC  army  into  Mandara  and  Musgo^ 
901 — After  its  return,  proceeds  alono  to- 
ward the  Niger,  901 — Reaches  Qujoba^ 
901— Arrives  at  Fika,  902 — Compelled  to 
louvo  tho  place,  902 — Returns  to  Kouka 
in  poor  health,  903 — Excursion  along 
the  river  Ycou,  903 — Dies  at  Maduari, 
903. 

Ozus  River,  691— Ilcad-waters  ot,  692. 

Paciflc  Ocean,  view  of,  70. 

Palyrroa,  ruins  of,  202. 

"      "  442. 

Pampou,  plains  of,  749. 

Pork  (Mungo),  birth,  93 — Early  years,  93 
— Departure  for  iVfrica,  93— -Residence  at 
Pisania,  94 — Departure  for  tho  interior,  95 
—Arrival  at  tho  Senegal,  97 — Reaches  tho 
Moorish  kingdom  of  Ludamar,  100 — Im- 
prisoned by  Sultiui  Ali,  101 — Escape  from 
Uenawin,  103— Advoutura  with  robbers, 


I-    > 


962 


INDBX. 


I     I' 


1 :  li 


104— Arrival  at  the  Niger,  108— Kindly 
treated  by  a  native  woman,  188,  189 
— ^Adventure  with  a  lion,  110 — Decides 
to  return,  111 — Encounter  with  robbers, 
113 — Residence  at  Eamalia,  113— Re- 
turn  to  England,  116 — Departure  on  the 
second  journey,  118 — Arrival  at  Fisania, 
118 — Mortality  among  his  men,  121— 
Reaches  the  Niger,  122 — Trade  with  the 
natives,  122— Last  letter  to  England,  123 
— Uncertainty  respecting  him,  124 — 
Amadi  Fatouma's  journal,  125,  126 — His 
probable  fate,  127 — Character  and  per- 
sonal appearance,  127. 

Parks,  the,  723. 

Farkyns  (Mansfield),  travels  in  the  East 
and  determines  to  visit  Abyssinia,  665 — 
Sails  from  Suez  to  Djidda,  665 — Lands  at 
Massawa,  666 — Excessive  heat,  666 — 
Adopts  the  dress  and  customs  of  the  peo- 
ple, 666 — Proceeds  on  foot  into  the  inte- 
rior, 667 — Reaches  a  camp  of  wander- 
ing Shohos,  668 — Invalid  Englishmen, 
667-669— Arrival  at  Adoua,  669— Visits 
Prince  Oubi,  at  Howazayn,  670 — Do- 
Bcription  of  the  camp,  671 — Reception, 
672 — Proceeds  to  Axum,  673 — Privatious 
and  enjoyments  of  tlie  traveler,  674 — 
Reaches  Addaro,  675 — Superstition  of  tho 
people,  675 — Sojourn  at  Roiiabeita,  675 
—Plan  of  government,  676 — Life  among 
the  people,  676 — Sleeping  between  fires, 
677— Health,  677,  678— Life  at  Adoua, 
678— Habits  of  tho  Abyssinians,  679 — 
Abyssinian  women,  680 — Hair-dressing, 
681 — Arrival  at  Kliartoum,  682. 

Parwan,  pass  o^  684. 

Pascoe,  knavery  of,  514. 

Pearce  (Captain),  death  of,  606. 

Pokin,  approach  to,  372 — Timkovski's  en- 
trance into,  373 — DwoUings,  373 — Shops 
of  the  raercliants,  374 — Gr^at  bell  0^376 
—Elephants,  377 — Portuguese  mission, 
377— Chmate,  378— Streets  of,  379. 

— —  Catholic  mission  at,  727. 

Peltier  and  Samundr^,  death  of)  313. 

Perry  (Commodore),  sends  an  exploring 
party  into  Loo-Choo,  915. 

Pcrrault,  kindness  of,  302. 

Petra,  ruins  of,  205 — Burckhardt's  discov- 
ery of;  206. 

Pfeitror  (Ida),  early  desire  of  travel,  827— 
Departure  for  tlio  Holy  Land,  827— So- 
journ in  Constantinople,  827 — Kxcursi(-ti 
to  Broiissa,  828 — First  rido  on  horseback, 
828— Embarks  at  Constontinopio,  828— 
Arrives  at  Joppa,  829— Oriental  liospital- 
ity,  829 — Sufferings  on  tlie  journey,  829 
— Arrival  at  Jerusalem,  830 — Excursion 
to  the  Dead  Sea,  630 — Adventure  at  the 
convent  of  St.  Saba,  831 — Visit*  Naza- 
reth, 832— Arrival  at  Beyrout,  832— 
Journey  to  Damascus,  832 — A  victim  of 
the  plague,  833 — Embarks  for  Alexan- 
dria,  833— Oriaotal  oommunitm,  833 — 


Arrives  at  Cairo,  834 — Ascends  the  Pyr- 
amid of  Cheops,  834— Visits  Malta,  Paler- 
mo, Naples,  and  Rome,  834 — Audience 
with  the  Pope,  834 — Returns  to  Vienna, 
834— Goes  to  Iceland,  834 — Describes 
the  dwellings,  835 — Sojourn  at  Reykjavik, 
836— Discomforts  of  travel,  836— Visits  tho 
Geysers,  837 — Ascent  of  Mt.  Hecla,  837, 
838— Return  to  Vienna,  838— Embarks 
for  Rio  Janeiro,  638 — A  narrow  escape, 
838,  839— Visits  the  Indians,  840— Indian 
hospitality,  840,  841— Arrives  at  Valparai- 
so, 841— Embarks  for  China,  841— Visits 
Tahiti,  841 — Ventures  through  the  streets 
of  Canton,  842 — Visits  Singapore,  Ceylon, 
and  Calcutta,  842 — Proceeds  to  Benares, 
842— Visits  Allahabad,  Cawnpore,  and 
Agra,  and  proceeds  to  Delhi,  842 — En- 
counter with  a  tiger,  843 — Arrives  at 
Bombay,  and  proceeds  to  Baghdad,  853— 
Excursions  to  the  ruins  of  Ctcsiphon  and 
Babylon,  843 — Journey  through  Russia, 
Armenia,  Georgia,  and  Mingrelia,  to 
Odessa,  843 — Description  of  Sebastopol, 
844 — Returns  to  Vienna,  844 — Proceeds 
to  London,  844 — Embarks  for  Cape  Town, 
844 — Arrives  at  Singapore,  844 — Visits 
Sarawak,  844 — Travels  among  the  Dyaks, 
844 — Visits  Java  and  Sumatra,  845 — 
Adventure  among  the  cannibal  Battakers, 
845,  846 — Visits  Celebes  and  tho  Molucca 
Islands,  84{> — Arrives  at  San  Francisco, 
847— Visits  South  America,  847— United 
States,  847 — Winter  in  the  Aisore  Islands, 
847 — Return  to  Loudon,  847 — Persoud 
appearance,  847. 

Philifi,  island  of)  233. 

Pluladelphia,  ruins  of  204. 

Piciiincha,  volcano  of,  64. 

Pilgrim's  Ford,  798. 

Pilgrims  to  Mecca,  appearance  of)  22SL 

Pimicliiii,  portage  of,  52. 

Ping-Keou,  mountain  pfj  741. 

Pino,  village  of,  918. 

Pisauia,  94. 

Plains  of  tho  Orinoco,  38. 

Point  William,  170. 

Point  Lake,  encampment  on,  296. 

Polar  Sea,  Franklin's  exploration  of|  321. 
storm  upon,  296. 


Port  Kssiiigton,  794. 

Pou-yang  Lake,  700. 

Preuss,  adventure  of,  719. 

Principo  da  Beira,  fort,  in  Brazi],  866. 

Puy-Puy  Mountain,  863. 

Pyramid  Lake,  716. 

Pyramids,  view  from,  230. 

Quamash  Flats,  185. 

Quindiu,  pass  of,  63. 

Quito,  63,  64. 

Quorra  (Steamer),  sickness  on  board  ot,  646. 

Rabba,  mossengor  fh>m,  628--'Iianders'  De- 
tention at,  63] 


INDEX. 


953 


'^ 


Rabba,  description  o^  560. 
Rache-Churin,  convent  o^  138,  139. 
Rab  Eesah,  pass  of)  651. 
Rains  (Tropical),  northern  limit  o^  469. 
Reikjavieh,  836. 

834. 

Reliance  (Fort),  603,  606,  606. 
Ricaras  Indians,  137. 
Richardson  (Dr.),  289. 

■      (Dr.),  hazards  hia  life  in  swimming 
the  Coppermine,  306. 

(Dr.),  left  behind  with  Hood,  308. 

his  narrative,  316 — Shoots  Michel, 


317. 


accompanies  Franklin's  second  ex- 
pedition, 320. 

(JamesX  proposes  to  explore  the 


Oasis  of  Ghadames,  in  the  Sahara,  871 — 
Repairs  to  Tunis  and  Tripoli,  871  — 
Leaves  Tripoli,  871 — Equipment,  871 — 
Visits  the  mountain  district  of  Rujiban, 
872  —  Acclimation,  872 — Approach  to 
Ghadames,  872 — Native  curiosity,  873 — 
Entrance  into  the  city,  873— Reception  by 
the  governor,  874 — Becomes  a  physician, 
874 — Hospitality  of  the  natives,  874 — 
Doctrinal  controversy,  875 — The  "sea on 
land,"  876 — Cliaracter  of  the  people,  876— 
Joins  a  caravan  for  Ghat,  876 — Flowers 
in  the  desert,  877— The  wells  of  Mislah, 
877 — Adventure  with  a  robber-chiefj  878 
— Arrival  at  Ghat,  878 — Curiosity  of  the 
natives,  879 — Cool  reception,  87» — So- 
journ at  Ghat,  880 — Invitations  to  Mos- 
lemism,  880 — Female  visitors,  880— A  del- 
icate question,  880,  881 — Departure  from 
Ghat,  881— The  Palace  of  the  Demons, 
881 — Arrival  at  Tripoli,  881 — Joins  Drs. 
Barth  and  Overweg  on  a  mission  to  Cen- 
tral Africa,  886 — Departure  from  Tri- 
poli, 886 — Proceeds  by  Murzouk  to  Ghat, 
886  —  Discovers  rock-sculpturos  in  the 
"Wady  Telissareh,  886 — Serious  adven- 
tures at  the  Palaco  of  the  Demous,  887 — 
Arrival  at  Ghat,  887 — Fatiguing  journey, 
888— Enter  the  kingdom  of  Air  at  T  >g- 
hajit,  888 — Harassed  by  wandering  tribes, 
889— Arrival  at  Tin-Tellust,  889— Recep- 
tion by  the  sultan  of  En-Noor,  890— 
Treaty  with  En-Noor,  890— Visit  to  Aga- 
dez,  890 — Account  of  Air,  891 — Ascent 
of  Mount  Baghzon,  891 — The  travelers 
separate,  892— Arrival  at  Zindo,  f92 — 
Arrives  at  Gurai,  893^Death,  893. 

Rikord  (Lieutenant),  returns  to  Kunashir, 
434— Reaches  Hakodadi,  436— His  de- 
scription of  Golownin's  liberation,  437. 

Rio  de  los  Americanos,  720. 

Rio  de  Guancabamba,  68. 

Rio  Janeiro,  Ida  PfeiOer's  reiidenoe  at,  838, 
841. 

Rio  Negro,  62,  63. 

Robinson  Crusoe,  Burckhordt'iAnbio  trans- 
lation ot,  201. 

Bock  ioulpturet^  888. 


Rocky  Mountains,  highest  peak  of  the, 
703. 

Gates  of  the,  149. 

-  Lewis's  first  view  of,  143. 
Rohabaita,  'ife  at,  675. 
Roof  of  the  world,  692,  693. 
Rose,  Gustav,  77. 
Ross  (Sir  Jolm),  697. 
Russia,  treaty  with  China,  350. 
Russian  prisoners  in  Bokhara,  334,  345. 
'  mission  at  Pekin,  350. 

" robbers,  384. 

Sabatier,  629. 

Sacajawea,  meeting  with  her  relatives,  166. 

Sackatoo,  Clapperton's  entrance  into,  601 — 
Description  of  the  city,  602. 

613. 

Sahela  Selassie  (king),  659,  CGI— Treaty  with 
664. 

Singue,  fight  at,  278 — ^View  from  the  mount- 
ain of;  279. 

Sain-oula,  robbers  of,  729. 

Salt,  manufacture  of,  by  Lewis  and  Clarke, 
173. 

plain  of;  247. 

Salt  Lake  (Great),  709— Voyage  upon,  710, 
711. 

Salvator  River,  valley  of;  782. 

Samdadchiemba,  his  appearance,  729 — Ad- 
vice of;  730-737 — Leaves  Hue  and  Gabet, 
764, 

San  Carlos,  mission  of;  63. 

San  Fernando  de  A;abapo,  Mission  of;  51. 

San  Joaquin,  country  o^  721. 

San  Saba,  convent  of;  831. 

Sandara,  the  bearded,  742. 

Sansanding,  109. 

Sarayacu,  857. 

Sarcophagus,  found  at  Thebes,  237. 

SardanapaluB,  tomb  of|  819. 

Sargasso  Sea,  26. 

Sarsfleld,  his  employment  of  rockets,  647, 
548. 

SchkajcfT,  loams  to  read  and  write,  433. 

Scott  (Sir  Walter),  117. 

Sebastopol,  844. 

Second  Pyramid,  opening  of,  238. 

Sogo,  city  of;  108. 

122. 

Selimeh,  Oasis  of;  283. 

Semipolatinsk,  83. 

Semmed,  Oasis  of,  620. 

Senegal  River,  97. 

Sonalr,  king  of;  268 — Fatal  epidemic  at, 
268. 

Sennacherib,  palace  of;  818. 

Shammar,  Arab  tribe  of,  814. 

Shannon  (George),  lost,  134. 

his  adventure  with  the  Indians,  189. 

Shary  River,  description  of,  492. 

Shendy,  216. 

Sheudi,  capital  city  of  Loo-Choo,  818 

Shillooka,  tribe  of;  632,  644. 

Shiraai,  TiUago  of)  822. 


II    !i 


ll^ 


.  .i  ,  l\, 


I  ( 


1% 


954 


INDEX. 


Shoa,  scenery  of,  65T — Detective  police  ofj 
658— King  of;  669— Religion  of,  662— 
People  o^  662 — Manners  and  customs, 
663. 

Shoahonee  Indians,  161,  152. 

Captain  Lewis's  adrenture  with, 


151. 


■  Fremont's  interview  with,  708. 


Shohos,  tribe  of,  668, 

Shouaa  Arabs,  496— Manners  of  the  women, 
496. 

Shygliecans,  curious  custom  o^  278. 

Siberia,  charms  of|  410. 

Siberian  pestilence,  80. 

lioapitality,  391. 

Sierra  Nevada,  717,  118,  719. 

Silla,  on  the  Niger,  111. 

Simanoflf,  allowed  to  visit  a  Russian  vessel, 
435. 

Sinee  River,  61. 

Sir-i-kol,  valley  of)  691 — Lake  o^  692,  693. 

Sir  River,  crossing  ofj  331. 

Sioux,  interview  with  the,  699. 

Sioux  Indians,  134,  136. 

Siway,  Cailliaud's  approach  to,  247— Scene- 
ry of;  248— Inhabitants  of;  249. 

Slave  River,  292. 

Slave  Lake  (great),  600. 

Smejewskaja  Gora,  81. 

Snow-storms  in  the  Arctic  regions,  299. 

Sobah,  ruins  of,  266. 

Sobat  River,  641,  642. 

Sockna,  women  of,  464. 

Sokulk  Indians,  162. 

Soleb,  tomplo  of,  256. 

Souakin,  217. 

Soudan,  885,  et  aeq. 

SoumS  (Mount).  368. 

South  Pass,  699,  700. 

Southern  Cross,  26. 

Spanish  Trail,  the,  721. 

Speranski  (General),  390. 

^e-Tchouen,  province  of|  765. 

Stone  Idol  Creek,  137. 

Sturt  (Captain  (Varies),  commands  an  ex- 
pedition into  Austiulia,  581 — Descends 
the  Macquarie,  581 — Discovers  the  Dar- 
ling, 584 — Descends  the  river,  686 — Re- 
turns to  Mt.  Harris,  586 — Explores  the 
region  of  the  Castlereagh,  686 — Returns 
to  Wellington  Valley,  687 — Second  ex- 
pedition, 587 — Descentof  the  Morumbid- 
gee,  688 — Reaches  the  Murray.  589 — 
Hostility  of  the  natives,  590 — Discovers 
the  mouth  of  the  Darling,  690 — Friendli- 
ness of  the  natives,  591 — Arrives  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Murray,  692 — Reaches  the 
■ea-coast,  693 — Ascends  the  Murray,  693 
—Suspicious  movements  of  the  natives, 
694— Sufferings  of  the  party,  696 — Re- 
turn to  Sydney,  696. 

Sukhne,  shckh  and  people  of;  203. 

Sukkot,  territory  of;  210. 

Sumatria,  Ida  PfeiCfer's  travels  in,  846,  849. 

Summer  Lake,  716. 


Sung-lo,  hill  of;  766. 
Sutter  (Captain),  720. 
Suweik;624.  "^ 

Sweet  Water  River,  rapids  ofthe,  704,  705. 
Szalt,  204. 

Taboniah,  Well  of;  885. 

Tagama,  a  tribe  of  Tuaricks,  892. 

Tajura,  town  o^  649 — Sultan  o^  660. 

Takka,  country  of;  217. 

Tale  Lama,  palace  o^  751. 

Tang-Keou-Eul,  town  of;  742. 

Tarma,  863,  860. 

Tarsus,  200. 

Tartar  manners,  732 — Encampment,  733— 
Burials,  734,  736— Butcher,  740. 

TayC  224.  ^^ 

Taylor  (Bayard),  accompanies  the  American 
exploring  party  through  Loo-<3hoo,  915 — 
Enters  a  native  dwelling,  924 — Is  over- 
come by  fatigue,  934. 

visit  to  Dr.  Knobleeher,  643. 

Tchad  (Lake),  first  view  of,  469. 

eastern  shore  of,  496. 

Tchakar,  country  o^  733. 

Tching-tou-fou,  town  o^  756. 

Tchogortan,  Lamasery  of,  745,  746. 

Tcbuktchi,  baptism  of  the  401 — Camp  of 
the,  402— Jealousy  ofthe,  402. 

Tegerry,  wells  of;  466. 

Tehama,  terrible  desert  of  652. 

Tekut,  Mount,  886. 

Telissareh,  Wady,  rock  sculptures  discov- 
ered in,  886. 

Tequendama,  Cascade  o^  62. 

Terke,  Japanese  interpreter,  428. 

Terra  del  Fuego,  appearance  of,  841. 

Thakar,  kingdom  o^  730. 

Thebes,  Belzoni's  description  of,  231. 

Thebes,  Necropolis  of,  234. 

Thibetan  Embassy,  746,  747.' 

Thirst,  Mungo  Park's  sufferings  fVom,  105  . 

Thlew-ee-choh  River,  601,  602,  608,  609, 
613. 

Tibboos,  Sultan  of  the,  467— Country  ofthe, 
468 — Dance:  of  the  women,  468 — Aston- 
ishment on  seeing  engravings,  468. 

Tiberias,  796. 

Tiger  hunting,  843. 

Tigris  River,  760. 

Timbuctoo,  Dr.  Barth's  visit  to  the  city  ot; 
904. 

Tlmkovski,  appointed  to  conduct  the  Russian 
mission  to  China,  350 — Departure  fh)m 
Kiakhta,  351 — Approach  to  the  desert  of 
Gobi,  362— Arrival  at  the  Ourga,  369— 
OfHcial  reception,  360 — Departure  fV-om 
the  Ourga,  366— Visit  to  Mount  Darchan, 
367 — To  ancient  Mongolian  ruins,  367 — 
To  a  Thibetan  temple,  368 — Crosses  the 
desert  of  Gobi,  369— Arrives  at  the  Great 
Wall,  371— Enters  Khalgan,  37 1— Ex- 
amines the  Great  Wall,  372 — Arrival  at 
Pekin,  373— VisiU  the  city,  374— The 
temples,  376 — ^Tlie  Portuguese  mission, 


IND.EX. 


955 


l,t05. 


733— 

\ 

erican 

915— 

over- 


np  of 


lacoT- 


■ 


105. 
609, 

fthe, 
Aton« 


jot; 

Mian 
from 
(rt  of 
69— 
from 
han, 
57— 
the 
reat 
■Ex- 
alat 
■The 
lion, 


377 — ^Departure  from  Pekin,  379 — ^Viiit 
to  an  ancient  Mongolese  temple,  379— 
He-enters  the  desert  of  Gobi,  380 — Re- 
turns to  Kiakhta,  381. 

Tin-Teilust,  valley  and  town  of;  889. 

Titicaca  Lake,  862,  863. 

Tlamath  Lake,  714. 

Tobacco,  eagerness  of  Lewis  and  Clark's 
men  for,  190. 

Tobolsk,  city  of,  80. 

Tolon-Noor,  town  of;  731. 

Tougousi,  Captain  Cochrane's  intercourse 
witli,  406. 

Toole  (Mr),  arrival  at  Kouka,  491 — Illness, 
492— Death,  494. 

Torrens  Lake,  773,  774. 

Toukoulan  Mountains,  393. 

Touraat  River,  275. 

Toumet,  country  of;  735. 

Translation  through  four  languages,  182. 

Trinidad  (in  Bolivia),  Herndon'a  residence 
at,  865,  866. 

Tripe  do  roche,  300,  301. 

Tropical  vegetation,  30. 

Truxillo,  71. 

Tsad  Lake,  897 — Explored  by  Dr.  Overwog, 
81)7 — Description  of  its  islands  and  their 
inhabitants,  898,  899. 

Tsanker  Island,  641. 

Turbaco,  air-volcanoes  of;  61. 

Turkestan  (Chinese),  336. 

Twisted  hair,  160. 

181,  182. 

Tyrwliit,  arrival  at  Bomou,  495. 

Tzarsko,  Selo,  conflagration  of,  384. 

TJcayali  River,  856,  857. 

treiad  Soliman,  tribe  of  the,  900. 

Unjiuruta,  town  of,  893. 

TJfi-fia,  932. 

Ural  Mountains,  inhabitants  of,  387. 

78. 

Uralsk,  84. 

TJruana,  mission  of,  46. 
Usdum,  salt  mountain  of;  800. 
Ustkanieuogorsk,  81. 

Valparaiso,  customs  at,  841. 

Vapor  Bath,  experiment  with,  184 — (Jure 

of  an  Indian  chief,  186. 
Vota,  the  sickness  caused  by  rarity  of  the 

atmosphere,  852,  853, 
Victoria  River,  discovery  of,  784, 
Vogcl  (Dr.  Kdvvard),  volunteers  to  join  Dr. 

Barth  in  Central  Africa,  904 — Joins  Dr. 

Bartli,  904 — Accompanies  the  army  of 

Bornou  on  its  annual  foray,  906 — His 

proposed  explorations,  906. 
Volga  River,  85. 

Wahabees,  Ebn  Sihoud,  king  of  the,  456 
— Ili.s  appearance,  456 — Treatment  of 
the  Drayiiy,  466 — -His  remarks  on  the 
Christian  religion,  458— Treaty  with  the 
Drayhy,  458. 


Wahclellah  Indiana,  178. 

Waddington  and  Handbury,  meeting  with 
Cailliaud,  257. 

Wady  Killulloo,  scene  at,  666. 

Waled  Ali,  tribe  of;  446. 

"Wallahwallah  River,  712. 

"Wandering  Dervish,  privileges  of  a,  910. 

Wappatoo  root,  173. 

Warrington,  Mr.,  son  of  the  English  consul 
at  Tripoli,  accompanies  Dr.  Vogel  to 
Kouka,  904— His  death,  904. 

Wawa,  country  o^  510. 

Dishonesty  of  the  king  of  529. 

Wellsted  (Lieutenant),  employed  by  the 
East  India  Company  in  the  survey  of  the 
Arabian  coasts,  615 — Lands  at  Muscat, 
616 — Proceeds  to  Sur,  616 — Reception 
by  the  Bedouins,  616,  617 — Accompa- 
nies tlie  shekh  of  the  Genehas  into  the 
desert,  618 — Proceeds  by  the  oasis  to 
Semracd,  019,  620 — An  Arab's  attach- 
ment to  his  camel  tested,  620 — Sojourn 
at  Ncswah,  621 — Excursion  to  Djebel 
Aklidar,  021,  622— Illness  of  the  party, 
623— Proceeds  to  Sib,  on  the  coast,  62:5 
— Hospitably  entertained  at  Suweik,  624 
— Travels  inland  to  Obri,  624 — Hostility 
of  the  Wahabees,  625,  G2i; — Reaches  Su- 
weik, C2G — Returns  to  Muscat,  627. 

Wcrno  (Dr.  Ferdinand),  enters  the  Egyp- 
tian service  and  proceeds  from  Cairo  to 
Khartoum,  629 — Joins  the  expedition 
up  the  White  Nile,  630 — Describes  the 
scenery,  6.'50,  631 — Reaches  the  country 
of  the  Shillooks,  631— The  Dinkaa,  631 
— Describes  the  lotus,  632 — Pinters  the 
land  of  the  Nuehrs,  633 — Crosses  the 
Gazelle  Lake,  G34 — Enters  the  land  of 
the  Keka,  635 — Describes  a  sunrise,  635 
— Describes  the  inhabitants,  630,  637 — 
Attack  of  fever,  637 — Natives  fired  upon, 
638— Enters  the  land  of  tlie  Bans,  638— 
Inhabitants  described,  639 — Visited  by 
king  Lakono,  639,  640 — The  expedition 
returns,  G41 — Explores  the  river  Sobat, 
041 — Encoutiter  with  a  lion,  642 — Re- 
turn to  Khartoum,  642. 

Whale,  skeleton  of,  174. 

Whang-szu,  temples  of,  376. 

White  Nile,  scenery  of  630,  631,  634— Sun- 
rise on,  635,  638,  644— Source  of,  647. 

White-bear  Island,  camp  at,  187. 

Whiteloek  (Lieutenant),  621. 

Wilberforco  Falls,  299. 

Wild  animals  of  the  Tropics,  43,  44. 

Wild  Boars,  hunting  with  fire,  331. 

Wind  River  Mountains,  700-703. 

Windsor,  adventure  of;  145. 

Winter  Ridge,  715. 

Wood  (Lieutenant  John),  attached  to  a  com- 
mercial mission  to  Affghanistan,  083 — 
Surveys  the  Indus,  683 — Arrives  at  Ca- 
bul,  683 — Sets  out  with  Murad  Ali  for 
Koondooz,  684— Obliged  to  return  from 
the  Pass  of  Parwan,  684 — Proceeds  by 


ii:^i:!! 


ii 


i 


■ii 


956 


INDEX. 


the  Bamian  route  to  Eoondooz,  684 — 
Account  of  Koondooz,  684 — Of  the  Uz- 
becks  and  their  horses,  685 — Determines 
to  explore  the  Oxus,  686 — Departure, 
686— An  Fzbeck's  three  best  friends,  686 
— Arrival  at  Jerm,  686 — Detention  by 
winter,  687 — Proceeds  up  the  Oxus,  689— 
The  Yak  described,  689 — Ascends  the 
mountains,  691 — Reaches  the  head- waters 
of  the  Oxus,  692— Arrives  at  the  Roof  of 
the  World,  692— Effects  of  great  altitude, 
G94— Return,  695. 

Winter  traveling  in  British  America,  291. 

Wissokaja  Gora,  79. 

Woo-e-shan,  hills  ot,  771. 

Wood  River,  129,  130. 

Woodie,  471. 

WooUi,  kingdom  of,  95— Medina,  capital  o^ 
95. 

Wou-chang-fou,  town  of;  759. 

Wrangel  (Baron),  399. 

Wrestling  among  the  Mongols^  364,  365. 

Wurka,  mound  of,  824. 

Wylie  (Australian),  775,  776. 

Yakutsk,  city  of)  392— Society  at,  392— 

Hospitality,  393. 
Yakut  blessing,  398. 
Yakuts,  endurance  of  the,  391. 

voracity  of  the,  396,  396. 

Yak,  the,  689— Ita  habits,  690. 


Yama-Cocha,  Lake  of|  65. 
Yankton  Indians,  134. 
Yang-tse-Kiang  River,  756 — Rapids  o^  758. 
Yaouri,  city  of;  526— Sultan  o^  627— Lan- 
ders' detention  at,  627. 
Yarkand,  description  o^  688. 
Yarkend,  city  o^  337. 
Yao-Tchang,  theater  of;  757. 
Yellept,  WaUahwallah  chief,  179. 
Yellow-knife  River,  292. 
Yellow  River,  the,  736. 
Yellowstone  River,  142". 
Yembo,  plague  at,  225. 
Yembo,  or  Djidda,  town  o?  912. 
Yeou  River,  471. 
603. 


•903. 


Yezidis,  or  Devil-worshipers,  814. 
Yimmaha,  547. 

Yola,  capital  of  Adamoua,  896. 
Yoriba,  scenery  of,  507 — King  of,  507. 
Yorke  (Captain  Clarke's  servant),  137. 

Zaria,  city  of,  512. 
Zashiversk,  town  of,  396. 
Zegzeg,  king  of,  519. 
Zinder,  description  of  the  town  of;  892. 
Zuma,  the  widow,  510 — Her  persevering 
attentions,  611. 

the  widow,  her  fate,  625. 


Zyzauka,  scenery  of  the,  403. 


THE  EKD. 


1 0?  758. 
J—Lan- 


)1. 
7. 


)2. 
svering 


